As I looked over the NETS standards, there are two standards that I want to be able to use in the classroom. The first one is standard 1b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.
Goal – For my students to have a better understanding of technology and be able to use it correctly and effectively.
Action – I will evaluate my lessons and incorporate real world problems that my students can relate to using their own experiences. Using webquest and virtual field trips are activities I will use to engage my students and to improve the lesson.
Monitoring –I will consider how the process is going and then determine where improvements are needed and decide what needs to change in the plan.
Evaluate – I will look at the ways technology was utilized and develop strategies to improve my lessons. I will ask co-workers for input and advice.
The second area is 3b: collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success.
Goal – To implement a way to communicate with parents, students and peers, I will utilize a variety of ways to communicate more effectively. I would like to create a class blog, so that parents and students can check to see what has been taught. It can also be used to help parents stay informed on what is happening in the classroom.
Action – I will post a blog onto my school website, so the student’s can access it easily to get information on missed work or upcoming events.
Monitor - I will consider how the process is going and then determine where improvement needs to take place and decide what needs to change in the plan.
Evaluate – In order to check my progress, I need to survey my students, parents and peers to see how effective the blog has been. If it needs to be improvement
References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (2009). "Enriching Content Area Learning Experiences with Technology, Part 1." Baltimore, MD: Laureate Education Inc.
National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.
Gayla
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Gayla,
ReplyDeleteI think that virtual field trips are an excellent way to engage your students in new learning. As we all know, students do not have the means to travel all over the world to experience new locations and understand conditions that others may have or are still currently experiencing. I think it's important to expose students to as many opportunities for learning as possible. Your classroom blog would give students a forum to interact with not only themselves but with you as well outside of the classroom. Students could create anonymous identities that only you would know, and ask questions that they may not be inclined to ask in the classroom. I have found that often times, students are embarrassed to ask a question that they don't know the answer to for fear of ridicule. Surveying your parents would also allow you to determine if changes need to be made to the blog and if the students were in fact learning from this experience.
Rachael,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your comment. Virtual field trips are awesome! They allow us to see parts of the world we may never get the chance to explore. Towards the end of last school year, I took my students on a virtual field trip to Yellowstone National park to see the geyser's. It wasn't a planned lesson, but it they were so interested in knowing what happended that I can only imagine the results if I had given an assessment to see what they learned.
I have to admit, I am a little nervous about setting up a classblog, but I think with the knowledge I have now of knowing how to set one up so that their identities are kept private, I will be able accomplish my goal. I agree that blogs are an avenue for students to ask questions, where they might not otherwise do so. Especially, special education students or students who are shy.
Gayla
Gayla,
ReplyDeleteRachael makes a good point about allowing students to create anonymity by using aliases. That’s a great way run a forum as long as you can keep the aliases secret. You might use a numeric system, I say that only because students love to try and figure out who people are by their code names and some are very good at sleuthing.