Monday, September 27, 2010

Monitoring the progress of my GAME plan

I am still working on my GAME plan in accordance with The National Educational Technology Standards. In an elementary art setting I see a variety of ways in which I can do this. The two indicators that I would like to look at and strengthen in my classroom practices are: # 2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments and # 5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership.

When looking at goal number two, I was challenged by this week’s learning resources and the breakdown of assessments we looked at. Through course text and reinforcement in our online video, I can see that assessment can tie in technology while being forced option, open-ended, performance-based and project-based. Maybe I have been too focused on integrating technology that I forgot also to breakdown my assessments and exactly what I am trying to assess. This knowledge helped me. For example I could take an open-ended assessment like journaling about a piece of art, but to meet my goal, I could have my students blog about it instead on our classroom blog and then turn it into a post.

For goal number five, my school received a grant to purchase some sound technological tools that I feel will really take our learning and teaching into the 21st century. In my last post, I cited a core committee as an important resource in helping me to obtain my goals. I still see this as pertinent. Recently we mapped out topics and tools to cover throughout our calendar school year during staff professional development days. I jumped on board with this committee to set reasonable goals for us as to what we would like to be implementing into every day practice and when. Along with this I have been looking at local workshops that might cater more to my needs as experts would be on hand to better train me in the models of the equipment we recently received.

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). Assessing Student Learning. [Educational video]. Baltimore: Author.

www.iste.org

5 comments:

  1. Robyn,
    one of my goals is also to engage in professional growth and leadership. I am in charge of leading some In-Service days on how to better acclimate classes with technology and standards. What are some of the goals that you and the committee are hoping to implement with the grant monies in order to grow professional development?

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  2. Robyn,

    I joined by school's STEM committee this year. We have some federal money coming in and are debating on what to purchase. Our computer lab is in sad shape, but I am not sure that is the best way to meet the technology needs of the students. 20 computers for a school servicing 400+ students does not seem adequate. Do you have any suggestions?

    Julie

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  3. Hi Jordan,

    That is almost exactly what I am doing! We have set benchmarks that teachers can meet throughout the school year. One example is that by the end of the schoolyear they would use one form of technology in the majority of their preps. So if they teach five core curriculum classes, then they would use technology in atleast three, once a week.

    We are still writing them all up, starting small ang working our way up.

    Good luck!

    Robyn

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  4. Julie,

    Wow! Sadly no. Our computer ratio is much better than that because we have traveling labs. In our new performing arts school we have about 150 students. We also surveryed our parents one time because we have a wirless clout in our building and asked them if they would be willing to purchase their child a notebook. Many, many were on board with this because the company we were looking into would give us a deal. Maybe you could start there... or what about fundraising to get some money towards personal computers and then having families make up the difference?

    Robyn

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  5. Robyn,

    I teach at a school that is 99.9% free & reduced. Fundraising is almost nonexistent as a result of most of our students living in subsidized housing. We do get some money from federal and state funding but rarely are we able to spend it on technology. My principal is basically technology challenged even on his iPhone, so there is little push from that arena.
    Thanks for the suggestions. I am thinking they may work for my son's school.

    Julie

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