What is the future of education?

Technology is the obvious answer.  Finding the technology that addresses the diverse needs of all students is the challenge!

What kind of technology should teachers look for to supplement their classroom? What should students be able to access about any class online?

There are many options for resources that can help a teacher in their classroom.  A good starting point is the traditional teacher web page.  I currently have a website that allows students to see the class schedule, assignments for class (when they are assigned and due) and other important information.

Here is a link to my site: http://www.sunprairie.k12.wi.us/faculty/sbmonth/

Online resources can help students who have a hard time taking notes or feel overwhelmed with all of the information presented in class. If a student misses class or loses a classroom resource they can hopefully find it online or consult their peers for information.

The future of online resources are complex resources such as moodle or RCampus. Complex in what they can do but at the same time user friendly so that all students can quickly learn how to use the online resources that the teacher makes available.

Online resources can encourage real learning if they support, challenge, and educate students while keeping in mind the diverse needs of students. I teach Social Studies. My online virtual classroom will consist of chapter summaries and outside sources for clarification and support.  Links to presentations and examples of student work for projects will help students understand and meet classroom expectations. What really appeals to me is the option of collaborating with peers similar to how we have our weekly discussions at Walden University.

According to Miguel Guhlin “Moodle is one of those technologies that can transform how you handle professional learning online, as well as how you handle student learning.”

The teacher who says that this is not an important addition to any classroom is probably concerned that they will not be able to handle the new technology.  Often teachers get comfortable with what works best for them without considering what works best for students. If a teacher feels that technology is not important to their students they should do a survey and ask their classes how many of them have smart phones, their own computers, or even a facebook account.

If a school district takes the time to purchase and implement a valuable online classroom resource they also have the responsibility to properly train their teachers that will be using the new technology. If teachers fully understand how to use the resources they can pass on the advantages to their students.

If teachers are still resisting the idea of having resources available online they can be reminded that they control all of the information that is made available and who has access to the information. Online resources are also a great way to show parents what steps an educator is willing to take to ensure success in their classroom.  If a student misses school they can find information that will help them catch up quicker than if their parents collected the missing work at school at the end of the day.

In conclusion online resources that promote student achievement and peer collaboration are as crucial to every classroom in the way that pencils and paper used to be.  Our students are all digital  natives and to waste the opportunity to reach them in their preferred method of communication really limits what a teacher can do in the classroom.

Guhlin, M. (2009). Moodle-izing your education enterprise. EducationWorld.com. Retrieved October 15, 2009 from http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/columnists/guhlin/guhlin012.shtml

The Differentiation Station social network was a very valuable resource for me during this class.  It gave me the opportunity to share and collect valuable resources with a small group of my peers.  What I quickly learned is that a successful Universal Design for Learning was the first step for establishing lessons that use differentiation.  I read somewhere that one size does not fit all when it comes to a Universal Design for Learning.  What works for one student may not work for another student even though their learning preferences are very similar.

The social network we established is a great way for teachers to share ideas and resources with each other.  It would be ideal to continue the network and expand membership to other teachers. It would be nice to categorize the resources available for grade level and subject. Teachers could share success stories about lessons that have worked with specific kinds of students and ask for help when they are frustrated because they cannot find anything that works with a specific student.  The more resources and strategies we have at our disposal the more successful we are in the classroom.

I have made a few immediate changes in my classroom.  I am going to have all of my students take an online survey so I can get an idea of how they prefer to learn.  Now that I know how important this is I wonder how I ever taught in the past without doing this first? I was also inspired on how valuable it was to share information with my peers and I think my students can also benefit from this. I am going to set up blogging opportunities similar to what we did in class.  My role has changed. I am no longer the dispenser of information. Instead I am a guide to help students use technology and other valuable resources to find information.  I have to find what challenges and interests my students so that they are actively engaged in learning.  Once I find this out I have to use my Universal Design for Learning to differentiate my lessons.

Technology will also allow me to increase the options available to students.  I can use resources such as a choice board online to let students make choices with how they learn.  Technology can be used for cooperative learning.  I believe we have only scratched the surface with how technology can help a Universal Design for Learning and Differentiation.

Scott Monthie

When doing a reflection you have to ask yourself a few questions.  What did I learn? How did I change? Where do I go from here? How will I use what I have learned? Is what I learned important and something I can use?

As I asked myself these questions I went back and reviewed all of my GAME plan postings on this blog.  So what did I learn? I realized that to be the best teacher that I can be I definitely have to have a plan.  I am at an interesting point in my career.  I am teaching a different grade for the first time next year.  My previous 8 years of teaching experience were teaching 7th grade Social Studies.  Now I am going to 6th grade Social Studies.  I have to make sure that my GAME plan works with a new curriculum and new grade of students to teach.  When I started my GAME plan I had some great goals but now looking back at it perhaps I was a bit too ambitious taking into account the changes I am going to go through next year.  That being said I still found some valuable things in this course that I am confident I can use next year to make my classroom better.

Probably my favorite thing that I can’t wait to use in my classroom is digital storytelling.  I will introduce this concept to my students early and use it often in my classroom.  Digital storytelling gives me the opportunity to allow students to create their own work with technology.  Incorporating self-directed learning with digital storytelling instantly makes my classroom more technological challenging and creative.

A short-term goal for my classroom and GAME plan is using a smart board to my advantage.  I have never used a smart board before and I am very excited about the obvious change it will bring to my classroom.  For me the challenge is to make it seem to my students that I have had a smart board for years and I am completely comfortable using it in my classroom since many of my students will have more experience using them than I do.

Early in my GAME plan I talked about using staff development to my advantage.  This will be tricky in my district.  We often are not allowed to pick what are staff development is.  If I can not find staff development that helps my GAME plan I need to look into creating some.  That will be a long-term goal since I have a lot on my plate for next year as I previously mentioned.

So where do I go from here? I will revisit my blog in late August or early September to refresh my ideas and make a practical plan with achievable short-term goals and long-term goals that will take me to the next level as a teacher.  As I have mentioned previously I know I will have a lot more access to technology next year after having to basically fight over technology the past five years.  I have to admit to being resistant to the changes I have mentioned with teaching a different grade, it wasn’t my idea.  As I have had time to reflect upon it and make plans for the future I am feeling an excitement about my job that I have not felt in years.  I think I was becoming a complacent teacher who was starting to go through the motions and had good lessons at my disposal but I was not growing or changing things at a pace that was on par with my usual standards.

In conclusion this class has made me reflect upon what I do and what I do not do.  I learned some new strategies and really thought about what can I right away and down the road to improve my performance.  I believe the idea of making a plan is something we should do for all aspects of our lives, not just our classrooms. This class reminded me why I became a teacher and made me think about what I can do to become better.

Scott Monthie

I have to admit since that it is the first week of summer break my thoughts about my GAME plan are kind of hazy. I’ve looked over what I’ve created so far and the NET-S and I think the main thing about my GAME plan that I like is that it is a specific plan. When school starts and I am through the first couple of weeks I know I can look at my GAME plan and actually evaluate where I am and make plans to use it.  I do know that my access to technology will be much greater next fall and that has been my biggest barrier to date for using any kind of technology.  Right now I have a bunch of ideas in the back of my head and when I am ready to start seriously thinking about school again I know I have some things to look forward to when I create lessons that use technology.

Scott Monthie

I have to admit it is not a good time right now for me to be thinking long-term goals for my classroom. It is the last week of school, the kids are making me ask myself “Why did I ever become a teacher?”  I am packing up my classroom that I have been in for five years. I have to move my stuff this summer, learn a new curriculum, figure out how to use a smart board with that new curriculum, and join a new team of teachers that I have never worked with before.

That being said I am excited about next year.  Sometimes change can be a good thing.  I’ve been thinking about my GAME plan while doing all of the things I mentioned above. I am working on the transition to become a teacher that allows students to self-direct their own learning and looking for any way to incorporate more technology into my classroom.

Looking over the NETS – T ,  I know I have to focus on teaching, learning, and the curriculum since I will have so many new things next year in my classroom and if I don’t have my act together it could be a long year and I will not let that happen.

I guess my immediate plan is to figure out how to use a smart board (My district is offering training and I think I will give up some of my valuable summer time to learn about using a smart board).  I also plan on improving my classroom website as a resource for my students and their parents.

Have a great summer everyone!

Scott Monthie

The first thing I want to say is that this is not the best time of the year to be making goals and hoping for lots of time to follow them up. I still have school this week and next week, but I have still managed to do a few things but not as much as I would like.

I have done a few things like get the technology resources that I will need next year. I have looked into getting some smart board training.

I believe I have learned that I need to do more projects and let my students learn more on their own and that my role is changing to more of a guide in the classroom.

I have to learn how to get better at getting my hands on the technology available to me at school. Right now that is a big hassle and difficult but next year it will be easier and I have to be ready to jump at things available to me that will improve my classroom.

I am not sure how I will adjust my plan right now. I have a few ideas kicking around in my head but I really do not have the time to seriously ponder them and take any action until school is over. I have a lot of grading and packing up my entire classroom to do in the next week, not to mention my Walden work. I am getting some serious flashbacks to my college days!

Scott Monthie

So what steps have I taken?  I have tracked down all the electronic resources for the new class I am teaching next year.

I believe I will have to modify my plan some. I will have to wait until I can get into my new classroom and play around with the smart board and use my summer curriculum time.

What I have learned so far is that although I feel comfortable with my use of technology there is a lot more I can learn and do to get myself ready for next year and beyond!

I am really trying to incorporate things I have learned during my time at Walden to use in my classroom next year and beyond. I want to find fun and exciting things to make my classroom the best it can be.

Scott

So what do I need to implement my GAME plan as far as integrating technology into my classroom?

The first thing that comes to mind is just having more access to technology at school. Next year I am getting a smart board and I am very excited about that.  This summer I plan on learning how to actually use it. I have a great new textbook that has multiple technology resources. I can’t wait for this school year to end so that I can start playing around with my new toys.

Also my school is losing a grade because of building shuffling which is good for me because access to computer labs just got much easier at my school.

What steps have I taken so far? I joined the technology committee at my school. I have sought our the resources for my new book ahead of time for next year. I have a school website to help students. I also email students and parents every week about grades and upcoming assignments. I think I have a good start for my GAME plan.

Scott Monthie

 

Looking over the Nets-T was an interesting experience.  The list of five things pretty much covered everything that I want to be able to do when I am finished with my program at Walden University.  The ones that I felt most comfortable with were facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity and promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility. If I can teach my students how to use technology to become self-directed learners and do it ethically I will be comfortable with the way technology is used in my classroom.

One thing that I would like to learn more about and really implement into my classroom is design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments. My focus here would be on the assessments part. I would really like to increase how I use technology in my classroom for assessment.  I believe the possibilities here are endless and teachers really have an opportunity to do some real fun yet productive assessments with technology.

I also feel like I should work on engaging professional growth and leadership with technology. What is the point of taking this program from Walden if I do nothing with it? I have already shared some of the interesting things I have learned with the team I teach with and I would like to take it further after I finish my program at Walden. 

So what actions will I take? I have already started using things I have learned in the classroom.  I am assigning more projects and giving students more and more opportunities for self-directed learning.  Next year I get a smart board and I can’t wait to completely change how I teach information. This summer I plan to teach myself (the best way I learn) how to become comfortable using a smart board in my classroom.

I will know how my progress is going based upon how my classroom environment changes. Gone are the days of just pulling out a lesson and teaching the same thing the same way year after year. Once I finish my program with Walden I am considering applying for jobs in my district that go with teaching technology to students. Technology is really taking off in my district and I plan to be a part of it.

Scott Monthie