Donna's Technology Class Blog

The last assignment for this class entitled, Integrating Technology in the Content Areas is: Reflect on the GAME plan you developed and followed throughout the course.  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. My GAME plan focused on becoming more aware of educational technologies and implementing them in my curriculum. During this class, I have used my Google Reader account as a "gathering service" to sift through many great articles and bring me the ones for which I am looking. I have spent more time reading and researching these educational technologies. I have learned about Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) in which several students have expressed interest. I read about other teachers using wikis, blogs, and online documents to create and extend learning experiences outside the classroom. Describe any immediate adjustments you will make to your ins...

I have enjoyed using the GAME plan process. It has challenged me to set written goals, and evaluate how I am progressing to achieve them. I am a naturally self-directed goal setter; however, I do not usually approach this self-directed learning with much organization. The GAME plan made me more organized in my approach. I also used what I learned from my GAME plan in my classroom. Using the GAME plan with students should be a similar process. Since my goal, from ISTE NETs-T was to learn more about technology, I will challenge my students to learn more about the technology around them using the NETs-T. I will challenge them to think about educational uses for the technology they use daily like their social networking pages, cell phones, and iPods. Getting them to look at technology with education in mind will enable them to put the existing technology to new uses, and help them develop their skills.

This week I am answering a few questions to evaluate and revise my GAME Plan. What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?  So far, I have learned that my students are willing to learn new technologies if they are given the chance. I need to allow myself to become a facilitator or guide rather than just give teacher-centered lessons. I have learned that some of the "educational networking" web sites do work in my district despite all the firewalls and blocks. I am learning to branch out, little-by-little, and experiment with some programs such as Photo Story 3, Voice Thread, Animoto, and Prezi. I have learned that with a bit of practice, I can make an example that inspires my class to make theirs better than mine. What goals are you still working toward?  I am still working toward becoming comfortable experimenting with new technologies. I plan to use more project and problem-based learning situations. I am also working on time management ...

This week the assignment asks me to evaluate:   How effective were your actions in helping you meet your goals?  My actions, so far, have been signing up for technology seminars to attend at my school district's instructional fair and gathering information on educational technology by using my google reader and iPod for reading blogs and listening to podcasts. I am enjoying the interesting ideas that others have shared, and I hope to be able to tailor some of the ideas to my own classroom.   What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?  I read in an article about using digital video cameras in P.E. classes to record student skills and have students and teachers critique the skill/technique together. I have modified this to use in my technology classroom. I used a digital camera to take 7 pictures of various students in each of my 6 classes. I tried to catch some students with excellent touch keyboarding techniques, and others with poor technique. ...