Week 8 Reflection

EDUC 6715 - New and Emerging Technologies
As I began the first week of this course all I could think about was the fact there were only eight weeks left in this Master’s Program, which I have been taking since September 2008! Putting this aside, even though it was easier said than done, I began to focus on the array of new-fangled emerging technology and tools going to be discussed in this course.

Week 1 introduced the topic of technologies that have or will become obsolete as we progress into the 21st century. Quickly, I learned the fact that Education everywhere must take time to examine emergent technologies and anticipate the changes that will be taking place in our schools (Thornburg, 2009) became unmistakable.

Over the past twenty years I have seen primitive technology such the big 8 ½ inch floppy discs emerge into a small gum-stick size flash drive most everyone carries in their possession, falling into one of the three conditions Soloway (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009) considers for an emerging technology: (1) Cost: an emerged technology is going to be cheap – an objective measure, (2) Reviews: reading about what function is available, word of mouth (current events), and (3) Personal: has it become essential to one’s life, such as a flash drive you carry in your pocket.

Week 2 provided a way to anticipate emerging technologies with the help of a tetrad developed by Marshall McLuhan (Thornburg, 2008), to demonstrate how making predictions about future developments and related changes in technology can occur and render a technology obsolete in the classroom as time progresses. The “four laws of media” (Thornburg, 2008) are as follows:

· Extension/Enhancement: What does this technology do that is new?

· Closure/Obsolescence: What does this technology replace?

· Retrieval/Rekindle: What does this technology bring to mind (or retrieve) from the past?

· Reversal: What might replace this technology in the future, or what might it cause to occur?

Week 3 allowed me to identify and decide my own category from the leadership styles listed by Fullan (2002):

· Coercive – “Do what I tell you”

· Authoritative – “Come with me”

· Affiliative – “People come first”

· Democratic – “What do you think”

· Pacesetting – “Do as I do now”

· Coaching – “Try this

Further investigation confirmed leadership itself can depend on the willingness of those who are to be lead and can contort into many different forms, including people and perspectives. However, in education it most often includes students, parents, co-workers, and community members who are watching you to see what style of leadership you will demonstrate.

Week 4 allowed participation in using a web-based Course Management System (CMS)—also referred to as a Learning Management System (LMS)—such as Moodle or Rcampus with insight for how teachers might create and implement learning modules with students, requiring me to complete a digital presentation. Proving that “Educators at all levels must prepare students to achieve success in a world that uses technology for much more than entertainment and casual communication” (Gillard, S. & Bailey, D., 2007).

Week 5 gave evidence to promote the potential of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) and how so many teachers today are digital immigrants that are not comfortable enough to use technology for more than just basic word processing programs, fundamental Internet researches, plain PowerPoint presentations or simple storage of files from networks. In addition, each cohort provided an abundance of URL resources for this emerging technology.

The MUVEs I learned about provided ways to transform learning in areas of computing, communications, biomedicine, blogs, and videos for new technologies giving access to prepare students to achieve success with this type of emerging technology. I also had fun going through a medical simulation using avatars to conduct patient/client care in a clinical setting. This is the type of new technology I believe my students would enjoy and I plan to incorporate MUVEs into my curriculum as soon as I can since it is becoming a learning tool estimated to be used by “ 20 million children by 2011, up from the up from the 8.2 million who are already participating in them today” (Yoder, 2009).

Week 6 was all about gaming and engaging students with technology for providing tools they can use in and out of the classroom to “create a more student-centered environment” (Foti, 2007). As I already knew, gaming is a way to accomplish this task and use technology for educational purposes, giving students immediate feedback as they have “interactive relationships between players and the world” (Gee, 2005).

Gaming can definitely be a way to provide communication and interaction, bringing better instructional material for both students and teachers into the classroom. For that reason, if gaming is a technology which provides a way for students to enjoy learning, then it is important I try to “ incorporate good learning principles, principles supported by current research in cognitive science” (Gee, 2005) in the form of good gaming for students into my curriculum if possible.

Week 7 gave me an awesome resource, The Horizon Report (Johnson, Levine, Smith, & Smythe , 2009) by the New Media Consortium that provides current information for watching emerging technologies as we keep moving into the 21st century. It is a resource that I will absolutely continue to visit for potential adoption of technology.

Week 8 is an opportunity to reflect on everything I have experienced these past weeks in EDUC 6715. First I would very much like to thank Professor Rachel Borledon for making this such an awesome experience for me! If you haven’t been told lately…you are the best! That being said, I will make this short and say that I have already begun the process of applying for a grant from a local foundation within my county to help with technology related needs in my classroom.

If I receive the grant it will heavily influence my ability to advocate as a leader for technology in my school and campaign for many of the new technologies I have learned about throughout this Master’s Program.

In closing, my whole teaching pedagogy has changed and I have confirmed that through technology an “educational transformation to align the ‘how’ and ‘what’ of learning… synchronizing more closely the ways students live and interact outside the classroom” (Christen, 2009) can be achieved. It is also vital I focus on implementation of technology-based support with dedication of time to teaching, learning, meeting professional goals, and becoming a stronger, more competent voice for 21 century success in the classroom.

References:

Christen, A. (2009, January 1). Transforming the Classroom for Collaborative Learning in the 21st Century. Techniques: Connecting Education and Careers, 84(1), 28-31. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ829507) Retrieved April 12, 2010, from ERIC database.

Foti, S. (2007). Did we leave the future behind? Phi Delta Kappan, 88(9), 647–649. Retrieved from the Education Research Complete database.

Fullan, M. (2002). The change leader. Educational Leadership, 59(8) ,16–20. Retrieved from the Education Research Complete database using the article's title.


Gee, J. P. (2005). Good video games and good learning. Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 85(2), 33-37. Retrieved from the Education Research Complete database using the article's title.

Gillard, S., & Bailey, D. (2007). Technology in the classroom: Overcoming obstacles, reaping rewards. The International Journal of Learning, 14(1), 87–93. Retrieved from the Education Research Complete database.

Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., & Smythe, T. (2009). The 2009 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Emerging vs. Emerged Technologies [Podcast]. New and Emerging Technologies. Baltimore: Dr. Elliot Soloway.

Thornburg, D. D. (2008). Emerging technologies and McLuhan's Laws of Media. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration. Reproduced with permission of Education Next in the format electronic usage via Copyright Clearance Center.

Thornburg, D. D. (2009). Current trends in educational technology. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Yoder, M. (2009). Walk, fly, or teleport to learning. Learning & Leading with Technology, 37(2), 16-20. Retrieved from the Education Research Complete database.

Emerging Technology: Course Management System For Online Learning in K-12

This week's learning resources has introduced an online learning management system to help provide teachers and students with a way to further connect with technology and success in education.

I have chosen to do my presentation in a Voice Thread format, giving you the option to provide me with feedback either verbally or written, using technology to help address change and provide a new way of thinking. 

http://voicethread.com/share/1024684/

EDUC 6714: Reaching and Engaging All Learners Through Technology

Week 8 - Final Reflection
This course has given me a complete and new pathway for using technology within my curriculum content. The past eight weeks have definitely confirmed for me that implementing and using technology within an assessment can be a tremendous benefit to a formative or summative evaluation of student learning. As Tomlinson (2008) states, we need to “ study students to see what forms of assessment work for them and be sure to never settle for a single assessment as an adequate representation of what a student knows” (p., 10).

The information studied about Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction (DI) models will allow me to make my lessons more personalized to meet the diverse achievement levels and individual learning styles of all students, resulting in a more differentiated classroom with more individual choices for my students.

One immediate change that I will implement in my classroom is using student interest surveys like those discussed by Dr’s. Grace Smith and Stephanie Throne (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009a) from our resources. I will also assess by survey, information regarding student backgrounds to identify some learning guidelines, which will help them be successful high school students in my classroom.

Overall, I have learned that searching for and gathering resources to incorporate differentiated instruction with technology as a learning tool will engage students in what they are learning and promote understanding (Smith and Throne, 2007). In addition, I need to network with my administration, fellow staff members, parents, students and community members to promote communication that leads to a foundation for student success.

Participating in the social network provided me with valuable resources and different perspectives from my fellow cohorts. As my group collaborated and compared information through the social network, I gained insight, resources and most importantly immediate feedback with suggestions for Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction (DI) strategies, which I could use in my classroom.

Bray, Brown & Green (2004) affirm that DI “provides learners with more options for learning while ensuring that the classroom workload remains manageable” (Bray, Brown & Green, 2004) for both students and teachers. Using a social network to gather ideas and resources is an alternative that will help me with time management, I will spend far less time researching and more time using the strategic resources, methods and technologies for “providing every student with the opportunity to learn” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009b).

Applying the information from this course will help me to facilitate how students “draw upon past knowledge or experience and transfer it beyond the context in which it was learned to construct new knowledge” (Jukes, 2007), taking my classroom from teacher-directed to student-guided learning styles, required for success in the 21st Century.
References:

Jukes, I. (2007). 21st century fluency skills: Attributes of a 21st century learner. Retrieved from http://www.committedsardine.com/handouts/twca.pdf.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009a). Program three. Knowing your students [Motion picture]. Reaching and engaging all learners through technology. Baltimore: Smith, G and Throne, S.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009b). Program five. Universal design for learning [Motion picture]. Reaching and engaging all learners through technology. Baltimore: McLaughlin, M. and Rose, D.
Smith, G., & Throne, S. (2007). Differentiating instruction with technology in K-5 classrooms. Belmont, CA: International Society for Technology in Education. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.
Tomlinson, C. (2008). Learning to love assessment. Educational Leadership, 65(4), 8–13. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Week 8 - Final Reflection

EDUC 6713
Week 8 - Final Reflection
The content of this course has provided me with the information and tools needed to "Use technology to accomplish my goals" (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009), beginning with the GAME Plan (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer ,2009) methodology. Establishing Goals, taking Action to meet goals, Monitoring progress, and Evaluating strategies used when integrating technology into daily classroom lessons will help me engage my students and better their own understanding of content.
The original GAME Plan I established during this course addressed the two following NETS-T standards:

1) NETS-T-2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.

2) NETS-T-3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

c. communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.

Working on these two standards the past weeks has allowed me to establish and adjust the teaching practices I use in the classroom and also provided me with “self-directed learning activities needed to set goals for my own professional growth” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer ,2009, p. 11). Working daily to address the standards I chose was not as easy as I thought it would be. I encountered several obstacles such as blocks on blog sites from my technology department and administration, students and parents who had no access to technology at home and feedback that was not quite what I expected, due to the economy and financial status of our community.

A main accomplishment for me in this course that addressed NETS-T-2 and the NETS-S (NETS-S, 2007) standards during this course was the development of a content unit plan, using three separate lessons to engage students in online networking and collaboration skills. This assignment gave me the opportunity to incorporate digital technology and authentic learning experiences with specific performance standards in my content area.

I have also learned that concentrating on a few standards at a time with my students is something my students and I can work together on to achieve success with future GAME plans. And, by also using projects and assignments that take advantage of online networking technology, students can demonstrate their abilities for using 21st Century skills.

References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program twelve. Spotlight on Technology: Digital Storytelling, Part 1 [Motion picture]. Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. Baltimore: Author.

National Education Standards for Students (NETS-S) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007.htm

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

Using the GAME Plan Process with Students

As I was looking at information related to the National Educational Technology Standards for both teachers and students, I ran across a poster that sums the NETS-T(http://blog.learningtoday.com/blog/bid/20783/Free-National-Educational-Technology-Standards-Poster-for-Teachers ) and is a visual reminder of what we need to make it possible for our students to succeed in today's digital society. So, I printed the poster that compacts the actions and placed it in my room to remind me daily of The GAME plan I established several weeks ago.

My GAME plan is something that will continue to be a work-in-progress for the reflecting, modifying, and constant guidance of what I need to do in the classroom to make my students successful with digital technology. “Learning, in general, and about technology specifically, is an ongoing process" (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 7). Choosing goals from the NETS-S (NETS-S, 2007) and including items the list of “student performance profiles” (Cennamo, et.al, 2009, p. 8) for my students to focus on, will help them meet certain required competency standards for technology use. Most of the forty performance profiles are organized to team up with the NETS-S (NETS-S, 2007) categories, making it easier to apply them to classroom assignments and activities.

Goal: Concentrating on a few standards at a time with my student is how I will begin to implement a GAME plan that includes standards for students to start with. The “student performance profile: Identify a complex global issue, develop a systematic plan of investigation, and present innovative sustainable solutions” (Cennamo, et.al, 2009, p. 8) covers NETS-S 1, 2, 3, & 4 and I believe this is something my students and I can work together to achieve.

Action: Using projects and assignments that take advantage of technology use is a way I can have students address skills and performance profiles.


Monitor: I will encourage students in my class to use “educational networking” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009) and participate in journaling, blogging, and discussion board to promote collaborative networking, like I have done through Walden’s courses.

Evaluate: Using different forms of assessments and feedback is “critical” to knowing if my lesson have supported content and student learning. I will constantly reflect and discuss with students the stages of instruction for classroom assignments, presentations, and new situations we encounter as we work through our GAME plans to achieve success.

References:
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program Ten. Spotlight on Technology: Social Networks and Online Collaboration, Part 1 [Motion picture]. Integrating Technology Across the Content Area. Baltimore: Author.

National Education Standards for Students (NETS-S) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007.htm

Revising My GAME Plan

WEEK 6 – EDUC 6713
• What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?
• What goals are you still working toward?
• Based on the NETS-T, what new learning goals will you set for yourself?
• If you are not ready to set new learning goals, how will you extend what you have learned so far?
• What learning approaches will you try next time to improve your learning?

As I continue to evaluate my GAME plan and examine the progress I am making toward my goals I have found that the applications in this course are helping tremendously for meeting the NETS-T goals I chose at the beginning of this assignment: 1) NETS-T 2C- Design and Develop Digital-age Learning Experiences and Assessments and 2)NETS-T 3C Model Digital-Age Work and Learning.
The goals listed above are still in “works in progress” and since students today spend countless hours using popular technologies, I am constantly trying to incorporate ways to use technology to my advantage. I have already conducted a survey to see how many students and parents have computers or other forms of technology with Internet access to use as their first choice for communication with technology. There is a huge percent of my students and parents/guardians that have a preference to communicate by the use of technology, but it is not 100% yet. Due to the economy many families have found it necessary to temporarily disconnect their Internet and cell phone services until their budgets are a little more stable.
I feel my progress is going well and I have gained a great deal of information and exposure to new technology tools that I will use in my instructional practice. The tools I believe will be most helpful in my instructional practices are the social networking tools such as blogs, voice threads, wikis and other collaborative tools. All of these can be used to allow for students collaborating and discussing ideas around real-world issues. A way to help them to become immersed in learning experiences and use their higher order thinking skills instead of the “old-school” way of just lecture and notes.
One of the new goals I would like incorporate into my GAME plan involves as Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) point out; to “constantly assess my technology integration skills to identify the new knowledge and skills I need” (p. 4) to stay current with how students want to access technology in the classroom. It is going to take constant research and a great deal of effort and time, but the rewards in the classroom will be quite worth the energy I put into the task.
I went to school in an era where there was not much choice for technology to take place in the classroom. This makes me realize what a powerful position technology has in the instructional process and for students in today’s classroom, not to say that learning can’t happen with out technology. If schools will provide, and teachers implement technology with instruction as we are learning in these courses, meaningful education can connect students with real-world socialization processes needed to be successful in the 21st Century.
I will continue to keep researching and trying new learning approaches for implementing technology in my instructional plans. I am requesting to attend the technology conference being held in Atlanta, GA in 2010. I have never been a conference like this and after all the great ideas for implementing technology I have gained through these courses, I am hoping the request will be approved so I can actually see what is available to use in the classroom and the countless ways to mix new information with technological tools.

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

GAME Plan Progress

The following are questions to use, assess and review my GAME plan progress:


• How effective were your actions in helping you meet your goals?

• What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?

• What do you still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?

• How will you adjust your plan to fit your current needs?

Measuring my progress and evaluating to see if there is any thing I can do to improve my strategies and actions can be perpetual when meeting goals for my GAME plan.

My immediate goal for developing lessons with the implementation of technology to supplement activities and lessons is going well. At present I have reconstructed my lesson plans for this semester into an electronic format. This will allow me to evaluate and review information I need for planning lessons with digital-age experiences and content. In addition this action will also help me to include more problem-based learning activities to help my students work in groups or in self-directed activities, developing their creative-thinking skills. Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer (2009) advocate teachers use the “ GAME plan for self-directed learning to work with students to set learning goals, take action to help them achieve those goals, monitor learning progress and evaluate both their learning and my teaching.”

For my second goal, I am doing some research to gather data for my administration to see how Blogs can be used as a useful tool in the classroom. I am still awaiting an answer about the Blogs being blocked from student use in our school. This is a county-wide policy so there is a huge amount of red-tape to go through. On a more positive note, there are several teachers who are in support of taking the block off of Blogs sites. I think eventually we will be successful, hopefully by next semester!

At this particular time I do not have any new questions and will continue to work on my GAME plan with adjustments as needed and as time allows.


Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.