Reflecting on My GAME Plan

I am making great strides with my GAME plan. I am very confident that I will be able to successfully use the ideas I have learned at Walden as long as I stick to my GAME plan. I also realize that my plan will constantly be changing as new ideas and technologies come about. Just because this course is ending, does not mean that my GAME plan is done. I will follow through with the timelines that I have set for myself. I will also review my plan weekly and make adjustments as necessary.

I have learned that following a structure like the GAME plan is very beneficial for my students. To say you are going to do something and actually making a plan to follow through are two different things. I realize the importance of a organized effort to create real learning experiences for my students using technology.

Immediately, I will make sure that technology is used on a weekly basis in my classroom. Daily, I already use an interactive whiteboard, graphing calculators and the internet. However, I am speaking of the new advances that I have recently learned while at Walden. Each week there will be at least one type of cooperative collaboration by means of technology in my classroom. I want my students to leave my classroom not only knowing their math but also feeling confident about their future in a technological world.

Students got GAME

I find that many students are not aware of how technology will impact their future. Right now, some students feel that they know more about technology than their teachers. Rightfully so, they are experts at texting and posting their status; while in most classes, they are pushing paper and pencil. They, not their teachers, are growing up in this technologically advanced world.

I think that once students acknowledge how much more they can learn, they will be excited about what they can do. After introducing them to the NETS-S standards, as a class, we can talk about how to set goals. Students can each develop their own goal and come up with the action needed to accomplish that goal. Once they begin moving towards the goal, I can help them monitor their advancement. Then, they can self-evaluate their progress. Each student can give a presentation to the class to show how they have met their goal.

Support from the school and district would be beneficial in meeting the NETS standards. Right now, I feel as though that support is far out of reach. Many sites are blocked at school and the use of social networking is highly discouraged. Sometimes, it is very discouraging. I wish the district would realize how many learning opportunities there are available if we had more freedom at school.
I will continue to strive towards creating GAME plans for myself and my students. I know that eventually, my school district will turn around. I am going to be right there, ready to lead the way.

Revisions to my GAME Plan

In pursuing my GAME plan I have learned several things. One is that there are many options when incorporating technology in the classroom. Sometimes I get very overwhelmed with ideas and it is hard for me to choose which one to go with. It is great to have choices though. This means that I can give my students more options to present projects. I have also learned that planning and implementing cannot happen overnight. However, as a teacher, I need to jump in and give it a try. Unless I get my feet wet, I will not get my goals accomplished.

I am still working on all my goals. I feel that to be an effective teacher, we are constantly working on goals. Some need to be continually worked on, while others are met, new ones are obtained. I have not had much progress lately while the craziness of this semester is winding down and me personally still dealing with sickness. I am very optimistic that I have wonderful ideas and opportunities to plan ahead for next semester.

My goals are staying the same with one addition. I am going to set a timeline for myself. Unless I create a deadline to meet for myself, procrastination or some other hindrance might set in. By giving myself an agenda with a time line, I feel as though I can get more accomplished.

I plan on practicing each new area of technology over Christmas break and develop lesson plans that incorporate these advances. As I investigate new programs and/or software, I will create detailed instructions for my students. I feel that once I am more comfortable in my own understanding of the resources, I can better facilitate the learning of not only the technology to my students but also the content area.

My GAME Plan

This week, I feel as though I have not gotten much accomplished in my GAME plan. I have been sick with a bad cold, and working on grades because they are due this week. Sadly to say, my planning had to take a back burner.

I wanted to incorporate technology in each unit, and to teach my students a new technology in each lesson. I am finding it difficult to implement at this time. I think that I can do a better job if I plan for next semester. I can begin the semester with specific goals in mind and can begin on the first day of class. As I develop my lessons for the Algebra 2 classes that I have next semester, I will be incorporating lessons on technology.

Monitor and Adjust!

As I try to meet my goals for my GAME plan, I am finding that time is the biggest resource that I need. It is rather difficult for me to keep up with the day to day activities as well as planning ahead. I realize that striving to meet the goals I have set is very important. Not only do I personally have a hard time finding extra time but time in class is also scarce. My Algebra class is fast approaching the end of course exam. With three weeks before Christmas break, we still have an enormous amount of material to cover. We will have one week after break and then the exam. With such limited time, the ideas that I incorporate have to be meaningful to my content.

Next week we will be studying systems of equations. The cell phone idea is a wonderful way to represent systems that would have real meaning to my students. I have 45 minutes of computer lab time reserved for next week and I am hoping to check out the laptop cart for another 90 minute class block.

Another obstacle that I have is learning the software. I played around with Excel a little bit. As a colleague suggested, I will be visiting the computer teachers at my school for help. I can also use the graphing calculators for students to investigate the graphs of the systems. They just would not be able to save the graph on a presentation tool. I do not have the technology to print or save the information on their calculators.

I have learned that taking action is not always easy. Sometimes we have to make changes along the way. Having more than one option is always good, just in case I have to make adjustments.

Resources for the GAME plan

In order to carry out my GAME plan, I need availability to computers for my students. I will also need to use the projector and interactive whiteboard to introduce the lesson and the technology used. The internet will also be an excellent source for questions that I might have on the lessons I teach. I will also need the knowledge to use the technology myself. Therefore, I may rely on friends and colleagues for questions that I might have.

I will begin by learning all I can about Microsoft Excel. As a math teacher, this is one resource that I could really take advantage of. I admit that I do not know much beyond the basics. I have seemed to stick with what I am the most comfortable with. Spreadsheets would not only be beneficial for learning mathematics, but they will also provide a foundation for students going into the workplace.

The goal that I have set to allow my students to become more creative can be put into action by giving my students more choices. Classes at Walden have provided me with the information I need to present my students with many different opportunities to put their ideas to work. They will be given the opportunity to search for information on the web and apply it to a spreadsheet. The type of spreadsheet may vary depending on the topic. If solving systems, students can look up information to compare cell phone rates and make conclusions from the graphs of their findings. If they are into video games, they can compare different game systems and the rates for their online service. The possibilities for creativeness are endless.

They will also be able to present their findings to the class by using a presentation tool. Whether they use power point, another software, or even a video, They will be learning methods to communicate information.

It is one thing to talk about using technology to teach, but it is another thing to provide real learning experiences for students. Plans must become actions in order to work. So far, I have done an excellent job at planning. Now it is time to take the step and implement the ideas that I have.

International Society for Technology in Education Standards for Teachers

Visiting the Website for the International Society for Technology in Education, standards are listed and described for teachers. As teachers engage students and improve learning, these standards need to be met. There are some areas in which I am more confident than others.

I feel that I am the strongest in the last three standards: Modeling Digital-Age Work and Learning, Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility, and Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership. I am constantly modeling technology in the classroom. I use a white interactive board to save all of my notes. When students are absent, I email them the notes and the assignments. I also keep a digital copy of assignments on a shared drive on the schools network, so that special education teachers have access to student’s assignments. I display ethical use of technology to my students. Sources are documented and internet usage is monitored in the classroom. Engaging in professional growth is easy for me. I like taking courses and learning new things. I also spend a lot of time researching the internet or “grilling” my tech-savvy husband for new ideas to use in class.

Even though I feel like I do a pretty good job with technology, there are still areas that I need a lot of help with. I am mediocre at designing and developing digital-age learning experiences. I come up with wonderful ideas, but may not always be able to implement them in the way that I would like. Sometimes it is the lack of resources and other times it is a behavior issue within the classroom. We use calculators on a daily basis. They are used to explore and investigate discoveries in math. I do very well with exploration activities in the calculator. I try to facilitate student learning, but the creativity part is often lacking. With so many objectives to cover and a state end of course exam quickly approaching, it is difficult to find room for anything extra. I hope to do a better job of incorporating more activities into my lessons.

I plan to strengthen the two areas in which I am lacking first by setting goals. I have a goal to make use of the resources available to me at school. Even if I have limited computer lab time, I can make good use of it and I can also check out the laptop cart from time to time. Another goal is to dedicate time in each lesson to teach my students about a new technology. A third goal is to give my students more opportunities to be creative.

The next step is to take action and then monitor. In each week’s lesson plans, at least one class will be devoted to a lesson involving technology. I will reserve computer lab time or the lab top cart on a weekly basis. Incorporating technology does not mean my students will not receive the lesson in the content I am teaching, it should enhance the lesson. Once I began action with the students, I will make adjustments as necessary.

I will then evaluate the effectiveness of the lesson. Did it cover what I wanted it to? Did the students receive a real learning experience? Were they given the opportunity to be creative? Are there any changes that I need to make? With much planning and little foresight, I can meet the standards set by the International Society for Technology in Education.

http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/
2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Comparing Methods of Research

There are several different methods used to conduct research. The design of the research is a description of how the research was carried out (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008). Some of the different methods of research design are quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, action research, and secondary data analysis. Here are four scenarios which may include these methods.

Scenario 1: Ten students are available for in-depth interviews. Participants will be selected based on their involvement with the peer mediation program. They will be observed over three weeks. Analysis will attempt to determine issues concerning peer mediation.

This scenario involves the qualitative method. Most of the data in qualitative research is in the form of words instead of numbers. Interactive qualitative data is collected from people in their natural settings (2008, p. 26). Since the peer mediation group will be observed with no interference, they are in their natural setting. Also, the interviews are qualitative by using language instead of figures.

Scenario 2: Two classrooms of students are selected. There are 30 students in each class; each group will have similar demographics—age, sex, race, socio-economic background, etc. Classes will be randomly divided into two groups of 15 students. Of these two groups, one randomly selected group will get training on peer mediation and the other group will not. Thus in each classroom there will be one group that is trained in peer mediation and one that is not. Analysis will occur on which groups have the fewest office referrals.

This scenario is best represented by the quantitative method, more specifically: the true experimental design. In this design, the researcher will control what each group will experience. Then the researcher can make comparisons between the different groups (2008, p. 23). The reason this is a true experiment is because the classes are randomly divided and the groups are randomly selected. A comparison is also being made between those that attend peer mediation training and those who do not.

Scenario 3: A school counselor is interested in knowing how student attitudes affect the value of peer mediation to decrease the number of office referrals that are being filed for inappropriate interactions.

Scenario 3 involves the action research method. In action research, educational professionals are provided information to help improve daily activities (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008). The purpose of action research “is only to address specific actions in a single context” (p. 174). In this case, attitudes of students (the single action) are being observed to see how they affect peer mediation (the single context).

Scenario 4: Peer mediation has become widely used in many schools. The feelings of those involved in the process are little known—either from those doing the mediation or those receiving it. The ZASK-R Acceptance Preference Survey will be given as pre- and post-tests to 40 students participating in mediation. Follow-up interviews will be conducted on a bi-monthly basis.

This scenario involves pre-tests, post-tests and follow-up interviews. The tests are quantitative while the latter interviews are qualitative. This makes this scenario a mixed-method approach. The explanatory mixed-method design uses quantitative research that is followed by qualitative research (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008).

McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2008). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry (Laureate custom edition). Boston: Pearson.

Choosing a Research Method

I plan to determine if the use of computers in the mathematics classroom has a positive impact on the morale of lower level math students' learning compared to lower level mathematics classrooms with very little use of computers.

Who: Lower level high school math students
What: Using computers in the mathematics classroom
Why: Increasing computer use will have a positive impact on student learning and motivation

The questions that I will be exploring are:
- How will the computers be used? (Descriptive)
- How does the use of computers in the mathematics’ classroom affect student morale and motivation? (Relationship)
- Is there a difference in the motivation of a student who is given assignments to do by hand with pencil and paper as opposed to on the computer? (difference)

After reviewing suggestions from others, I have added the following questions to my research:

- Will students be empowered to select how they use the computer?

- How often will computer be used and for what length?

- Are teachers available for help during tech sessions?

After reviewing the different types of approaches to research, I have determined that a mixed-method design is best. I believe that student morale affects achievement. In order to study student morale and motivation, including student scores is necessary. I will use the Triangulation Design (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008). The quantitative and qualitative information will be acquired at the same time. In the fall, I will be teaching two low level math classes. I will be able to use these classes to examine student scores and survey them at various points throughout the semester.

Resources:

McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2008). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry (Laureate custom edition). Boston: Pearson.

General Problem Statement

I plan to determine if the use of technology in the mathematics classroom has a positive impact on lower level math students' learning compared to lower level mathematics classrooms with very little use of technology.

Who: Lower level math students
What: Using more technology other than just graphing calculators and interactive whiteboards
Why: increasing technology will have a positive impact on student learning and motivation

*The term "technology" may be too broad for this topic. I have decided to narrow that down to the following statement:

I plan to determine if the use of computers in the mathematics classroom has a positive impact on lower level math students' learning compared to lower level mathematics classrooms with very little use of computers.

Who: Lower level math students
What: Using computers in the mathematics classroom
Why: Increasing computer use will have a positive impact on student learning and motivation

Reflecitng on Using Technology in my Classroom

Looking over my personal theory of learning, my overall outlook has not changed but there are some additions that I will definitely make. I still believe that all the learning theories play a role in educating students with the constructivist perspective taking the lead. Knowledge is not just given to students from teachers; it is actively built in the minds of the students (Orey, 2001). Having students actively involved in learning is important for them to be able to retain information. Many of the changes that I will make in my classroom stem from this thought. Reflecting on the activities that I have done in class, there were several times I can recall that students were not mentally involved. I was busy instructing and not allowing them enough opportunity to learn.

My instructional practices will also become learning practices. Using graphing calculators are great, but I have learned that there are so many other options to using technology in the classroom. When using the whiteboard, I will give my students more opportunities to come up to the board and work out problems. I know that demonstrations are very important in math, but I want to allow my students more opportunities to demonstrate to each other. Letting students take more control is an area that I need to work on. One of the six C’s of motivation that Dr. Orey discusses is control. By having more control in the classroom, students will become more accountable and self-sufficient (Orey, 2001).

I have learned so many wonderful technology tools in this class. I plan on using as many of them as I can. Two that stand out to me are concept maps and VoiceThread. By the use of concept maps, meaningful learning can take place (Novak & Cañas, 2008). The thing that I like about concept maps is that students can see the big picture. The relationship between different pieces of information is made clear. The student then gets a better understanding of why we learned the topics. A VoiceThread is a terrific tool for collaboration among students and will also allow immediate feedback. Immediate feedback has a great impact on student behavior (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). The teacher and fellow students can make comments. Students will also be actively involved in creating the thread.

The first long term goal that I have is to be consistent with technology. I do not want to assign a project here or there that involves technology. I want my students to have real learning experiences with technology that will benefit them greatly in the future. I agree with Seymour Papert when he said that technology should help students “experience knowledge and construct meaning” (Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2008, p. 19). I plan on introducing each new technology during the first quarter of the semester. I will have my students keep a technology section in their notebooks, so they will have a reference.

The second long term goal is to keep on top of new advances in technology. I will actively seek ways to use new innovations in my classroom. Through the internet, word of mouth and my “techie” husband, I plan on staying on top of technology. I know that schools are the last ones to get the new stuff, but I plan on being ahead in the ballgame at my school.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the information that I have learned in this class. My eyes have opened to so many different options for learning experiences for my students. I look forward to the upcoming school year to put them in practice.

Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Novak, J. D. & Cañas, A. J. (2008). The theory underlying concept maps and how to construct and use them, Technical Report IHMC CmapTools 2006-01 Rev 01-2008. Retrieved from the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition Website http://cmap.ihmc.us/Publications/ResearchPapers/TheoryUnderlyingConceptMaps.pdf

Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved 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.

Social Learning Theories

According to Orey (Laureate, 2008), the social learning theory actively engages students in learning by giving them to chance to construct and collaborate with others. The social learning theory deals with the students interactions with others. Significant learning takes place when individuals are participating in social activities (Orey,2001). Each student has a zone of proximal development. This is the place in which the student is able to learn. Anything below this zone is already known by the student. Anything above this zone, the student is unable to understand without help (Laureate, 2008). This is where a teacher, a fellow student or even a computer can come in to help.

One important instructional strategy to use with the social learning theory is cooperative learning. Cooperative learning groups should be used in ways to help improve learning. In the global society that we live in today, students need to know how to collaborate with others (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). There are many ways students can use technology while working in groups. They can work together to develop a wiki or a website. They could also create a video using technology. Simulation games are also a good way for students to work together. They can design a building or they can create a business and manage its finances. Even playing fantasy football with a group of students is a great learning opportunity in math.

Of course when using cooperative groups, it is good to get advice from those who have experience. Here are some helpful websites that I have found:

http://www.mathgoodies.com/articles/coop_learning.html

http://mathforum.org/mathed/co-learn.html

I find that a voice thread is a great tool for teaching. Students can work together to create a voice thread in order to present a lesson. They can preview each other’s thread and leave comments. This would be a great way to incorporate homebound students into the classroom experience.

Here is the link to my voice thread that discusses the problem of students not coming to school prepared. http://voicethread.com/share/1191986/

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program eight. Social Learning Theories [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved 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.

Using Technology with Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Strategies

Constructivism is a learning theory that states that a person constructs their own meaning based on circumstances. Constructionism states that people learn better if they are able to build something that they can share with others (Laureate, 2008). A constructionist classroom has the teacher act as a leader to guide students through their learning (Orey, 2001). Giving meaningful projects in class is a great way to incorporate the constructionist learning theory.

I have used webquests in my classes before. They provide students with the chance to be creative while still following clear guidelines. There is a numerous amount of quests on the internet. The important thing to remember when using quests is to make sure each link works and be prepared just in case one has a problem on the day of the assignment. The particular webquest I used had students create their own vacation. They had to figure the total cost of the trip including gas, hotel, food, tickets, spending money, and any other expenses. Students had a chance to be creative and then they presented their vacations to the class. Here are some websites that contain webquests for use in the math classroom.

http://www.meridian.wednet.edu/~dshick/webquest.htm

http://its.guilford.k12.nc.us/webquests/math.html

This website has webquests in all subjects and grades:

http://chalk.richmond.edu/education/projects/

Using a spreadsheet is also a way to allow students to generate and test hypothesis (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Making a hypothesis is another way students can create. They can then test their thoughts. In math, we use scatterplots to make predictions. Using a spreadsheet would allow students a chance to compare data and make predictions.

There are many different strategies a teacher can use in the classroom to allow students the chance to build or create. As long as the student is aware of what he/she is to learn in the lesson, the project has meaning. I cannot think of a better means to a project than using technology, a medium that so many students love.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program seven. Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved 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.

Cognitive Learning Theory

The cognitive theory of learning deals with information processing. It is important to understand how the brain handles information in order to create meaningful learning experiences for students. Whether a student recalls information or not depends on the connections that are made during learning. There are strategies that Dr. Michael Orey mentions that will help the students store knowledge (Laureate, 2008). Elaborating on a topic will allow the opportunity for information to be stored in long term memory. Also the method of dual coding will help students to relate objects or images with certain words. This will assist them in retrieving the data held in their memory.

Virtual field trips are an excellent way to elaborate on concepts taught in the classroom. Recalling childhood memories usually revolve around an event that has happened. Virtual field trips allow students the opportunity to visit an event they otherwise would not have the chance to witness. This creates an episode that they can set to memory. I remember making a model of the Globe Theater where the Shakespearean plays were performed. I may not have been a big Shakespeare fan, but I do remember learning about his theater and how the performances were conducted. If I were an English teacher, a virtual field trip to the Globe Theater would be an ideal learning experience.

Spreadsheets, such as Excel, are an excellent tool to use in developing cognitive experiences. Being a math teacher, I can see a lot of potential for the use of spreadsheets in my classroom. They would be good to use for application problems that would broaden the understanding of topics taught. Sometimes calculating simple math problems can be tedious when the “big picture” is what you want your students to see. Using spreadsheets can help to bypass the simple time consuming calculations in order to arrive at the desired result.

Concept maps are another great tool to use. A concept map allows students to make connections between ideas. It is a good way to organize information. As new vocabulary terms are taught, students can add them to the concept map (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). They can then elaborate on the ideas even further as they learn more.

Another tool that I find very helpful as a math teacher is the program GeoGebra. Students can create graphs and manipulate them to see changes on the graph. This is a great program to give students as an assignment to submit electronically. Here is a website to download GeoGebra: http://www.geogebra.org/cms/

There are many technological tools available that can strengthen the cognitive development of students. It is important for me to be well informed of these tools and use them myself. This way I will be able to share them with my students.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program five. Cognitive Learning Theory [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

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