Carrying out my GAME plan

In order to carry out my GAME plan I need to have access to more technology and become more familiar with lessons involving technology. In order to design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity I will need to work closely with our technology coordinator. She will be my best resource at knowing what all technology tools we have in our school. The other contact that I would use to help me would be our Media specialist. She knows of great books that go with different standards and incorporates our GPS (Georgia Performance Standards). She would also be able to teach me how to use the different technology tools.

So far, I have been able to check out from our Technology Coordinator a "Slate Board" which is an interactive board that the students can use to project their information onto the big board. I like to think of it as a mini smart board. It has been a great tool not only to get them engaged and motivated, but it keeps them quiet because they all want a turn. My next step is having a Mimio bar put up in my room so that I can do interactive games and lessons with my students. Our school is ordering a few more, so I am waiting on that. Hopefully the more and more I get comfortable at using the different technology that is out, the better I will become at creating lessons to go along with it.

Personal GAME Plan

After reviewing the National Educational Technology Standards, there are still quite a few standards that I need to become stronger in and grow as an educator. I try and incorporate as much technology as I feel my students can handle considering they are only in 2nd grade. I probably don't do as much as I should considering today's day and age and how it has become so technology based. I love using technology just as much as the students do, and the students seem to be more engaged when involved in different technology activities.

The main NETS-T standards that I want to get more comfortable and confident in are:
GOALS:

• Teachers promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.
• Teachers design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

ACTION:

In order to achieve my goals I will conduct some research on different lesson plans that incorporate digital tools that the students can "play" with. I will also need to figure out what kind of digital tools and lessons fit in with our student curriculum.

MONITOR:

I will monitor my progress by reminding myself of the goals in which I have set for myself, as well as how engaged the students become while trying to succeed in trying to incorporate more technology and digital tools.

EVALUATE:

I will be able to evaluate my GAME plan when I attempt to incorporate my goals into the classroom. If my lessons go well and are a success, then I know I have mastered my goal. If the lesson doesn't not go well, I will know that I haven't mastered it and that I need to do a little more research and tweek the lesson in order for me to achieve success in my personal goal.

Reflection 6712

After taking this class I feel more comfortable using the internet with my students. I have learned multiple ways to teach my students how to tell if a website is reliable and valid. I have also realized how important it is to teach the students the ethic and rules of interent use in the classroom.

This class has given me the confidence to go outside my box and incorporate the new technology skills in my classroom. Letting the students explore the internet and answer their own inquiry questions about certain topics gives the students more interent in learning.

One professional development goal I now have after this class is to learn how to create a website. I would love to have my own classroom website and have my students help me in creating it. It would be a great way of keeping the parents up to date and involved. It would also give them other links to useful resources and information.

Application 7- EDUC 6653

In this weeks application we are to review all the different research methods we have learned in this class. We were given 4 different scenarioes to interpret and determine which research method would be the most effective.

Scenario 1: Ten students are available for in-depth interviews. Participants will be selected based on their involement with the peer mediation program. They will be observed over three weeks. Analysis will attempt to determind issues concerning peer mediation.

This scenario I find would use the qualitative research method. It gathers data over a 3 week period from a group of students who already have knowledge on peer mediation.

Scenario 2: Two classrooms of students are selected. There are 30 students in each class; each group will have similar demographics-age, sex, race, socio-economic background, etc. Classes will be randomly divided into two groups of 15 students. Of these two groups, one randomly selected group will get training on peer mediation and the other group will not. Thus in each classroom there will be one group that is trained in peer mediation and one that is not. Analysis will occur on which groups have the fewest office referrals.

This scenario would use the quantative research method. It has a specific subject its gathering research from as well a plan in analyzing the data. "Designing quantative research involved choosing subjects, data collection techniques, procedures for gathering the data, and procedures for implementing treatments." (Mcmillan & Schumacher, 2006 p.101)


Scenario 3: A school counselor is interested in knowing how student attitudes affect the value of peer mediation to decrease the number of office referrals that are being filed for inappropriate interactions.

I find this scenario to use the mixed-method of research. It starts out using the qualitative research method when finding out how attitudes affect peer mediation, but then uses the quantative method when trying to decrease the number of office referrals. Therefore, it uses the mixed method of research.

Scenario 4: Peer mediation has become widely used in many schools. The feelings of those involved in the process are little known- either from those doing the mediation or those receiving it. The ZASK-R Acceptance Preference Survey will be given as pre- and post-tests to 40 students participating in mediation. Follow-up interviews will be conducted on a bi-monthly basis.

In this scenario I have found that mixed-method of research is used again. Only this time it uses the exploratory design. It used both quantative and qualitative research in the exploratory design. They will be gathering the #'s or quantative data from the ZASK-R survey. "Qualitative data collection and analysis is followed by a quantative phase." (Mcmillan & Schumacher, 2006 P. 163)

This class has taught me so much on educational research and all the different methods that can be used. Before this class I had very little to no research experience. I am looking forward to learning more and hopefully will become more comfortable with it. Right now, I am still pretty nervous about it.

Research Qustions

After posting my possible research questions on the db, I have gotten a lot of feedback on more questions that I can probe when trying to solve my problem statement.

My problem statement is " I plan to determine the impact of standardized tests for students whose districts are cutting technology funding vs. those in districts that are maintaining or increasing their funding."

Research Questions:

1. If given technology funding in some school districts and not in others, will the schools with technology funding score higher than the schools who do not have the funding?

2. Did districts that reduced technology funding see a decline in standardized test scores?

3. Did districts that reduced technology funding, see technology use drift mainly towards remedial technology use?

4. Is there a difference in test scores from the previous year with technology funding vs. this year without technology funding?

Most of my questions use the quantative methodology and use difference questions. I am trying to find out the difference in test scores with technology funding vs. no technology funding.

EDUC 6653-EDUC Research Topic

I have chosen to research the topic of school districts that are cutting funding for technology equipment vs. those school districts that still have funding for tech equipment and the impact each has on students when taking the standardized tests.

Who: school districts

What: funding for technology equipment

Why: impact on students when taking the standardized tests.

Reflection: Personal Theory of Learning

After reviewing my Personal Theory of Learning, I still stand firm with and feel strongly about creating differentiated instruction for each child. Every child has a different learning style and technique. Some need small group instruction or one on one instruction. Some need visuals and pictures, and others are auditory learning. One thing I would like to include or add into my theory of learning is technology.

After taking this course and getting more familiarized with different technology tools, I have noticed that technology could be another form of differentiated instruction. In addition to pictures, repetition, and hands-on manipulatives, I believe that concept mapping, blogging, and taking virtual field trips are all other great tools to help in differentiating instruction for the students. Concept mapping I find to be a very important skill. The students can not only break down information and pull important parts, but they can then add pictures to go with the text to help them to remember the information.

My long terms goals in incorporating technology into my classroom are creating a classroom blog that my students have to participate in daily. After creating my own classroom blog for EDUC 6711 I have found them to be a very fun and interactive way to discuss and comment on different classroom topics. The other long term goal I have is to let go a little bit and give more responsibility to my students when letting them use technology. For example: after giving a tutorial on how to use a concept mapping program, let the students go and "play" and figure out how to use the program. Once they are given a little free time to explore the program, they will have a better understanding of how to use it. I hope to continue to learn about more technology tools as my MS in Technology continues.