One of the The ISTE NETS and Performance Indicators for Teachers (NETS•T) that I want to create growth in is "4) Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility." Focusing on college readiness with my 11th grade students, I believe it is crucial to focus on indicator "c) promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information."
My GAME plan for this is:
Goal: To model for and educate students in how to responsibly and appropriately interact online in an educational setting.
Action: I will implement a class blog where students will be required to participate in online discussion at least twice a week on a given topic related to classroom learning. Additionally, students will participate in a practice blog where appropriate practices will be modeled and discussed.
Monitor: I will monitor the blog and check in weekly. I will respond to individual student posts as well as leave comments for the whole class to consider and respond. I will also monitor the posts for student interest and evidence of creative and independent thinking.
Evaluate: At the end of each week/month, I will evaluate my own ability to facilitate the blog discussions and will also review the depth and breadth of student posts. I will take time to incorporate students posts and comments into classroom discussion to further measure student understanding of proper use of the technology as well as their understanding of content.
The second ISTE NETS and Performance Indicator for Teachers (NETS•T) that I want to further develop is: "5) Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership." In understanding the importance of integrating technology into teaching, I believe it is vitally important to educate myself and my colleagues regarding the technology available to enrich our own teaching and our students' learning.
My GAME plan for this indicator is as follows:
Goal: to develop my own understanding of available technology resources and become a technology advocate in my own educational community.
Action: I will increase my own understanding of technology in the classroom by visiting other classrooms and schools to witness the different types of technology being used in classrooms for all purposes. I will build advocacy for technology use in my own school by presenting an overview of a new technology resource during our monthly embedded professional development sessions.
Monitor: I will monitor my progress by keeping an observation log during my classroom and school visits. I will also keep a personal journal of the technology resources I implemented in my own classroom and the results of incorporating something new. Additionally, I will send out a monthly survey to staff polling them on the types of technologies they are using in their own classes and if they have implemented any of the techniques/resources I have presented.
Evaluate: At the end of the school year, I will evaluate what worked and what did not work by reflecting back on my technology journal. I will also create a final staff evaluation sheet where staff can provide feedback regarding my technology presentations and what they did/did not implement.
I am truly looking forward to seeing the result of these implemented GAME plans. Any feedback from my fellow classmates would be greatly appreciated!
-Jen
International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Teachers_2008_EN.sflb.ashx
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Teachers_2008_EN.sflb.ashx
12 comments:
One problem that I have encountered with class blogging is that many of my students do not have access to computers at home. These are the same students who are unable to stay late or come early in order to use the computer lab. Do you incorporate class time for students to blog or is it completely an at home activity?
Also, in order to evaluate the usefulness of your work for the year, you might consider having students reflect on its effectiveness as well as other teachers.
Jen
I like your idea about blogging. I have tried blogging with my students this year and use the site Edmodo. It has several advantages over other blogging sites. First, most schools don't block it, also it has the look and feel of Facebook so the kids generally like it. Also, it allows you to set up individual classes so you can keep better organized. A feature for the students is that they can kind of set up a profile and this helps them take a little ownership of their blog. The site is totally free and it does allow you to network with other teachers using it as well. One of the other things that I like about the blogging thing is that it cuts down on paperwork and if I can't grade it immediately, I can't lose the work because it's always there. The one down side to Edmodo is that everyone can see everyone else's work. There may be others out there that work better, but my school blocks just about everything and so Edmodo works for me. Good luck.
Wayne
Hello, Ms. Hosey! I love your blog's decor. How did you do it? I wonder if my blog site has these options?? I also like your game plans. They are practical and straightforward, and you can easily measure your progress as you implement them. Do you plan to use blogspot.com for your classroom blog? Do all your students have Internet access at home? You have great ideas and I appreciate your willingness to share. :)
Blogging sounds like a GREAT idea! Some of the teachers in my building have utilized a program called "Moodle" to create a school-appropriate blogging situation. I have seen many kids working on the assignments, and even though they are just completing the same type of assignments they would on paper for these teachers, they are much motre interested in completing them because they get to use a computer and a "blog".
@ Buff's Blog-
Internet access at home is a concern that I also have regarding blogging. With the experience I have had in the past, I have found that the majority of my honors students do have internet access at home, so I do have blogging homework requirements for those classes. For the other classes I have, I do allow class time a certain number of times per week for them to work on blog posts. However, with all levels, I have found even if students do not have a computer with internet at home, they do have internet ready cell phones. Many students will post to blogs from their smart phones. So, this helps alleviate some of the concern regarding internet access at home.
Thanks for the input regarding student evaluations at the end of the year. I think that is a great idea for students to be involved and feel a sense of control in their own learning!
-Jen
@ Wayne-
I apologize for not looking at your comment first before I commented on your blog post. It is funny how we were definitely on the same wavelength regarding Edmodo. I think it is a great tool to use for blogging, calendars, reminders, and everything else under the sun. I don't know if you have used the text message feature or not, but I have found that it has been a great way to keep kids from forgetting about their homework assignments. I am looking forward to devoting more time to this program in the future. It is encouraging to know that it is working well for you. Thanks again!
-Jen
@ Jen
Text messaging feature...what's that? I have got to check that out. I can see lots of possibilities with that option. Thanks. Wayne.
@ Laura-
My blog decor was just an option I was able to choose from when I was setting everything up. It came from a menu of background options. I hope you can find some choices for your blog. I appreciate your encouraging words regarding my post. I probably will use blogspot.com or some other main blogging program for my students so that everyone is uniformed in their blogging. The other option is Edmodo which is a free site that allows for more than just blogging. Internet access is a concern, but as I mentioned in response to some other comments, I feel that most students have internet access either through computer or cell phones, so I do not feel asking them to blog outside of school is a challenge. I know that many educators struggle with the internet situation, but I think we need to realize that with this generation, we have students who are finding ways to stay plugged in even if they don't have a computer at home.
-Jen
@ nfisher-
Moodle is a program that many other teachers in my buidling do use. We have actually had staff development regarding using Moodle. I have heard very positive things, but I just was not as comfortable with the page and the format, so I have not chosen to make it my go to class page.
You are exactly right that even though students are essentially doing the same work they would be doing with a pen and paper in the classroom, they are much more excited and motivated when there is a computer and internet involved. It also adds the social aspect students desire. Blogging is a great way to build student confidence because they can get immediate feedback from their peers and be reassured about their thinking and understanding.
-Jen
@ Wayne-
After students create their own edmodo account, they can go into the "settings"- clik on "notifications" and switch it from email to text message. They type in their phone number, and then click on the notifications they want to receive. This allows me to type in an alert to the whole group, and then they will all receive it by text message.
Blogging seems like a natural blending of ISTE NET-S 2 and 3. Modeling good digital citizenship while using ablog as areflective tool or in the achievemen tof other instructional goals. While Buff's Blog makes tohe [oint that some students do hot have acces to the internet, these students ar eoften suspiciously unavailable at other times. Other reports still indicate that most students do have some sort of access. SUrveying your students' digital territory is critical at the beginning of the year, as is finding a way to build in time in class. In this area, we can pursue equity--all classrooms should be equipped with computers, smartboards, and digital projectors in addition to being wired for the internet. This is the digital divide that concerns me most.
-dd
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