At this point in the action plan I believe that I have completed all of the necessary steps prior to the actual meeting times. Part of the plan was to create an internet based work space for the members of a webconferencing workshop to share strategies and resources. Currently it is developed and awaiting members to join. I have discussed the plan with a colleague who will be part of the workshop and we shared ideas about how to make the work space more efficient and user friendly. At this point there is very little to do until the workshops commence.
I understand that is assumed that we would be taking steps weekly to complete our plan. Unfortunately, this plan does not lend itself to that model. I feel that the plan I created is still appropriate and will yeild positive results.
Thinking of other plans that I can incorporate I stop at earning a Master's degree in technology. We were supposed to choose a plan that helped address a need we have in terms of incorporating technology for our students. Pursuing this degree is helping every area outlined in the NETS-T standards. Even though I did not previously outline this as a plan it can easily be done. Taking the pursuit of the degree and the eventual workshops into account I feel that I am taking appropriate steps to improve on the NETS-T standards.
PB
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Resources for the GAME plan
In order to address the goal of building a network of teachers committed to developing technology inclusion in the classroom I have created a google site that can be utilized to make connections and share materials. On this site we will be able to provide each other with background and contact information and details of the courses we teach. Best practice ideas and lesson plans can also be included to further the understanding of all members. This site can also be used to address the webconferencing goal. Creating a google document is the easiest way for busy colleagues to communicate and share information.
Beyond developing the basic template of the site I have not been able to progress much in my goals. The courses outlined previously have not begun yet (they actually begin in March). Until these courses begin I will be taking what little free time I have to research possible incorporation of webconferencing into my course. Since this is a new technology for me the learning curve is expected to be high. I plan on learning about the equipment first, researching applications other teachers have used, and begin searching for the most appropriate units to incorporate these ideas.
PB
Beyond developing the basic template of the site I have not been able to progress much in my goals. The courses outlined previously have not begun yet (they actually begin in March). Until these courses begin I will be taking what little free time I have to research possible incorporation of webconferencing into my course. Since this is a new technology for me the learning curve is expected to be high. I plan on learning about the equipment first, researching applications other teachers have used, and begin searching for the most appropriate units to incorporate these ideas.
PB
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Enhancing Professinoalism Through a GAME Plan
Among the NETS - T standards two stand out as areas that need to be improved. This feeling comes after a period of careful reflection on my typical classroom performance. It is important to note that I do not consider myself in anyway a masterful teacher. These areas were selected as a starting point.
NETS - T mentions that teachers must continually grow in professional practice and leadership in terms of incorporating technology and encouraging colleagues to do the same. While I have done a fair job of incoporating technology in the classroom and have a seat on the technology committee for my school I have not truly worked with other teachers in an attempt to build technology use. My goal is to create a network of techers that have the desire to enhance instruction through technology and build basic skills and understanding of the resources that are available to all teachers within my school. I plan on meeting this goal by participating in a series of technology tutorials hosted by my local PBS station. These courses are held within my school and are open to any teacher in the viewing area. This is roughly 500 school districts and private schools. These courses range in topics from webconferencing to creating websites through Google. The monitoring portion of this plan is simple. I need to ensure that I am present at each of the meetings and creating a collection of contact information of the participates who wish to work together to enhance classroom instruction. Once these courses are completed and instructional methods have been employed I will be able to compare this years instruction with past years and judge if it has improved or not.
NETS - T also mentions that classroom instruction should relate to a work place that is technologically advanced. Without going into great detail I feel that one technology that is going to be consistent is webconferencing. My school recently purchased the equipment necessary. My goal is to collaborate with teachers who are comfortable creating lesson plans utilizing this resource. Since I have limited knowledge and experience it is my desire that I would be able to learn how to effectively use the equipment from my colleagues. My action plan for this goal relates to my previous goal. One of the courses offered by the local PBS station is on webconferencing. When that course is offered I plan on establishing a connection with a teacher that is willing to work with me. Monitoring the progress of this goal comes in establishing meeting times and collaborative lessons with this other teacher. As I become more comfortable with the resource I will be able to develop more of the lesson plans. In the end the evaluation comes in comparing student performance on assessments after this lesson from those students who completed similar assignments without the use of the webconferencing equipment.
PB
NETS - T mentions that teachers must continually grow in professional practice and leadership in terms of incorporating technology and encouraging colleagues to do the same. While I have done a fair job of incoporating technology in the classroom and have a seat on the technology committee for my school I have not truly worked with other teachers in an attempt to build technology use. My goal is to create a network of techers that have the desire to enhance instruction through technology and build basic skills and understanding of the resources that are available to all teachers within my school. I plan on meeting this goal by participating in a series of technology tutorials hosted by my local PBS station. These courses are held within my school and are open to any teacher in the viewing area. This is roughly 500 school districts and private schools. These courses range in topics from webconferencing to creating websites through Google. The monitoring portion of this plan is simple. I need to ensure that I am present at each of the meetings and creating a collection of contact information of the participates who wish to work together to enhance classroom instruction. Once these courses are completed and instructional methods have been employed I will be able to compare this years instruction with past years and judge if it has improved or not.
NETS - T also mentions that classroom instruction should relate to a work place that is technologically advanced. Without going into great detail I feel that one technology that is going to be consistent is webconferencing. My school recently purchased the equipment necessary. My goal is to collaborate with teachers who are comfortable creating lesson plans utilizing this resource. Since I have limited knowledge and experience it is my desire that I would be able to learn how to effectively use the equipment from my colleagues. My action plan for this goal relates to my previous goal. One of the courses offered by the local PBS station is on webconferencing. When that course is offered I plan on establishing a connection with a teacher that is willing to work with me. Monitoring the progress of this goal comes in establishing meeting times and collaborative lessons with this other teacher. As I become more comfortable with the resource I will be able to develop more of the lesson plans. In the end the evaluation comes in comparing student performance on assessments after this lesson from those students who completed similar assignments without the use of the webconferencing equipment.
PB
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
EDUC 6712 Reflection
Throughout this course we have been challenged to develop lessons and units that push our students into the seat of creator as oppossed to being mere consumers. These units and lessons continue to address content standards and culminate in tradional assessment techniques but require much more student interaction throughout the process. Like other reviews of teaching practices this type of project can add new ideas and interesting delivery options to the classroom. To be honest the inquiry project idea is a re-hash of tried and true methodologies. In recent years there has been a republishing of prediction sheets and KWL charts and other more traditional literacy skills. The inquiry project as delivered in this course takes many of the same concepts and infuses the use of computers. While it is true that students tend to be visual consumers on information on websites the tasks of being committed and engaged readers stays consistent no matter what the medium is.
From this point on the inquiry based project solidifies the need to teach literacy skills and ensure that students are actively engaged in all aspects of the learning process. I am skeptical that this type of project will boost the achievement of my students. Being an educator that gets innunated with new teaching strategies and best practices I need to be critically aware of the impact that these ideas will have on my students. At times ideas such as the inquiry based project seem like they are created by people who have spent time outside of the classroom in research areas. The translation does not always occur. The inquiry based project is not apporpriate for all grade levels and all disciplines. For that reason the concept seems limited. This project seems to be one that requires specific skills from educators in order to have complete success. Ultimately this project type needs to be attempted in the classroom and the final determination can be made with empirical evidence.
Through the reading of educational material in journals, magazines, and online sites I would like to hear the oppossing viewpoints about this type of project. I become concerned when I am presented with one side of an issue and expected to agree completely with it. While looking for the alternate viewpoint I would like to find other strategies that can meet the goal of teaching these so called new literacy skills. If these new skills are so vital (as the course contends) there must be other strategies that address them.
Phil Bonus
From this point on the inquiry based project solidifies the need to teach literacy skills and ensure that students are actively engaged in all aspects of the learning process. I am skeptical that this type of project will boost the achievement of my students. Being an educator that gets innunated with new teaching strategies and best practices I need to be critically aware of the impact that these ideas will have on my students. At times ideas such as the inquiry based project seem like they are created by people who have spent time outside of the classroom in research areas. The translation does not always occur. The inquiry based project is not apporpriate for all grade levels and all disciplines. For that reason the concept seems limited. This project seems to be one that requires specific skills from educators in order to have complete success. Ultimately this project type needs to be attempted in the classroom and the final determination can be made with empirical evidence.
Through the reading of educational material in journals, magazines, and online sites I would like to hear the oppossing viewpoints about this type of project. I become concerned when I am presented with one side of an issue and expected to agree completely with it. While looking for the alternate viewpoint I would like to find other strategies that can meet the goal of teaching these so called new literacy skills. If these new skills are so vital (as the course contends) there must be other strategies that address them.
Phil Bonus
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Reflections on Technology
As I stated in an earlier paper learning needs to include certain elements. First, learning needs to be primed. Unless we are aware of a situation it is very difficult to learn. It is possible to learn things unconsciously but this process is rare and often times involves items that are not specifically content oriented. Secondly, learning needs to include observation and experience. Seeing other people perform is not enough. In order to have true learning we need to see examples and then put these examples to practice. Lastly, for meaningful learning to take place an expert is needed. Since everyone has a voice with the capabalities of the Internet and various communication devices it is extremely important that the models we observe are ones that are of high quality.
My immediate concern is that the activities that I assign for my students become more student centered and not a way for me to take a "breather". I want to ensure that the activities that I assign are meaningful, dynamic, and impactful on their lives. Meeting this goal means that the resources used should be ones that my students are going to use later in their education or professional careers. This would include resources such as blogs, wikis, and other social networking resources (as much as that pains me) like Linked In.
Thinking long term, I would like to get to the point where my class is as paperless as possible. This would entail switching journal entries to blog entries. Since most of the papers and homework assignments are already created in word processors it is easy to have my students submit their work via email. I already have a website that provides notes, extension activities, resources, homework assignments, and other tools. These are minor adjustments but ones that will have a major impact on the management of the course. Another long term goal is to change my presentations to include many more engaging activities and visuals and ones that address more of the multiple intelligences. I have traditionally focused on the simple tools like PowerPoint and showing already made websites. I want to shift to using Web 2.0 resources for the presentations and other programs that aid in the creation of more dynamic presentations.
My immediate concern is that the activities that I assign for my students become more student centered and not a way for me to take a "breather". I want to ensure that the activities that I assign are meaningful, dynamic, and impactful on their lives. Meeting this goal means that the resources used should be ones that my students are going to use later in their education or professional careers. This would include resources such as blogs, wikis, and other social networking resources (as much as that pains me) like Linked In.
Thinking long term, I would like to get to the point where my class is as paperless as possible. This would entail switching journal entries to blog entries. Since most of the papers and homework assignments are already created in word processors it is easy to have my students submit their work via email. I already have a website that provides notes, extension activities, resources, homework assignments, and other tools. These are minor adjustments but ones that will have a major impact on the management of the course. Another long term goal is to change my presentations to include many more engaging activities and visuals and ones that address more of the multiple intelligences. I have traditionally focused on the simple tools like PowerPoint and showing already made websites. I want to shift to using Web 2.0 resources for the presentations and other programs that aid in the creation of more dynamic presentations.
Friday, July 24, 2009
VoiceThread Addition
This VoiceThread discussions the issues surrounding technology at a suburban high school in Northeast Ohio.
Social Constructionism
Social constructivism asserts that students construct meaning primarily through their interactions with others and their environments. Coupled with social constructivism is cooperative learning which provides experiences for students in which they are working together in ways that will enhance and strengthen their learning. Cooperative learning and social constructivism work hand in hand when allowing group collaboration, communication, and problem solving.
One of the many ways that social constructivism can be utilized in the classroom is by using multimedia and web resources. By nature social constructivism requires students to work together to create and construct meaning with material being discussed. When students are able to work collaboratively to create multimedia presentations, like mp3 files and movies, it requires student planning, problem-solving and creativity. These are all skills which require a deeper understanding of content and provide social interactions for students.
Web resources also promote social constructivism. Today, students can log onto the Internet and instantly be connected with students all over the world. This type of interaction allows for students to problem-solve and discuss topics with students hundreds of miles away. The Internet also provides students with a wealth of knowledgeable experts to pull information from. While studying the International Space Station students can email questions directly to experts to receive information via email about questions that the class or students may have.
Social constructivism does not have to be solely used in conjunction with educational technology, however. There are many approaches that can be taken to utilize cooperative learning within the classroom that does not require a computer. Students can be placed into groups to discuss and react to a book that is being read in class or cooperative groups can work together to solve a community problem such as pollution in a local pond. Cooperative grouping gets its strength in the knowledge that is discovered and constructed by the students working together.
When students have the opportunity of working together it allows for each student to share his or her unique talents with the rest of the class. Cooperative learning groups provide a safe and non-threatening way for students to communicate while applying knowledge to create or solve a problem. Social constructivism is one of many learning theories that should be utilized within the classroom.
One of the many ways that social constructivism can be utilized in the classroom is by using multimedia and web resources. By nature social constructivism requires students to work together to create and construct meaning with material being discussed. When students are able to work collaboratively to create multimedia presentations, like mp3 files and movies, it requires student planning, problem-solving and creativity. These are all skills which require a deeper understanding of content and provide social interactions for students.
Web resources also promote social constructivism. Today, students can log onto the Internet and instantly be connected with students all over the world. This type of interaction allows for students to problem-solve and discuss topics with students hundreds of miles away. The Internet also provides students with a wealth of knowledgeable experts to pull information from. While studying the International Space Station students can email questions directly to experts to receive information via email about questions that the class or students may have.
Social constructivism does not have to be solely used in conjunction with educational technology, however. There are many approaches that can be taken to utilize cooperative learning within the classroom that does not require a computer. Students can be placed into groups to discuss and react to a book that is being read in class or cooperative groups can work together to solve a community problem such as pollution in a local pond. Cooperative grouping gets its strength in the knowledge that is discovered and constructed by the students working together.
When students have the opportunity of working together it allows for each student to share his or her unique talents with the rest of the class. Cooperative learning groups provide a safe and non-threatening way for students to communicate while applying knowledge to create or solve a problem. Social constructivism is one of many learning theories that should be utilized within the classroom.
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