a. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources
c. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
As Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer (2009) discuss, authentic learning situations increase student motivation. If we can spark our students' interest an provide a challenge, "we are more likely to engage them in the topic at hand and to prompt them to take ownership of their learning"(Cennamo et al., 2009, p. 37). Although I believe in the benefits of authentic learning situations, I often find myself bogged down by time restrictions. I would like to break through that barrier this year.
In addition to this, performance indicator "c" involves using tools to view student thinking. I feel that I do not allow my students to reflect on their learning often enough--again, due to time constraints. I strongly desire to change this and to use technology to better facilitate the process. I have created a GAME plan in order to improve my confidence in these two areas (Cennamo et al., 2009)
Goal 1: to develop an authentic learning activity for my 9th grade biology class on the topic of ecology
Goal 2: to better utilize my classroom blog in order to involve students in reflective thought regarding their learning in biology
Action: I will research how other teachers have provided students with authentic learning experiences in ecology. I will also research the school and community resources available to me in this situation. For goal 2, I will begin to require students to post on my blog once a week, answering a question that requires them to reflect on their learning for that week.
Monitor: As I progress through reaching my goal, I will assess whether there are sufficient resources to provide an authentic learning experience for ecology. If not, I will choose a different unit of study to investigate. I will also monitor the level of student engagement in the blog reflections--are students giving thoughtful answers? Are my questions and the student answers clarifying their conceptual understanding and thinking? If not, I will have to alter the format of my questions or the requirements.
Evaluate: After these endeavors, I will reflect on the effectiveness of providing the authentic learning opportunity and using blogging to promote student reflection. Using student surveys, I will ask students how they felt about the authentic learning experience and how they felt about the blog postings and how effectively they feel the two strategies helped them learn. This will give me valuable data for my next goal.
I hope that by following this plan, I become more confident in these skills. I also hope that as I share positive results from this experience with my school community, it will have a "ripple effect," motivating other teachers to engage in this type of self reflection and goal setting (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).
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.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Promoting self directed learning with technology, part 1. [Video webcast]. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/ default. learn? CourseID=6072063&Survey=1&47=6819430&ClientNodeID= 984650 & coursenav=1&bhcp=1
Will your students be coming up with their own big question or idea? Will you be implementing self-directed learning in the facilitation of this authentic learning experience? I only ask because, as a fellow science teacher, I find that scientific inquiry and authentic learning experiences are so closely related that they are almost interchangable. I am curious as to how you will be going about this as I am planning on using the GAME process and authentic learning as the basis for our science fair projects this year. I know that it's for the best but am nervous that I will not be prepared for all that it entails, making for a not-so-positive experience. I'm excited to see what real-world ecology topic you choose to tackle.
ReplyDeleteNicole,
ReplyDeleteAs a high school special education teacher who works in three English inclusion classes, I must say that I love your idea of utilizing your classroom blog in order to involve students in reflective thought about the content being learned. You now have my gears turning just thinking of the excellent way this will engage my students and encourage them to reflect about the content being learned. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) touched on key points when discussing weblogs as well. They stressed having a GAME Plan for using classroom blogs and said to “continue to monitor how well it is meeting your goal and purposefully evaluate its effectiveness once you’ve used it, whether after a lesson, a unit, or at the end of the year” (p. 75). I wish you success on your endeavors; I hope I meet the same success.
References
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Eduation, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Heather,
ReplyDeleteYes, I would love my students to come up with their own big question or idea. As Eagleton and Dobler (2007) discuss, students are more motivated during learning experiences that allow them to ask their own questions. I think I would give them a big umbrella topic to focus their scope and let them choose their own question from there.
I'm sure your efforts will pay off for this year's science fair! I wish you luck in that endeavor. Bravo for stepping up to the plate and making a change where you see it is needed.
-Nicole
References
Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for Internet inquiry. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Colleen,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement! I have always considered having students keep "learning logs" so that I could monitor their learning reflections; however, it always seemed it would be difficult to keep up with their entries to really monitor student progress without collecting them constantly--which takes so much time and space! With a blog, I can view student answers much more quickly and can read them from home or at school. Much more convenient!
I wish you luck as well!
-Nicole
Blog Response: Heather Shores
ReplyDeleteI was particularly interested in your second goal: promoting self reflection while using collaborative tools. This sounds wonderful. It also sounds like something most of us already do at home (Skype and Blogger). I brought up Skpe because it seems like a good tool for distance collaboration. I'm reminded of Edutopia from our previous class. It seems to be a place where kids come together from all parts of the country to collaborate and reflect. I wonder how this site might be of assistance. For now though, a blog seems great. You might think about upgrade from a written response to inserting a video or a voice recording. Of course there are all sorts of questions on how to for that. I'm finding out that the nuts and bolts of the technological job are what keep me from trying. What is I can't get everyone to use it? What if not everyone has the technology they need? These are the questions that really hold me back.
Its sounds like you are on the way to integrating technology via reflection and collaboration. Prensky tells supports your ideas by mentioning other ways we can make technology okay for students(Prensky, 2011). Give students the opportunity to use technology. Find out how students want to be taught. Understand where kids are going. Connect students to the world. This list of reminders seems to run very close to what you are trying to do in your class. As the months pass by, realize that your integration of technology is helping to keep kids engaged in the content through the use of new technology. Keep that technology fresh with new ideas.
References
Prensky M. Turning On the Lights. Educational Leadership [serial online]. March 2008;65(6):40-45. Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 13, 2011.
Lucas, George. 2011, Edutopia.org
I recently came across an article, "Evolution of a Web Enhanced Course" by - you guessed it - Cennamo, Ross, and Rogers. I was struck by a particular passage that stated "technology should be used what technology does best, and face-to-face meetings with professors should be used for what face-to-face interaction does best" (p.32). This really had a profound effect on me and the way I view the integration of technology in the classroom. Where I once was eager to jump on just about any technology bandwagon (the pretty feathers and shiny objects effect), I am now carefully analyzing and evaluating each tool for its purpose and place in my curriculum. I am no longer trying to fit square pegs in round holes. I am trying to reach that perfect balance necessary for an effective hybrid classroom.
ReplyDelete