Reflection

This quarter I decided to set a goal to focus more on using the Smart Board in my classroom and with my content areas. I set up a GAME plan that would allow me to collaborate with my colleagues, technology specialists as well as web searches to improve my skills using the board. I was able to meet with my technology specialists as well as with a Smart Board instructor that were able to show me different uses for the Smart Board. After spending hours with the two specialists, I met with my colleagues to get their opinion and ideas of using the technology in their lessons. 

I begin to implement the different ideas into my lessons, by starting lessons with different interactive games and activities. The students were able to enjoy the lesson, become engaged and learned not only content but how to use another form of technology. As I reflected on my lessons in which I implemented the technology, I begin to feel a level of confidence that had derived from learning specific skills and ideas. I felt great about each lesson because I grew familiar with the technology and implementing the technology in any way that I could. I accomplished one goal in my GAME plan which is to use the Smart Board more and learn how to use the Smart Board. 

In the near future, I want to continue to use this technology as well as add on another form of technology. I feel that my familiarity with the Smart Board has grown but as I use the technology more in the classroom, I will develop more each year. I would encourage my students to use the GAME plan in their goal setting because it makes the students accountable for what they are learning and how they will become active learners. The GAME plan allows for the students to narrow down to a more specific goal and to focus on that goal for a period of time. This would be great in my classroom while the students discuss their KWHL charts as a class and we could easily implement a GAME plan in order to learn what we would like to know. 

Throughout my lesson planning, I will continue to implement the teaching strategies taught throughout the quarter. I enjoyed creating problem based inquiries for my students to solve and allowing the students to become problem solvers. We are currently still using a classroom blog, so that students will increase their knowledge with the media as well as with social networks. Many students did not realize that our classroom blog was a social network and that with using the blog in the class became an educational network. The students loved using the blog and responding to one another in posts. I will continue to use the digital storytelling, social networking as well as the problem based learning into the classroom as I see fit. I first discovered that it can be challenging to implement problem based inquiries in all content areas, but now I am working on a problem based project that integrates all content areas. I am excited about the activities in which I will have students completing. 

GAME Plan Update

      My GAME plan is going according to how I expected it to go. I have recently ended a SMART board workshop in my local school that has taught me new ways to use the tools with this form of technology. I am able to implement the board more into my lessons for instruction. I have also met with my grade level in order to discuss different ideas that could be used in order to help with using technology in lessons. My colleagues were able to provide different websites as well as web templates that allowed for students to conduct certain tasks for informal assessments as well as formal assessments.

     This week I have planned to meet with other colleagues from the county in order to discuss ways of using technology in the classroom for instruction as well as assessment. Many of the colleagues have incorporated the technology into their lessons or are interested in how to do such plans with limited use of technology. I have began a journal reflecting my daily usage of the technology in my classroom with lessons and assessing the students. I have noted that many times, the technology presents a problem which creates a stumbling block for instruction. Overall,  I am pleased with the knowledge that I am acquiring from entering the workshops suggested and collaborating with my colleagues.

    I have also signed up to meet with a team of colleagues that will assist with making blog pages as well as classroom websites to assist students out of the classroom. I am excited about the new classes and suggestions that I am already beginning to try to implement with small groups within the classroom. I ensure that the technology usage is presenting ways for me to monitor the progress of my students so that we may set ideal goals for achievement in the classroom.