I have currently begun to make some progress with my GAME plan. Just recently, I have been involved with meeting with my administration and creating a team of teachers to help support me on this plan as well as aid me in collecting data from students. The goal is to create a Power Point using the information we gather to present to district personnel in order to provide the vision that some sources they have not allowed us to access would benefit student success in the classroom as well as their place in society.
The second plan of action I have taken has been to decide on resources my team of teachers and I would like to utilize in the classroom with our students. Many of the teachers have vocalized they would love to utilize blogs and wikis in the classroom. We have utilized these two particular sources from our own personal computers and brainstormed how we would use them to benefit our students. I have also received opinions from my students on how they feel about blogs and wikis in the classroom and they are very excited.
Considering my district is data driven, I am still trying to develop different ideas of what I can present to my district personnel to convince them that the 21st Century skills is needed to prepare students for the future especially one that is unclear. Our students are technology driven and we need every possible resource implemented into our curriculum to help us prepare them. The more information I am able to present the better chance I will be able to accomplish my GAME plan.
One idea that you might try while planning your strategy for implementation of more technology is by showing how student learning can be improved through monitoring two students, one that uses technology and one that did not. The outcome would be very different and you would have concrete evidence to support your theory. Our school system has placed a freeze on all spending in the county. We had a staff meeting last Monday and we were told that our district was short $10 million for the upcoming 2012-2013 school year. Teacher positions are going to be cut and class sizes will be over 30+. It is scary and too like your situation, needing technology to teach the 21st Century learner.
ReplyDeleteI commend you on your progress so far! I like your plan to use Power Point to document your ideas. When do you think your presentation will take place? I also like how you explored your students interests regarding blogs and wikis. Sometimes their responses can surprise you! Do you any of your students have prior experience using these types of technology?
ReplyDeleteI have done blogging with my students, they are asked to expand on a question that was asked during the day. They do this at home and are encouraged to comment on other students blogs. I have also had a group of 3-4 students work together on a Wiki page. They were to gather information about a country that there ancestors have come from. This is a very cool format because as the teacher I can monitor the progress of which students are helping and which are not.
ReplyDeleteMy district has formed a committee with representation fro K-12 to develop a plan to transition to 21st century schools. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (http://www.p21.org/)is a great resource for validating a plan to share with your district personnel.
ReplyDeleteMichelle M.
One way that my students used their blogs were to expand on learning following a project-based assessment. This allowed them to journal and reflect on their learning while also allowing them to work on their writing skills. My parents loved their children's blogs because it allowed them to keep up with what their children were doing in the classroom. Often times parents don't have time to visit with teachers or attend open houses that happen two times a year, but they are able to quickly and frequently check their child's blog or web page.
ReplyDeleteEmily J. McGrath