As I continue to work on my GAME plan, I have found that I have accomplished some aspects of my goals. I have made new decisions which have resulted in me adjusting my schedules to fit into those of my students. Consequently, I have been afforded some time from teaching to search the Internet for the technological resources that I intend to learn about and use.
I have found that my decision to use delicious to socially bookmark the many websites that I need to browse for information was a good decision. The task of inter-facing with so many websites is still daunting, however, I have narrowed my search to a few websites that I have found to be extremely helpful; one such site is the IRA website.
I now recognize the significant relevance of engaging students in goal setting prior to the beginning of any academic year. It is a kind of documentation that informs students of their responsibility in their own learning. It provides direction and focus, a tool that can become an integral part of a student's self-reflection and assessment. I have also discovered that many students are not aware of how they, individually, learn and consequently, have no idea about how to study effectively to meet their own learning needs. This knowledge has proven to be valuable, especially as I am presently marking and grading the exam responses that my students have given on their English finals. I also believe that if my students set academic goals and work towards them, their academic achievement and performance will improve.
I still have to learn to use the technological device, the mimeo, in my instructions so that my students can use it in their learning. I also yet have to learn how to incorporate Microsoft Excel in my instruction, not only as a tool to record data, but also for my students to use it to develop certain language skills, such as inferencing, critical thinking, analysis and synthesis.
My school is soon to purchase a Promethean Smart Board and so the use of this technological tool will have to be included in my instructional planning to address my need to make my classroom instruction technologically-rich.
My plans, therefore, have changed only slightly, in that they now include learning to use this additional device to enhance my lessons. I also need to adjust the perspective of the goal setting exercise that I shall engage my students in. I plan to ask my students to include in their goals a decision to use at least one of the school's available technological resources to improve their academic performance.
Hence, I welcome any suggestions from my colleagues on lesson activities that will have the students using the mimeo device and the Smart Board as both presentation and learning tool in an English/Language Arts scenario.
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Chapter four. Technology-enriched learning environments. Technology integration for meaningful classroom use. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning
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Hello, Jewel. The IRA website is an excellent resource; I especially like the Read Write Think lesson plans sponsored by the IRA and NCTE. You can access Read Write Think from the IRA page if you haven't already done so.
ReplyDeleteI have had a SMART Board in my classroom throughout this school year, and I think you will find that it becomes second nature after a short time. It is very intuitive, but it really helps to take the time to experiment with the things that can be done. One thing my seventh graders really like is when I put the answers to review questions on the board, but cover them with colored rectangles that disappear when tapped. Also check the resources in the gallery. There are puzzle and game activities, plus useful backgrounds like notebook paper designs for writing.
You will be able to use the board more fully if the students have access to computers that have the software to create their own SMART Board presentations. As we know from Prensky, these "digital natives" are seldom intimidated by technology, and the interactive features of a SMART Board are very engaging.
The seventh graders really like it when I add links to presentations, but make them work by clicking a button or tab, rather than displaying the text.
These tools can be used much like PowerPoint, but they have even greater capability, and neither you nor the students need to stand by a computer to do your presentations.
The biggest problem I have is getting too caught up in developing lessons that use the SMART Board; I always seem to think of "just one more thing" I could add.
Good luck with your GAME plan and your new technology.
Becky
References:
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).
Thanks Becky,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate the information that you have shared. I gather that I will be able to engage them in forced-choice assessments as well as they will be able to demonstrate their learning in a non testing scenario. I quite agree with you when you say that as digital natives the students will display little to no fear as they interact with the equipment. I do believe that they will be exposing me to quite a lot of its capabilities before the year is out.
Thank you.