GAME Plan Reflection

My GAME plan hasn't really changed through this course, primarily because school ended today and now is when I should have some time to reflect on my class and look for information that I said I wanted as a part of this class.  I haven't really learned a lot in this class, but it has given me some new ideas on how to use technology that I am familiar with.  I look forward to finding tasks that will change how information is presented as well as how kids will make use of this different method of assessment.  I don't think that my plan will change, but I do think that trying to find a way to use this process with my students could prove useful in my science classes since it does work well with the scientific method.

I think that the idea of having a place for kids to discuss science on a level that they are already familiar with could help improve their comprehension, which I really like.  I also think that finding more ways to get kids in front of the class and presenting information is a better idea than me being the resource.  They won't have me or someone like me once they leave the school environment, so they might as well get used to it now.  This will allow for the use of digital storytelling in a variety of ways, which is actually something I have found useful for the kids in all my classes.

Progress of Game Plan

In looking around online I have found some information that is helpful in meeting my needs of my game plan.  Finding current issues is not a difficult task to accomplish since they can assist in this process by looking up their own science interests This would allow me to gain access to multiple sources of information as I could critique the quality of their issue while they are summarizing it.  If it works well I could create a class discussion around their topic.

I don't know that I need to change my plan, I just don't think that my plan will be complete in the timeline that this class wants.  I have given up on finding quality work in a matter of a few days or a couple of weeks.  I have spent much time searching for the information I wrote down in the game plan for a while now, so finding new information doesn't really come easily.  I would also say that there aren't new questions, just new methods for finding answers to the same question.

Game plan strategry

As I ponder how to improve my teaching using the areas chosen for my game plan, I know that there are a few things that will be necessary for me to be successful.  One of the things that I need is time, I need time to search through the internet, talk with peers, possibly find and collaborate with other teachers online and time to determine the quality of the information that I manage to locate.

I don’t know that I need additional information, I just need to take advantage of the time I have in class to determine what it is I need for my classes.  The purpose of conducting this game plan is to find the information, if I knew the information I need I wouldn’t include it as something I don’t know.  I haven’t really had the time to take care of my game plan at the moment.  Between family, school, church, and being the head track coach in the final weeks of our season time for research is severely limited.  This will be a long term project that will pick up momentum as the summer starts and I reflect on what I want to change for next year.

My Personal GAME Plan

In looking through the ISTE NETS performance indicators for teachers I found that I am involved with at least half the information that is listed.  I felt like that was a pretty good level of technology involvement since I have done most of this on my own.

In looking at things to improve on I chose 2 areas of focus.  One was item 1b.  enaganing students in real world issues, I don't really do this in my class and would like to so hopefully this can become a more regular part of my class.  I also chose item 3d.  using current technology to analyze information.  As a science teacher analyzing data is an important part of the process of understanding science so finding a way to do this will be very helpful in my class.

Assessing this progress will be easy becuase my plan is to integrate one of each of these things in each topic I teach and I will have either completed it or not.  As a continued part of this process however will be to look for better options than the initial information or example that I might find at the beginning of the process. 

Personal Educational Theory

In the beginning of this class we were asked to describe our personal learning theory.  I stated that visual and kinesthetic activities for the kids will help them to retain information better than any other method.  I also stated that trying to find ways to make connections for everyone requires that multiple methods of instruction are necessary to reach the diverse learners that are in my class.  This class has really just affirmed my idea on how kids learn and what I need to do.  I do feel like this class has deepened my conviction to my learning theory.  This class did enhance my diversity of educational technology as I found more resources to use in my class. 

I think there are three things that I will change immediately based on information I obtained from this class.  I already used a virtual program to help kids learn about position, velocity and acceleration called the moving man.  I am also planning on using a website called line rider to continue my students ability to learn about the basics of motion.  In general I also plan on trying to change my power point presentations to visual images or videos rather than a bunch of text.  One of the nice things about this program is that it is requiring me to go out and seek new methods for presenting material that I have wantd to do for a long time. 

One long term changes I want is to make sure that the number of activities I use continue to increase as I continue to teach.  Finding ways to do this with or without technology is a big goal for me in the next few years.  Another goal that I have is as I hopefully transition into the physical education department I plan to find ways to digitize that department.  Using technology to create physical education plans, as well as other technology devices will make physical education very differerent than it is today.

voicethread link

I tried to make this website work, but can't seem to find a way to write on the video or dub over my voice from before.  The experiment itself is good, but not much editing on this right now.

http://voicethread.com/?#u2460420

social learning theory

The social learning strategy states that in order for kids to learn, the material must be just beyond the reach of our students.  It then states in order for the kids to comprehend, at some point they need exposure to the more knowledgeable other. 

The problem with most websites is that the information is there, and unless it is constructed by peers the level of information can be way over their head or too simplistic for them to learn.  I have found that many of my students have no shame using words that are far beyond their comprehension just because they read it on a website and they think that it pertains to their topic.  This makes the idea of social learning theory somewhat challenging when applying it to online opportunities.  It is really up to the teacher to find a way to make the website material relevant to the students, and still keep it challenging. 

The other issue that isn’t discussed here is the conservatism of schools pertaining to teachers interacting with students online.  I know that we don’t have a formal no Facebook friends with students policy, but it is severely frowned upon since there have been a few people in other districts and states who have used it for inappropriate contact.  When I was first told about this I was friends with may of my track and field kids so that I could monitor their posts and make sure they were living up to my standards as athletes off the field as well.  I have been told that this idea is frowned upon and I should no longer use this method for monitoring behavior.  This makes the social aspect of the internet somewhat limiting, since it is supposed to be a peer only process. 

Constructionist Theory

Constructing hypothesis are things that we do in science all the time.  I have been teaching kids how to create hypothesis all the time, however the type that we make aren’t quite the same as what this type of theory are talking about.  In reading through the chapter on testing hypothesis I found that the hypothesis wasn’t nearly the focus.  It was the research that was collected and the analysis of that created the product that is used for the constructionist theory. 

For nearly a decade I have had interest in using probe ware to change the level of thinking in my science classes from a data collection process to an interpretation and analysis process.  It looks like the near future will allow this to happen for two reasons.  Our district is looking into improving our science support with the new state requirements, and I have just recently discovered some of the internet applets that allow the kids to collect and record data in real time.  Using these devices will allow us to minimize the error and also to spend more time interpreting the data rather than collecting and graphing it. 

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer).(ND). Constructionist and constructivist learning theories [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology [DVD]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

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

cognitivism

Cognitivism is one of the methods of learning that I use all the time in teaching my class, I just don't normally think of it in those terms.  When teaching any topic there are a few questions that I always ask:

Is this material as presented understandable for the kids?
How can I break it down into managable parts for the kids to learn?
What activities can I create or use that will help elaborate on the topic so that it sticks in their brain?

The first question deals with where they are at, specifically how much previous knowledge do they bring to the topic.  This gives me an opportunity to find a way to tie the new information to previous knowledge.  As long as the previous knowledge is correct I have a good chance that the kids will remember it.

The second question deals with bits.  I try to break things down into small enough parts that they can manage them, sometimes clumping things together helps to make the parts bigger and still keep it within their ability to learn.  I also try to keep things relatively simple so that they don't get caught up in science jargon that is not necessary at a 9th grade level.

The last question deals with the episode that I hopefully can create in order to make things memorable for them.  I know that even if it is something simple, they will retain the information longer if there is an activity that they saw or participated in to cement the concept in their head.

Behavoirism

Reflecting on the chapter pertaining to effort I find myself thinking about the discussions that my fellow coaches and I have relating success in sports to time practicing their craft.  We know it is also true for school, but don’t emphasize it as much as we should.  I do like using technology in my classes and with access to 10 computers they would have to stagger their time, but using some of it to track the “on task" time might help them to see why they are struggling while others are not.  The quote “success comes in cans; failure comes in can’ts”  is a play on the terms I give my athletes all the time.  If they don’t believe they can accomplish the task, there is no reason for us to waste our time trying. 

Homework has always been a sore spot for me as a science teacher.  Even in my freshman classes (which I think are fairly basic) I find that most parents in my community don’t have the ability to help students if they get stuck.  Many of my students have the ability to look up information online but like the book says, they can get caught in a myriad of problems from ad distractions to incorrect information on a non credible website.  For this reason my homework policy has been that there is minimal homework assigned.  When an assignment is given I almost always give at least 10 minutes to work on the task so that kids can at least get started and ask questions before they go home and try it on their own.  A vast majority of the time they have enough time that if they work hard they can get it all done in class.  As I look at many ways to change the instruction in my class, one of them is how to best use online opportunities to enhance the instruction in my room.  I am encouraged by the websites that are listed as I have worn out my energy to look for things that are useful on my own.  Some of the more valuable things that I have taken from this course involve the use of online resources to help track students progress, communicate collaboratively with each other, and look at new ways of presenting new information.  I look forward to the opportunity to change how my class looks so that hopefully I can more positively impact my students education.