This post is
for a graduate course I am taking called Integrating Technology Across the
Content Areas. My content area is high
school biology. This week we examined
the National Education Standards for Teachers and set goals to improve on at least
two of the five indicators. Quite
honestly, I think I could improve on all five of the indicators. I think I am better at standard one, which is
facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity, standard four, which is
promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility and standard five,
which is engage in professional growth and leadership. The two standards I really need to improve on
the most are standard two, which is design and develop digital age learning
experiences and assessments and standard three, which is model digital age work
and learning. After reading the
resources this week, I realized that these two standards are the ones I really
need to work on.
Improving on
these indicators is part of my GAME plan (Cennamo et. al., 2009, p. 3) for this
course. GAME represents setting goals,
taking action, monitoring my progress, and evaluating my progress. I have been incorporating computer-based
tutorials and webquests into my lessons for the past couple of years. I came to realize this week that I have been
going about this incorrectly. I
learned that tutorials provide a complete lesson that includes presenting
information, providing practice, and evaluating student learning (Cennamo et.
al., 2009, p. 53). I don’t think the
tutorials I include in my lessons include all three of these parts. I also learned that webquests include an
introduction that motivates students, an outcome of the lesson, steps for the
students, information on how the students will be evaluated and a reflection
activity for students. I came to realize
that all of my webquests do not cover each of these components either. Hence, I need to work on standard two and
develop better digital age learning experiences and assessments. There are still many technological resources
I need to learn to use myself so I will feel confident in integrating
technology effectively into my lessons (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). Hence, I need to work on standard three model
digital age work and learning.
In order to achieve these goals I need to
revamp my lessons and make sure I am including all the correct parts to the
technology pieces I include in my lessons.
I also need to really pay attention and make sure my students are
learning from this technology integration.
I will also start asking my students’ opinion on if they think they are
learning from these exercises. Since I
teach several honors classes and I have a good rapport with them I think they
will give me an honest answer about their learning. I will monitor my progress on these goals by
reflecting each week on what I have changed and included in my lessons as far
as technology goes for standard two and I will try to learn at least one new
technology to incorporate each month for standard three. I will evaluate and extend my learning by
testing myself and incorporating what I learn into my lessons and teaching what
I learn to other teachers during professional development days. The science curriculum specialist in my
county has been asking me to share what I learn during these days and it is a
great way to extend what I am learning. My
main concern is for my students, I don’t want them to feel like they are “powering
down” (Prensky, 2008, p. 42) when they walk into my classroom.
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.
(Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating
technology across the
content areas. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Prensky, M. (2008). Turning on the lights.
Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40–45.
