My goals are ongoing, but as my comfort level increases with my continued implementation, I will also add new goals. One such goal that I would like to add is "develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness" through "digital-age communication and collaboration tools" (NETS-T, 2008). As my classroom is becoming more diverse, it is important for me to be able to demonstrate for my students how to appropriately express ideas with people from other cultures. Using technology tools to accomplish this will help to balance any differences. Kottler, Zehm, and Kottler (2005) offer: "It is part of the passionately committed teacher's moral responsibility to cultivate knowledge and appreciation of cultural diversity and to teach others to do the same" (p. 154).
To extend what I have learned so far, I will not only pool resources with colleagues on best practices, but will also branch out to include technology and education experts. Through this networked community, I will seek advice and share facets of successful technology integration. One component that I did not use in my current GAME plan but would like to implement in the future in order to further improve my learning is to include textbook authors, publishers, and software developers in my gallery of knowledgeable professionals. Through increased collaboration, I will be able to work in partnership to learn the new skills I need in order to become a more effective, creative, and committed teacher.
References
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Kottler, J. A., Zehm, S. J., & Kottler, E. (2005). On being a teacher: The human dimension (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final
Posts
Wanda,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about through increased collarboration with our colleagues we will be able to increase our skill level in regard to technology. But we can also learn from our students. When we do I think that it causes the classroom community to become more cohesive.
Amy
ReplyDeleteExcellent point! I am also a firm believer in the helpfulness of my students. By participating in a give-and-take environment where we all learn from each other, both students and teachers win. I agree that there is more unity in the classroom when we use each other as resources and allow for everyone to make a contribution. Thanks so much for your insights.
Wanda,
ReplyDeleteI really like how you are going to reach out to colleagues and others in the field of education in technology. I like the idea of seeking out professionals or people directly involved in the content you are teaching and having students in a virtual world interact with these people to further assist them in understating the content they need to learn. How will you go about reaching out to these people?
Good Post
Eric
Eric
ReplyDeleteAgain, thanks so much for your thoughts. To reach out to other educators, I will network with first my own colleagues, then teachers in my community, and also with teachers on professional blogs. Also, I will try to solicit feedback from my book and software publishers whenever possible.
A few weeks ago, the publisher of one of my classroom texts came to visit my class. We were so impressed that he made a stop to see us and that he cared enough to ask what we liked and what we didn't like about the book and corresponding software. He not only wanted my feedback, but my students' as well. We all gained a lot from that visit, and I hope to continue this sort of interaction.
Wanda,
ReplyDeleteI really like your approach here. It seems that so many teachers are reluctant to use technology in the classroom because they think that they need to throw out all the stuff they used to do and start over. Your approach is not to discard what you do, but to enhance it through the use of technology. I have been able to really improve my lessons with the use of technology. Things I have tried in the past have worked, but now my students are more engaged.
Thanks for sharing your great ideas. Nice blog post here.
Paul
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your insights and kind words. We can use technology to do what we already do in different ways or use it do something entirely new. Either way, I try to look for ways to bring technology into my current lessons. Instead of overhauling everything, it is better for me to start out small and continue to build.
I think that you have addressed a crucial element of our GAME plans with "Things I have tried in the past have worked, but now my students are more engaged". Whether we are creating GAME plans for our own growth or our students', the end result should be that our students are more involved, motivated, and making significant gains in their learning.
Hi Wanda,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you as to the importance of reflection, as it has helped me as well. Your goal of heightening cultural awareness among your students is meaningful, as diversity in schools is now commonplace. This week's discussion on social networking will certainly provide you with a number of avenues by which to implement this objective, especially since you are becoming technologically proficient (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). I am afraid I am moving at a bit slower pace, as I just cannot seem to find the time to play with each of these methodologies, but I am happy that those I am using are becoming second nature. Best of luck to you in reaching your goals.
Monica
Reference
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Program number ten. Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas [Motion picture]. Spotlight on Technology: Social Networking and Collaboration. Part 1. Baltimore: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Program number eleven. Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas [Motion picture]. Spotlight on Technology: Social Networking and Collaboration. Part 2. Baltimore: Author.
Monica
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your response. I think that when we see or hear about new technology tools we want to try them out; but as you suggested, it is sometimes better to really learn one at a time and use it to its potential. With the pace of technology tools that are becoming available, it is really difficult to keep up with and be fluent with them all. Also, I don't think that the objective should be to have the latest and greatest, but rather to make use of a tool that will really enhance the understanding of our content. Like you, time is also a factor for me; and I want to make sure that I make changes because they result in improvement instead of change for the sake of change.