Reflection : Final Blog Post

Reflection on the GAME plan you developed and followed throughout the course



I must admit that, at the beginning of this course I did not think the GAME plan would be very helpful; but, I am pleasantly surprised at how beneficial it actually was. I always thought it would be a good idea to take some time to look up different technologies, but I never spent a great deal of time researching for technologically relevant lessons. Furthermore, for quite a while now, I had thought about researching information about copyright laws and computer/technology etiquette to share with my students, but, again, I never really did anything about it. The GAME plan changed that! I am very glad I had the opportunity to learn about and use the GAME plan.



Summarize any new learning that resulted from your following your GAME plan and explain what impact your new learning will have on your instructional practice



I have learned a great deal from this course and my GAME plan. I learned about a lot of new technologies and resources that I can use in my classroom. Some of my favorite resources would be digital stories, Ning (and other social/educational collaboration sites), the McDougal Littell online resources, and PBLs. With my newfound information I hope to incorporate more technology into my lessons; and, I hope to better prepare my students for the world in which they are to enter. Each quarter I hope to incorporate a new lesson that involves new technologies. Since technologies change quickly, this will be an unending process.



Describe any immediate adjustments you will make to your instructional practice regarding technology integration in you content area as a result of your learning from this course



As soon as the new school year starts I hope to incorporate the McDougall Littell online resources into my lessons. I hope to take students to the computer lab on a weekly basis and have them complete online reviews and quizzes for each section. I also hope to use the McDougall Littell list of careers that use Geometry (shown on the website) to create a lesson plan where students pick from the list and research that career. I would like them to create a presentation of their choice (a PowerPoint, an essay, a digital story, etc).

Monitoring Your GAME Plan Progress

Since writing my last blog post I have learned a great deal! I am more excited about implementing technology into my classroom. Below, I answered the questions about my progress in reference to my GAME plan

• Are you finding the information and resources you need?

Yes, I am finding some resources that I need, and have gotten some good ideas. Since writing my last blog (and up until writing this one) I have not heard from my school librarian, I am sure she is busy closing up school for the year.

•Do you need to modify your action plan?

Since I have not heard from my librarian yet, I think I will need to look online for some ideas about Promoting and Modeling Digital Citizenship and Responsibility in my classroom. I am sure there are some good articles in the Walden library; as well as online blogs/groups devoted to discussing the subject.

•What have you learned so far?

On really good idea I got came from a colleague. We happened to be talking a while back, and he mentioned that our textbook website has some good quizzes online. I knew that our textbook (McDougall Littell-Geometry) had a website, but, before we spoke, the last time I had checked the website it did not have much that I found useful. However, after checking back recently, I have found that it has chapter quizzes, practice tests for each unit, career and application links for each unit, audio summaries of topics, and other neat things. I think it will be a good resource!
I have also learned that Glenco (textbook creators) also offer online resources for teachers.

Another good resource I have found is Math.com. It has a few good “mini” check lessons. I think they would be good to have students do while in lab; or, the “mini” lessons would be good to use as review before exam time

•What new questions have arisen?

I don’t have any new questions at the moment, only a few of the original questions. I still have not found out about new technology development classes being offered in district. Perhaps I should e-mail our Continuing education person for my school district…but considering the time of the school year, she may not have the information that I currently need.

I am open to suggestions and ideas! Thanks for reading my post!
Tonya Todd

Carrying Out Your GAME Plan

Since beginning with my GAME plan, I have been brainstorming ideas that I could use, and places I could look for ideas. I have also “surfed” the internet in attempts to find good lesson plans that incorporate technology AND meet the needs of diverse learners in the classroom.

•What resources will you need to carry out your plan?

In order to carry out my GAME plan I will definitely need a computer and internet access. I can use the internet to search for lessons that incorporate technology into the classroom. I will also need access to e-mail and/or other communication methods (like chat rooms/IM/phone) in order to communicate with fellow educators who do not live in/work in close proximity to me. I will also need to use my colleagues as resources. Also, the technology classes begin offered through my district would be good resources. Finally, the Walden courses have given a lot of information on different technologies that can be used in the classroom; and, I believe that this and future courses will give me many more ideas and methods of implementing the technology into the classroom.

•What additional information do you need?

I need to know when and what technology courses the district is offering during the next few months (I may have to wait until the beginning of the new school year). I would also like to know if any of the people in this wonderful course have any ideas of sites that would be beneficial for high school geometry (in addition to the ones given in our learning resources)

•What steps have you been able to take so far?

So far I have not done much other than brain-storm about good lessons to use in my classroom. I have looked through various math websites looking for applicable lessons that incorporate technology – including some of the ones listed by Walden. I have also decided to send an e-mail to my school librarian asking her for ideas about promoting and modeling digital citizenship and responsibility. Hopefully I will have a response from her before my next blog post.

Developing Your Personal GaME Plan

I am sooo annoyed that somehow I overlooked posting this blog. I HAD it done before time, but forgot to post it. :( Sorry everyone.


The two NETS indicators that I feel least proficient in would be:
2.c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources
and
4.a. advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources


While I feel confident in learning about and using new technologies to enhance my learning, I do not always feel confident in integrating new technologies into my content lessons. I think that most of the problem lies in that I don’t know all of the different ways that the technology can be used, other than for entertainment or personal purposes. My goal to strengthen my confidence and proficiency in 2.c. would be to research ways other teachers are using technologies in the mathematics classroom. Another goal toward becoming proficient in this indicator would be to research how technologies and other resources are being used to meeting learning style differences.


There are many different actions I could take toward meeting my goals. One action would be to research on the internet for ideas and techniques. Another action would be to sign-up to take technology classes that are being offered in my school district; furthermore, I could also participate in other staff development opportunities that are related to technology in the classroom. A third action I could take would be to ask my colleagues for ideas on how to better incorporate technology into lessons so that they address students’ diverse learning styles while teaching them how to use digital tools and resources
I could monitor my progress by keeping track of how many different lessons I have adjusted to include technology and meet students’ diverse learning needs. (I would also want to document how well the new lessons worked) I could evaluate my actions by monitoring how well the students understood the lesson, and how successful it was. I could extend my learning by continuing to research new ways that technology can be incorporated. Participating/Presenting ideas in staff development sessions would be another way that I could extend and share my learning.

While I believe that students need to know how to exercise legal and ethical technology usage, I do not feel that I am proficient in stressing the point to my students. My goal to meeting the 4.a. NETS indicator would be to learn how to better instruct my students on how to be respectful and ethical when using technology. One action I could take toward meeting this goal would be to communicate with the librarian at my school. The librarian is very well versed in the copyright laws and etiquette, and might be able to point me toward some presentation tools/methods I could use. Another action would be to consult with other colleagues and online for ideas. I think it would also be a good idea to compile stories that demonstrate how people must be careful what they put on the internet because it can be considered slander or bullying (like the kids posting awful things on Facebook) and also the stories about how once something is posted it can never really be removed (like lewd pictures).


I could monitor my progress by checking my lessons to be sure I discuss legal and ethical ramifications before (and during) lessons that include technology. I could also check my progress by periodically quizzing my students on the proper usage techniques we discussed in class (by quizzing the students I could know how well they understand what we cover). The quizzes could also be a method I use for evaluating my learning. I could extend my learning by working with my colleges to create a “proper and safe etiquette when using technology” presentation for all of our school’s teachers to use.