Reflection

Reflection

            My GAME plan included two goals from the ISTE NET-S. One goal is to create lessons that mirror real world issues. I have several ideas that I think the students will find interesting. I would like to develop a PBL project out of these ideas and cover several standards with one lesson. My second goal, Standard 2, design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments, is to work on creating assessments that match the assignment. I would like to develop rubrics for some of the PBL’s. I look forward to utilizing some of my time off this summer to implement several technology lessons into my current curriculum.

Integrating technology into the classroom curriculum can appear to be just another thing to add to a long list of tasks to be accomplished in the classroom. However, throughout this course I have learned that it is a “tool” not a task. This course has given me many resources that I can use in my classroom. These resources range from discussions about how to integrate a particular technology to names of programs and websites to exemplars that can show me what the end product should look like.

            Prior to taking this course, I had never considered blogs and wikis as “tools” to be utilized in the classroom. Now I see that a class wiki or blog would be something my students would enjoy and it could be a great Segway to interacting with students around the world. Our school is a small rural community school and we have less than one percent cultural diversity. The wiki or blog could open doors to my students about the culture outside their community.

            Digital storytelling is another new tool I learned about in this course and I am anxious to try it with my class this fall. I thought of digital storytelling as a complicated software program that required additional equipment and would be difficult to learn. Again, I found that it is a relatively simple means of displaying student knowledge with equipment we already have in our building. There are several ways a student can present a digital story. Storytelling helps students develop writing, critical thinking, creative, and organizational skills in a fun way.

            As with all of my Walden courses, I have enjoyed the interaction with colleagues. Sharing ideas and offering suggestions is another way to deepen the learning experience. This type of “classroom” inspires me to create a blog or wiki where my students can share ideas and thoughts online. Now is a great time to expose them to the wave of the future. The more time digital natives can spend learning and sharing electronically, the better prepared they will be for their experiences in a post-secondary or work environment.

            I also appreciate the instructors at Walden. They demand excellence from their students but they remain approachable and sensitive to their adult, working students. I am thankful for this type of learning experience. 

PBL's...Changing the way we teach

Throughout my courses at Walden University, I have been challenged to look at my approach to educating my students. I have also become keenly aware of how quickly the landscape of education is changing. I feel as if I am basically starting over. This thought both excites and frightens me.

The fear of change is something everyone faces at some time in their journey. It happens in life as well as in our careers. Most people do not openly embrace change. They resist it because they are fearful of the unknown. But change allows growth and newness to the situation. Let's face it; the face of the average student has changed drastically over the past 10 years. Forget the traditional approach to educating them. They are not interested nor are they challenged by a "boring" textbook and monotone presentation of information by the classroom teacher. Without saying a word, they are begging to be taught in a manner in which they can learn. I often hear "this isn't fun" and I know I am among the majority of classroom teachers when I state this fact. When our students are not having fun, they are not engaging themselves in our classrooms. So, is problem-based learning the key to transforming our learning environments? I think it is a great start.

The GAME plan approach to integrating technology and redesigning our methods of presenting information to students, or leading them to the sources of information necessary for them to learn, is a thoughtful and sound approach. The GAME plan challenges us to look at the technology standards to determine what our students need to be successful once they leave our classrooms. We next look at ways to integrate these necessary technologies into our curriculum while whole-heartedly embracing the new Common Core Standards.  It is a marriage of what they need to know to where and how they find out. Teachers must now move into the role of facilitator rather than director in the classroom. The once believed perfect classroom environment of total quiet is being replaced with face to face interaction with classmates. Students are collaborating with one another in small groups. They ask questions of each other and then try to figure out where to go to get the answer. They agree and disagree on many things which develops their ability to reason and defend what they know and do not know. They are not in their seats, they are on the floor or walking around the room. This is the face of the new classroom.

Embracing change and opening our minds to new methods of accomplishing the same goal is the least we can do for our students. If we are not willing to do this for them, we must be willing to accept that we will harm them more than help them.