Looking back since I started my GAME plan, I have made some progress and hit a few obstacles along the way. To start with, I have been looking for real world situations that can help my students relate with US history covered in fifth grade and using those to bridge prior knowledge and new material. As I have searched for virtual field trips and webquests, I have found a few that will work well with future units. However, I have not been as successful with my current lesson on the Vikings exploration. Time has played a big factor in this new endeavor. Maybe it's that time of the year, or maybe my searches have not been focused to include what I am really looking for. I have found a few sources, but they are not what I am looking for or do not cover the content in our curriculum.
So far in my search, I have found that there are some high quality sources and then there are some that leave a lot to be desired. With these two areas, one is ready to be used in the classroom immediately and the other would require more time that seems to be in a shortage currently. A few of the sources I have visited recently could be a great source with some time to bring them up-to-date.
The questions that has arisen with meeting the GAME plan is what is worth more: using a project that is well put together, but doesn't cover exactly what I am looking for; or adjusting or building on a project that is fair but covers the content.
Recently, I used a virtual field trip with a small group of students. I was very impressed with what the group could recall about what they viewed and the information that was covered. It was encouraging to add more to the curriculum for the students to experience and help build connections to their own prior knowledge.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
On with the GAME plan
In my previous post, I discussed my GAME plan for bringing more real-world problems and examples to my classroom in social studies lessons. As I continue to work toward this goal and enhance my lessons, I will update the progress as the process continues.
In order to move forward in my GAME plan, I need to look at the resources that will be necessary to move forward in the process. One important resource that will be needed will be different real-world situations that I my students can relate to in order to help them understand history. It is tough for ten-year-olds to relate to Marco Polo leaving home and walking thousands of miles to explore and find spices. When I take this and talk about the reasons that my students would be willing to leave their homes to walk for years, they start to relate with Marco Polo. Researching these ideas, and in talking to my students, I can bring more ways to understand what happened 'way back then'.
Next, I need to start looking at lessons to come and start relating new concepts to ideas my students understand and make connections with the ideas. As I look ahead, I am looking for ideas on how to relate the scale of the Milky Way galaxy and the planets that make up our solar system for science. The explorers in social studies are also on my radar of real-world scenarios.
-Melissa
In order to move forward in my GAME plan, I need to look at the resources that will be necessary to move forward in the process. One important resource that will be needed will be different real-world situations that I my students can relate to in order to help them understand history. It is tough for ten-year-olds to relate to Marco Polo leaving home and walking thousands of miles to explore and find spices. When I take this and talk about the reasons that my students would be willing to leave their homes to walk for years, they start to relate with Marco Polo. Researching these ideas, and in talking to my students, I can bring more ways to understand what happened 'way back then'.
Next, I need to start looking at lessons to come and start relating new concepts to ideas my students understand and make connections with the ideas. As I look ahead, I am looking for ideas on how to relate the scale of the Milky Way galaxy and the planets that make up our solar system for science. The explorers in social studies are also on my radar of real-world scenarios.
-Melissa
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Technology Standards
Recently, I spent time on the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) web site set-up to enhance digital learning and use of technology in the classroom. One section of the site is made for teachers and the technology standards called National Education Standards for Teacher (NETS-T). There are five separate standards for teachers for encouraging and teaching safe, effective use of technology.
As I read through the standards, I found some areas that I use effectively and some areas that I can continue to work on to enhance my teaching. The two areas I have picked to focus my GAME plan (see below) on include “engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources” and “design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity”.
GAME plan (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009)
Goal-
Action-
Montoring-
Evaluation-
Goal- My goal is to design lessons that explore real-world problems and are relevant to my students' lives and their learning.
Action- In order to meet my goal, I plan to re-evaluate the lessons in my classroom to incorporate these skills for my students. I also plan to research and evaluate problems that incorporate more real-world situations that my students can relate to with their prior knowledge. I will be using internet sources and technology programs to enhance the lessons taught. Some examples of these might be virtual field trips or webquests.
Monitoring- I will be monitoring my goal through discussions with my students and reviewing previous lessons with my students to find their understanding of the current curriculum.
Evaluating- At the end of the unit, our district requires the testing of the standards covered during that unit which will allow me to evaluate more formally the progress using real-world problems and situations in social studies.
-Melissa
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
ISTE | NETS for Teachers 2008. (n.d.). International Society for Technology in Education | Home. Retrieved November 12, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm
As I read through the standards, I found some areas that I use effectively and some areas that I can continue to work on to enhance my teaching. The two areas I have picked to focus my GAME plan (see below) on include “engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources” and “design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity”.
GAME plan (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009)
Goal-
Action-
Montoring-
Evaluation-
Goal- My goal is to design lessons that explore real-world problems and are relevant to my students' lives and their learning.
Action- In order to meet my goal, I plan to re-evaluate the lessons in my classroom to incorporate these skills for my students. I also plan to research and evaluate problems that incorporate more real-world situations that my students can relate to with their prior knowledge. I will be using internet sources and technology programs to enhance the lessons taught. Some examples of these might be virtual field trips or webquests.
Monitoring- I will be monitoring my goal through discussions with my students and reviewing previous lessons with my students to find their understanding of the current curriculum.
Evaluating- At the end of the unit, our district requires the testing of the standards covered during that unit which will allow me to evaluate more formally the progress using real-world problems and situations in social studies.
-Melissa
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
ISTE | NETS for Teachers 2008. (n.d.). International Society for Technology in Education | Home. Retrieved November 12, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Final Thoughts for EDUC 6712
As Educ 6712 comes to a close, I am reflecting on what was learned and how that has affected my teaching. The literacy skills of the past, reading and writing, have evolved into the skills that our children will need to be successful in the future. With the amount of information available to everyone today, the skills have gone from reading to finding, analyzing, summarizing, synthesizing of information. Students need to filter through information, decide what is useful, and turn it into a product to be share. Inquiry is the direction we are taking to help students practice and master these skills.
Inquiry allows a student to take what they are interested in and turning it into a project to share with others, turning their learning into an opportunity to also practice communication skill that will be crucial in future careers. The assignment that was designed during the course of this class will allow my students to meet state standards in several areas while research a person of their choice. They will need to have opportunities to learn and practice these new literacy skills. The logistics of teaching the new literacy skills will require extra time in the computer lab and time during technology class to prior to the start of the research project.
My goal for the use of new literacy skills is to examine each unit that I currently teach and give my students a place to practice or use these skills. I will be, in fact, starting two new units this week in science and social studies and will have the chance to look at both. I have made a list of the new literacy skills to have on my desk while I am planning so that I can embed the skills as I do my lesson planning for the unit. I have shared this list with my colleagues so that as we are planning together in other areas we can ensure our students have chances to use the skills.
-Melissa
Inquiry allows a student to take what they are interested in and turning it into a project to share with others, turning their learning into an opportunity to also practice communication skill that will be crucial in future careers. The assignment that was designed during the course of this class will allow my students to meet state standards in several areas while research a person of their choice. They will need to have opportunities to learn and practice these new literacy skills. The logistics of teaching the new literacy skills will require extra time in the computer lab and time during technology class to prior to the start of the research project.
My goal for the use of new literacy skills is to examine each unit that I currently teach and give my students a place to practice or use these skills. I will be, in fact, starting two new units this week in science and social studies and will have the chance to look at both. I have made a list of the new literacy skills to have on my desk while I am planning so that I can embed the skills as I do my lesson planning for the unit. I have shared this list with my colleagues so that as we are planning together in other areas we can ensure our students have chances to use the skills.
-Melissa
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