I selected the first standard because I feel like so much of my day is teacher-directed and I want my students to take more ownership of their learning to engage their creativity. The second standard was selected to help keep me up-to-date with new technology that could help inspire student learning and creativity. Almost daily you can find a new development in technology and I need to continue to learn what I can even after this course and Master's program are completed.
GOAL: I want to be able to share our classroom learning with others in the world using the SchoolBlog program through ePals. This will allow my students to reflect on their learning by communicating with others about topics we are discussing in class. Students will begin to see that life outside of our four walls is eager to learn from them and discuss their work. My hope is that it will also be a way for parents to see more first-hand what we do during the day. Getting positive feedback or constructive criticism from others will go a long with in building self-esteem and assisting students in evaluating their work.
ACTIONS: To meet my goal, I will need to log on to the SchoolBlog website and either read information found in the help menu or watch a tutorial. I will then need to practice using the blog myself to learn how to post text, video, images and links. To accomplish this, I will elicit the help of a colleague who also has an interest in utilizing technology in the classroom. Once I become comfortable with the program, I will introduce it to my class as a whole group. We will then work together for several classes recording reflections of our learning in different subjects each week (almost like a weekly newspaper). I will send a letter home to parents explaining the activity and ask that they help us by responding to our posts. After students are comfortable using the blog as a whole class, small groups of students will be responsible for blogging about a particular subject each week, switching topics so everyone gets to write about each content area. Finally after several weeks, the students will begin blogging on their own and responding to other classmates and eventually other 4th grade classrooms across the district and maybe even around the world!
MONITOR: How will I know my action plan is meeting my goals? I will keep a journal for recording my thoughts and feelings about each week of blogging. I plan to include lists of things that went well and/or not so well. When things don't go as planned, I will ask a colleague or Walden classmate for advice and revise my action plan for the next time. I'll also provide students with a questionnaire or on-line survey to find out what things they believe are going well and areas where they need more assistance.
EVALUATE AND EXTEND: As I reflect on my journal at the end of the year, I will need to ask myself if I met my goal of incorporating the SchoolBlog program into my classroom. If I haven't, will I try a different program to use for blogging? Did the benefits outweigh the drawbacks? If my students and I determine the program was successful, how will I expand on it the following year? If it was indeed successful, sharing the information with my administration would be one place to begin. My district asks for teachers to present information for professional development during the summer. Maybe I would host a professional development day on Using SchoolBlog in the Classroom for other teachers. This would also incorporate my second goal of Engaging in Professional Growth and Leadership. It would be nice to eventually educate all 4th grade teachers in the district about this program so students can communicate and get to know each other before going to Middle School in 6th grade.
References:
National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf
Kristen,
ReplyDeleteSo often as teachers we are trying to find training that we can immediately back to our classrooms and use the information. I think Walden has given us these tools--It would be a great idea if you gave a summer workshop on school blogging and I think you should also bring in some of the other tools we have learned. You could give everyone a copy of the Nets-standards and maybe a couple great articles on the 21st century learner. Then top it off with great websites and demonstrations on how to use these tools. I think it would be a great hit for you--you could have some of your students come back and help you give the course. These would take some of the pressure off yourself, and really showcase what your students have accomplished.
Tammy
Kristen,
ReplyDeleteYou have a thorough GAME plan in place that will definetly help you to intergrate technology in your classroom and your professional work. As I work towards my Master’s degree, I have felt that I could also be of assistance in helping my colleagues integrate technology in their classrooms, and it sounds like you will be able to help your colleagues grow professionally as well. I have seen students in my school really enjoy using blogging sites to work cooperatively with their peers. Your students will be able to learn from each other as they begin to share their opinions and information that they have learned. I also liked your idea of having parents participate in the blogs. I have heard, “My child says they don’t know what they have learned,” so many times! Allowing parents to view the blogs that students are completing in class will give them a firsthand look at what their children are learning and how they can help to expand on that learning. As you mentioned putting your plan into action, I like how you mentioned exploring SchoolBlogs yourself before exposing students to them. Often teachers want to integrate technology into their classrooms, but they do not take the time to become more knowledgeable about how it works and how it can best be used in the classroom. Working with other teachers to do this will allow you to show them how they can use blogs in their classroom as well. By monitoring and recording the feelings of you and your students about the technology integration, you will be able to modify future lessons to better meet the learning needs of your students. Keep up the great work!
Tiffany Harrell