Throughout this course I have learned a great deal about web literacy and a plethora of strategies for online inquiry-based learning in the classroom. As a Physical Education teacher I have found it enlightening and quite a bit challenging to incorporate technology into my classroom. I have come to find that inquiry based learning gives my students and I a chance to learn about a variety of topics that are engaging that we might not know a lot about. The most striking revelation that I had about teaching new literacy skills to my students as a result of this course, was that it could be done in so many different ways. I would have never thought in my subject area students would be able to apply so many literacy skills that they might need for the future.
Moving forward, I can see myself using this type of approach more frequently in my classroom. Now that I have had a chance to brainstorm some ideas of how I can use an inquiry-based approach to learning, and I’ve created a unit in which students would be able to apply technology, literacy, and inquiry learning skills, I can better visualize how feasible it is to teach my students using this type of approach. I already give my students opportunities to interact with one another, but I strongly feel that this way of teaching gives students the chance to collaborate with others and gives them the flexibility needed to learn at their own pace. I also feel that students are more engaged because they are learning about information that they have questions to, instead of learning what the teacher wants them to learn. Lastly, inquiry-based learning aligns with my philosophy of teaching and learning which is based on a student-centered approach.
One professional development goal that I would like to pursue that builds upon my learning in this course and develops my own information literacy or technology skills is to teach at least one technology related, inquiry-based unit per year, starting next year. This course has given me a variety of tools to use in my classroom and has opened up my thoughts about how subject matter can be taught. The bonus about teaching an inquiry-based unit every year is that it gives me the chance to learn with my students. I don’t know everything there is to know and by completing this type of project with my students will allow me to grow with my students. I’d start off this type of unit on a smaller scale and gradually (throughout the years) refine how I’d teach the unit. I think I’d also probably be more broad in nature, giving my students more choices (what type of research they do, who/ what they do it on). I’d also only try this type of project with fifth graders and if things went well, I might try it with fourth graders. My hope would be that my students would be able to develop their information literacy skills while working on their technology skills, and each year I’d be able to have my students use a different way to learn the same basic literacy/ technology skills (i.e. through wiki, blogging, glogster, powerpoint, voicethread).
David Chiarella
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Personal Theory of Learning Reflection
As I stated in my original personal theory of learning paper, I’d consider my theory to be an integrated approach as explained in Lever-Duffy & McDonald’s book Theoretical Foundations (2008). In their book, Lever-Duffy & McDonald explain that “if you tried to answer the question of which theory is correct…you would ultimately form your own personal answer” (p. 18). I believe that through my experiences different students benefit from different approaches to teaching, so in order to reach all of your students you must use a little bit of every type of approach. Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructionism/ Constructivism, and Social Constructivism are all important because in all of them “the learner is active in the learning process” (Dr. Orey, Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). One adjustment that I will try to make to my theory is the degree at which I apply each approach. By taking a closer look at the effectiveness of each theory throughout this class, there was a common theme that I found, which was students being actively engaged in the learning process. If I approach teaching with a student centered approach, my students are more likely to stay engaged in the activity and they'll take away more than just the topic at hand.
Some immediate adjustments that I'll probably make to my instructional practice regarding technology integration as a result of my learning in this course include: using a blog site to create an interactive classroom environment outside of my class that supports what takes place in the classroom; using voicethreads and a variety of other presentation tools (i.e. prezi.com, powerpoint, google images) to introduce new ideas and topics to my students so they can visualize what is being introduced and taught to them; and using FLIP cameras to aid in capturing individual and group projects which can then be used as teaching tools for other students.
Two long term goals that I would like to make to my instructional practice regarding technology integration include rewriting curriculum within my subject area to include more technology based units and lessons, and presenting or giving seminars to fellow Physical Educators on how to integrate technology into their classroom. I can achieve these long term goals by continuing to research and learn about what kinds of technology tools there are that can apply to my field of learning, and I can get in contact with my supervisor and apply to do curriculum writing in the summer and presentations/ seminars throughout the school year.
References:
Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works. Alexandria, Virginia: Ascd.
Some immediate adjustments that I'll probably make to my instructional practice regarding technology integration as a result of my learning in this course include: using a blog site to create an interactive classroom environment outside of my class that supports what takes place in the classroom; using voicethreads and a variety of other presentation tools (i.e. prezi.com, powerpoint, google images) to introduce new ideas and topics to my students so they can visualize what is being introduced and taught to them; and using FLIP cameras to aid in capturing individual and group projects which can then be used as teaching tools for other students.
Two long term goals that I would like to make to my instructional practice regarding technology integration include rewriting curriculum within my subject area to include more technology based units and lessons, and presenting or giving seminars to fellow Physical Educators on how to integrate technology into their classroom. I can achieve these long term goals by continuing to research and learn about what kinds of technology tools there are that can apply to my field of learning, and I can get in contact with my supervisor and apply to do curriculum writing in the summer and presentations/ seminars throughout the school year.
References:
Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works. Alexandria, Virginia: Ascd.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice
This week, in my masters class we were asked to explore “Cooperative Learning” and reflect on the strategy and how it relates to social learning theories. "Social Learning Theories focus on students being engaged in learning through construction of artifacts and conversing with others"(Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). "Cooperative learning focuses on having students interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance their learning"(Pitler,et.al., 2007).
In my classroom I typically spend about three weeks with my 5th grade students focusing on cooperative activities that are primarily geared toward problem solving. I focus mainly on communication, compromise, cooperation, and sportsmanship. At the end of the three weeks I take my students to an outdoor learning center called Genesee Valley Outdoor Learning Center, where the students are put into small groups and complete the different challenge activities. Whenever I take my students on this field trip it's always very interesting to see the "positive interdependence, promotive interaction, individual and group accountability, interpersonal and small group skills, and group processing" that goes on throughout the day with each group (Pitler,et.al., 2007).
Some of the social networking and collaboration technology tools that I explored this week that I'd like to include into my classroom for the future are blogs and facebook. I think these resources would provide my students with the means to socialize in, as well as outside of the classroom. While I favor using blogs within the classroom, I think that facebook could be a great tool for students to use outside of class to keep in touch with their classmates and share ideas and thoughts about classroom assignments. Lastly, I'd also like to explore the jigsaw technique to cooperative learning to help the lower-end and higher-end students learn from one another; to give each student a purpose and responsibility for learning; and to keep students engaged.
References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). 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
In my classroom I typically spend about three weeks with my 5th grade students focusing on cooperative activities that are primarily geared toward problem solving. I focus mainly on communication, compromise, cooperation, and sportsmanship. At the end of the three weeks I take my students to an outdoor learning center called Genesee Valley Outdoor Learning Center, where the students are put into small groups and complete the different challenge activities. Whenever I take my students on this field trip it's always very interesting to see the "positive interdependence, promotive interaction, individual and group accountability, interpersonal and small group skills, and group processing" that goes on throughout the day with each group (Pitler,et.al., 2007).
Some of the social networking and collaboration technology tools that I explored this week that I'd like to include into my classroom for the future are blogs and facebook. I think these resources would provide my students with the means to socialize in, as well as outside of the classroom. While I favor using blogs within the classroom, I think that facebook could be a great tool for students to use outside of class to keep in touch with their classmates and share ideas and thoughts about classroom assignments. Lastly, I'd also like to explore the jigsaw technique to cooperative learning to help the lower-end and higher-end students learn from one another; to give each student a purpose and responsibility for learning; and to keep students engaged.
References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). 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
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Constructivism In Practice
This week's resources provided a variety of technology related tools that could be used in the classroom by students to explore problem solving, interaction with others, and to construct or create projects by collaborating with others.
In my class I don't often find myself asking my students to go through the process of generating or testing their hypotheses, but in some instances I expect them to predict or imagine what would happen as a result of their actions (for instance, following the safety rules for using the equipment). Some of the few instances where I have asked students to generate and test their hypotheses is when they do their fitnessgram testing, which occurs two times within the year and gives students measurable fitness data to see how they compare to national health standards; when I have the students do a Game Performance Analysis, which is when students choose one student and watch them participate in an activity so that they can chart their tendencies during game play; and when I have the students do an Active Learning Time Analysis, which is when students chart another students or multiple students to see how active they really are during specific class activities.
Constructivism is "a theory of knowledge stating that each individual actively constructs his or her own meaning" and constructionism is "a theory of learning that states people learn best when they build an external artifact or something they can share with others" (Laureate Education, Inc., Orey, 2009). As I was exploring the technology resources this week, I found myself very engaged in what I was doing and I often found myself losing track of time. It then dawned on me that I was just as engaged in learning about the new interactive tools as my students would be. The act of project-based learning is something that almost forces people to learn, and "is at present the most influential force in shaping contemporary education"(Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2008). Some of the technology resources that I found this week were very kid friendly, and I could easily see my students using them to create a better understanding of what goes on in my class through the construction or completion of an activity.
Here are some of the websites that I found that were very engaging. Most of them relate to Physical Education and Health Education, but they're well worth looking at if you have some free time!
www.kidshealth.org/kid/
www.nourishinteractive.com/hco/overview
www.kidnetic.com/Innerg/
References
Laureate, Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Constructionist/ Constructivist Learning Theories. [DVD]. Baltimore, MD.
Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works. Alexandria, Virginia: Ascd.
In my class I don't often find myself asking my students to go through the process of generating or testing their hypotheses, but in some instances I expect them to predict or imagine what would happen as a result of their actions (for instance, following the safety rules for using the equipment). Some of the few instances where I have asked students to generate and test their hypotheses is when they do their fitnessgram testing, which occurs two times within the year and gives students measurable fitness data to see how they compare to national health standards; when I have the students do a Game Performance Analysis, which is when students choose one student and watch them participate in an activity so that they can chart their tendencies during game play; and when I have the students do an Active Learning Time Analysis, which is when students chart another students or multiple students to see how active they really are during specific class activities.
Constructivism is "a theory of knowledge stating that each individual actively constructs his or her own meaning" and constructionism is "a theory of learning that states people learn best when they build an external artifact or something they can share with others" (Laureate Education, Inc., Orey, 2009). As I was exploring the technology resources this week, I found myself very engaged in what I was doing and I often found myself losing track of time. It then dawned on me that I was just as engaged in learning about the new interactive tools as my students would be. The act of project-based learning is something that almost forces people to learn, and "is at present the most influential force in shaping contemporary education"(Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2008). Some of the technology resources that I found this week were very kid friendly, and I could easily see my students using them to create a better understanding of what goes on in my class through the construction or completion of an activity.
Here are some of the websites that I found that were very engaging. Most of them relate to Physical Education and Health Education, but they're well worth looking at if you have some free time!
www.kidshealth.org/kid/
www.nourishinteractive.com/hco/overview
www.kidnetic.com/Innerg/
References
Laureate, Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Constructionist/ Constructivist Learning Theories. [DVD]. Baltimore, MD.
Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works. Alexandria, Virginia: Ascd.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Cognitivism In Practice
Cognitivism can be described as "a mental operation that takes place when information enters through the senses, undergoes mental manipulation, is stored, and is finally used"(Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2008). It is centered around information processing and how one remembers and recalls information.
One instructional topic that incorporates technology that was mentioned in this weeks resources was Cues, Questions, and Advanced Organizers. This includes "the technologies that support cues, questions, and advanced organizers to assist teachers in quickly capturing student responses and organizing the responses into useful information"(Pitler, et.al., p.75, 2007). In my classroom, I tend to lean heavily on cues because as my students perform a skill with their body they usually need an easy way to remember the steps or progressions of the skill. I also use lots of questioning in my classroom because I don't see my students every day that they come to school. I have tried to follow the Bloom's Taxonomy progression of asking questions in the classroom; however, I have never had the opportunity to have my students check out some of the websites presented in Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski's book, "Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works". Using advanced organizers can be very help too and my school has access to programs such as Kidspiration, Inspiration, and various video resources such as United Streaming. These tools give students and teachers the ability to "integrate multiple senses in lessons and presentations, which improves learning" (Orey, Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). Furthermore, these tools support cognitivist theorist ideas about dual coding and elaboration.
Another instructional topic that incorporates technology that was mentioned in this weeks resources was Summarizing and Note Taking. This "focuses on enhancing students' ability to synthesize information and distill it into a concise new form"(Pitler, et.al., p.119, 2007). The cognitivist approach stresses elaboration, which is the method used when learning information that will be stored long term. This is not something that I focus on a lot in my classroom because my students are "learning to move and moving to learn" so they are rarely summarizing or note taking (with pencil and paper or on a computer). However, I do feel that my students visually internalize information and take notes, and if asked questions they could summarize the information presented in class. One idea that was presented in the book that I'd like to try with my students is creating a blog site for my students to interact with each other. As stated in this weeks resource, "blogs can provide a very effective way to implement the strategy of reciprocal teaching" which focuses on "summarizing, questioning, clarifying, and predicting"(Pitler, et.al., p.137, 2007).
Concept Mapping and Virtual Field Trip are two great ways to engage students in learning while allowing students to use technology. Concept Mapping is a great way to organize ideas, and it also provides connections between concepts that students can easily see. "It helps visualize ideas and it is a good replication of the network model of memory"(Orey, Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). Virtual Field Trips (VFT's) are another excellent tool for classroom use because they can take you to places that you can't go in real life. They create an experience that is as close to real life as possible without being real life, and this correlates with cognitivists ideas about eposodic memory and dual coding.
References
Laureate, Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Cognitive Learning Theories. [DVD]. Baltimore, MD.
Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works. Alexandria, Virginia: Ascd.
One instructional topic that incorporates technology that was mentioned in this weeks resources was Cues, Questions, and Advanced Organizers. This includes "the technologies that support cues, questions, and advanced organizers to assist teachers in quickly capturing student responses and organizing the responses into useful information"(Pitler, et.al., p.75, 2007). In my classroom, I tend to lean heavily on cues because as my students perform a skill with their body they usually need an easy way to remember the steps or progressions of the skill. I also use lots of questioning in my classroom because I don't see my students every day that they come to school. I have tried to follow the Bloom's Taxonomy progression of asking questions in the classroom; however, I have never had the opportunity to have my students check out some of the websites presented in Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski's book, "Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works". Using advanced organizers can be very help too and my school has access to programs such as Kidspiration, Inspiration, and various video resources such as United Streaming. These tools give students and teachers the ability to "integrate multiple senses in lessons and presentations, which improves learning" (Orey, Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). Furthermore, these tools support cognitivist theorist ideas about dual coding and elaboration.
Another instructional topic that incorporates technology that was mentioned in this weeks resources was Summarizing and Note Taking. This "focuses on enhancing students' ability to synthesize information and distill it into a concise new form"(Pitler, et.al., p.119, 2007). The cognitivist approach stresses elaboration, which is the method used when learning information that will be stored long term. This is not something that I focus on a lot in my classroom because my students are "learning to move and moving to learn" so they are rarely summarizing or note taking (with pencil and paper or on a computer). However, I do feel that my students visually internalize information and take notes, and if asked questions they could summarize the information presented in class. One idea that was presented in the book that I'd like to try with my students is creating a blog site for my students to interact with each other. As stated in this weeks resource, "blogs can provide a very effective way to implement the strategy of reciprocal teaching" which focuses on "summarizing, questioning, clarifying, and predicting"(Pitler, et.al., p.137, 2007).
Concept Mapping and Virtual Field Trip are two great ways to engage students in learning while allowing students to use technology. Concept Mapping is a great way to organize ideas, and it also provides connections between concepts that students can easily see. "It helps visualize ideas and it is a good replication of the network model of memory"(Orey, Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). Virtual Field Trips (VFT's) are another excellent tool for classroom use because they can take you to places that you can't go in real life. They create an experience that is as close to real life as possible without being real life, and this correlates with cognitivists ideas about eposodic memory and dual coding.
References
Laureate, Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Cognitive Learning Theories. [DVD]. Baltimore, MD.
Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works. Alexandria, Virginia: Ascd.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Behaviorism In Practice
This week for my masters course (Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology) we were asked to explore two instructional strategies that embed technology: “Reinforcing Effort” and “Homework and Practice," and reflect on those strategies and how they related to behaviorist learning theory.
After reading through the given resources, I found that I strongly agreed with the idea that "reinforcing effort enhances students' understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing their attitudes and beliefs about learning"(Pitler, et al., 2007, p.155). I feel that self efficacy can play a large part in a students life and can prove to be a very effective strategy when trying to motivate students. Some recommendations for classroom practice from the reading included "teaching students the importance of effort, and having students keep track of their effort and achievement"(Pitler, et al., 2007, p.156). Giving students and understanding and a reason for taking on or demonstrating a characteristic can be difficult, which is why I believe it is so important to use some sort of data collection method so that the students can track their effort and achievement.
In most classrooms, one of the easiest ways to track effort is by looking at the students homework habits because students are (or at least they should be) completing homework on a consistent basis. Completing homework allows students more time "to practice, review, and apply new learning so that they can make it permanent"(Pitler, et al., 2007, p.165). The behaviorist approach stresses drill and practice, but often times I find that students can only handle so much drill and practice. I feel that through the use of technology, this stagnant approach to practicing, reviewing, and applying new material can become something that is exciting and new to learn, that relates to real life practices. Some of the ideas for integrating technology into the classroom from Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski's book, included using word processing applications, spreadsheet software, multi media, web resources, and communication software. I believe that through the use of these applications, resources, and software teachers can track effort and create an open learning environment where students are practicing real life skills.
In the upcoming year, I plan to use the key strategies of reinforcing effort (as it relates to behavior management) and homework and practice (as it relates to providing students the chance to practice, review, and apply new learning). I will however, be more mindful of when and how I use these strategies so that my students are fully engaged in learning, and so I may be able to fully individualize instruction.
Reference
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works. Alexandria, Virginia: Ascd.
After reading through the given resources, I found that I strongly agreed with the idea that "reinforcing effort enhances students' understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing their attitudes and beliefs about learning"(Pitler, et al., 2007, p.155). I feel that self efficacy can play a large part in a students life and can prove to be a very effective strategy when trying to motivate students. Some recommendations for classroom practice from the reading included "teaching students the importance of effort, and having students keep track of their effort and achievement"(Pitler, et al., 2007, p.156). Giving students and understanding and a reason for taking on or demonstrating a characteristic can be difficult, which is why I believe it is so important to use some sort of data collection method so that the students can track their effort and achievement.
In most classrooms, one of the easiest ways to track effort is by looking at the students homework habits because students are (or at least they should be) completing homework on a consistent basis. Completing homework allows students more time "to practice, review, and apply new learning so that they can make it permanent"(Pitler, et al., 2007, p.165). The behaviorist approach stresses drill and practice, but often times I find that students can only handle so much drill and practice. I feel that through the use of technology, this stagnant approach to practicing, reviewing, and applying new material can become something that is exciting and new to learn, that relates to real life practices. Some of the ideas for integrating technology into the classroom from Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski's book, included using word processing applications, spreadsheet software, multi media, web resources, and communication software. I believe that through the use of these applications, resources, and software teachers can track effort and create an open learning environment where students are practicing real life skills.
In the upcoming year, I plan to use the key strategies of reinforcing effort (as it relates to behavior management) and homework and practice (as it relates to providing students the chance to practice, review, and apply new learning). I will however, be more mindful of when and how I use these strategies so that my students are fully engaged in learning, and so I may be able to fully individualize instruction.
Reference
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works. Alexandria, Virginia: Ascd.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Reflection on Integrating Technology into the Classroom
Throughout this course, "Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society," I feel that I have stretched my way of thinking on how to incorporate technology into my subject area. Before taking this class I would have considered myself to be well off when it comes to technology, but I think this course has really given me more confidence and the stepping stones to continue increasing my technology knowledge and skills.
There are many ways that I can continue to expand my knowledge of technology integration. I can continue to take classes related to technology integration, explore educational blogs and websites, and lastly continue to talk with teachers and share ideas to use in the classroom. If I'm able to do these three things, I believe that I can continue to try new ideas in my classroom and figure out what will maximize student achievement in my class.
One long term goal that I have for transforming my classroom environment into a place where technology is integrated is setting up a website for my students/ parents/ and community to go to. I believe that I could achieve this goal by setting up a blog site that students have to check on a regular basis or by using another type of website (like teacher web) to infuse technology instruction into my class.
Another long term goal that I have is to be a Physical Education technology specialist/ leader for integrating technology into the classroom. What I have found in taking just a few classes in this masters program, is that it is very difficult to incorporate a large amount of technology into a P.E. class in the same ways that you'd incorporate technology into other classes. I'd like to research and create ways and ideas in which teachers can easily incorporate technology into their P.E. class without taking away from the core objectives. My hope is that I can help other P.E. teachers expand their way of thinking and get rid of the "roll out the ball" and "busy, happy, good" stereotypes that P.E. teachers are often labeled with by incorporating more technology into their lessons.
There are many ways that I can continue to expand my knowledge of technology integration. I can continue to take classes related to technology integration, explore educational blogs and websites, and lastly continue to talk with teachers and share ideas to use in the classroom. If I'm able to do these three things, I believe that I can continue to try new ideas in my classroom and figure out what will maximize student achievement in my class.
One long term goal that I have for transforming my classroom environment into a place where technology is integrated is setting up a website for my students/ parents/ and community to go to. I believe that I could achieve this goal by setting up a blog site that students have to check on a regular basis or by using another type of website (like teacher web) to infuse technology instruction into my class.
Another long term goal that I have is to be a Physical Education technology specialist/ leader for integrating technology into the classroom. What I have found in taking just a few classes in this masters program, is that it is very difficult to incorporate a large amount of technology into a P.E. class in the same ways that you'd incorporate technology into other classes. I'd like to research and create ways and ideas in which teachers can easily incorporate technology into their P.E. class without taking away from the core objectives. My hope is that I can help other P.E. teachers expand their way of thinking and get rid of the "roll out the ball" and "busy, happy, good" stereotypes that P.E. teachers are often labeled with by incorporating more technology into their lessons.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Reaction to Partnership for 21st Century Skills
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is an organization that supports schools and students across the nation, so that they may be better prepared for the real world workplace after earning a K-12 education. This organization is supported by many businesses and school systems, and their main focus is providing students with an education that includes the 3 R's (reading, writing, and arithmetic)and the 4 C's (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation).
My initial reaction to this website was positive. I feel that this organization falls in line with what many school systems are trying to do. Like the website said, there is a gap between what students learn in school and what they are expected to do in the real world. The question I have is, how can we close in on the gap that has been created and teach students what they'll ultimately need to know? This organization seems to provide some sort of action plan, and I feel it could be very successful. I was surprised to see that there were so many businesses in support of this organization, and so few states that were in support of this organization. I would have thought that more states would have been involved.
I didn't disagree with anything on the website, but I do think this organization could be the catalyst for change within many school systems. Most schools often have a difficult time of adopting new programs, especially when it involves large sums of money. There seemed to be enough businesses in support of this organization that could help fund this program in schools across America. This would provide today's students with 21st century knowledge and skills they'd need to know, and it would make our society more technology savvy. Implementation of this program would also require teachers to be well trained, and I feel that that might be the biggest setback to every state adopting this program.
My initial reaction to this website was positive. I feel that this organization falls in line with what many school systems are trying to do. Like the website said, there is a gap between what students learn in school and what they are expected to do in the real world. The question I have is, how can we close in on the gap that has been created and teach students what they'll ultimately need to know? This organization seems to provide some sort of action plan, and I feel it could be very successful. I was surprised to see that there were so many businesses in support of this organization, and so few states that were in support of this organization. I would have thought that more states would have been involved.
I didn't disagree with anything on the website, but I do think this organization could be the catalyst for change within many school systems. Most schools often have a difficult time of adopting new programs, especially when it involves large sums of money. There seemed to be enough businesses in support of this organization that could help fund this program in schools across America. This would provide today's students with 21st century knowledge and skills they'd need to know, and it would make our society more technology savvy. Implementation of this program would also require teachers to be well trained, and I feel that that might be the biggest setback to every state adopting this program.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The Use of Blogs in the Classroom
While it would definitely be challenging for me to incorporate weblogs into my classroom, I could definitely see the benefit of using it. Since most of the lessons that I teach are movement oriented (Physical Education), I could create a Class Portal as described in Will Richardson's book "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms." In his book, he explained how "weblogs can be created to communicate information about the class and archive course material...at a much lesser cost than systems such as Blackboard." I figure that I could easily incorporate this into my classroom setting, considering that I teach grades K-5. Students and parents could use this weblog to find out current classwork assignments, homework assignments, rubrics, course curriculum, class syllabus, class rules, and handouts about upcoming events. I often find it difficult to find time to communicate with parents about their students progress and answer any questions that they may have, so this would be a possible solution...maybe setting up a FAQ section would help (a.k.a. frequently asked questions).
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Technology and the Future
For the past decade or so there have been many advances in the technology world, and many of those advances have spilled over into classrooms across America. It seems inevidable for teachers to continue teaching using the same methods and the same resources that were once used. With that said, which new pieces of technology do you feel are most useful in your classroom, and which new pieces of technology do you feel will become more mainstream within our classrooms in the future?
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