GAME Plan for week 3

To implement my GAME plan, I need to learn more about incorporating digital tools. I also need to know what would be available and approved by the district. Moreover, I need to start looking for ideas and strategies that address students’ diverse learning styles especially bilingual students. In addition, I need to explore for more activities and ideas that relate to my students’ real life issues that incorporate digital tools resources. Another important step that I need to take is to attend as many workshops as possible and conferences that could help me reach my goal.
So far I have spoken to my colleagues in the school where I usually substitute teach about my GAME plan so they can help me reach my goal since I am not employed there. I am also searching through the web for ideas and strategies that I can use with LEP students.

GAME PLAN

After I read the ISTE and NETS.T and Performance Indicators for Teachers, I decided to work on the following standards and indicators, which are:
1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and creativity.
b. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiencing and Assessments
a. desigh or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.

Goal – My goal is to have my students explore real-world issues and solve real-world problems that are relevant to their lives using digital tools and resources. I will also design lessons that address students’ diverse learning styles using digital tools and resources.

Action – I will design my lessons and units according to the ISTE and NETS.T and incorporate digital tools . To do this I will keep my awareness about technology tools updated to strengthen my confidence and become proficient in integrating technology into the curriculum.

Monitor - I will monitor my goal through my students’ progress.

Evaluate – At the end of each lesson, I will look for the weaknesses and the strengths of the lesson and improve the weak areas.

Reference
The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards (NETS•T). (n.d.). International Society for Technology in Education Home. Retrieved November 10, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Reflection of EDUC 6712

In fact, everything I learned in this course is valuable to my teaching career. This course has increased my teaching skills to better prepare my students for their future. Learning about the QUEST model, will help me teach my students in an efficient way to transform the information into better thoughts. As (Eagleton & Dobler ,2007) stated, “The QUEST model provides a framework to support and encourage both teachers and students to gather information and transform this information into new ideas.” (p.277) Embedding the new literacy skills into the curriculum is essential, however, we must keep in mind that the old literacy skills reading, listening, writing, etc. are the fundamental. The QUEST model approach will allow students to become more self-directed – a skill that they need in their future work places. Moreover, working on the unit plan throughout this course gave me an idea of how to teach my students through inquiry-based projects. This course has helped me realize how important it is for my students to learn how to locate, understand, and use the information they acquire from the internet. I also realized the significance of preparing my students to be literate with internet resources and encouraging them to ask deep questions and evaluate the information critically and transforming the information in an effective way.

One of my professional goals I would like to pursue is embedding the new literacy skills into the whole curriculum. I want my students to become proficient at locating information, evaluate resources, and transform the information effectively. Since in elementary grades we teach all subject areas, I would teach science and social studies through inquiry-based projects to make their learning meaningful and prepare them for the professional work place in the future.

Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the Web: Strategies for Internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.

EDUC6711- CourseReflection

At the beginning of this course, in application week one, I said that the teacher is the individual who is in charge to transfer the knowledge to the learners, therefore , it is very important for us educators to implement the appropriate learning style that suites our students minds to ensure success for all learners. I also said that because I work in a diverse community, and most of the students are bilingual. For this reason, I need to incorporate all the learning styles in the lessons because those who do not speak English well, learning through aural or reading/writing learning styles would be ineffective. Thus, I will not change my teaching philosophy; however, I will improve my teaching style with the new instructional strategies I learned throughout this course. Moreover, I would always teach my lessons based on my students’ learning styles.
Throughout this course, I learned many instructional strategies that will benefit my students. I have learned about many tools that I never heard of or used before. One of these tools is the c-map tool. It is an advanced organizer, which will help my students focus their learning better on the lessons. Another technology tool is the voice thread, which I believe will enhance my students learning.
My two long-term goal changes that I would like to make to my instructional practice is I would like to use the nonlinguistic representation strategy because I believe it will help my bilingual students learn better. Moreover, to enhance my students’ achievement, I will provide them with immediate feedback.
In fact, this course has provided me with many strategies and technology tools that can benefit my students’ learning as well as me.

Voice Thread

Here is the link for my voice thread http://voicethread.com/share/530469/ please let me know if did not work.

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

Cooperative learning as stated by (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007) “focuses on having students interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance their learning.” (p.139) Dr. Orey also emphasized that context and culture are critical in constructing knowledge and understanding of the world around us. Cooperative learning is an essential part of learning. Learning through the cooperative strategy, helps students make sense and construct meaning of what they are learning. Collaborating occurs in many ways, it occurs through technology, and technology plays an important role in cooperative learning. As (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007) stated, “Technology can play a unique and vital role in cooperative learning by facilitating group collaboration, providing structure for group tasks, and allowing members of groups to communicate even if they are not working face to face.” (p.140)

Technology provides many tools that facilitate cooperative learning among students. Web 2.0 like blogs, wikis, voice threads, etc. can make it possible for learning to occur anywhere across the globe. Through technology, collaborative learning takes place anytime and anywhere. Moreover, building a website can enhance collaborative experience as pointed out by (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007)

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program Eight. Social Learning Theories. [Motion Picture]. Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology. Baltimore: Author.

Constructivism in Practice

From this week’s resources, I have learned new strategies that correlate with constructionist/constructivist learning theories and embed technology. Constructionism as Dr. Orey explained, “is a theory of learning that states people learn best when they build an external artifact or something they can share with others” The instructional strategies presented in this week’s readings provide educators with valuable tools that allow students to learn through generating and testing hypotheses. The six tasks that can be utilized by teachers to help students generate and test hypotheses as presented by (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007) are: “systems analysis, problem solving, historical investigation, invention, experimental inquiry, and decision making. “ (p.203) When students are engaged in one of these six tasks, they are actually, “engaged in learning and the process of creating an artifact.” Moreover, generating and testing hypotheses is correlated with Project-Based Learning that was explained by Han, S., & Bhattacharya, K. (2001), “Project Based Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that engages learners in complex activities.” Also, (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007) stated that, “when students generate and test hypotheses, they are engaging in complex mental processes, applying content knowledge like facts and vocabulary, and enhancing their overall understanding of the content.” (p.202)

This week’s readings provided us with examples of how to implement the strategies in our classrooms. One of the examples that attracted me is the example by Dave McDivitt. In this example, students investigated the causes that led to the war by using web resources and gaming software in the form of interactive applets and simulations (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007) Each student takes on the role of a country leader who makes policy decisions for the country his/her are leading.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Program seven. Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories[Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.
Han, S., and Bhattacharya, K. (2001). Constructionism, Learning by Design, and Project Based Learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved May 27, 2009, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.