A No-Excuse Era

No two students are exactly alike. Leaders of educational research including Tomlinson (1999), Marzano, Beers (2003), and so many others have argued for years that didactic pedagogies are outdated and are no longer acceptable. No Child Left Behind has mandated that every student be included in mainstream classrooms. This is no easy task for classroom teachers. Educators across the nation are rising to the challenge as they collaborate to discover every means available to reach the needs of all learners. Differentiated instruction is a philosophy, a pedagogy in and of itself which is practiced by teachers everywhere who truly believe that every child is capable of learning. The premise of this practice is that new instruction begins after teachers investigate what their students know and care about; and teachers use this knowledge to guide their instruction and assess the students.

Walden University’s Education 6714: Reaching and Engaging All Learners Through Technology course has provided for me a forum in which I have had the opportunity to create, sample and reflect upon the philosophies and best practices of these educational role models. I have learned that Universal Design for Learning, Differentiated Instruction, and technology form an interconnected mindset in which teachers must be ready and willing to update their own knowledge before they can prepare today’s learners for the 21st century.

Our Differentiation Station social network provided excellent hands-on exposure in which we were able to not only share and reflect on research-based DI and UDL strategies and tools; but also granted the opportunity to practice with the ning, a flexible, effective educational networking tool for the classroom. There is no better way for teachers to model a learning process than for it to be fresh in our minds as we share it with our students. Our randomly selected groups were an example of Tomlinson’s (1999) flexible grouping strategy, in which our varied fields of expertise directed us toward different types of resources, thus exposing each of us to resources we likely would have never ventured toward on our own. The ning has proven to be a useful differentiation tool for every classroom across the curriculum in that the most prepared teacher is able to provide access to all course materials in advance of classroom exposure. This allows time for students of each readiness level and learning profile to take ownership of their learning as they are empowered to become better prepared for classroom instruction. The teacher becomes almost always available for questions, concerns or any other communications which is a wonderful tool especially since questions and great ideas are not often born during classroom hours.

The immediate addition I have already made to my instructional practice is the integration of digital storytelling as a possible outcome in lieu of more traditional performance task options. While I have always tried to be flexible in the ways I allow students to exhibit their learning, I have discovered through the hands-on practice in this course that digital storytelling is engaging, different, and incorporates more necessary 21st century skills than any presentation or poster project.

Today, more than ever before, resources are available for teachers to collaborate in order to provide equal access to education for every shape, every size, every type of learner. This is a no-excuse era for educators. Through proper planning, constant collaboration, an open-mind and the willingness to expand our own world as life-long learners, teachers will continue to make a difference. I’ve never been the type to search for excuses, but I know many teachers who are afraid to take the next step and seem to get caught up in the blame game. Education 6714: Reaching and Engaging All Learners Through Technology has reinforced my belief that that lack of flexibility is unacceptable from here on out.

NO EXCUSES – that’s what’s on my mind.


References

Beers, K. (2003). When kids can’t read: What teachers can do: A guide for teachers 6-12. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). [Motion picture]. Reaching and engaging all learners through technology.

Tomlinson, C. (1999). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

The GAME plan… a great tool for all

Would you consider embarking on a road trip without a map? Do you grocery shop without a list? Might you bake a cake without a recipe?

Everything we do in life involves some sort of planning process, each of which focuses on an end result or a goal. We spend a good portion of our lives preparing for the next step, whatever that may be. Adolescents tend struggle with transition because of their inability to plan effectively.

The most successful teachers are those who hear about new technologies and do what it takes to learn about and integrate these new tools into their repertoires. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) refer to these teachers as self-directed learners because they take the learning of new teaching tools and techniques into their own hands. Effective planning strategies are a key factor in the success of these teachers. As self-directed, life-long learners, it is important that we pass these traits on to our students. The best way for educators to do so is through the modeling of good planning and preparations. Cennamo, et. al. (2009) recommend the GAME plan as an effective method for setting goals, taking action to meet those goals, monitoring progress, and evaluating success, or lack thereof.

My original GAME plan included the integration of the standards promoted by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), which incorporate technology into the classroom. Reflection and collaboration were the two areas which I saw as needing immediate focus. The reflective process came naturally to my students who like to share their stories. Collaboration, on the other hand, was far more challenging than I had anticipated. I assumed that students like to work together. On the contrary, while my students like to be together – they like to socialize. WORKING together is a whole new concept to them. I know now that this process must be as scaffolded as much of my instruction.

The GAME plan is a valuable tool that empowers teachers and students alike to create a plan in which we can reach goals; it also holds us accountable for either achieving them to the best of our ability, or reconfiguring the plan. Many people spend their entire lives making plans, but little time following through. Cennamo’s, et al (2009) GAME plan makes follow through a requirement. And these are the tools we want our students to take into the 21st century workplace.

So, could you bake a cake without a recipe? Sure, but it might not taste so great. Grocery shopping with no list gets pretty pricey. A road trip with no plan? Well, that still has an exciting ring, but consider the prospect to the mom of a two year old who has to use the potty. Some things are just better with an executable plan.

GAME plans for success in the 21st Century… that’s what’s on my mind!

References

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

ISTE International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). NETS-T. Retrieved November 10, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Student GAME Plans

The initial goal of my GAME Plan was to focus on the reflective process in my 8th grade language arts classroom. This particular goal aligns with the first of ISTE’s technology standards for teachers, which “facilitates and inspires student creativity and learning. Reflection is crucial to becoming a self-directed learner, a goal that I hope all of my students will one day have for themselves. Shellard and Protheroe (2009) assert that reflective writing “promotes metacognitive thinking, which research has linked to increased student motivation and achievement” (p. 48).

Reflection has been integrated into the daily routines of myself and my students. Learning logs have become a staple in my classroom, deemed effective tools by Shellard and Protheroe (2004) for progress monitoring, assessment, communication, and reflection (pp. 47-48).

The GAME Plan, recommended by Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) is a strategy teachers can use to “set goals, take action, monitor learning, and evaluate progress” (p. 7). My students will benefit as much from creating their own GAME plans as I have. While I hope that my students will one day be able to align their goals with the Colorado content standards, that is not realistic. But that does not mean my students are not ready to set goals. On the contrary, my students can and will benefit tremendously from setting goals and being held responsible for monitoring their own progress.

Spring semester I will welcome an entirely new set of students into my classroom, at which time I will introduce learning logs and GAME plans. Each student will immediately set three goals for him or herself. Naturally, these goals will look different for everybody. One young man may set a goal to show up to class three mornings each week, while a young lady may decide that she will get straight As third marking period. Regardless of the goal, students will be responsible for choosing measurable actions with which to achieve chosen goal, while regularly monitoring and evaluating their own experiences and efforts of the process. These reflections will serve as reliable reminders to students that they do have goals which are attainable; while keeping them engaged and excited about the prospect of reaching these goals.

Student GAME plans ... that's what's on my mind!

References

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Shellard, E. & Protheroe, N. (2004). Writing across the curriculum: to increase student learning in middle and high school. Alexandria, VA: Educational Research Service.

My GAME Plan...on the horizon

Last week, our charter liaison called a series of meetings to alert all staff to the fact that big changes were "on the horizon," and that there would be a meeting this week during which they would roll out the new "reorganization plan." That's right. Meetings to alert us that there would be a meeting with a plan. Supposedly, the charter company was going to look beyond the budget in order to help clean up the mess. We had nothing to lose.

In August of 2009, fourteen teachers and an undersized administration opened up a brand new middle school in a shared campus project. A national for-profit charter merged with Denver public schools in order to promise "something different" to the inner city youth who were in danger of dropping out of school before they even reached high school.

The charter promised a wealth of resources - technological and other - along with a support system comparable to no other. Long story short, the resources never arrived, and the support system gave up long before it ever showed up.

We, the teachers, were getting eaten alive. Our students told us they didn't care, they didn't like teachers, they didn't like white people (double whammy for many of the staff) and that there was nothing we could do about it. They were right. The administration was far too overwhelmed to provide the level of support we needed. We were left to fend for ourselves. Despite the fact that with each struggle, the team strengthens; we are tired; and we're frustrated. There is not a single staff member who actually wants to return after the holidays.

The drama teacher and the art teacher qualified for disability leave due to "on-the-job stress." Substitute teachers will never return. Gang-related threats, inappropriate name-calling, and sexual gestures and innuendos have gone unpunished and unsupported. There certainly is no "learning" happening. This is not a safe place for staff or students.

...on the horizon...
Today was the big day. The "reorganization plan" has been rolled out, to begin January 4th, 2010 upon return from winter break.

Currently an eighth grade reading and writing teacher, I have been reassigned to teach reading and writing to one group of seventh graders (two classes), then provide literacy support to that same group throughout the day. I have never participated in co-teaching, but the prospect is very exciting to me. No teacher will ever be alone in the classroom which is sure to aid in the remaining behavior struggles. A solidified discipline structure will also be put in place. The entire plan is surprising and new; I need time to process the information.

The most exciting piece of the puzzle is that my new schedule includes an entire 65 minute class period in the computer lab every day. This is in addition to my reading and writing classes! The technology director is in the process of creating student accounts on the network so that any and all inappropriate activity (mostly gang-related) can be tracked and stopped short. She is prepared to assist with full integration of web 2.0, social networking, blogs, wikis, videos, and podcasts. NOW that I have access to the tools, I will reconfigure my GAME plan to integrate technology across the curriculum. I still intend to start with one thing at a time, as so many things will be new in the months to come. And I will continue to focus on the reflective process first with my new students, because it is familiar, and important to my pedagogy. The opportunity for technology integration in which to engage my students in all content areas has just multiplied tremendously. It's so exciting, I'm not sure where I will begin!

I don't know who, and I'm not sure how, but it seems someone, somewhere was listening. The new "reorganization plan" may just give our school a chance at surviving; a chance to make AYP; a chance to teach our students to value education; a chance to provide a scaffold that may lead these youth to a thriving life in the 21st century.

...the horizon... that's what's on my mind.

My GAME Plan...Small Successes

Just a couple weeks ago, I decided that students who ordinarily complete classwork in a timely fashion would be granted computer access on the classroom computer or my laptop. The goal for this time on the computer is to research and ideally discover myriad resources on the great World Wide Web which could be integrated into the current lesson. I rewarded the first few students this week and am elated with the results!

I originally created my own personal GAME Plan as suggested by Cennamo (2009) in order to align my goals as an educator with the best interest of today’s students. My goals focus on integration of the reflective process as well as responsible and ethical use of Internet resources into my reading and writing curriculum. The GAME plan is a formal one in which I plan actions to carry out, monitor and evaluate the progress of achieving my own goals.

Overwhelmed with attempts of adding fancy newer technologies, such as blogs and wikis to my already demanding schedule, I became discouraged about ever meeting my goals. What I am realizing is that the integration of technology into my classroom does not have to be so complicated.

The unit I introduced this week focuses on complex processes. The twelve students who were rewarded Internet access after completing assignments have really excited over the opportunity to search the Web for “fun” resources to add to my lessons. Each of these eighth graders found a complex process that met his or her personal tastes. One young lady pulled together a collection of recipes, while a young man printed up a series of plays from an old Denver Broncos’ playbook. In the meantime, the behavior of my more challenging students has improved because they want the opportunity to “surf the web” in order to add their own interests to my “lame Language Arts” class. One student actually paid me a visit this morning before school to show me that he had printed up his bus route, explaining how important it was for him to be more familiar with that process.

It never occurred to me that such a simple suggestion would make such a big difference. Richardson (2009) reminds educators that “we cannot honestly discuss twenty-first century learning skills for our students before we first make sense of that for ourselves” (Preface, p. x). I still learn something new every day.

It is time to begin discussions on the ethical use of Internet, and all, resources. One day at a time.

Today, I am so grateful for small successes…and that’s what’s on my mind.



References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.

Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, wikis, podcasts and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

My GAME Plan… Back to the drawing board…

Information and resources are plentiful. Support, however, is lacking. In other words, regardless of the resources that I bring to the table, the discussion of technological resources is at a standstill until the 2010-2011 school year.

I was hired under the premise that this brand new charter school with a for profit national sponsor was prepared to create a technologically rich learning environment. As the administration quickly deteriorates, the teachers struggle to make it from one day to the next.

I must modify my GAME plan. My students do not value education. Their families do not value education. Talks within these communities proclaim that no one cares about these young people, and they are on their own. Every morning, I switch to survival mode before walking into school. There is not a teacher on my staff who wants to return in January, though we all will because we know what quitting might do to our careers. We have put our own health, sanity, and family-security at risk, working our hardest to make a difference in the life of just one student.

My students enrolled in this school looking for something different. As of right now, I have nothing new to offer, and am feeling frustrated and somewhat hopeless. Ross (2009) reminds educators that despite any summative assessments at each year’s end, we are the ones who spend time getting to know our students best (Laureate Education). I would like to incorporate the relationships I build with my students into my GAME plan. It may be the only chance I have to reach this population.

My original GAME plan targeted the reflective process, with a focus on individual growth in my reading and writing classroom. Under the circumstances, I believe that my students would benefit from a variation of e-portfolios, in which they share reflections of their lives with me and their peers. Barrett (2005) emphasizes the importance of “student participation and choice, criteria for selection, criteria for judging merit, and evidence of self-reflection” in the e-portfolio process. I would absolutely implement these aspects, with the specific subject matter chosen by the students. The curriculum content has little to no relevance in the lives of my students. They meet it with anxiety, anger, and outrageous acts. Carol Ann Tomlinson (1999) reminds teachers that we need to meet students where they are.” It is time to listen.

My students have stories to share, and often feel as if there is no one who will listen. E-portfolios, which may begin with paper and pictures due to our lack of resources, allow students to share in creative and collaborative ways. I will provide the structure in which they will create and share their stories and what they learn from day to day; as well as ample opportunity to write, revise, and meet a variety of other standards and skills sets such as creative and critical thinking. Barrett (2005) asserts that e-portfolios provide "multiple purposes: learning/processing, assessment, marketing and showcasing."

I need to reach my students, but I need help.
E-portfolios: that’s what’s on my mind.




References

Barrett, H. “The reflect initiative.” February 5, 2005. Webcast. “High school portfolios: To e or not to e.” Retrieved November 20, 2009 from http://present.bccampus.ca/p43204744/

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Assessing student learning with technology from Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.

Tomlinson, C. (1999) The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Carrying out my GAME plan

I began discussions with my students this week about both Internet access and the reflective process. The first thing I discovered is that all of my eighth graders WANT to better integrate technology into their lives, but have limited resources. The majority of my students do not have computers or Internet at home, but do live near public libraries. Many frequent the libraries to use social communication tools such as MySpace and Face Book, but do not really have much use for the Internet otherwise. Ross (2009) asserts that our students "have social skills; they need academic skills" (Laureate Education, 2009).

I asked whether or not they would be willing to engage in classroom websites and wikis. They responded favorably, clarifying that they would only do so if it was "fun." While I wasn't surprised by this response, I am not sure how to ensure participation outside of class, when access is so sparse. Wahl and Duffield (2005) remind us that web resources "include many materials with high student interest, such as articles on snowboarding, sports, and popular media figures" (p. 4). My first goal must be to expose students to all of the great resources available on the web that will help them become more successful in school, and in their lives. I will allow 2-3 students in each class an opportunity to search the web for resources that fit into the day’s lesson. Those who are off task, will lose this opportunity. Those who find something that they think is fun or at least engaging will earn extra credit points for sharing it with me and the class. This will hopefully increase student belief that all resources related to school are boring and “lame.”

In terms of the reflective process, I asked my classes what they thought of the opportunity to reflect on my practices during each quarter. I confirmed that they would earn points for engaging in the process, but would not be graded for their responses. I granted them freedom, provided that they are respectful in their concerns and offer realistic alternatives to criticisms. They excited over the idea, and are looking forward to the opportunity to share honest opinions.

The aspects of my GAME plan are challenging, and will occur over time. I intend to incorporate as much technology exposure and reflection into my lessons as possible, but need to be realistic. First things first.

I am open to any and all suggestions!
Thanks for reading what’s on my mind!

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Using technology to customize instruction part 2 from: Promoting creative thinking with technology from Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.

Wahl, L., & Duffield, J. (2005). Using flexible technology to meet the needs of diverse learners: What teachers can do. WestEd, pp. 1-11. Retrieved from http://www.wested.org/cs/we/view/rs/763.