Evaluating my GAME plan progress

One of the initial goals in my GAME plan is to learn new technological tools that I can integrate into my classroom. I have been using graphing calculators for many years in my classroom, but this week, it was the first time I get the students to discover something new on their own using this technology. They used pre-learned skills to explore equation of a circle and they were able to come up with the standard equation of a circle without my help. I have tried to use that application “CabriJr” in classroom many times, but it was not interesting until students were able to actually see the benefits of using it, and I heard someone saying: “This is cool, I like it.”

I have learned over the past few weeks that the available tools are more than one could ever imagine. All we need is to look for them. I have also learned that students are ready and willing to learn new technologies. It just needs to be well presented to them, because they always think that educational tools are boring.

I still need to learn how to get students engaged in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. I think that this week’s resources and what we are learning about problem-based learning will address this issue, but it will need some practice in classroom until one can be comfortable using this method on a regular basis.

I think I need to take time to think about what is truly important to me and my students right now. What can we actually use, that is beneficial, practical, and supportive of their learning.

Monitoring my GAME plan progress

To strengthen my proficiency in providing meaningful and applicable education to all my students with diverse learning abilities, I am gradually adding to my “technology toolbox.” Discussions with my colleagues in school and through the discussion board in this course have proven somewhat beneficial, though very few teachers in my school use technology in a regular basis, so new ideas are hard to come by.

I don’t think I need to modify my action plan at this time, though I do think I need to find the time to focus myself on finding new tools that I have yet to try. Time has been my major concern.

I have learned that the time spent in planning to incorporate technology in a lesson increases the level of students’ engagement in class and it raises the level of excitement especially if they are learning something new. I have learned also that presenting a topic in relation to real life situations increases the value of what they are learning.

I don’t have new questions, but I do think that there need to be some kind of relation or a connection between computer classes and other subject areas teachers so they can discuss the available options for teaching our students the skills needed for a program or software that will be used in other class. The amount of time it takes to teach basic computer skills means a waste of instructional time which can be used in more productive ways if the students already have those skills.

Carrying out my GAME plan

My GAME plan consists of engaging students in exploring real-world issues and customizing and personalizing learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles. Therefore, I need to integrate learning activities through technology that meet the needs of the diverse learners in my classroom through the integration of projects that address learning styles, working strategies, and abilities. To carry out my action plan, any and all resources are welcome and needed.

Some of the resources that I will need to carry out my GAME plan are access to technology (computers), and access to programs and websites.

The additional information that I will need to carry out the action of my GAME plan is to increase the knowledge and skills that will allow me to use a diversity of avenues for technology tools to provide my students with interesting and motivating ways for learning to meet the needs of all of my students. I need to “use technology to learn more about technology” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 10).

The steps that I have been able to take so far to carry out my GAME plan is that I had an opportunity to talk with the math coach in my school about an interesting program, GeoGebra, one of my classmates here in this course told me about and I found it attractive and motivating. I have a plan to use that software in the second semester of this year, and the math coach seems to be excited about it and she is very supportive about using technology in classroom.

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

Developing my GAME plan

Self-directed learning is, “any increase in knowledge, skill, accomplishment, or personal development that an individual selects and brings about by his or her own efforst using any method in any circumstance at any time,” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, pg. 2). Therefore, to strengthen my self-directed learning skills, it is important to create a GAME plan to serve as a guide.

The two NETS-T indicators I choose for my GAME plan are:

“1b: To engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources; and
2c: To customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources” (National Education Standards for Teachers, 2008).

Goals:
* To learn new technological tools that I can integrate into my classroom.
* To provide a meaningful and applicable education to all my students.

Action:
* I will collaborate with my colleagues to discuss what works and what does not work for their students.
* I will try new technological tools in my classroom and see the results.
* I will look up for the new researches to learn about what is proven to be a good tool.

Monitor:
* I will depend on my students’ observation to monitor their motivation and engagement.
* I will track their tests scores to determine whether students benefit from what I am doing.
* I will have conversations with some of my students to ask for their opinion.

Evaluate and Extend:
* I will collect and record data from the monitoring process to evaluate my plan, so that I will be able to sake a step back to make any necessary changes.
* I will attend workshops offered through my school or other professional institutes to extend my knowledge and skills.

References:

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

National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved January 14, 2010 from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.

Reflection: Transitioning from Knowledge to Synthesis

As a result of this course, there are some striking revelations I had about the teaching of literacy skills. It is made clear that not any question can form basis for a research project, not any question will lead to deeper learning. Asking a good question is a big challenge by itself. According to Dr. Thornburg (2004), “a good question is one for which: we do not know the answer, the answers are defensible, the door is opened for in-depth research and projects, the focus is on causes, and other questions emerge” (p. 3). Some strategies are helpful in making questions to serve more as research starters. “One approach is to formulate questions of sufficient depth to allow for new observations… Even on topics for which answers are well known, creativity can be encouraged” (p. 3). Then as the learning process goes, new questions come up naturally, knowing that it is very important to be careful to not let new questions pull the learners from their main quest. And “once the hook is set, the process of finding answers to these questions will naturally lead to greater in-depth exploration of the subject, often to levels beyond those expected of the school’s curriculum” (p. 7).I also learned using the “topic + focus” strategy (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007, p. 134) to locate target information more quickly. In addition to this strategy, I learned some interesting strategies like using the indexes or site maps. Another two strategies I learned were using “multiple words” and using –minus to remove some useless information.

The experience I had in this course by creating the “Inquiry-based Unit Plan” will influence my teaching practice in the classroom. I learned the steps and I have been in the process of developing a unit plan to conduct a research, assisting students in conducting an Inquiry-based research, assessing students’ work throughout the process of a guided inquiry and evaluating/grading the final product. From my experience in this course, it is made clear that “Project-based learning fosters students’ creativity and critical thinking, encourages responsibility for their own learning, and allows them to express their learning in diverse and meaningful ways” (Laureate Inc., 2009).

A professional development goal I would like to pursue is to learn strategies for choosing meaningful research topics in Mathematics, and create a folder containing Inquiry-based research ideas for different classes (Algebra, Geometry, and Calculus).

References

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

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program eight. Inquiry-Based Projects [Motion picture]. Supporting information literacy and online inquiry in the classroom. Baltimore: Author.

Thornburg, D. (2004). Inquiry: The art of helping students ask good questions. (Executive Briefing No. 402). Retrieved from http://www.tcpdpodcast.org/briefings/inquiry.pdf

Conclusion: Effective Bridging of Technology and Instruction - Reflection

As the behaviorism theory of learning assumes that a learner is essentially passive, responding to environmental stimuli. I still believe that a learner starts off as a clean slate and the learner’s behavior is shaped through positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement. Both positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement increase the probability that the antecedent behavior will happen again. Learning is therefore defined as a change in behavior in the learner. I also believe that students learn better through social interaction, which plays a fundamental role in the process of cognitive development. Therefore, the use of group activities is a very effective strategy which provides the opportunity to think and share ideas among the group. Dr. Orey stated that “learner is active in the learning process regardless what your approach is” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b). Therefore, creating engaging activities in the classroom through presenting real life connection with what is being taught is another strategy I tend to use in my every day teaching practice. I will integrate more technology in the group activities to address students’ social needs, on the other hand, the teacher’s role will be to facilitate instead of being the only source of information in the classroom.

The immediate adjustment I will make to my instructional practice will be to focus on giving students feedback about how well they are performing relative to a particular learning goal so that they can improve their practice (Pitler & et al, 2007, p. 41). I will also be careful when I need to present a PowerPoint; I will have images instead of text to help them remember the information (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008a). Creating concept maps and establishing VoiceThreads are two of the technology tools that could be integrated in learning with the cooperative learning strategy. This strategy aligns with the principles of the Social Development Theory which argues that social interaction precedes development; consciousness and cognition are the end product of socialization and social behavior. I believe that we learn better when we interact with others and remember information better when it is associated with a social experience (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2009).

One of the goals I would like to accomplish within the next few years is having the students to prepare and present PowerPoints in class instead of teacher as an example of constructionist-based technology. My second goal is to incorporate more technology in my AP Calculus class, not to use graphing calculators and overhead projector only, but to be flexible creating concept maps and VoiceThreads online and having other students in the class to post comments accordingly. These two goals will give learners the opportunity to choose, plan, design, and construct artifacts as part of their learning outcomes. “The instructor facilitates by designing learner-centered activities, providing resources, and advising learners as they reflect on their learning process” (Han & Bhattacharya, 2001). Using technology “allow students to spend more time interpreting the data rather than gathering the data” (Pitler & et al, 2007, p. 203).

References

Han, S., and Bhattacharya, K. (2001). Constructionism, Learning by Design, and Project Based Learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved June 24th, 2009, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008a). Program thirteen. Technology: Instructional Tool vs. Learning Tool [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008b). Program three. Instructional Theory vs. Learning Theory [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2009, June). Social Development Theory (Vygotsky) at Learning-Theories.com. Retrieved June 24th, 2009 from http://www.learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

“Social Development Theory argues that social interaction precedes development; consciousness and cognition are the end product of socialization and social behavior” (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2009). Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski (2007) recommend the use of informal, formal, and base groups. They recommend also to keep the groups to manageable size and to combine cooperative learning with other classroom structures (p. 139-140).

Cooperative multimedia project is a very effective tool to engage students in cooperative learning and cooperative teaching as well. Creating a video about the lives of famous mathematicians is a creative idea. As a math teacher, sometimes I ask my students to research and write reports about mathematicians. They might have attached photos or charts to their reports, but creating a video is more interesting and gives a great opportunity to the students to learn from each other and to think widely, not only to find the information needed for their project, but also to process the information in a collaborative environment.

In my opinion, the most important stage in this kind of projects is distributing the roles and dividing the responsibilities. If the students understood that each one of them is responsible for the task associated with his/her role, they will consider other’s ideas and listen to them with respect in order to complete their product. These thought, I believe, are applicable to any group project, however, it is essential that a rubric is provided to students so they would be aware of the grading system. The group roles chart is another great idea which may minimize any conflict and give the students a starting point.

References:

Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2009, June). Social Development Theory (Vygotsky) at Learning-Theories.com. Retrieved June 4th, 2009 from http://www.learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.