Customizing my Instructional Practices

When searching for the key to unlock education for all students, teachers must consider a wide spectrum of available tools and methodologies. Consequently, the time I spent studying and researching differentiating instruction (DI) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) empowered me to see them both as viable means by which all students can access and demonstrate knowledge of content information. The incorporation of technology into customizing education provides an authentic medium for me to help support students’ efforts to overcome physical and academic barriers that otherwise would impede their learning process (Laureate, 2009).

An immediate and initial first step I can take to begin customizing instruction is by examining the individual readiness, interest and learning profile of my students through student interest/inventory surveys. This will enable me use the information gathered to pilot my instructional practices and activities in the future (2009). However, like most assessment tools, surveys are only one measure of student preference. Addressing the individualized needs of each student in my classroom will require me consider the student’s short term as well as long term objectives to be an effective and high quality teacher.

Today’s classroom is a virtual melting pot of cultures, beliefs, background, interests and abilities. Technology by the sheer nature of its multitude of platforms offers all students a plethora of inroads to connect with others in the effort to construct knowledge. MY second modification to my instructional practice will be to implement UDL’s three types of learning: recognition, strategic, and affective into the content, products, and processes taught in my classroom. Like the model for differentiating instruction whereby individual student needs determine flexibility and modifications in the curriculum (2009), UDL goes a step further and “…calls for the design of curricula with the needs of all students in mind, so that methods, materials, and assessments are usable by all” (Hall, Strangman, & Meyer, 2009). An appropriate digital format in my early childhood classroom is a SMART Board (smartboards.com). Using a Smartboard to explore virtual fields and interactive books/software, positively alters my students’ chances to gain experience and produce knowledge of content areas (2009).

“The brain's modules are interconnected through multiple pathways, enabling visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile recognition to influence one another” (Rose & Meyer, 2002). The ease in which technology addresses multiple learning style formats makes it a credible platform for instruction (2009). Furthermore, it enables educators is to equalize the learning process, so students are exposed to the same content in a manner that is befitting their needs, wants, and desires.

References

Hall, T., Strangman, N., & Meyer, A. (2003). Differentiated instruction and
implications for UDL implementation. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/publications /ncac/ncac_diffinstructudl.html

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Knowing Your Students [Educational video]. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Managing A
Differentiated Classroom. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). What is Differentiated Instruction [Educational video]. Baltimore: Author.

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

Putting the GAME Plan Together

The focus of my GAME plan goals is to utilize technology to foster an active learning atmosphere whereby creativity and authentic learning experiences/assessments are implemented across the content areas (National Education Standards for Teachers, 2009). Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer state that “[a]uthentic instruction enables you to meet your curricular standards in ways that can engage and support your students’ interest, creativity, and motivation” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009) To help define these goals and select appropriate strategies, I reached out to colleagues for advice and information on various digital tools . Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer state that “[s]haring what you have discovered with your colleagues is a critical step in improving your instructional effectiveness” (2009). “When you know what your choices are, you are better able to determine whether technology is already available or whether you need to request specific technology” (King-Sears and Evmenova, 2007). Additionally, I used the Checklist for Integrating Technology Into Instruction(2007) by King-Sears and Evmenova to progress monitor my ability to organize and implement these various mediums. Consequently, this process provided me the opportunity to set objectives, choose appropriate methodologies, monitor progress and determine effectiveness.

During my investigation in using the GAME plan as means to maturate my own understanding of authentic learning opportunities, I ascertained the significant importance self-directed learning can have on student achievement. A self-directed learner is able to synthesize prior knowledge with new discoveries to guide and monitor progress toward goals (2009). Instruction that supports the development of self-efficacy must be scaffold to take into account the varying degrees of abilities and interest in the classroom. By scaffolding instruction I can “…accomplish four important goals: 1) initiating student’s inquiry; 2) maintaining students’ engagement; 3) aiding learners with concept integration and addressing misconceptions; and 4) promoting reflective thinking” (Ertmer & Simons, 2006). One way in which I can implement this into my classroom is by alternating the methods on how students are assessed and evaluated. Students will therefore have multiple options for demonstrating mastery through means that address the differing multiple intelligences found in the classroom.

I plan to use my position on my school’s STEM committee is help mentor other teachers about best practices regarding integrating digital means to support self-directed learning. At our next meeting, I will be sharing my own GAME plan and information on developing authentic learning experiences in the classroom using NETS-T standards in conjunction with our state objectives. As I assist each member in writing a plan of their own and providing guidance for developing the means in which to carry them out, I hope to work toward developing my own personal goal of becoming a technology instructional coach.

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

Ertmer, P., & Simons, K. (Spring 2006). Jumping the PBL implementation hurdle: Supporting the efforts of K-12 teachers. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 1(1), 40-54. Retrieved on October 4, 2010,from http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent. cgi?article =1005& context=ijpbl.

King-Sears, M., & Evmenova, A. (2007). Premises, Principles, and Processes for Integrating TECHnology Into Instruction. Teaching Exceptional Children, 40(1), 6-14. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

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

A Asynchonous Classroom

This week I have been focusing on finding the resources to link my classroom with another classroom for the purpose of conducting a book study. Recently, my district purchased a new literacy program that focuses content standards around one piece of literature for an entire month. This has lend me to channel my goals to facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity as well as design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments towards developing a problem based learning activity around the theme of one of these books. To work toward these goals, I have been investigating sites suggested by both Vicki Davis and Hargis and Wilcox to delve into social networking in the classroom. Davis states that technological knowledge and terminology can be one of the biggest deterrents for educators looking to implement PBL in their classrooms (Laureate, 2009). I think the site that will best meet my needs as well as those of my students is Eduwiki.(eduwiki.com). This will allow me to select among existing collaborations or establish one of my own. I am now ready to transitions my classroom from its traditional synchronous setting to a asynchronous one.

Reference

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.

Evaluation of my GAME plan

The evaluation phase of a GAME plan includes a critical examination into the actions steps and their metamorphosis towards appointed goals. In the case of my GAME plan, I have found that reaching out to others for advice and information to be an invaluable tool. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer state that “[s]haring what you have discovered with your colleagues is a critical step in improving your instructional effectiveness” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). My action steps involving accessing others prior knowledge and seeking professional development opportunities gave me a firm foundation in which to develop 21st century based learning strategies to teach my students content area knowledge.

An critical strategy I have learned through this process is the importance of scaffolding student learning and performance to meet the varying degrees of abilities and interest in my classroom. By scaffolding instruction I can “. . . accomplish four important goals: 1) initiating student’s inquiry; 2) maintaining students’ engagement; 3) aiding learners with concept integration and addressing misconceptions; and 4) promoting reflective thinking” (Ertmer & Simons, 2006). Each student in my classroom has a learning style preference, it is my job to incorporate choices and challenge them to try other alternatives with in their ability levels. Consequently, I will need to further develop my abilities to differentiate the ways that I assess student comprehension and synthesis of core content. There are still questions in my mind about how to go about integrating and simplifying authentic assessment in an objective and quantitative manner.

As I search more in depth regarding the usage of my iPod Touch for the purpose of progress monitoring, I realize additional fiscal resources will need to be making this a reality. This is an unfortunately hurdle in my plan but not one that cannot be overcome with time and further investigation.

References

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

Ertmer, P., & Simons, K. (Spring 2006). Jumping the PBL implementation hurdle: Supporting the efforts of K-12 teachers. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 1(1), 40-54. Retrieved on October 4, 2010,from http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent. cgi?article =1005& context=ijpbl.

Monitoring my GAME Plan

As I began the stage of monitoring my progress towards reaching my goals of:
1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
I am remind of the old phrase “begin as you mean to go”. This emphasizes for me the importance of knowing at the beginning what your designation will be and the avenues you intend to take. Dr. Ross says that assessment should be the first thing teachers consider when designing lessons (Laureate, 2009).

I mentioned in an early post that I was going to use digital story telling to spark my students’ natural curiosity and creativity through the use of iMovie and flip cameras. This week I met with another teacher in my school that routinely uses flip cameras in her classroom. She showed me previous footage her students had shot and edited. I was amazed at the amount of detail these second grade students had added to their feature films. One great suggestion she had was to let students watch the "making of the movie" feature on a educational DVD and the credits of the film. She also had a cameraman from a local television station come in as a guest speaker. I can now see the how the affect of integrating real life situations and context into lesson can have a powerful impact on students buy–in to the content areas.

Pressing forward with my quest to find authentic opportunities to assess my students’ achievements I encountered a nifty way to use PDAs.. “Whether based on formal or informal observations, many student information systems allow you to quickly add notes to students records that can be accessed and recorded on handheld and laptop computers, making students records dynamic” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). One of the great struggles I have in regards to student performance-based assessments is the time consuming and laborious task of recording and transferring information. Handling student performance assessments in this manner would free up time and provide instantaneous feedback to customize future lessons.

My most pressing question so far is how I can use my own personal iPod Touch to make wireless performance assessment take place. It definitely not something I have come across in the iTunes (itunes.com) app store. Does anyone have any prior experience with this method of data collection? What program would you suggest? What is the cost factor involved?

References

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

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Program 7. Assessing Student Learning with Technology. [Educational video]. Baltimore: Author.

Puttling Actions Into Words

From past experiences, I have surmised that my preferred through process is deductive thinking. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer define deductive thinking as moving “from the whole to its parts, from generalizations to underlying concepts to examples” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). So, I began the Action phase of my GAME plan by watching my son’s home iMovies. This allowed me to refamiliarize myself with the scope and sequence of the movie making process. I also began a journal to record my questions, thoughts, and findings as well as a technology list which includes my Mac laptop, the iMovie application, and a flip-camera.

I then began to search for resources to help me gain proficiency. My district offers several professional develop classes on both iMovie and flip-cameras. Additionally, I discovered a well developed and detailed site entiled Dummies.com: Knowing What You Can Do with iMoive at http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/knowing-what-you-can-do-with-imovie.html One of my most crucial sources of knowledge will be my innovative thinker husband. I hope to benefit from his wealth of knowledge gathered over the past nine years of making countless iMovies.

In my classroom, I have 20 different versions of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development. Each child is a unique individual with equally important needs. By expanding the creativity level students need to expend in order to learn, I am gifting them with not only information to past a standardized test but also the ability to face and conquer life’s challenges.

Reference:

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.

The GAME Plan

The purpose of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is to inform students, teachers, and parents about the integral part technology plays in facilitating an active learning environment. With an increased number of students reporting bouts of boredom ranging anywhere from 50 and 70 percent of the school day, the time has come to take a more introspective examination at teaching practices in the classroom. My GAME plan to incorporate technology as part of an active learning atmosphere focuses on developing the components of creative thinking and authentic assessment.

My first goal is to ‘facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity” (the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), 1997-2010). I plan to utilize digital storytelling as a technique. I will begin by familiarizing myself with the basic functions of iMovie by importing and editing a movie of my students enacting a story from our literature curriculum. According to Dr. Peggy Ertmer, the key components to enhance standard based learning is through knowledge of program capabilities, confidence to implement, positive beliefs, and locating supportive resources (Laureate, 2009) .To monitor my progress during this multimedia project, I will create a rubric using Partnership for 21st Century skills to guide my work . The evaluation phase of this project will be to two-fold. This video will not only be evaluated by myself, but also by another professional in my cohort. This will ensure I have demonstrated competent knowledge of the program.

Additionally, I plan to “design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments” (1997-2010) by utilizing King-Sears and Evmenova’s Checkerboard of Choices for Integrating Low, Medium, and High Technology Into Instruction (King-Sears & Evmenova, 2007). Exploring these multiple avenues in which students can demonstrate their knowledge will allow me an authentic opportunity to assess student mastery. “When you know what your choices are, you are better able to determine whether technology is already available or whether you need to request specific technology” (2007). I will use the Checklist for Integrating Technology Into Instruction(2007) by King-Sears and Evmenova to progress monitor my ability to organize and implement these various mediums. Additionally, I will evaluate my ability to encapsulate these digital projects into various lessons by tracking the impact of student learning. This will allow me to develop my skills in the navigation of these technologies in a progressive and methodical manner (Laureate, 2009).

Technology is a tool to be used in the classroom for the betterment of student comprehension, mastery, and development. It is no longer as simple as making computers accessible to students. Instead, students must go beyond basic keyboarding and learn the importance and responsibility of the keystrokes that bring the outside world to their fingertips.

References

King-Sears, M., & Evmenova, A. (2007). Premises, Principles, and Processes for Integrating TECHnology Into Instruction. Teaching Exceptional Children, 40(1), 6-14. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Program 2. Promoting Creative Thinking with Technology. [Educational video]. Baltimore: Author.

National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at: http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/
2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Prensky, M. (2008). Turning On the Lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40-45. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.