Monitoring the GAME Plan - Synthesis

After reviewing the comments that were posted this week, I noticed that many teachers strongly agree with teaching students to practice digital citizenship. Too often students freely access material online and either use the material directly or synthesize their findings into their own words. By teaching students how to properly cite their sources, they will be practicing digital citizenship - avoiding plagiarism and giving credit where credit is due. Furthermore, I will be looking into bibme.org, a site recommended by a colleague, to compare it to citationmachine.net. I want the resource that is most accurate and functional for students to use.

In addition to digital citizenship, I received a few comments on my goal to utilize the SmartBoard more effectively in my classroom. This week I meet with my colleague during a prep period, so I will be able to bring more information forward about the progress of my goal.

Brad Feick
HS English
Walden University

Monitoring the GAME Plan

Currently my GAME plan addressing my first goal has slowed this week. While I have established a time frame to meet with my colleague next week about how to use the SmartBoard effectively, I am “playing” with the SmartBoard and trying to do different things. Usually I make mistakes, but I am discovering that many of the students, who have been in classrooms using SmartBoards, know how to use them as well. I may pursue students that are in my study halls to show me what they know. I don’t feel the need to alter my action plan, but I am considering – regardless of the success of my meeting with my colleague – to take the advanced SmartBoard training offered in the spring. If I am going to utilize this piece of technology to its fullest potential, I need to understand all of its capabilities.

So far, I have learned how a SmartBoard’s notebook technology can serve as an interactive PowerPoint. I can have explanations and examples prepared and students can manipulate sentences and paragraphs for punctuation, fluency, and organization. This serves as a learning opportunity and formative assessment. So far, I do not have additional questions, but I am sure that after my meeting next week, I will have plenty.

As for my other GAME Plan, I am continuing to improve in practicing digital citizenship and responsibility. Because of my increased use of SmartBoard technology, even if it’s just using the SmartBoard notebook, I am having my students access information on the Web frequently. I often reference a website or pull information from a variety of pages or show a quick film. Despite the easy flow of information, I need to properly provide credit to these sources. While I cannot say that I am properly citing everything, my students do see the citations on the bottom of the page that says where the information was from. I am using www.citationmachine.net to help make the citation process quicker for me and I am striving to make my students more accountable. I will be changing my goal slightly from only focusing on my practice of digital citizenship to focusing on my students’ practice as well.

Brad Feick

HS English

Walden University  

Reflecting on GAME Plan: Progress and Resources Feedback

I had two strands of comments that came out of my original post. The first pertained to the Smartboard. I am trying to find unique ways to utilize the Smartboard to create creative learning opportunities and assessments for my students. One suggestion was to insert images of my students into Smartboard presentations to keep students on task and paying attention. While I know I won't take the pictures - although, I can see this working very well for others, I wonder if inserting silly or interesting pictures of animals could have the same effect. Or, perhaps, with the Smartboard's ability to seamlessly transition from technology resource to technology resource, I could try to utilize more technology linked with the Smartboard.

The other strand of advice focused on resources to cite materials. These resources can be posted for students to reference and use to properly cite their materials.

Brad Feick
HS English
Walden University 

GAME Plan: Progress and Resources

My GAME Plan focuses on two goals: (1) to design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments using a SmartBoard and (2) to be more cognizant of modeling digital citizenship and responsibility for my students.

Goal 1: To design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments using a SmartBoard
Before I begin taking action, I need to take into account the resources that I need to meet my goals. Considering my first goal, I am seeking a colleague or colleagues who have experience with SmartBoard technology – essentially creating a technological node for professional development (Laureate Education, Inc, 2009). From last week’s responses, there are many current Walden colleagues who have had positive experiences and understand how to use a SmartBoard effectively. While learning how to use the SmartBoard effectively through a blog may be difficult, I would love to hear how people have used SmartBoard in their classrooms.

Due to my coaching commitments after school, I am very limited in when I can learn how to use the SmartBoard unless it’s during prep time. I have asked a colleague who is considered to be a SmartBoard expert to help me learn how to use the technology. A SmartBoard tutorial with her has been scheduled for after Thanksgiving. If I don’t feel that her tutorial is sufficient, I may attend a class offered in the school district, but it is not offered until March or April.

Status: I have a date set to meet with my colleague about SmartBoard technology and have received a small guide on its use. I am looking forward to the learning opportunity.


Goal 2: To be more cognizant of modeling digital citizenship and responsibility
In addition to my first goal, I also need to gather resources for modeling digital citizenship and responsibility. Initially, I need to always have the most current APA guidelines accessible for my students and me. If possible, I would utilize my colleagues to practice digital citizenship as well since proper citation is critical in all subject areas. If every teacher was focusing on this, my success would be much easier.

Status: This goal has much less to do with an outside resource, but rather, the discipline to model digital citizenship every time that I use a resource online. While this goal may appear to be the easiest to complete, I find it very difficult to get into the habit of properly citing every resource that I bring into the classroom.

Questions to Peers:
1. Do you have any interesting SmartBoard assessment ideas that you have found successful?
2. Is there anything that you would suggest when using the SmartBoard?
3. How do you most effectively practice digital citizenship?

Thank you,

Brad Feick
Walden University
HS English



References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program 1: Self-directed lifelong learning. [DVD] Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Reflecting on Game Plan Feedback

After reading through my peers' feedback, I will certainly love my SmartBoard! Specifically though, Kerry-Ann offered a great point about how having technology in the classroom is great, but if the students do not have the skills to use the technology, it becomes a waste. This is exactly what I do not want to happen. I do not want the SmartBoard to be utilized as a PowerPoint projection screen; instead, I want students to learn how to fully use the SmartBoard.

Additionally, I can be sure to save my SmartBoard lessons using another form of software in the situation that I lose my SmartBoard or switch rooms. Not every room has a SmartBoard. This way I do not lose what I have already developed.

Finally I will be sure to watch other colleagues who have the SmartBoard and utilize it in a variety of ways. The school district does have classes to learn SmartBoard technology, but I received my SmartBoard too late to take advantage of these courses. The next available time slot will be in March, but I want to begin learning sooner than that.

Brad Feick
Walden University
HS English

GAME PLAN

Today’s students, according to Prensky (2008), enter our classrooms with the lights turned on or having already had access to a vast array of knowledge. Much of this knowledge is accessible via technology – Internet, iTouches, cellphones, and the list can go on. As teachers we must find ways to keep our students engaged not by forcing them to power down or limit their technological access but to learn how to teach in a world that takes our students beyond the walls of our classroom and into a world of endless possibilities (ISTE, 2010).

In order to do so, I am developing a professional GAME plan. Using the ISTE (2010), I have selected two standards in which I will seek to develop confidence in.
1. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
2. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

Goals and Action
Specifically, I am seeking to design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments using a SmartBoard, I plan to collaborate with a peer who is a SmartBoard expert in my school district. I, having recently acquired the SmartBoard, have limited knowledge but am willing to try. Currently, we share a prep time where she could provide tutorials in using technology.

In addition to creating the digital-age learning experience and assessments, I need to be more cognizant of modeling digital citizenship and responsibility for my students. I feel as if I know, since being enrolled at Walden University, how to site sources properly. However, I tend to skip citing information when I am planning for my classes. My students need to understand the importance of citing and providing recognition to the rightful owner. My action step will be to apply proper citation technique consistently to my lessons and to provide educational time teach students the proper citation patterns.

Monitor
In order to monitor my two goals and action steps, I will reflect weekly on my goals’ progresses. I will reflect while the goals are being met and after the action steps are completed (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2008). I will use journaling or blogging to reflect openly about the progress that I am having with a digital-age learning experiences and practicing digital citizenship and responsibility.

Evaluate
To evaluate my original goals, I will regularly reference my monitoring tools to provide insight into their progress. Within the same blog or journal as the monitoring stage, I will use periodic evaluation methods to check and challenge my goal’s results. Perhaps every month or two, I would ask myself the question, “How effective were you actions in meeting your goal” (Cennamo, et al, 2008).

After fulfilling the Game Plan , I hope that I will be in position to help students remain "powered up" and engaged using technological advancements.

References
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.

National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/
2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Prensky, M. (2008, March). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40-45.


Brad Feick
HS English