As I reflect on the GAME plan process, it helped me stay focused and identify specific standards in relation to technology and education. The process strengthened my understanding of digital citizenship and designing innovative math lessons. The feedback from colleagues helped guide and clarify the process along with evaluating the progress throughout the weeks. The process is a skill that students need to be taught for success in the classroom. According to Cennamo (2009), “teaching students the GAME plan process will support self directed learning in the classroom.” Students learn to set goals, plan their actions, monitor their actions and evaluate their progress.
To facilitate the learning of the National Standards for Students (NETS-S) in the classroom, the GAME plan is an effective way. The standards are selected and students can identify a particular standard of interest or as a class they can identify a group goal. After the goal is selected students can brainstorm some ways to put the plan into action. One of the first goals to address could be digital citizenship, so students understand cultural and social issues related to technology (5.a), including the practice of safe, legal and responsible use of information. As they communicate and collaborate through digital media with mathematics. One website that has been helpful in providing safe websites for parents and students is Digital Resources. This provides students and parents with updated issues regarding technology. As students become more aware of their actions and locate other resources. It is time to monitor their actions, by participating in a class blog or wiki to display what they have learned about the standard. The blog and wiki become the assessment of students’ understanding and they can receive peer feedback to monitor their attitude towards technology. The last part of the process involves student evaluation and using a digital assignment such as a class blog or wiki gives students a clear understanding of where they were in the beginning to the progress made throughout the year. As students complete the GAME plan it will be important for them to address other standards and make changes as needed.
The National Educational Technology Standards for teachers (NETS-T) mirrors the students’ standards, so as teachers make a conscious effort to meet their goals. Students can attain their own technology standards in the classroom. The important concept is to make students aware of what they need to learn and they can encourage technology usage and develop ideas in the curriculum, too. The standards enable teachers to meet curricular standards and support students’ interests, creativity and motivation to learn in the classroom through authentic instruction (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009). It will become more student-centered and less teacher-centered, as students develop their own GAME plans and start asking thought-provoking questions.
Heather
MS-Math
References:
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Laureate Education Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Cennamo, K., Program: 2 Enriching Content Area Learning Experiences With Technology. Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas [Educational Video]. Los Angeles: Solution.
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Theo to Heather
ReplyDeleteThank you for recommending Ribble’s (2010) Digital citizenship site. What impressed me the most about Ribble’s site was the down-loadable contracts that the site had for both parents and children. Not only did the contracts address overuse of computers and on-line predators, but they also briefly covered copyright laws- which with all the new technologies that are increasingly becoming a part of students’ education, is a very important point to bring to attention.
When I tried to imagine myself in your situation, at first I thought employing some of the new technologies with math students, like social networking, would be a very difficult endeavor. Then I realized that I was being influenced by my memories of how math class was when I was in middle school- endless number crunching, with out calculators and virtually no applications to the world outside of our school. When I made a conscious effort to place myself in a twenty-first century classroom, which emphasizes authentic learning, I realized that plenty of options exist for math teachers and developing a GAME plan for social networking.
Having a weakness for mediaeval architecture, I began thinking of ways that students could exchange mathematical information or problems about buildings- with American students obtaining information or problems on ancient cathedrals or castles, and foreign students obtaining information or problems from unique American structures. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) state that “students will benefit most when they receive feedback about the quality of their work and suggestions for improvement…” Perhaps math students would become every engaged with their work if they obtained feedback and suggestions from foreign students?
However, if architecture is not of much interest to you, and you are still looking for additional social networking sites for math, the National Science Digital Library (2010) has a link to a blog that suggests all kind of ways that students could use math with technology and social networking- and I am certain that digital storytelling could easily be incorporated in to many of those ideas. I am not sure how many more courses you have. I have two more; and I hope to ‘see’ you in them, but if not, best of luck with everything!
Theo
ISS MS
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Ribble, M. (2010). Digital citizenship: using technology appropriately.
http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/Resources.html
National Science Digital Library. (2010). Exemplary resources for middle school math and science. Retrieved from
http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/middle-school-math-science/2009/02/21/integrating-technology-social-networking/
Theo,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the website by the National Science Digital Library. It does have several resources for social networking, but I also found some interesting topics for my content unit plan on graphing. As Abrams (2009) mentioned "mathematics can be a difficult subject with creating digital stories, but the key is to be creative."
Thanks,
Heather
MS-Math
Heather,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that the Game Plan assisted us in understanding more about the 21st
Century skills. But before our students can take full control of their learning we as educators must provide guidance and support as they walk through the process of self-directed learning (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).
Using the NETS-T as a guide will assist educators in providing productive instruction to teach our students. Through this process the NET-S come into play and as you state they mirror each other. Educators work to meet the standards that have been set for them and through these process teachers will learn how to provide an environment conducive for the students to take responsibility of their learning, therefore meeting the NET-S standards that have been established.
I like how you use the wiki and blogs to assess the student. I am sure that you will be able to see what progress they have made in their learning. It works because during this class we have proved it just take a look at our Blogs and Wiki’s that we have created.
In my newsletter I share a web site that my parents can use with their child at home. I feel it is important to keep the families in touch with what their child does at school.
I found another web site that will provide the teacher some resources: http://www.teachersdomain.org/
Best of luck!
Deborah
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technologuy Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use. Mason: Cengage Learning.
Heather,
ReplyDeleteThere are some great resources listed here this week, and I thought I might add another. www.writewith.com is a site where teachers can track students' actions, while students can upload documents, chat, and share with others.
This site was given to me at a recent conference, and I have been looking it over to use in my classroom as well!
Lisa
Heather,
ReplyDeleteI like the web site for parents called Digital Resources. I plan to add that to my private class blog from www.classpress.com. Many of my parents have asked questions concerning technology and this looks to be a good source. Thanks for the info. Having taught math some I know about standards and how technology can help facilitate and help students help students through blogs and wikis. Good luck. Good post.