As a reflective practitioner, it is
imperative to continue evaluating and monitoring progress toward goals. I am revisiting my GAME Plan to do just
that. I will be addressing whether or
not I have located the information and resources I need to carry out the plan,
if modifications are necessary, what I have learned up to this point, and if
new questions have come up since developing my plan.
My first goal: To utilize technology as a way for students to collaborate and
reflect on newly learned content.
Finding information and resources:
I have decided to use Edmodo as
the forum for students to begin blogging.
However, my students now have Google accounts too. We will be using
Google apps in my classroom for various collaborative activities as well. My professional learning community at Walden
was instrumental in helping this decision along. I have begun to explore the tools within
Edmodo and Google to see how they can be of use in my classroom. My students’ parents are satisfied with the
level of security that Edmodo provides.
I have located a few examples of
student blogs and teaching blogs that have students’ input to share with my own
students. This was not as easy as I had
thought it would be. I found several
blogs written by high school students, but not many with substance written by
elementary students. I guess my students
will be creating their own examples over time.
I have joined an on-line PLC
through edWeb.net to get ideas for blogging and using other technologies in my
classroom for collaborative activities.
This is a great way for me to meet others who have similar aspirations
and goals related to technology integration.
Very few of my colleagues are using technology beyond word-processing
with their students.
What I have learned and
modifications:
I have resigned to “move slow to
move fast with technology”. My
enthusiasm for getting things moving has been hampered by my personal
experience and time constraints. I want
to make this a meaningful and productive activity in my teaching practice. Realizing this has made me slow down a bit so
I can be better prepared to launch this with my students.
My students still have a lot to
learn and so do I. I think the best way
for all of us to get better at this is through self-directed learning. I think my students need some time to explore
and play with the technologies and build their confidence. I need to do the same.
New questions:
-Are their mentoring adults that
would be willing to get involved in blogging with my students?
-How would their involvement be
helpful and educational for my students?
My second goal: To model appropriate use of citations and teach students how to
cite media, text, graphics, and other sources within their own work.
Finding information and resources:
I have located a few mentor texts
with proper citations and acceptable paraphrasing. I would like to have more time with my grade
level colleagues to collect the resources we need to meet this goal. I have
looked into the resources a colleague at Walden suggested on the topic of
digital citizenship and found some very helpful and useable information. Here is the link:
I am working on criteria for
proper citations on my writing rubric.
What I have learned and
modifications:
Digital citizenship should be
taught from Kindergarten on up. The
students in my class have heard of plagiarism, but they do not understand what
it means to do it. I am hoping the technology
committee in our building addresses this topic and develops a cohesive plan for
teaching it to our students. I have offered
to be on this committee. I am already a
member of another committee, so maybe I can just consult with the group when
the meeting times do not conflict.
New questions:
-Are there other ways to make
digital citizenship important to my students?
-How can I involve the whole
school community in meeting this goal?
I will continue to monitor and
evaluate my progress toward these goals, so they are a top priority in my
teaching practice. I am looking forward
to exploring Edmodo and Google a bit more.
I am getting eager to have students participate in their first blogging
assignment. Any and all feedback and suggestions
are appreciated.
Hi Kori,
ReplyDeleteI can appreciate some of the struggles you are having with how digital citizenship is handled in your school, and how students interact with this concept in your background. As I teach high school students, social media is often used for every possible reason other than academic work. I am regularly disappointed with students who write papers using texting language, or even worse, the constant drama that surrounds my students’ use of social media to perpetuate rumors and gossip. I looked into the link you provided in your post, and I was interested in many of the sources it provided for teaching students about digital citizenship. Your involvement with the committee can hopefully facilitate this concept. As Ohler (2011) explains, our students are expected to reconcile the “two lives” the have, a traditional unplugged life in school, with a digitally enhanced life outside of school, and many school curriculums do not acknowledge or support these difference. Hopefully, your work on this committee can rectify this issue.
When students do use technology to produce relevant academic work, I also struggle with plagiarism and proper citations. Not only do students often fail to cite sources properly, but there are so many different ways different teachers and departments require citations that students struggle with expectations. At the end of last year, I worked with my grade level instructional team to create a citation and formatting guide according to MLA guidelines that we then shared with our entire department, as well as other departments. The guidelines packet we made is about four pages, and covers everything from in-text citations, attributing paraphrased sources, works cited pages, and paper outlines and formats. While not all teachers have adopted the guidelines, it has helped in streamlining some of our processes. Students have also commented on the fact that they appreciate having one source to turn to for how to cite sources, and that it has helped them to better understand what it expected of them.
Rebecca
Ohler, J. (2011). Character education for the digital age. Teaching screenagers 68 (5).
Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb11/vol68/num05/Character-Education-for-the-Digital-Age.a
Rebecca,
DeleteIt takes a lot of work and dedication to make change such as you did. I think that standardizing how to cite resources properly, paraphrase content, and format papers would be so beneficial for both educators and students. Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer (2009), discussed the importance of sharing expectations with students, so they know what to aim for. If these guidelines and expectations are in place before students are expected to write their papers and complete projects, they would be more likely to comply and understand why it is important.
Your effort has has inspired me to work with our tech committee to ensure that this is a top priority for our students.
I am glad that you found some resources that can be of help to you as well.
Thanks,
Kori
Reference:
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.
Kori-
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you are utilizing Edmodo in the classroom. I think that it is a valuable resource that the students like just as much as we do. I read an article previously about college students getting involved with school-age students and mentoring them through the blogging process. The students would post work such as writing or resources they had found about a project and the college students would comment about it, which was very beneficial for the students because they were posting work for someone other than their teacher to see. This increased the authenticity of the project.
Also, if you did not know, Google Drive and Edmodo pair seemlessly with each other. If you are having students turn in assignments on edmodo, they can do so directly from their Google drive accounts. :)
Great ideas!
Ashley
Ashley,
ReplyDeleteWhat an excellent idea to have college students mentor school-age kids through blogging. I can see so many benefits to this. My building has a partnership with Lewis and Clark College and the education students there. I think this would be a good place to start to find college students that may want to participate in this activity. I think they would be willing since they have clock hours to log with students for their programs. Anytime there is a wider audience for students' work the students have more buy in and engagement in a project. Again, thank you for the idea!
Kori
Kori,
ReplyDeleteIn case you haven't read anything about me, I have been out of the classroom for a while; integrating technology into the classroom and curriculum is new for me. Our peers at Walden have also convinced me to look into Edmodo. Several of our classmates seem to be familiar with it. I also checked it out on Graphite (www.graphite.org) to see what other educators have to say about it.
As for Google, I believe our fellow classmate, Tom Wilcox, would be able to give you some guidance with its apps and usage. He has mentioned it several times and appears to have success with it in his classroom. If you have not already heard from him, I would suggest you contact him. You could also visit his blog at http://btwithmw.blogspot.com/2014/11/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-ja-x.html
I want to say I admire your courage for finding an online PLC to find information and advice. I am usually more comfortable using people I know, or people in my district that are already familiar with our standards and curriculum. I realize I need to go beyond by comfort zone and reach out to other educators if I want to do the best by my students, to continue being a life-long learner, and to share experiences - both successes and "opportunities."
Congratulations on your self-assessment and analyzing where your students currently are and where they - and you - need to be. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) stated that "your students' learning involve designing and arranging experiences that help them meet their learning goals" (p. 85).
I agree with your statement that digital citizenship should be taught from the time children enter school. Today's youngsters already begin school knowing a lot about technology and how to operate it. It is up to schools to supplement what students should already be learning at home regarding protocol and proper etiquette when using technology. We still need to monitor and hold students accountable when they are in our care.
Along with having parents/guardians sign permission slips, it might be advantageous for you to have the parents do an activity or two along with their child, so the parents/guardians have a better understanding of what their child is doing your classroom and what your expectations are.
Good luck with your research and implementing your goals.
Best wishes~
Kimberly
Reference
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.