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.

My Own GAME Plan

Technological advances that swept us off of our feet last week, are old news. Pedagogy is no different. In today’s rapidly changing world, teachers must work in new, more efficient ways to keep up. As educators, we are preparing our students to compete globally in a workforce that does not yet exist. The International Society for Technology in Education (2008) has created a set of standards which cater entirely to these rapidly changing skills sets. One of our greatest challenges, as teachers, is making changes to our own repertoires in order to meet these new needs.

Cennamo (2009) recommends all teachers make a formal GAME plan in which they set Goals; choose Actions via which to meet these goals; Monitor said goals; and regularly Evaluate their own progress (Laureate Education, 2009). Many teachers are naturally self-directed, life long learner, who tend to do this naturally, however informally.

I have created a GAME plan for solidifying my own ability to better prepare students for the 21st Century. I do believe that I touch on each new standard here and there, but hope to increase the frequency to every lesson.

My initial goal incorporates the first of The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards (NETS.T) and Performance Indicators for Teachers standard which states that teachers “facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity” (ISTE, 2008). I will focus on better integrating the reflective process into my classroom pedagogy. Actions I will take to achieve this goal include modeling my own reflective process, while challenging my students to write about their growth, achievement and weaknesses. I will monitor the progress through the dialectic journaling process in which we reflect on each journal entry after we write it, through questions such as, “why did I write that,” and “how did that look and feel?” An additional set of questions will be incorporated for the self-evaluation process in order to encourage both my own and students’ discovery of how we learn best. These will all be in the form of learning logs that will be kept private between my students and myself. My personal reflective learning log will be shared by a colleague with whom I feel comfortable. This process will allow me to better track my own pedagogical successes and weaknesses.

A second personal goal targets ISTE NETS.T standard number 4a. which “promotes and models digital citizenship and responsibility [through the] advocacy, modeling, and teaching [of] safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology” (ISTE, 2008). Actions I will take to learn to better integrate ethical use of the Internet include teaching sound inquiry and scrutinizing skills. I will scaffold instruction at the beginning of each research project, in strategies such as the “ABCs of websites” as suggested by Phillips (2009b) along with the “url back-tracking system,” which Warlick (2009b) recommends (Laureate Education, 2009b). These strategies help students determine the most reliable sources. I will hold students accountable for properly crediting all sources, including graphics and sound bytes, reminding them that do not like when others steal from them. Consistency is crucial. Students should never use a source that is not formally cited. I will also monitor and evaluate these processes through the same learning logs (including my own). I will challenge students to hold themselves and their peers accountable as well.
Sticking to my GAME plan, in which I incorporate these strategies consistently and with follow up will provide the opportunity for growth technologically and otherwise. Through steadfast monitoring and evaluation, I will provide confidence, clarity and growth within myself and my students. We will all benefit. Cennamo, et. al. (2009) reminds educators that “as a self-directed lifelong learner, [we’ll] be able to respond to the rapid and continuous technological changes that inevitably will occur…and better meet the needs of your students today and in the future” (p. 7). We have nothing to lose!





References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. 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

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

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009b). Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom. Baltimore: Author.

The not-so-new "New Literacies"

A REFLECTION
of Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom

"It's obvious that technology is reshaping students' reading and writing practices, with or without educators' intervention. Our challenge is to teach students to be truly literate in two languages - those of the pre- and post-digital worlds" (Rooney, 2009, p. 1). The concept of “new literacies,” introduced by Hartman (2009), adds questioning, searching, evaluating, synthesizing, and communicating to the traditional notion of reading from and writing about textbooks. Literacy skills today are not much different from those described by the great Jon Dewey or Paulo Freire years ago. These great educational philosophers focused on communication and collaboration, despite the differences in technological resources. Neither one agreed with the stagnant teacher-centered classrooms that have bored students and teachers for years. Hartman (2009) explains that the nature of literacy has evolved as populations have matured (Laureate Education, Inc.). Yet even Dewey (1938) argued that teachers must blend real and classroom worlds in order to prepare students for their futures, as opposed to the pasts of their teachers and parents.

As a child, I was a “how-come? kid.” I wanted to know the whos, whats, wheres, whens, whys, and hows of the world around me. What likely came off as an irritating childhood tendency has helped me collect information throughout my life with which to construct new knowledge. I am delighted to see that educational researchers have reprioritized questioning as a crucial stepping stone in the greater scheme of learning. Eagleton and Dobler (2007) validate the importance of asking questions “as the first step in the inquiry process, in addition to its ongoing role as a method of activating prior knowledge, monitoring, and decision making during online reading” (p. 80). For years, pedagogy has been focused on the answers. With technology advancing and evolving toward a more predominant role in education, students’ abilities to formulate questions are central to their ability to discover and create new answers in more meaningful, relevant ways than ever before.

Professional development is crucial to successful pedagogy. A goal of mine is to integrate technology into every unit, despite our lack of resources. Eagleton and Dobler (2007) provide a wealth of resources that help me determine where students are in terms of prior knowledge and experience with technological resources, along with the specifics of how to meet them there and teach them the new literacies that will guide them toward success in the 21st century workplace of their choice. While my goal is to start by meeting my students where they are, I intend to see growth through the introduction of the quest model of internet inquiry, as described by Eagleton and Dobler (2007). Questioning, Understanding resources, Evaluating, Synthesizing, and Transforming of information (QUEST), “engages and supports students as they tackle the complexities of reading on the Web” (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007, p. 51). This model allows student choice and flexibility, while providing the purpose students need in traditionally dull literacy projects.

As an eighth grade reading and writing teacher in a brand new charter school for inner city youth, I feel like a first year teacher all over again. I still ask questions as often as possible, regardless of any potential scrutiny I may receive from my colleagues or the administration. Radical ideas come from administrators, the charter company, the public school district, parents, and students in terms of discipline plans, teaching styles, curriculum, and extra-curricular activities, on a daily basis. The integration of technology and education into this quickly advancing society of ours is no longer such an outlandish idea. On the contrary, the time is now to provide a forum for all students to begin thinking, questioning, evaluating and synthesizing information in ways that will prepare them for the “who knows what?” that is their future.



References
Dewey, J. (1897) My pedagogic creed. The School Journal, LIV (3),77-80.

Eagleton, M., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.

Freire, P. & Macedo, D. (1987) Literacy:Reading the word and the world. South Hadley, MA: Bergin and Garvey.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). New literacies from Supporting information literacy and online inquiry in the classroom. Baltimore: Author.

Rooney, J. (2009) Teaching two literacies from Educational leadership. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Retrieved 22 October 2009 from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/mar09/vol66/num06/Teaching_Two_Literacies.aspx

My classroom ... into the 21st century.

For years, students and teachers, alike, have battled the didactic approach to teaching, in which the teacher provides the information that the students must learn. Educational visionaries such as Dewey (1938) and Freire (1987) promoted education as a community, a family, and most of all, a student centered process, in which knowledge must be shared and reconstructed through timely and relevant interactions. (Dewey, 1938) (Freire, Macedo, 1987). Having never been successful with the old teacher-centered method of pedagogy, as a student, one of my greatest missions as a teacher has been to create a classroom environment in which knowledge construction is a collaborative process. I have always learned best by interacting, touching, and doing, rather than from merely listening; and am certain that most students do, especially in this new age of communication.

Integration of technology into classrooms provides teachers and students with more choices than ever. Web 2.0, the read/write web, offers a level of collaboration beyond the ordinary classroom that educators through history never imagined. Students use these new technologies for entertainment, communication, and to have all of their questions answered immediately. Historically, we have had to wait until coming in contact with an authority figure (of a given subject) to pose a particular question, then wait longer until he or she conducted research and came up with an answer. Thanks to the read/write web, if google doesn’t return a quick or specific enough answer, we can post our question to a blog, on which hundreds of answers could arrive from worldwide in minutes. Dr. David Thornburg (2008) explains in Emergence of Educational Technology that neither students, nor teachers, advance in the technological world from changing the look of old lessons; for example, a Power Point presentation replacing a black or white board. Many teachers use Web 2.0 applications for organization and research, but have overlooked the opportunity to integrate these technologies for anything other than “doing things differently” (Laureate, 2008). The time has come for educators to step out of our comfort zones and meet students where they are, in a technological world, and try “different things,” such as podcasting, videos, and wikis. (Laureate, 2008)

Educators have studied for years the benefits of making connections between students’ personal lives and school lives. Dr. David Thornburg (2008) explains that it is more important than ever to meet students where they are and to help them develop a love of learning, through critical thinking and creativity, in order to prepare them for a work environment that does not yet exist (Laureate, 2008). With constant access to these newer technologies, our students are different from their predecessors. They think differently; they learn differently. Prensky (2001) refers to this generation of students as “digital natives,” who were born into this new technological “language.” They constantly multi-task and prefer to be networked all of the time. (Prensky, 2001) The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2009) promotes the education of educators in these rapidly changing times. While the content we teach may be similar, the applications are quite different. Students no longer need to memorize rote information, rather they must know how and where to find it on the great world wide web. And once they find answers, they must be careful to scrutinize it; as well “utility lies in online reading comprehension and learning skills” (Miners, Pascopella, 2007, p. 26). Innovation, creativity and critical thinking skills are more crucial than ever. Web 2.0 gives students of all ability and motivation levels the opportunity to explore and evolve at their own pace, while tackling these important 21st century skills sets.

I have had the opportunity to evolve technologically as a teacher of 7th-12th grade language arts students, through Walden University’s Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society class. The class instructor modeled effective methods of guiding instruction rather than giving step-by-step strategies for doing new things in my classroom. As technology is often intimidating (just like any unknown), this method of instruction was also some what nerve-wracking at first. New technologies become available daily. Facilitating current uses of available resources allows students (myself included) to explore and to develop a certain comfort level that does not develop while following specific strategies that work for someone else. Assignments included choosing and signing up for social bookmarking and an RSS aggregator, creating and maintaining a blog, collaborating on a group wiki, developing my very own podcast from start to finish, and actually developing relationships with classmates, who I will likely never meet, via online instant messaging. With the freedom to explore these tools in my own time and space, I learned so much more than if I had a set of guidelines to follow.

Though I have always made it clear to my students that my word is never the final answer, and tried to encourage them to search elsewhere for answers, challenging me as necessary; I was still the center of the classroom. My role in the classroom is, however, already shifting from information sharer and idea starter to facilitator. I have already incorporated a blog and a wiki, both of which are receiving great feedback from both students and parents. I am modeling comfortable, safe use of internet research tools, and have begun challenging my students to better scrutinize their resources. In terms of goals, I will work this summer with a math/science teacher and a social studies teacher with the intention of implementing fifth grade teacher Randy Kolset’s (2008) Vocabucasting. (Laureate Education, 2008) This engaging, hands-on, strategy for teaching vocabulary across the curriculum is fully interactive, encouraging use of podcasting technologies, research and resources, critical thinking and creativity: all skills applicable to the 21st century workforce, no matter what industry. My second goal is to utilize google reader, following up on one resource each week. Professional development and keeping up with the rapidly changing technological advances go hand in hand, benefiting my students as much as myself.
















References:

Dewey, J. (1897) My pedagogic creed. The School Journal, LIV (3),77-80.

Freire, P. & Macedo, D. (1987) Literacy:Reading the word and the world. South Hadley, MA: Bergin and Garvey.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). The changing work environment: Part 1 from Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Emergence of educational technology from Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Spotlight on technology: Vocabucasting from Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. Baltimore: Author.

Miners, Z., & Pascopella, A. (2007). The new literacies. District Administration, 43(10), 26–34.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2003). Learning for the 21st century and MILE guide. Retrieved April 5, 2009: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/downloads/P21_Report.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants, Part I. On the Horizon, 9(5).

Technology in Education on My Mind

It's what's on my mind.

My students are "digital natives," according to Marc Prensky's (2001) explanation in "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Part 1." A brief interview with students confirms this.

Click on "Technology in Education" link above to hear what's on my mind!


References
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants, Part I. On the Horizon, 9(5).

21st Century Skills: Preparing For Success

Students today are up against more challenges than ever before as they enter the workforce. Gone are the days of memorizing facts, answering multiple choice test questions, and moving on to the next subject matter. The 21^st century is an age of new literacies, in which teachers must increase their teaching repertoires to include ICTs (Information Communication Technologies), and technicalities of not only finding information, but also evaluating, scrutinizing, and thinking critically of said information.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2004) is a global organization focused on helping teachers and communities integrate technology and its accompanying skills sets into classrooms (Partnership for 21st Century Skills). The core subjects have remained constant through the years, but the necessary application of these subjects has evolved. We, as educators must evolve as well. We can do this through proper placement of these core subjects in the 21^st century contexts including global awareness, financial, economic and business and civic literacy (****). Critical thinking, creativity, and emphasis on the ability to continue learning and solve problems are the skills sets that must accompany the basics, in order to fully prepare today’s students for the working world of the 21^st century.

There was nothing on the 21^st Century Skills website that took me by surprise. The Partnership states the obvious. Dr. David Thornburg (2008) lectures to classes of educators regarding Alvin Toffler’s three waves and our coming into the new era of communication (Laureate, 2008). Professional educators, educational researchers, news anchors and politicians alike have been debating for years the need to integrate technological literacies into our classrooms. The worlds of technology and business are changing everyday. There is a major disconnect in the fact that our students are learning the same skills that even my grandparents learned in the classroom. “The Partnership encourages schools, districts and states to advocate for the infusion of 21st century skills into education and provides tools and resources to help facilitate and drive change” (Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, 2004).

The greatest benefit my students have in me as a contemporary educator lies in the fact that I am aware of changes and growth that need to occur in order to keep up with the constantly changing world around us. My English classroom will soon boast lessons on wikis, blogs, and podcasts, integrating practice with necessary skills of the 21^st century and the basic content knowledge of yesterday. A high school English teacher, my focus is on creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving, and decision making in the 21^st century contexts needed to help our students become productive members of society.

I cannot make this change over night, nor can I do it on my own. I plan to spend a lot of time researching and practicing with these new technologies while collaborating with my own colleagues, which I am fortunate enough to have worldwide, thanks to these new technologies. I will model safe, effective uses of ICTs right in my classroom. And I will emphasize that there is nothing to fear in learning and evolving with new technologies.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Thornburg, D. (Speaker). Skills for the 21^st Century. In Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. [Educational Video]. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Thornburg, D. (Speaker). The Third Wave. In Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. [Educational Video]. Baltimore: Author.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills, (2004). The partnership for 21st century skills. Retrieved March 23, 2009, from The partnership for 21st century skills Web site: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php

Bookmark this on Delicious

Technology Meets Alternative Education

I teach special education high school English in an alternative setting. My students were unable to succeed in the traditional classroom. They struggle with a variety of learning disabilities including, but not limited to ADD, ADHD, PDD, and Autism Spectrum disorders. Others battle social, emotional, and behavior disorders including bi-polar, depression, anxiety, and addiction. We provide individualized education with a safe, comfortable, relational approach to teaching and learning.

We have resources, but in many cases, do not know how and where to integrate.
Our most valuable asset is the relationships we form with our students.
How do we keep relationships strong, while incorporating technology?

I would like to get my students blogging on educational sites that will help them with research, writing, and reading skills. How do I introduce something to these students that I am not 100% comfortable with myself?

Where do I begin?

I am a firm believer in modeling for my students. I often model that I, too, have a lot to learn about the world around me.
What might the risks be of learning this process together?

Vending Machines in Schools

Within our small alternative private school, we have two vending machines: drinks & snacks. Discussions arise periodically regarding the nutritional value of the items available for student purchase. At the end of last school year, we collaborated with the vendor and agreed that the drink machine would include: bottled water, Gatorade, Snapple, various juices, Sprite, and Diet Pepsi. The snack machine was to include gum, Life Savers, a few healthier lunch options (the travel tuna & chicken salad packs & beef jerky), baked chip varieties including Sun Chips, snack and breakfast bars, Smartfood popcorn, and Chex mix. By October, sales in the machines plummeted and the vendor worked privately with a counselor, who had received negative feedback from parents, regarding "nothing good" available in the machines. NOW, the machines are packed with Mountain Dew, Pepsi & Diet Pepsi, and juice drinks; chips, processed danish, candy bars, and Ramen Noodles.

Aren't we encouraging kids to lead unhealthy lifestyles by providing nothing but junk food? How do we get the administration to see that these high-sugar, high-calorie choices are not only unneccessary but they have a negative effect on classroom behavior as well? Why is the bottom dollar of a vending machine more important than the health and well-being of our students?