What 5th Grade Students Say about Technology

In my mind, one of the strongest voices out there when it comes to transforming our educational system is that of our students.  I often get requests to write articles about the changes I have made within my classroom as I have moved to incorporate a student-centered environment that allows my students to advance at their own pace while incorporating as much choice as I can into what my students are doing while still covering all of our required standards.  Anymore, when met with these requests, I state that I would rather have them talk to my students and get their opinions on the matter in lieu of hearing just another teacher talking about 'what great things they think they are doing'.  If we truly want to effectively transform learning for our students, then, it's only through including our students in the conversation that we can effectively and relevantly transform learning in a manner that will once again engage and excite the students we teach.

from:  The Fremont News Messenger 3/22/13

The article is now a 'paid archive' within our local newspaper, so this is the best way I could think to link to it since I'm pretty much a novice to Blogger.

One Great Big Experiment

 Eyes glazed over, distant far away expressions, thoughts focused on anything and everything except what we were discussing.  This is what I was greeted with day after day after day when I would stand in front of my students 'teaching' them about various science and social studies topics.  We would read together from textbooks or worksheets and then complete worksheets to practice what we learned.  My students were bored, and I was bored.  There had to be a better way to do this.  Somehow I had to find a way to engage my students in order to make learning fun again.

This was two years ago.  Right about the time I started my Masters classes for Integrating Technology within the Classroom.  I had no idea where my Masters was going to lead me, but it had to be to something that was more meaningful and engaging then me standing in front of my students lecturing day after day while they just sit there 'learning' the information that I was dictating to them.  I wanted to do more.  I wanted to place the responsibility of learning into the hands of my students, but the dilemma that I faced was whether or not I could trust my students.  Trust.  The one concept that any adult struggles with when it comes to kids.  How could I trust my students to take control and be responsible for their own learning when I barely trusted them to do anything on their own without strict guidance from me?

While I knew that things were not going well within my class when it came to my students learning and engagement, I wasn't quite ready to make any drastic changes since I was still wrestling with the issue of trust until one of my students came up to me at the end of one of our classes.  At the time, we were studying space, usually one of our more engaging topics, so I actually thought we had a pretty good class until the student said, "I like learning about space, but I already know all of this that we covered today."  I was devastated.  While I thought we had just had a productive class, I had just realized that it was nothing more than a waste of time for this student.

That moment was when I finally realized that it was time for me to try something drastically different in order to ensure that my students were truly 'learning' and not just spending their time listening to me talk.  That was the moment when I realized that it was time for me to learn to trust my students and do whatever I could to make their time with me as meaningful as I could in regards to their learning.  That was the moment when I decided that it was time for me to take risks with the methods and approaches to instruction that were being utilized within my classroom.

That moment happened a little over a year ago and was when I decided that it was time to implement what can be described as a student-centered learning environment.  While not perfect, our current classroom environment is much improved over the teacher-centered environment that it once was.  Currently, I am trying to find the balance of having my students learn our required standards while feeling like they have some sort of control over their learning.  This past year has feels like it has been one great big experiment as I try to relinquish control to my students, yet still ensure that they are learning the standards that will be covered on our state mandated tests.  An experiment that I feel has been a success due to the comments and feelings of my students when they describe what they think about how we have changed our classroom learning environment.

Fifth-graders talk about technology in classroom

Reflection on Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas

            At the start of this course, we developed a GAME plan to follow throughout the length of this course.  A GAME plan is a set of steps for self-directed learning that includes setting Goals, taking Action to meet those goals, Monitoring progress as you work towards achieving those goals, and Evaluating if those goals were achieved along with Extending your learning into new environments (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).  My game plan consisted of two goals.  The first being to develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.  In an attempt to implement this goal, I have introduced my fifth grade classes to Wikis.  While I am a ways away from having my students manage their own learning, my students are in the process of being able to create their own Wiki pages in order to display what they consider to be the important points for each social studies lesson that we cover.  At this time, my students are in the early stages of being able to perform their own research over given topics, assess the discovered research, and then share it with their classmates on their Wiki page.  Even though this has been a work-in-progress that is being accomplished with what I would consider to be 'baby steps', it is creating a learning environment that has both engaged and energized my students.  They now look forward to social studies and the days that we spend in the computer lab creating their Wikis.  As the year progresses, I am hoping to allow my students to become even greater participants when it comes to managing their own learning by utilizing different technological programs in both social studies and science that will require my students to take responsibility for their own learning and then use these programs to share their findings in different formats with their classmates.

            My second goal is to evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning.  To me, this goal goes hand-in-hand with my first goal of placing the responsibility of learning into the hands of my students.  In order for this goal to be successful, I must be able to transform my teaching style from one that is didactic, meaning that I am the one who dominates instruction while my students listen, to a style that allows my students to become active participants (Cennamo et al., 2009).  In order to learn new strategies that will help me with achieving this goal, I subscribe to several different technology blogs, such as Free Technology for Teachers.  By following blogs such as this one, along with what I am learning from my classes, I have been able to learn about many new technology programs that can be used to not only engage my students, but allow them to become responsible for their own learning.

            As far as adjustments to my own instruction in order to integrate more technology into my two content areas, this is an on-going work-in-progress.  I have already seen the benefits of integrating technology within my lessons.  I hope to consistently use different forms of technology throughout the school year as long as it does not slow me down in my preparation for our state achievement tests in the spring.  Problem-based learning is definitely one strategy I want to incorporate within my units.  Some of the benefits of this style of learning includes promoting self-directed learners, teaching collaboration among students, all while students are learning in an authentic and meaningful way (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).  At this time, I am hoping to incorporate both problem-based learning and digital storytelling into my science unit over photosynthesis and how humans impact the environment.  I feel that these two strategies will not only engage my students within the unit, but also enhance their learning in such a manner that proves to be both meaningful and authentic in relation to the world around them.

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Laureate Education, Inc. 2010 (Producer). Spotlight on Technology-Problem Based Learning Part 1(DVD). Integrating Technology across the Content Areas. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Monitoring My GAME Plan Progress

My first goal:  To develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

One of the steps in determining effective assessment is choosing the appropriate supporting technology that will assist in the assessment of your students (Laureate Education, Inc, 2010).  This week, during my social studies class, I introduced my students to Wikis since I felt that this program would allow me to assess my students mastery of content while allowing them to collaborate with each other while learning the material.  The primary reason for introducing my students to Wikis this week was so that they could begin to learn how to use the program and all of the technological tools that can be utilized within it.  Since this was their first exposure to a Wiki, I made sure my goal for the lesson was realistic.  By the end of the lesson, students were expected to have successfully logged on to the Wiki, edit the lesson page, and save their work.  I plan on having my students work on a different Wiki page to summarize each of our social studies lessons.  As they continue to work on Wikis, I plan on adding a different skill set with each lesson.  For example, my goal for our next lesson is for students to be able to add and edit text on their page along with adding pictures to their page as well.  Ultimately, I want my students to feel comfortable enough with Wikis so that they will be able to work in small groups in order to create their own pages that they will be able to use to teach the class with when we are studying our unit over the regions of the United States later this year.  This activity will also work as a performance-based assessment that will allow me to determine the level as to which my students understand the content they are sharing with their classmates (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).  However, in order for me to achieve that goal, I need to teach my students about Wikis in a step-by-step process to ensure that they do not feel overwhelmed by all of the different tools that are available on a Wiki.

My second goal:  To evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning.

With the ever-changing technology that is constantly being developed, there are many emerging digital tools with the capabilities of assisting students with their learning.  My partner teacher and I were given one of these such tools this past week when we received our Smartpen.  A Smartpen is a tool that records both the written word and audio spoken during a lesson.  For example, if a teacher is trying to explain the steps needed to solve a math problem, the Smartpen will record each of the steps in the order that the teacher writes them along with any dialogue the teacher is providing while writing the steps.  When completed, the teacher can then upload the file to Livescribe website and then have the capabilities to post the lesson onto their own class website for their students to access from home if they need additional assistance with understanding the lesson.  While a tool such as this will probably be best utilized within a math class, I will still be able to use it within my science and social studies class when needed.  Students should develop a better understanding of the content due to the fact that they will be able to 'experience' the teacher's lesson for a second time from their home.  Keeping this in mind, the biggest challenge that I currently face with this new digital tool is the manner in which I will be able to incorporate it within my lessons.

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach: Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Program 7: Assessing Student Learning with Technology [DVD]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Carrying Out My GAME Plan

In order to successfully carry out the goals that are listed in my GAME Plan, I am going to have to revisit them from time to time in order to monitor my progress in implementing them.  Along with monitoring my goals, I also need to know what resources will be required when implementing the necessary actions to achieve these goals.

My first goal:  To develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

In order to achieve my goal, the primary resource that my students will need is access to computers that will allow them perform research on the Internet.  Since I only have two classroom computers and 28 students at a time, we will have to schedule time in the computer lab when it is available.  Some additional information that I will need to successfully implement my goal will be my own knowledge of technology.  During the course of the school year, I plan on having my students create projects using programs such as VoiceThread and Wikis.  Since I am planning to model these programs to my students first, I will have to be proficient in them both in order to explain how to use them efficiently and then to help with any problems that my students may encounter.  So far, my students have been introduced to a 'Sqworl' (http://www.sqworl.com) that contained websites for them to visit in order to perform their own research on the scientific method.  This activity was a basic introduction to performing your own research in order to find needed information.  On Friday, I plan on introducing my students to Wikis by having them complete pages that I have formatted for them over our current lesson in Social Studies.  Once my students become familiar with how Wikis work, my plan is for them to create their own Wiki comparing and contrasting animal and plant cells in the upcoming weeks.  By including these different technological programs, I am hoping to to promote authentic learning with my students.  By taking part in authentic learning activities, my students will be increasing their understanding of the required content through the process of doing (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).

My second goal:  To evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning.

Teachers are only able to provide their students with meaningful access to technology when the teachers themselves are adequately trained on that technology (Cennamo et al, 2009).  Taking this into consideration, my second goal is focused on my own education when it comes to technology.  In order to achieve this goal, I will need access to the Internet in order to be able to follow blogs that provide articles about different programs that are available for educators to use in their classroom.  I will also be using the Internet for my own research in hopes of finding programs that are able to provide information that will assist me in teaching my content areas.  Currently, I follow 'Free Technology for Teachers' and 'The Whiteboard Blog' on Facebook.  Both of these blogs have provided me with numerous links to programs that I already have used or will be able to use within my classroom.  In addition to this, I am also hoping to attend a technology conference at some point this year so I will have the opportunity to learn about new technology or programs that I can incorporate within my classroom.  Another practice I utilize within my classroom is to solicit the opinion of my students when we use a program for the first time.  I feel that this step is important in order to learn what they think about these programs in terms of how the program functioned, meaning were they able to navigate within the program without too much difficulty, and how much knowledge was gained from using this program.

While I realize that I am still in the early stages of my GAME Plan, I do feel that I am in the process of taking positive steps towards achieving my goals.

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

My GAME Plan

            In order to best serve our students, as educators, it is our job to prepare them for the world that awaits them.  What makes this aspect of our job so challenging is the ever-changing world around us.  Our students are members of a generation that can be labeled as 'digital natives', meaning that they are growing up in a world in which technology has become an integral part of their lives.  Unfortunately, the vast majority of teachers have grown up as digital immigrants, or a part of generations in which technology has been introduced to once they have become adults.  This scenario of digital natives and digital immigrants has created an ever-changing learning environment that has educators scrambling to educate themselves about technology while creating a new set of standards that addresses the world of technology that their students are growing up in.

            Currently, I am teaching in a grade level and subject area in which state testing is the driving force behind everything that we do within our content area.  Our primary focus, at this time, is on our students performance on these state mandated tests.  While keeping my students' achievement on these tests in mind, my goal for this school year is to incorporate technology within my lessons in such a way that will introduce my students to the idea of becoming self-directed learners.  Self-directed learners tend to develop into creative thinkers who are motivated and more open to ideas in their thinking (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).  Due to this fact, my goal is to shift my style of teaching from what could be described as a drill and practice style to one that promotes the development of my students as self-directed learners.  In order to achieve this goal, I will strive to "develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress" (ISTE | NETS for Teachers).

            In order to track my progress in regards to achieving my goals, I will need to set up what is known as a GAME Plan.  A GAME Plan will assist me in creating meaningful lessons for my students that enhance not only their own personal development of self-directed learning, but mine as well.  This type of plan will consist of a goal for my students' learning, taking action through learning experiences, the monitoring of student progress, and the evaluation of the effectiveness of instruction (Cennamo, et al, 2009).  Here is what my GAME Plan looks like.

            Goal:  To develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress

            Action:  To include one technology based lesson that promotes self-directed learning amongst my students during each different unit of study.  The inclusion of collaboration within these lessons will also promote an environment of self-directed learning as well since this style encourages students to rely on their own recently gained knowledge as they work to solve a problem instead of relying on their teacher to provide the information for them.

            Monitor:  Student progress will be monitored through assessments to ensure that they are learning the needed content.  Student progression as a self-directed learner will be monitored through the quality of work that is submitted upon the completion of each unit's technology activity.

            Evaluation:  Since this will be my first time implementing self-directed lessons with my students, I will constantly be evaluating them to access their effectiveness.  In regards to the quality of the lessons, I will be evaluating to determine whether or not learning goals were met for both content and the mastery of the technology skills utilized within the lesson.  Future lessons will be shaped based on the evaluations that are made for previously implemented lessons.

            In addition, I will also strive to "evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning" (ISTE | NETS for Teachers).  While trying to develop self-directed learners, I also want to develop students who are proficient in using emerging technologies.  In order to achieve this goal, I will need to ensure that I am also proficient on these digital tools as well.  While trying to learn and keep up with all of these different technologies, I will try to enlist the help of my colleagues.  I am hoping that my sharing of knowledge about technology will inspire them to adopt this style of teaching within their lessons in order to inspire their own students to become self-directed learners as well.

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach: Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning.

ISTE | NETS for Teachers. (n.d.). ISTE | Membership, NETS Standards, Books, Journals and Professional Development for Teachers. Retrieved September 15, 2011, from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx

Reflection on Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom

            Teaching can be described as a constantly fluid career, especially in today's society with all of the recent and ongoing advancements in technology.  These continuous advancements are also changing the way information is shared and utilized in the sense that we are evolving from a society that was once dependent upon the slow and methodical sharing of information through paper to one that demands instant access to information through the digital world that technology has created.  As teachers, it is up to us to adapt our methods of teaching in such a way that reflects the ever changing world around us.  One such adaptation is to instruct our students in what is being described the new literacy skills which include questioning, searching, evaluating, synthesizing, and communicating (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010a).  The most striking revelation in regards to teaching these skills is the new reliance that our students will be required to possess when it comes to evaluating information.  With the ever increasing influx of digital media, the number of 'publishers' is also increasing as well.  This means that anyone who has access to the Internet has the capabilities of becoming a 'publisher' of information.  The impact of this on the quality of our information is astounding.  When evaluating the information that they are reading online, our students must be able to evaluate the content they are viewing in order to determine the validity of it.  Not being able to evaluate information could end up handicapping our students if they do not possess the necessary skills to determine which information can be trusted as valid and which cannot.

            As I progress forward, the knowledge and experience gained from this class have created an understanding within me for the need to incorporate self-direction and a need for my students to become active participants within their own education.  Currently, at my school, the emphasis is on testing which means that, essentially, our fundamental concern is how our students perform on the state's tests in the spring.  As a result of this focus, our primary concern is for our students to memorize the needed information and to be able to apply, or 'regurgitate' it on these tests.  So, the vast majority of our teaching time is spent on 'feeding' the needed information to our students in such a way that will ensure they will remember it.  At this time, no emphasis is being placed on the new literacy skills or for the need for our students to become self-sufficient in regards to teaching themselves in their pursuit to become life-long learners.  Due to the fact that our current approach of 'spoon-feeding' our students information is doing nothing to prepare our students for the future that awaits them, my style of teaching will be undergoing a constant change in order to ensure that my students are fluent with the world of technology and the new literacies that have been created.

            The primary professional development goal that I now have for my classroom is for my students to take responsibility for their own learning.  However, in order to accomplish this goal, several changes will have to occur within my classroom.  One such change will have to be the incorporation of more technology within my lessons in such a manner that will allow for my students to be performing their own research into the content areas we are covering instead of me simply providing them with the required information.  In order for my students to become responsible learners, they will also have to be taught to think critically in regards to websites.  It will be imperative for them to be able to examine issues from multiple perspectives in order to be able to think critically about it to determine whether or not the information is believable and ultimately, its validity (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010b).  Realizing that this goal is not something that I will instantly be able to include in each of my lessons, my goal will be to include one lesson per unit that will allow my students to perform their own research online, followed by their own evaluation of that information for its validity.  By incorporating lessons such as this, my students will begin to develop their new literacy skills along with a sense of responsibility for their own education.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer).  (2010a) Program Number 2:  New literacies. (DVD). Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer).   (2010b) Program Number 7:  Critical Evaluation. (DVD). Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom. Baltimore, MD: Author.