Dr. Peggy Etrmer states that for teachers to integrate technology effectively we must have knowledge of basic technology skills, be confident when using technology, have solid beliefs that learning goes beyond knowing the facts, and be surrounded by people supporting us as we try new technologies in the classroom (Laureate, 2009). I kept that in mind as I looked at the NETS to discover my weaknesses. I continue to keep that in mind as I evaluate how to best help my students improve their technology skills.
Where to start? I know people are tired of hearing me say that my students don’t have any background in technology and that I am the digital native in the classroom. In this day and age, that is difficult for people to believe when they look at how long I have already been in the classroom and the junior high students that I teach. How can this be true? It is true because of the poverty level of the county in which I teach. It is true because the remedial nature of my classes tends to put my students at a severe disadvantage on the poverty scale. All I can do is expose them to as much technology as I can throughout the semester they are with me. At least that is what I used to think. Exposure isn’t enough. The exposure to technology must become more purposeful, more deliberate, more planned. Here it comes! The GAME plan for my students (Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P., 2010)! The next decision must be am I going to set their goals, knowing this may not be the best choice or am I going to let the students set their own goals through discussion of NETS-S (http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007_Standards.pdf )? Probably both. I will set student goals based on what I intend to make sure they master but I will also let students develop their own GAME plans, knowing in advance they will choose goals based on what will be “fun.” The hidden benefit here is that more standards will be covered!
Goals
My students are not goal setters; setting goals will be difficult for them. I am not sure that I should jump in right away with the technology. Maybe the first goal should be to complete the assignments and turn them in. Once they have been successful doing that, I can move them to the technology goals. I see my first goal for my students being strand two: Communication and Collaboration. Then I would choose strand five: Digital Citizenship because it is so closely related to writing and documenting resources. They will get this strand in so many different ways that it should be an easy goal for them to achieve. What I predict my students will set as their goals is strand one: creativity and Innovation.
Action
How am I going to do this? Start small and take baby steps. I will start with setting an easily attainable goal for them and have them track their progress toward it. By gradually increasing their involvement, I hope to have them setting their own goals within a month. That will leave time during the rest of the semester for us to work together on the technology goals.
Monitor
By starting small, monitoring will be easy. It will be a simple yes/no; did I get all my work turned in? Then I will add a reflection piece by asking students to indicate how they felt about accomplishing the goal. As we set new goals, this checklist will expand. By the time we reach the technology goals, students will be familiar with the GAME process and actively participating in planning their next goal.
Evaluate and Extend
This part of GAME will be the hardest part, for me and my students. We will do a lot of discussing what we want next. I will use this time to remind them of their successes as we look forward to tackling a larger goal.
Resources:
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007_Standards.pdf
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program three. Enriching Content Area Learning Experiences with Technology, Part 1 [Motion picture]. Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. Baltimore: Author.
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4 comments:
I like that you are seeking to increase the ability of your students to interact and understand technology. It is great that you will require them to develop their own GAME plans. So what if what they choose to focus on will be fun. Learning is supposed to be fun, at least that is what my students always say. What is important is the fact that they are learning new things.
I agree with your statement of completing and turning in assignments, I see that quite often in my school as well. As long as you are willing to take the steps, and your students are willing to make them as well, you'll be in good shape. It is definitely a good way to start, and it is important to increase the goals as you see fit, just as we did midway through the course.
Sometimes we do have to start with the very basics. Maybe your first goal is to teach the students what a goal is. I like the idea of setting a goal simply to turn in an assignment (a goal several of my students could benefit from also). You have started simply by using technology in your class and introducing them to it. Now you have the challenge of helping them set goals that will make the technology more meaningful. I know that it is a challenge but it must be great to be able to lead your students into the 21st century.
Goal planning for students is a fantastic way to prepare them for their future in both education and the workplace. Teaching them this process will help them in all areas in their life with planning and motivation and preparation. I think that in many cases schools today are lacking some real world teachings that would really help students. With Home Economics taken out of most schools students miss out on a lot of real life applications. I think that goal setting is one that needs to be replaced by other classes.
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