A Productive Week
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T), and I chose two of them for my GAME plan. To review, I chose 1. a) promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness and 4. d) develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital age communications and collaboration tools (International Society for Technology, 2008).
In order to carry out my GAME plan, I will first need to locate websites with computer tutorials, WebQuests, interactive graphic organizers, and virtual field trips. Next, I will need to talk to my colleagues about websites they use for concept mapping and mindtools. Then, I will explore all my options, and keep track of what I particularly like and why. After that, I will start using these tools in my classroom, and ask my students for feedback on what technologies they each prefer. To evaluate the effectiveness of these various technologies, and how I incorporate them, will be reflected in the final project of each student.
Already I have located wonderful websites for WebQuests, and virtual field trips. This week I am beginning a small unit on the Pilgrims, Native Americans, and the first Thanksgiving. The website I like best for WebQuests is www.webquest.org. I found many WebQuests by typing in The Pilgrims, but one in particular works for what I have in mind. My partner and I are going to have our students do a compare and contrast of the Pilgrims’ life style to that of the Native Americans, during the time leading up to the first Thanksgiving. The WebQuest called A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim/Wampanoag Child gives a list of website for children to use for researching both the Wampanoag Native American Tribe, and the Pilgrims. Next, I found fantastic virtual field trips on www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/. I found four virtual field trips to actual recreations of the Pilgrim village, Wampanoag homesite, and the Mayflower ship. This recreation is in Plymouth , Massachusetts
I went to a conference a couple of weeks ago, and a presenter recommended an interactive graphic organizer on the website http://edu.glogster.com. This website is endorsed by both Discovery Education and ISTE. I will need to sign up to use it, but it comes highly recommended. This same presenter, Carin Brenner, also recommended Animoto.com for producing unique video, text, and photo presentations. It was one of her top twenty websites for educators to use. I may end up using Animoto, as well.
The ePals program seems straight forward and easy to operate. I have signed up on www.ePals.com, and all I need to do now is create a permission slip for the parents of my students to sign. We will soon be connected to another English speaking 2nd grade class, somewhere in the world. However, I am taking webconferencing off my GAME plan. I think for now, it is enough for my students to write to children in another country via email. Webconferencing is way out of my comfort zone, and incorporating all of these new technologies is all I can handle for now.
I would appreciate any other recommendations of resources you might have. Teachers are a wealth of information. If you have ever done webconferencing I would love to hear how it worked for your class.
Reference List
International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/nets-t-standards.pdf?sfvrsn=2
It sounds like your GAME plan is well under way. I think the tools you have selected will really make the information come alive for your students much more than reading from a text would.
ReplyDeleteI do not have any experience with ePals but after these Walden courses, I'm so eager to try it.....although I teach math and writing isn't a direct standard, but I'm sure there is another classroom out there that would like to create and solve each other's problems or to share what they've learned with others. A few courses ago one of my professors shared the link to Skype in the Classroom https://education.skype.com/. I had made the comment that I would love to have my kids collaborate with another 5th grade classroom but I wasn't sure how to find a willing teacher. I guess this site allows teachers to connect with one another based upon their desired communication/collaboration.
I want to commend you for taking off the video conferencing if it is too much at this time. It sounds like you are already taking on a lot, and we know just how demanding Walden assignments can be (not to mention the portfolio) and the every day demands of teaching. It is always okay to put something on hold for awhile but it is not always easy as educators to admit that. I would just add that to your teaching bucket list or to-do list for the future. :)
Mindy,
DeleteThank you for your comments, and support. I like your idea of putting the video conferencing on my "teaching bucket list". I intend to use that technology, but it would overload me right now.
Janet Bissett
I think you have a wonderful idea and a great start for integrating these technology standard indicators into your classroom. Websites like Edumodo and GlogsterEdu are great places to create and share ideas with your class, for students to share with their classmates, and even sharing with students across the world. Edumodo is like an educational Facebook that allows students to share ideas, quizzes, assignments, etc. Where as GlogsterEdu which is kind of like a combination of Facebook and Pinterest. Students can be creative, share their thinking, and use a variety of different modalities to demonstrate understanding.
ReplyDeleteI hope these websites help you with your GAME plan!
Patrick Hall
Patrick,
DeleteThank you for your response. I will check out the Edumodo and GlogsterEdu. They sound like great ways for students to share their ideas and be creative.
Janet Bissett