EDUC 6715: Week 8 Reflection

In reflecting on my learning in this course, I feel I have strengthened my knowledge and skills for integrating technology into instruction in an effort to become a leader of change in my school and district.

Understanding of and consideration for the needs of the 21st century learner are key components to keep in mind when advocating for the adoption of new and emerging technologies. The idea that students today learn the same way students of even 10 years ago did is simply ignorant and can easily have a very negative impact on our students' learning and futures.

During weeks 6 & 7, I completed a learning activity that integrates the game Lure of the Labyrinth into a 7th-grade mathematics lesson on ratios and proportions. While some “old school” teachers may see using a game to teach mathematics as an indulgent waste of time used for entertainment purposes only, I believe it better engages my 21st century students. “The hypertext minds of 21st Century Learners crave interactivity, are good at reading visual images (though weak with reading skills), have strong visual-spatial skills, tend toward parallel-processing and inductive discovery, [and] look for fast response times which leads to short attention spans,” (Rodgers, Runyon, Starrett, & Von Holzen, 2006, pg. 2).

Technology, including digital games, should not be used as a replacement for good teaching. Good teaching, however, in an effort to prepare our students for their futures, should include technology. The use of this particular technology fosters collaboration, self-directed problem solving, and communication – all necessary skills for a successful 21st century future.

As a result of this course, and the fact that I will be moving to a brand new middle school in our district next year, my eyes are wide open and on the hunt for new and emerging technologies that I can bring into my classroom. Through my readings and research for this course, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon some fantastic blogs, journals, and discussion groups which have greatly expanded my own personal learning network. Additionally, the creative and enthusiastic minds of my fellow classmates have proved to be amazing resources that I will continue to tap even after my Walden experience comes to a close.

Reference:

Rodgers, M., Runyon, D., Starrett, D., & Von Holzen, R. (2006). Teaching the 21st century

learner. The Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning. Retrieved April 8, 2010 from http://depd.wisc.edu/series/06_4168.pdf

EDUC 6715: APP4: Online Learning in K-12 Schools

Presentation: Online Learning in K-12 Schools

EDUC 6714: Final Reflection

The resources my other group members and I have gathered for our Differentiation Station assignments will become useful tools to have at my disposal. In designing instruction that will meet the needs of the diverse learners that walk through my door every day, one can simply never have too many options from which to choose. When looking for new instructional resources, a fellow educator should always be your first stop. The Differentiation Station has allowed us to come together and share relevant, useful resources in an effort to improve our efficacy as professional educators.

While I would not categorize my learning in this class as “new” learning, I did find it useful. I have always believed in differentiated instruction and the integration of technology to reach all learners. I was already familiar with the principles of Universal Design for Learning, the various brain networks and how they figure into learning, and how to effectively use technology with my students. However, through this course, I was able to further my understanding of UDL and DI, and refine my approach to both. I was able to gather even more useful, engaging, and relevant technology resources for my students, which will have only positive effects on them and their learning.

I have already begun to make changes to my instruction as a result of this course. In fact, the design of my next unit is completely differentiated by readiness, as indicated by my students’ Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) scores. Group Learning Pages have been set up on my class website and Learning Packets have been put together for group use. Students will be using Compass Learning Odyssey to navigate their way through greatest common factors and least common multiples in their Learning Groups. I tried this same approach during the last unit on function tables and was thrilled with how well it turned out. My students naturally helped each other before asking me, which allowed me to focus on those students that needed my attention the most. We were able to come together and work out any “kinks” they discovered and, in the end, agreed it was a very successful unit. We are all looking forward to next week’s learning!

EDUC 6713: Final Reflection

Cennamo, Ertmer, and Ross tell us that, “[t]he GAME plan enables you to customize your approach to learning tasks, to develop relevant skills that are important to you, and prepares you for lifelong learning,” (Cennamo, Ertmer, & Ross, 2009, pgs. 3 – 4). As I reflect on my own GAME plan developed and followed throughout this course, I feel as though I learned several valuable lessons as a result.

The goal on which I focused throughout this course was to increase my proficiency in customizing learning activities to address my students’ diverse learning and working styles and ability levels through the use of digital tools. While working toward this goal, I discovered Google Docs, which, as I “play” with it, seems to be one of those “must-have” teacher tools. Using Google Docs, students can create PowerPoint-style presentations (as well as other types of documents) together, with all students having access and equal opportunity for input. This will allow for students with varying technology abilities to create a product collaboratively, without one student “taking over,” which can easily happen in a small group setting.

In my learning about the GAME plan process itself, I find myself with conflicting opinions. In theory, it is a great strategy to help students improve their self-directed learning skills. Allowing students to set, monitor, evaluate, and extend their goals puts their learning in their hands, where it should be. This strategy does just that. However, the pace we followed throughout this course left me overwhelmed and questioning its effectiveness.

After sitting back and thinking about it, I now feel as though I can actually see myself using this strategy with my students. Goal setting is a major component of self-directed learning and the basis of the GAME plan. If implemented properly, I feel as though this strategy will be an asset to my instructional practice.

I have to admit that there is no need for an adjustment to my instructional practice regarding the integration of technology. We already use some form of technology on an almost-daily basis. This course has, however, confirmed my opinion that technology is an incredibly valuable tool for learning and its use will benefit my students well beyond the nine months they are with me.

Reference:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

EDUC 6713: APP 7: Using the GAME Plan Process with Students

Our goal as educators is to create self-directed, life-long learners; individuals that continually seek new experiences, knowledge and skills. Such learners, according to Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer, “engage in three key processes: planning, monitoring, and evaluating their learning activities,” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, pg. 3). The authors’ GAME Plan (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009) provides a framework and guide for learning that puts the responsibility, evaluation, and extension of learning squarely in the learners hands.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve worked through my own GAME Plan in an effort to understand its purpose and process and determine the best way to implement such a strategy with my own students. While the idea behind this strategy is a good one, the speed with which we have “gone through” it left me overwhelmed and a bit frustrated. This, however, has proven to be a valuable lesson about the pacing to use with my own students.

According to the International Society for Technology in Education’s (ITSE) standards, students must be able to demonstrate creative thinking and innovation, communicate and work collaboratively, use digital tools to research and use information, use critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making skills, understand and practice legal and ethical behavior relating to technology, and understand technology concepts, systems, and operations (ISTE, 2007).

Using the GAME Plan as a means for gaining proficiency in these standards accomplishes two goals: proficiency the NETS•S standards themselves and greater skill in self-directed learning. Allowing students to set their own goals then handing the responsibility for monitoring, evaluating, and extending those goals over to them is the only way to truly “teach” them to become the life-long, self-directed learner I set out to create.

References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

EDUC 6713: APP6 - Revising my GAME Plan

One of my GAME Plan goals is to increase my effectiveness in engaging my students in exploring real-world issues and authentic problem solving using technology. We are in the middle of a quarter-long project about the United States Census and its affect on the House of Representatives. The kids are currently working on comparing the population and number of House members for each state from the last two Census years (1990 and 2000).

Yesterday, the kids were to finish pulling population and House data from websites I bookmarked on our class Diigo page and enter it into an Excel spreadsheet I set up for them. The next step will be to teach them to create and copy a formula that will calculate the change in each set for each state. The kids were much more engaged and willing to do the work when they realized they were not going to have to complete those calculations by hand. They are very interested in getting to the next step and learning about what Excel can do for them; so much so, my room has never been as quiet then while were working yesterday!

Additionally, the students did not “hand in” a spreadsheet, rather, they e-mailed it to me as an attachment – something many of them have never done before and thought was “really cool.”

I’m not sure this is a goal I will ever be able to say that “I’ve reached,” as there will never come a time that I will be satisfied with my ability to engage my students; I will always strive to be better and do more. I think in order to properly use the GAME Plan format, I need to set goals that are truly attainable and their success can be measured. I think the fact that I used a “never-ending goal” for this assignment is the reason I have felt so stressed over the past few weeks – definitely a lesson in goal setting I can apply in my classroom!

My new learning goal will be based on NETS•T 1c: Teachers promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes. My plan is to learn to use and effectively employ the use of Google Docs in my classroom – specifically, Google Presentations. Again, my plan is to first “jump in” and “play” in order to figure out exactly how it works then determine how to use it with my kids. (Some folks get really stressed out by my “jump and play” method, but it works for me!)

APP5: Evaluating my GAME Plan Progress

I have to be honest and say that my “actions” this week have been very limited. With teaching, coaching, mentoring, and graduate school, I have barely had time to sleep, let alone take action toward my GAME plan goals.

I have learned over the past few weeks that there are more tools available than one could ever imagine if you just look for them. This is not new learning for me, but it is previous learning that has been acutely reinforced. I have also learned (again, not new learning, but reinforced previous knowledge) that our technology integrationist is of little help in finding new tools and developing new ideas for my classroom.

I really want to be able to customize learning for my students, as I teach an incredibly diverse group. However, becoming an “expert” takes time, which is something I do not have a lot of these days. I would really love to get in contact with a technology integrationist that has new ideas, something lacking in the one working in my building.

I think I need to re-examine my plan and focus it a little more. I feel it is too broad right now, which is causing me to feel a little overwhelmed. I’ll do that by taking some time this weekend to sit back and think about what is truly important to me and my students right now. What can we actually use, that is beneficial, practical, and supportive of their learning; not just something to bring in for the heck of it.

EDUC 6713: APP 4 - Monitoring My GAME Plan Progress

To strengthen my proficiency in customizing learning experiences for students with diverse learning abilities, I am slowly adding to my “technology toolbox.” Discussions with my colleagues have proven somewhat beneficial, though very few teachers in my school use the amount of technology that I do, so new ideas are hard to come by. The Internet has been invaluable in this process for this very reason.

I don’t feel I need to modify my action plan, though I do think I need to find the time to focus myself on finding new tools that I have yet to try. Time has been my biggest obstacle.

I have learned that the time spent taking individual students’ strengths, weaknesses, and interests into considerations yields very large dividends. I recently offered my students a choice for a part of a long-term project they are working on – they were allowed to type a traditional journal entry about some research they had completed, or they could create a podcast, which did not involve the writing portion. Several students chose the podcast option and they were infinitely more engaged in the process than they would have been otherwise. Several of them even re-researched the material to improve the information they had for their podcast.

I don’t necessarily have any new questions, but I do have an idea for a related arts class that I would like to present to my administration. I think we need an “Internet Class” of some type; something that teaches our students how to use the Internet for academic purposes. The amount of time it takes to try and explain the difference between a search engine and an actual webpage alone to 7th-graders is unbelievable! I think they really need have time dedicated to this, especially with how much our society relies on the Internet today!

EDUC 6713: APP3 - GAME Plan Reviewed

To carry out my action plan, any and all resources are welcome and necessary. One goal is to extend my knowledge of the use of digit tools to engage students in exploring real-world problems and issues. Fellow teachers are incredibly valuable resources, as they may have ideas that haven’t occurred to me yet. Technology journals and blogs are other resources that provide great insight to new tools and applications. One such resource, which I visit regularly, is Free Technology for Teachers; I encourage everyone to check it out!

There is a never-ending amount of information needed, so to answer, “What additional information do you need?” is impossible. Information on what technologies are now available, what technologies seem to have an impact on education, and information on unexpected ways to use technology is always needed.

EDUC 6713: APP 2

As quoted by Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009), self-directed learning is, “any increase in knowledge, skill, accomplishment, or personal development that an individual selects and brings about by his or her own efforst using any method in any circumstance at any time,” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, pg. 2). In order to organize, direct, and reflect on your own learning process, and in turn, strengthen your self-directed learning skills, the authors recommend creating a GAME plan as a guide. Their GAME plan is broken down into four steps: “1) set goals; 2) take action to meet those goals; 3) monitor progress toward achieving goals; and 4) evaluate whether the goals were achieved and extend your learning to new situations,” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, pg. 3).

As a teacher in the 21st century, it is essential that I am not only aware of, but actually skilled in the newest technologies and instructional methods in order to provide my students with the education they need and deserve. To this end, I have set goals for strengthening my confidence and proficiency in the following NETS-T indicators:

“1b: [Teachers] engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources; and

2c: [Teachers] customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources,” (National Education Standards for Teachers, 2008).

To achieve these goals, collaboration with colleagues is a must. I will reach out to fellow educators, both in my district and throughout the country via online networks, and find out what has been working (or not working) for their students. Building upon and modifying what others have already started is a great way to get my own wheels turning without having to start from scratch.

Staying abreast of current research and technologies is also critical to achieving my goals. The Internet is an incredibly valuable tool for seeking out the “latest and greatest” on both fronts.

The best way to really achieve my goals is to jump in, try “it,” and see what happens. I am not afraid of new technology, nor am I afraid of testing it out with my students. If it works, great; we’ll keep it. If not, at least we gave it a shot.

The only real way to monitor my progress on these goals is through my students. I will use student surveys and observation to gauge their engagement and motivation. Monitoring their skills development and content learning will be done through projects, formal assessments, and dialogue. They are the leaders in this situation.

To evaluate and extend my learning, I will keep a journal of my “adventures.” This will allow me to take a step back and look at the “big picture” of what is going on in my classroom and with my students. It will also allow me to take an objective look at what seems to be working, what is not working, and where adjustments need to be made. In addition, workshops and conferences offered through my district and professional organizations such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics will extend my knowledge and skill in these areas.

References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.

EDUC 6712: Reflection

Alan November (2008) reminds us that, “[E]ducators can harness the power of the Internet to get their message out and to empower students to become more actively involved in managing their own learning,” (November, 2008, pg. 3). No longer are we the gatekeepers to the information available to young minds, choosing what our students learn and when they learn it. In today’s technology-driven world, all the information is already out there for our students, ready for the taking. It is now our job to teach our students how to effectively access and process that information.

The most striking revelation I had about the teaching of new literacy skills as a result of this course was the number and complexity of them. The old “readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmetic” standards are long gone. Sure, students still need to know how to read, write, and multiply, but in today’s world, students need to learn how to critically evaluate, analyze, and synthesize information they have read, communicate their findings to others, and become master problem solvers. To compete globally, students will need to learn globally – and the Internet opens the door to learning in such a collaborative fashion.

That being said, we cannot simply connect our students to the Internet and turn them loose. Anyone can post anything on the Internet, and they do. The amount of information, and misinformation, for that matter, found on the Internet can be overwhelming. The knowledge gained from this course has allowed me to see that it is important that we teach our student how to search effectively for the information they need and/or want and, once they find the information, how to evaluate that information for authority and validity.

Navigating the Internet to find and evaluate information is a key skill in itself, but not a stopping point. As Eagleton and Dobler point out, “Readers must not only understand the text, but must also be able to ‘own’ the information,” (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007, pg. 199). Teachers in decades past used to “tell” student what the information given to them means and how it fits into their lives. Today, however, students need to be able to synthesize information on their own, only relying on teachers for direction when their lost.

Finally, and equally important, is the ability to take this new information learned and communicate to others in an effective manner, often through the use of other technologies such as blogs, Wikis, and other multimedia projects.

One goal I have for myself as an educator in the 21st century is to further my own skills in developing technology-based, inquiry-driven lessons that help my students develop their own 21st century skills and global awareness. I will be able to accomplish this goal through future Walden University courses and professional development workshops and classes offered by my school district, as well as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

References:

Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.

November, A. (2008). Web literacy for educators. Thousands Oaks: Corwin Press.

APP 7: Evaluating Research Methods

Scenario 1: Ten students are available for in-depth interviews. Participants will be selected based on their involvement with the peer mediation program. They will be observed over three weeks. Analysis will attempt to determine issues concerning peer mediation.

This scenario reflects a qualitative research method with a case study design. Qualitative methods, “emphasize gathering data on naturally occurring phenomena” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008, p. 26). Additionally, “a case study examines...a case over time in detail” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008, p. 26).

In this scenario, the researcher is using interviews, or narratives, for data collection and presenting the results in the same manner. The results will, “tell a story” (Laureate Education Inc., 2008b), which is indicative of a qualitative case study.

Scenario 2: Two classrooms of students are selected. There are 30 students in each class; each group will have similar demographics—age, sex, race, socio-economic background, etc. Classes will be randomly divided into two groups of 15 students. Of these two groups, one randomly selected group will get training on peer mediation and the other group will not. Thus in each classroom there will be one group that is trained in peer mediation and one that is not. Analysis will occur on which groups have the fewest office referrals.

Scenario 2 reflects a quantitative research method with an experimental design. Quantitative research methods focus on numbers, as is the case in this scenario. Dr. Canipe reminded us that in an experimental design, the researcher will, “set up variables and conduct experiments” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008a), which is, again, the case in this scenario.

The random division of the classes and selection for training speaks directly to experimental design. Additionally, McMillan and Schumacher tell us that, “[a]n experimental design also has a particular purpose in mind: to investigate cause-and-effect relationships between interventions and measured outcomes” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008, p. 24). In this case, the researchers are investigating the effect peer mediation training has on the number of office referrals written.

Scenario 3: A school counselor is interested in knowing how student attitudes affect the value of peer mediation to decrease the number of office referrals that are being filed for inappropriate interactions.

This scenario reflects a mixed-method of research with an exploratory design. McMillan and Schumacher remind us that in an exploratory research design, “qualitative data are gathered first and a quantitative phase follows” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008, p. 28).

The school counselor, the researcher in this scenario, will first collect data regarding the attitudes of the students, then the quantitative data on a reduction in office referrals, which follows the design of an exploratory study.

Scenario 4: Peer mediation has become widely used in many schools. The feelings of those involved in the process are little known—either from those doing the mediation or those receiving it. The ZASK-R Acceptance Preference Survey will be given as pre- and post-tests to 40 students participating in mediation. Follow-up interviews will be conducted on a bi-monthly basis.

The fourth scenario reflects a mixed-method research design, as well. However, it reflects an explanatory design rather than an exploratory design. In an explanatory design, “quantitative data are collected first and, depending on the results, qualitative data are gather second to elucidate, elaborate on, or explain the quantitative findings” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008, p. 28).

In this scenario, the researchers will first collect their quantitative data through the pre- and post-test surveys. To explain or elaborate on the results from the surveys, the researchers will then conduct interviews with the students to gather their explanatory, qualitative data.

While each of the scenarios presented reflect a different research methodology, we should keep in mind the words of Dr. Steve Canipe: “The importance of any method is to answer questions” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008b).

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008a). Program five. Quantitative Research Methods [Motion picture]. Introduction to educational research.. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008b). Program six. Qualitative Research Methods [Motion picture]. Introduction to educational research. Baltimore: Author.

McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2008). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry (Laureate custom edition). Boston: Pearson.

Another change in my research topic...

We were all warned this would happen, so I'm not sure why I was surprised when I had to "fine tune" my problem statement, yet again. After reading countless studies regarding laptop/computer use and its effect on student achievement, I remembered that's not exactly what I had originally inteded on researching! (Close, but not exact.) After not being able to find ANYTHING (no exaggeration there...not a single study) on laptop/computer use and MAP scores, I decided I needed to adjust my statement for the purpose of our Literature Review. (I will, however, be conducting my own research this year using my previous problem statement.)

I plan to determine the impact of technology integration in the classroom on middle school students' achievement and attitudes toward learning.

Who: middle school students
What: technology integration in the classroom
Why: impact on achievement and attitude toward learning

EDUC 6653: APP 3: Writing Research Questions

Problem Statement:

I plan to determine the impact of a classroom environment, in which each student has constant and immediate access to computer technology, including the Internet, on the motivation and understanding of mathematics by 7th-grade students, as measured by student surveys and teacher observation of time-on-task and engagement (motivation) and Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) scores (understanding).

Who: 7th-grade students
What: classroom environment with computer access for each student
Why: impact... on motivation and understanding of mathematics

Research Questions:

1. Is there a significant difference in engagement and motivation for students having immediate and constant access to computer technology in the classroom compared to that of students without such access?

This research question would lead to a qualitative methodology. Dr. Canipe reminded us that, “Questions regarding experiences or stories imply a qualitative methodology” (Laureate Education Inc., 2008). This question would be answered with anecdotal evidence submitted by the teacher, based on his/her observations, and by information gathered from surveys given to the students. Since it is based on the experience of using computers consistently to enhance learning, this question leads to a qualitative research methodology.

2. Does immediate and constant access to computer technology lead to more significant gains on a student’s MAP score than when such access is not available?

This research question would lead to a quantitative methodology. Dr. Canipe also reminded us that, “Questions regarding numerical data imply a quantitative methodology” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). The answer to this question will be found in the analysis of the students’ test scores, specifically their Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) scores, which is given three times throughout the school year. Since the primary research of this question is based on numbers and test scores, this question certainly leads to a quantitative research methodology.

Reference:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program three. Research Questions [Motion picture]. Introduction to educational research. Baltimore: Author.

Reformulated Problem Statement

I plan to determine the impact of a classroom environment in which each student has constant and immediate access to computer technology on the motivation and understanding of mathematics by 7th-grade students, as measured by student surveys and teacher observation of time-on-task (motivation) and Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) scores (understanding).

Who: 7th-grade students
What: classroom environment with computer access for each student
Why: impact... on motivation and understanding of mathematics

EDUC 6653: APP 2 Problem Statement

I plan to determine the impact of a 1:1 classroom environment on the motivation and understanding of mathematics by 7th-grade students.

Who: 7th-grade students
What: 1:1 classroom environment
Why: impact... on motivation and understanding of mathematics

EDUC 6711 Reflection

Upon reflecting on my “Personal Theory of Learning” and considering everything I have learned over the past 8 weeks, I have to admit, I have no changes or modifications to make. I still believe each of the theories discussed throughout this course has relevance in the classroom, though, ultimately, kids learn best by doing. As I said in week one, and still say 8 weeks later, learning is not a spectator sport.

My ideas and opinions regarding technology integration in the classroom have not been changed as a result of this course, but they have certainly been validated. I have always been a big proponent of bringing technology into the classroom and have never been afraid to, as Dr. Orey suggests, “give the technology to the kids” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). The observation made my Gardner, “that new technologies make materials vivid, easy to access, and fun to play with” (Weiss, 2000, p. 52), articulates my thinking on technology perfectly, though I have never been able to state it so well.

What has changed, however, as a result of this course is the size of my “technology toolbox.” In our discussions, resources, readings, and my own “web surfing,” I have found many great ideas that will help engage and motivate my students, which cannot help but enhance their learning. Most of these technologies are not new to me, but the ideas on their use are.

One tool that will be used from the first day of school next year is a blog. I used them last year, but not to their full potential. Since I will have classroom laptops next year, I will be able to use this tool on a daily basis, which is very exciting to me. The students’ blogs will bring the traditional, spiral-bound journal into the 21st century by putting it online. My students will be more motivated and engaged by using technology over paper and pencil, which can only have one result: more meaningful learning.

Another benefit of using a computer for journaling, which is not often mentioned, is the effect it will have on my special needs students. Many of them are incredibly resistant to journaling because of the effort it takes to put their ideas into writing and the embarrassment they feel from their handwriting and spelling struggles. A computer can easily help alleviate these issues. Students can create pod casts to post instead of writing, spell check helps lessen spelling errors, and images can be easily found and substituted for words. The list of accommodations that are possible for special needs students is endless.

Another tool that will be used in my classroom next year is spreadsheet software, such as Microsoft Excel. Mathematics is about problem solving, and a lot of problem solving involves data collection and interpretation. The use of this kind of software will help reduce the stress and inevitable errors caused when students must collect, organize, and make calculations for large amounts of data. By using the software, my students will be able to focus on the interpretation of the data and the “big picture” of the problem at hand, creating a more engaging environment where real learning can take place.

The first long term goal regarding technology integration is to use technology, in some capacity, at least once each day. To be sure this goal is achieved, my plan is to use the “Exit Slip” technique with my students and have them post their response to their blogs. They will be given a prompt to which they will respond, such as, “What is one new thing you learned today?” By combining this technique with technology, my students will be better motivated to reflect on their learning, while improving their technology skills at the same time.

The second long term goal regarding technology integration is to give my students more in-depth exposure to each of the “major” software applications used in the real world. Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint will be a necessity for success in the real world, and I intend to start them on that path toward success. To achieve this goal, I have already started developing projects that include these applications, among others, to enhance their mathematics learning and strengthen their technology skills. Each project assigned to my students will include a technology component, either during the project or as the final presentation piece.

Today’s world is reliant on technology. This is an idea that one can hardly dispute. If our job is to prepare our students for their future, “the fast-paced, virtual workplace that they will inherit” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 139), integrating that technology into our instruction is not simply a “good idea;” it is an obligation.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program thirteen. Technology: Instructional Tool vs. Learning Tool [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Weiss, R. (2000, September). Howard Gardner talks about technology. Training & Development, 54(9), 52-56.