Emerging technology is an aspect that is not going to go away.  As computer scientists continue to think of new ways to expand technology, educators will need to continue to expand our own thoughts on how that technology can benefit our classrooms and students.  In the class New and Emerging Technologies, I learned new ways to find emerging technology and I was stretched in my ideas about how my classroom can be transformed by these new technologies.

In the final couple of weeks in this class, I was asked to create a lesson using a technology system we had discussed in a previous week.  I chose to use Moodle as my advanced form of technology.  I have grown to appreciate this technology for the vast number of functions it provides to me and my students.  For example, I was able to use it to post my assignment directions, worksheet, and any other information.  This was the place students could go whether at home or at school to get their project directions.  This aspect is extremely beneficial because 9^th graders often lose directions to their projects.  By having everything in one place, even if they lose something, they know where to go to get another copy.

Another valuable lesson I learned through this class is how to present and get other colleagues interested in the emerging technologies that I may find.  In this class, we had many discussions about how people are sometimes reluctant to change their teaching practices and try a new form of technology, but through support and training, we can help these teachers feel more comfortable.

Finally, I learned of new places to look to get grants for new technology that I might need in my classroom.  Funding in education can be a tricky aspect to face, it is important to write a clear grant proposal and know where to look for those grants.  In doing so, schools can be preparing our students to be well rounded and successful adults.

The following is a link to my presentation titled Joomla.

During the class Reaching and Engaging All Learners through Technology at Walden University, we were asked to use a social network called Ming to discuss aspects of our class.  These sites, and others like it, have very practical uses in education.  The program has blogs and chat functions which are beneficial to both teachers and students.  A majority of this class focused on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction (DI).   “To be practical on a larger scale, UDL requires systemic changes in the following key arenas: policy, curriculum design, teacher training and preparation, consensus building, and parent involvement”.  In order to effectively make these changes, I have found ways to incorporate social networking to help me.

The first use I found for sites such as Ming is to discuss, through blogs or chat sessions, UDL and DI ideas with colleagues and other education professionals.  By using blogs and chat sessions, teachers are able to share ideas about lessons that have been successful as well as share ideas about improving lessons.  “Critical to successfully implementing UDL theory is the use of digital materials” (Hall, Strangman, & Meyer, 2003). Due to this, incorporating social networking into lesson planning and student achievement will allow teachers to support one another as they work together to advance student learning.

Another initiative I have about using social networking sites is for parent communication.  Teachers can use this type of site to post activities that students are working on, skills that are coming up, and ideas for helping their students succeed.  This would be a wonderful way to describe the learning principles behind UDL and DI to parents and have them post questions and comments about the curriculum.  All of these posts would allow parents to go online at their convenience to see what their child is learning.

Finally, teacher can use social networking for student use.  Teachers can put students into groups for a project and have the students create a blog about a skill that they are learning.  The students would be the only ones in the blog and therefore, the only ones able to edit the site.  The teacher could monitor the site and check on student progress on an assignment.

Through this class, I have learned a lot about using technology in my classroom.  Technology is not just about researching information on the internet.  One aspect of technology usage I am going to be immediately implementing in my classroom is the use of more hands-on projects.  In these projects, I am going to allow a variety of different presentation styles such as screencasts, voice threads, wikis, and any other technology ideas that my students may want to explore.  By using these projects, the students are gaining valuable lessons on technology usage as well as practical applications of the mathematics skills I am teaching.

In conclusion, I have learned a tremendous amount about the use of technology in the classroom.  Before this class, I thought technology was only beneficial to teachers in English or Social Studies classes; however, I have come to see that technology can be used even in mathematics through tutorial lessons and projects.

References

Hall, T., Strangman, N., & Meyer, A. (2003). Differentiated instruction and implications for UDL implementation. Retrieved fromhttp://www.cast.org/publications/ncac/ncac_diffinstructudl.html

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Retrieved fromhttp://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

Thinking back on the GAME plan I developed and followed throughout the course, I believe that I have learned a very valuable tool. This valuable tool can be applied to many areas. Whether it is professional development, lesson planning, or student goal setting, the GAME plan process simplifies and organizes all to these activities. I can even see where it would be useful for personal goals and achievements.

From my experiences with the GAME plan process, especially the part where I used the GAME plan to make lesson plans, I will make some immediate adjustments to my instructional practice regarding technology integration in my content area. I will use the GAME plan process to develop and adjust future lesson plans. I will also adjust lesson plans to incorporate the use of technology wherever possible.

The GAME plan process is truly a tool that I will continue to use now and in the future.

Over the last several weeks I have been using the GAME plan process to help me accomplish goals for learning about technology and technology resources as stated by the NETS-T. I think the GAME plan process is excellent. Accomplishing goals can be an overwhelming task. The GAME plan process breaks up the overwhelming task into smaller manageable steps.

NETS-T is the technology standards for teachers that I used my GAME plan to work on. NETS-S is the technology standards for students. NETS-T and NETS-S are inter-related because in order for the students to be able to accomplish their technology standards the teacher has to be accomplishing their own.

I think the same GAME plan process that I used to accomplish my NETS-T standards can be applied to students to accomplish their NETS-S standards. I can incorporate the NETS-S standards into the lessons and projects that we do in class. For an upcoming project I can let them know that they will be learning a new technology or technology standard. I can then lead the class through the GAME plan process to achieve their technology goal.

• What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?

I have learned what is, and is not, allowed in my classroom when it comes to the technology that I can use.

• What goals are you still working toward?

I am still learning of the different ways that technology can transform my lessons.

• Based on the NETS-T, what new learning goals will you set for yourself?

For the moment, I am going to focus on the current goals that I have set for myself.

• If you are not ready to set new learning goals, how will you extend what you have learned so far?

I plan to enroll in professional developement to further my understanding of how technology can transform my lessons.

• What learning approaches will you try next time to improve your learning?

I will reach out to more of my in-school peers. This time I really focused on the IT person. Next time I will focus on peers, both inside and outside my curriculum.

Each week I have been discussing my progress towards my GAME plan. This week I will address the following:

• How effective were my actions in helping me meet my goals?
• What have I learned so far that I can apply in my instructional practice?
• What do I still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?
• How will you adjust your plan to fit your current needs?

Last week I stated that I needed to find out what technologies, that I am thinking of using in the classroom, are in-line with my district’s technology policies. I decided the best resource for this information was the IT lady at my school. She already confirmed that I am only allowed to use Word Press base blogs. This week she responded about wikis. She said that any wiki is fine as long as the administrator, me, has control over who posts to the wiki. I still need to lean the best tools for creating podcasts and video casts. I believe Audacity is the best program out there for audio files. Does anyone have a suggestion for video editing? I think my current method of brainstorming with peers is the most efficient use of my time right now. I plan to continue down this path to discover new and interesting ways to use technology in the classroom.

This is a good time to monitor my progress towards my GAME plan.  A lot of my game plan is focussed on taking more classes in order to become a better leader and to better incorporate technology in the classroom.  After reading blogs from last week, I noticed that a lot of schools have restrictions on certain technologies and that these restrictions vary from school to school.  I decided that I need to find out what is and is not allowed in my school.  Since I already use some technology in my class, I decided that it is a priority to find out what I can and cannot use.  I already incorporate blogs, podcasts, wikis, and other technology.  I decided the person to ask about the restrictions is the IT person at our school.  She took a look at what I was using and said that for blogs, we are only allowed to use WordPress- based blog systems.  I was already using WordPress, so I did not need to change anything with the blogs. She said she would investigate the other technologies that I asked her about and will report back to me when she finds something out.

While I wait, I will start conducting research on the internet to discover technologies that could be incorporated into my classroom.  I am also going to start up a dialogue with other teachers at my school, outside the mathematics department since I already bounce ideas off of them, to see how they incorporate technology in their classrooms.  Maybe something that they are doing can be modified to work with my lessons.

Last week I identified my GAME plan. This week I will further develop the GAME plan by discussing the following:

• What resources will I need to carry out my plan (video, reading, experts or colleagues, etc)?
• What additional information do I need?
• What steps have I been able to take so far?

My goals from last week were to integrate technology into the classroom as a support for the curriculum and to grow professionally so that I become a leader in technology integration in my school.

What resources will I need to carry out my plan (video, reading, experts or colleagues, etc)?

In order to carry out my plan I plan on attending professional development classes that will help me generate ideas for and the implementation of technology integration in my classroom. These classes could include lecture-, video-, peer-, or online-based instruction.

What additional information do I need?

In order to attend these classes I need to know when they are. If they are on a school day then I need to find out if my school will approve my professional leave. I need to also figure out where they are. If they are far away, I need to find out if my school will approve of an extended leave and if my school will reimburse me for expenses like gas, lodging, and food. I will also need to figure out how much the classes are. I need this information in order to find out if my school will pay for the classes. All of this information is important in determining which classes I will take. It will also help determine whether I take one class over another. However; if a class is important enough, and it is within my personal budget, I will take it no matter the answer to the previous questions.

What steps have I been able to take so far?

So far, I am concentrating on finishing my classes for my master’s program. I do believe in such a thing as having too much on one’s plate. The information that I am obtaining through the classes in my master’s program is invaluable to my success in technology integration; therefore, I do not want to take on something right now that might divert my attention from my current education.

I am eager to grow and cannot wait until that next idea that might transform the way I see and do things in my classroom.

Goals – I have two goals. First, I would like to be able to “design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences.” Second, I would like to “improve [my] professional practice” by “promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources.”

Actions – I think the solution to both of these goals is professional learning. The problem is, and always has been, time. I would like to attend more classes to learn how to better incorporate technology into my specific content area, high school Mathematics. I plan to attend at least four classes per year and modify eight lesson plans per year.

Monitor – In order to monitor my progress I will keep track of all professional learning that I attend. I will also keep track of all lessons that get modified due to the attendance of professional learning.

Evaluate – To evaluate my progress towards my goals I will critique the effectiveness of the professional learning I attend. If I determine that more classes are needed or the rigor of the classes needs to be increased then I will do so at my discretion. I will also evaluate the effectiveness of the lessons that were modified. If further modification is necessary then it will be done.