Over the course of the last several weeks, I have been introduced to several emerging technologies such as online learning environments like Moodle (www.moodle.org), multi-user virtual environments (MUVE’s) and digital videos games. All have the potential for great impact on education. But as I step back and look at these technologies and their potential in my own school, I realize my school has a long way to go before the staff would be ready to implement these technologies into our curriculum. It has been through this lens that I have examined these emerging technologies and their potential in my school and my classroom.
When talking about emerging versus emerged technology, many technologies are emerged in society but still emerging in education. For example, the majority of teachers in my school still instruct students to avoid wikis and very few even know about blogs. But in many schools, these technologies are well established and used on a regular basis at all grade levels. With that in mind, attempting to introduce a technology like MUVE’s or digital gaming to my school would be difficult. Instead, my school needs to start small and build our success one step at a time. Our first step would be using blogs, wikis and Moodle. Blogs and wikis are an easy technology to introduce and use and can be implemented immediately. Also, Moodle is used regularly at all our district high schools so its use in our middle school is a logical application for our students. All three technologies would allow students to utilize many 21st century skills such as creativity, critical thinking and collaboration. The best way to get these emerging technologies introduced and in motion would be to develop a Technology Team within our school. This core group of teachers from each grade level would be available to instruct and assist the staff when issues arise.
In my own classroom, these newly introduced emerging technologies will have an immediate impact. My goal is to spend the summer learning how to navigate Moodle and begin using it at the beginning of the next school year. This last school year, in an attempt to get my students learning online, I developed a web page on www.yola.com to post assignments, rubrics and recorded performances. However, the limitations on the web site have proven a challenge. It is a wonderful web page building program, but the way in which I wanted to use it was limited. Using Moodle will allow me to post all these as well as include discussion elements and track student participation.
A lesson plan I developed using a digital games is another emerging technology I can use immediately. In fact, just this week I was told one of my drama students will finish his school year at home for medical reasons. Normally, in class, my students write, produce and perform their own play. This would be difficult from home. Using the digital programming site Scratch (www.scratch.mit.edu) will allow my student to digitally create and share his own drama production from home. An MUVE program like Teen Second Life (teen.secondlife.com) might be a useful tool in this situation as well, but the learning curve involved with a virtual program is high. But Scratch offers students the opportunity to develop digital games and stories. The programming code is simple to learn and all presentations can be posted online. Both of us are excited to try this new technology.
Today, new and emerging technologies are introduced regularly. How quickly these technologies find their way into education will ultimately be up to education. As for me, my classroom door is wide open!
www.moodle.org
teen.secondlife.com
www.scratch.mit.edu
www.yola.com
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Online Learning in the K-12 School
Our school needs to move forward, but to where? We need to begin offering online learning options. Please watch the following video as we begin making bold strides to the future.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
My View of UDL and DI
My journey through Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction (DI) has been an interesting one. Much of what I thought I knew about providing an equal education to my students has been challenged. Throughout the course of my master’s degree classes, I have struggled with finding a way to seamlessly incorporate technology into music instruction. It has been through understanding UDL and DI that I have found what I had been missing. I was trying to develop technology based lessons that were in addition to the everyday rehearsals instead of finding ways to incorporate it into what I already teach. Technology can be used during rehearsals in band and choir to explain concepts for visual learners, allow lower learners to slow down a section of music to practice and provide exceptional students the challenge of composing their own music. These are just three examples of using technology to differentiate instruction that allow me to teach content with tools I already have. They are also strategies I have been able to implement in just the last few weeks. The greatest joy for me is seeing the progress all three groups of students are making with just a little additional effort.
Through my Differentiation Station social network site, I have also been able to gain new resources from my fellow teachers as they too have discovered new tips and tools. The ease in posting to the site and the forum interactions made collaborating easy. The sites that I have found most beneficial are the ones dedicated to discovering the learning styles and preferences of our students. There have been several occasions I have over heard various students make random comments and I caught myself thinking about the student interest surveys we created early in this course. Knowing more about our students does make a difference. Whether it is their learning style or their interests, it takes instruction to a new level. As Dr. Tomlinson says, “The best teaching is never so much about “me” as about “us”.” (Tomlinson, 2008)
I have learned a lot about my teaching on my journey through UDL and DI. For the first time in twelve years of teaching, I see my students with new eyes. By nature, the courses I teach are ensemble based and that is how I have seen and taught my students, as a whole. Now I have the tools needed to see the individuals that make up the ensemble and work towards meeting their unique needs.
Tomlinson, C. (2008). Learning to love assessment. Educational Leadership, 65(4), 8–13. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
Through my Differentiation Station social network site, I have also been able to gain new resources from my fellow teachers as they too have discovered new tips and tools. The ease in posting to the site and the forum interactions made collaborating easy. The sites that I have found most beneficial are the ones dedicated to discovering the learning styles and preferences of our students. There have been several occasions I have over heard various students make random comments and I caught myself thinking about the student interest surveys we created early in this course. Knowing more about our students does make a difference. Whether it is their learning style or their interests, it takes instruction to a new level. As Dr. Tomlinson says, “The best teaching is never so much about “me” as about “us”.” (Tomlinson, 2008)
I have learned a lot about my teaching on my journey through UDL and DI. For the first time in twelve years of teaching, I see my students with new eyes. By nature, the courses I teach are ensemble based and that is how I have seen and taught my students, as a whole. Now I have the tools needed to see the individuals that make up the ensemble and work towards meeting their unique needs.
Tomlinson, C. (2008). Learning to love assessment. Educational Leadership, 65(4), 8–13. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Frustrated in Colorado No Longer
My Final Reflection
When I developed my GAME plan for this course, I was a frustrated music teacher desperately wanting to integrate technology in my classroom and not sure how it was possible beyond the one simple computer game my students are currently using. I was convinced there was no easy answer.
My original goal was to increase my competency level on NETS-T standards 1 and 2; Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity and design and develop digital-aged learning and assessment. To monitor this goal, my intent was to replace at least one instructional practice with a technology based tool in each class by the end of the current nine weeks. While this was a lofty goal, it gave me a little kick to actually get going and find something, anything, that I could use in my music classroom.
How would I rate my GAME plan now? I didn’t meet my goal of replacing one teaching strategy with technology by the end of the nine weeks. But I did find a wealth of technology, most of it free or something I already possessed, that I can use. I also developed one digital-aged lesson that I successfully used in my piano lab.
The biggest thing I have learned is what I stated in my last blog post, that technology needs to enhance my instruction, not replace it. For example, I used my Zoom H2 digital recorder to let the beginning band hear the advanced band play their same songs and it raised the beginning bands desire to do better. In piano lab, we put away the book and I let my students be creative with their keyboards to develop a soundtrack for a simple one minute stick figure movie I created using Power Point and Movie Maker. The creativity they played with when they were bored found a place in a lesson. And finally, as a result of the content unit plan created over the last few weeks, my choir classes will research, collaborate and present their findings all in preparation to completely produce their final performance for the year. Enhancement, not replacement.
Technology is a powerful tool and when used wisely, students in the 21st century will get a 21st century education. As I sit at the beginning of a two week Christmas break, I am actually looking forward to next semester and many of the technology tools such as collaboration and digital storytelling, I can integrate into my instruction. I am frustrated no more! OK, maybe just a little, but at least I’m headed in the right direction now.
http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS
When I developed my GAME plan for this course, I was a frustrated music teacher desperately wanting to integrate technology in my classroom and not sure how it was possible beyond the one simple computer game my students are currently using. I was convinced there was no easy answer.
My original goal was to increase my competency level on NETS-T standards 1 and 2; Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity and design and develop digital-aged learning and assessment. To monitor this goal, my intent was to replace at least one instructional practice with a technology based tool in each class by the end of the current nine weeks. While this was a lofty goal, it gave me a little kick to actually get going and find something, anything, that I could use in my music classroom.
How would I rate my GAME plan now? I didn’t meet my goal of replacing one teaching strategy with technology by the end of the nine weeks. But I did find a wealth of technology, most of it free or something I already possessed, that I can use. I also developed one digital-aged lesson that I successfully used in my piano lab.
The biggest thing I have learned is what I stated in my last blog post, that technology needs to enhance my instruction, not replace it. For example, I used my Zoom H2 digital recorder to let the beginning band hear the advanced band play their same songs and it raised the beginning bands desire to do better. In piano lab, we put away the book and I let my students be creative with their keyboards to develop a soundtrack for a simple one minute stick figure movie I created using Power Point and Movie Maker. The creativity they played with when they were bored found a place in a lesson. And finally, as a result of the content unit plan created over the last few weeks, my choir classes will research, collaborate and present their findings all in preparation to completely produce their final performance for the year. Enhancement, not replacement.
Technology is a powerful tool and when used wisely, students in the 21st century will get a 21st century education. As I sit at the beginning of a two week Christmas break, I am actually looking forward to next semester and many of the technology tools such as collaboration and digital storytelling, I can integrate into my instruction. I am frustrated no more! OK, maybe just a little, but at least I’m headed in the right direction now.
http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The GAME plan and How to Use it!
Over the course of the last seven weeks, I have been working on and re-working my technology GAME plan. Each week I have taken time to analyze the progress made from the original plan. While this has been a frustrating and yet progressive process for me, the overall structure of using a GAME plan in the classroom is a good idea. The National Education Standards for Students (NETS-S) and teachers (NETS-T) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) outline technology goals for both groups. These standards are designed as a guide for using technology in a 21st century classroom.
What is a GAME Plan?
The idea behind a GAME plan is simply the “plan”. Too often students know they have an assignment, but don’t quite know the process to complete it other than start at the beginning and finish. A GAME plan helps students, and teachers, plot a course of action. What is the Goal? What Action will be taken to reach the Goal? How will the Action be Monitored? And finally, How will the Goals and Actions be Evaluated? This is a great sequence of steps that will benefit any student, regardless if the NETS standards or the content standards
are being used.
In the Classroom
As I have discovered over these last seven weeks, technology integration takes time. Even my own GAME plan had to be adjusted to accommodate time. The same could be said for using this process to help students become proficient in the NETS-S standards. A look back at the first 10 years of the 21st century is evidence enough of this. While technology has skyrocketed in recent years, integrating it into an education system and structure that is much older presents obstacles. Impossible? No, just a slow process. But if teachers develop GAME plans based on the NETS-T standards that get students creating projects using a GAME plan format, standards will be met and 21st century skills will be taught.
I like the GAME plan format and I think it is a strong instructional tool that I plan on using with my students.
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007.htm
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm
What is a GAME Plan?
The idea behind a GAME plan is simply the “plan”. Too often students know they have an assignment, but don’t quite know the process to complete it other than start at the beginning and finish. A GAME plan helps students, and teachers, plot a course of action. What is the Goal? What Action will be taken to reach the Goal? How will the Action be Monitored? And finally, How will the Goals and Actions be Evaluated? This is a great sequence of steps that will benefit any student, regardless if the NETS standards or the content standards
are being used.
In the Classroom
As I have discovered over these last seven weeks, technology integration takes time. Even my own GAME plan had to be adjusted to accommodate time. The same could be said for using this process to help students become proficient in the NETS-S standards. A look back at the first 10 years of the 21st century is evidence enough of this. While technology has skyrocketed in recent years, integrating it into an education system and structure that is much older presents obstacles. Impossible? No, just a slow process. But if teachers develop GAME plans based on the NETS-T standards that get students creating projects using a GAME plan format, standards will be met and 21st century skills will be taught.
I like the GAME plan format and I think it is a strong instructional tool that I plan on using with my students.
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007.htm
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Enhance, not replace! That is the key...
My originals goals were to research techniques and technology that can be used to replace a current teaching strategy in my music classes. While I don’t think I will ever be able to use technology to replace the element of everyday rehearsal, what I can do is use technology to enhance it. Maybe that has been the goal of this class all along. Either way, my apprehension of finding that golden bridge to take my music classes to the 21st century has started to ease.
I think the biggest progress I have made so far on my GAME plan actually came as I started to develop my Unit Plan for our Application assignments. I am working to develop a plan that will allow my students to use digital aged learning to guide the music rehearsal and final performance that will take place in the spring semester. Students will conduct online research (with the perfect web site I discovered by accident.) They will collaborate to share research with their fellow choir-mates in the very next hour. And finally, they will use online presentation tools to present their final designs. This will have most of the benefits of online collaboration that Vicki Davis spoke about in this weeks’ DVD program from asynchronous teamwork to multiple contributors to a final product. (Laureate, 2009) It will be these student designs that will shape and guide the rehearsal side of choir for the rest of the semester. So, students will be conducting digital-aged learning and using a lot of personal and group creativity to guide this project. To be honest, this entire project was birthed out of the frustration I had with one choir class just not wanting to put forth any effort while the other class can hardly be contained. By giving them the controls that will shape their performance, my hope is there will be greater personal buy-in and thus greater involvement. Their final performance will be one they designed, created and produced. I will merely be the facilitator.
I do realize, as I posted in my discussion this week, the challenge for this type of teaching strategy is the time that will be involved in teaching my students how to do all this work. The technology must first be taught in order to do the work required to use it. So that will take time. It is time I will have to balance very carefully so the technology does not overshadow the end performance.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. Baltimore: Author.
I think the biggest progress I have made so far on my GAME plan actually came as I started to develop my Unit Plan for our Application assignments. I am working to develop a plan that will allow my students to use digital aged learning to guide the music rehearsal and final performance that will take place in the spring semester. Students will conduct online research (with the perfect web site I discovered by accident.) They will collaborate to share research with their fellow choir-mates in the very next hour. And finally, they will use online presentation tools to present their final designs. This will have most of the benefits of online collaboration that Vicki Davis spoke about in this weeks’ DVD program from asynchronous teamwork to multiple contributors to a final product. (Laureate, 2009) It will be these student designs that will shape and guide the rehearsal side of choir for the rest of the semester. So, students will be conducting digital-aged learning and using a lot of personal and group creativity to guide this project. To be honest, this entire project was birthed out of the frustration I had with one choir class just not wanting to put forth any effort while the other class can hardly be contained. By giving them the controls that will shape their performance, my hope is there will be greater personal buy-in and thus greater involvement. Their final performance will be one they designed, created and produced. I will merely be the facilitator.
I do realize, as I posted in my discussion this week, the challenge for this type of teaching strategy is the time that will be involved in teaching my students how to do all this work. The technology must first be taught in order to do the work required to use it. So that will take time. It is time I will have to balance very carefully so the technology does not overshadow the end performance.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. Baltimore: Author.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Evaluating My GAME Plan Progress
Three weeks in and this is the progress my GAME plan has made.
• How effective were your actions in helping you meet your goals?
My original goal was to increase my competency level on technology standards 1 and 2; Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity and design and develop digital-aged learning and assessment. To date, I will replace a lesson I taught last nine weeks in my piano lab class with a more digital-aged lesson. Instead of students performing a song from the book as their final, students will use any of the pre-programmed voices on their piano keyboard to ‘compose’ their own song. While this is not that much of a lesson, they will have to compose this song based on a video prompt. Essentially, they will be composing a soundtrack for a one and half minute video. Their songs and story narration will be recorded and compiled into a Movie Maker video. This video then will be uploaded to the music class web site I have created. So, I feel I am meeting my goal with a monitoring step that was part of my original GAME plan.
• What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?
I have learned that I don’t need a wall full of electronics and tech-toys to integrate technology into my lesson plans. Several of the suggestions given in chapter 16 of our course text, Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use, are tools and resources I already have. (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009) Add to that the free online resources I have recently discovered and I have a good base to work from. The strategies learned from this course, such as assessing diverse learners and problem-based lessons give framework to the tools I have to work with.
• What do you still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?
I’m not sure about this question. I don’t feel like anything new has surfaced nor do I know what I still need to learn. I just need to kick in my own creative thinking skills to find new ways to incorporate the tools I now have for the variety of classes I teach on a daily basis.
• How will you adjust your plan to fit your current needs?
I still feel like the only thing that needs to be adjusted from my original GAME plan would be the timeline to implement my plan. This will continue to be an ongoing, slow process and my desire to replace one lesson plan in each class with a digital-aged lesson plan by the end of the current nine weeks has proven to take much more time than expected. But at least I am moving in the right direction.
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
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