I think the secret to success with any goal setting activity is to select something you want to do, that needs to be done. All the templates, methods, procedures or approaches in the world are meaningless until the individual setting the goal has the desire to succeed.

I created a GAME plan to address my desire to construct a curriculum map that incorporated problem/project based learning and technology use into every unit. The unit plan I completed for Integrating Technology Across Content Areas that incorporates problem-based learning, social networking/online collaboration, and digital storytelling fits perfectly into my GAME plan curriculum map. I plan to use it as a template with which to create more unit plans. I am sure that future course work will be added to my collection in the same way. The next step I should take is to create a formal checklist of which topics I have covered, and which I still need to address.

Whether they realize it or not, students already engage in GAME plans. Their Goal is to learn Spanish. The Action they take (or not) is to pay attention in class and study. They Monitor progress by receiving feedback from the teacher in the form of grades. Then they Evaluate whether or not their feedback met their expectations. However, students could improve upon this process through more reflection. It may well be worthwhile to set aside class time for exploring GAME plans in more depth through journaling. It just might help some students take more responsibility and ownership in the learning process.

GAME progress and the problem with problem

Thus far I have been able to locate sufficient information as needed for the portions of the GAME plan that I have worked on. Although more information is always welcome and will only make the process easier and produce a better curriculum map in the end. I believe the timeline I set for myself in the Action plan is very achievable and does not need modified at this point in time. I have completed a draft of my course outline and have added content as indicated in my Action plan.

One of the main uses of technology that I would like to include in my lesson and unit plans involves the creation of a class web site that includes applications for a calendar, wiki, and blogs. However, that idea has been strictly hypothetical due to the fact that I currently work only as a substitute teacher. I explored Moodle, but decided against using that site due to the fact that it requires the download and installation of software. I chose PB Works because it was not blocked by the school net nanny, and does not require any special software. Today I created an account and am currently exploring how to set up the wiki and calendar. I like that I have the option to add student users without them needing to register with email accounts. If any of my colleagues have used PB Works, I would appreciate any advice you have to offer.

The biggest concern I have at the moment is looking into next week and the Problem Based Learning lesson. I fear that as a teacher of foreign language, Problem Based Learning poses a unique challenge. The purpose of PBL is to encourage higher-order thinking. However, with only one or two academic years at the most of studying a second language, I do not foresee that my students will have the vocabulary skills necessary to express higher-order thinking in the target language. I predict a couple possible outcomes. One: students will become frustrated and quit because they lack the fluency to express themselves in the target language. Two: Students will use their native language (English) to communicate, therefore defeating the purpose of the target language. In order to overcome these challenges, I may need to lower the cognitive level of the problem to match the target language vocabulary level of the students or allow the use of native language. If I allow native language, I would need to limit class time spent on PBL lessons because the students will not be practicing target language, as required to meet the learning standards.

Planning an engaging FL course

The first step toward carrying out my action plan is to review the fifteen topics as identified by the NY State curriculum. I need to organize the topics in a logical sequence that will allow me to continually build upon previous lessons while incorporating new information to achieve higher levels of performance. Since I live in a rural area, and most potential teaching assignments would require that I teach multiple grade levels, I will next need to review the NY State Standards and performance levels expected at each check point. Keeping in mind best practices, I will then brainstorm, poll students, utilize colleagues, and search internet resources for activities and projects that address the topics at each of the checkpoints.

I could use assistance from you, my colleagues in locating and identifying activities and projects that are of interest to Jr. high school age students studying a foreign language. From your own experiences, or those of your local colleagues or students, what activities or projects might you suggest I include in developing my curriculum map and unit plans? What would students really like to create? What activities do they despise and why?

GAME plan for NETS-T

In this stage of my career, having not yet obtained a full-time position, The NETS-T indicators I would most like to strengthen are; 2 a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity, and 2 b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

G: my Goal. What I would like most for my own classroom is to break away from the textbook and photocopied worksheets and develop an entirely student-centered and technology rich curriculum, paperless even? I would like to walk into my first teaching position with the confidence of having outlined a curriculum map and organized all the unit plans necessary to complete the course in a logical sequence that allows students to continually build upon previous units in order to create more complex projects and products.

A: Action. In order to accomplish this goal I will pull form my student-teaching experience the practices of my mentor teacher whom I would most like to imitate and use this as my starting point. I will then examine the State curriculum, specifically the fifteen topics, and brainstorm new or use internet resources to locate ideas for project-based, technology-enriched learning activities which will address the content at a comprehension level appropriate for my students, as well as prepare them for their regional exams. Finally I will arrange the material in a logical manner and organize both unit and curriculum outlines.

M: Monitor. In order to accomplish this goal, I will need to set deadlines for completing portions of the task. An achievable work schedule might be to brainstorm one learning activity per week, and organize one unit every two or three weeks. Unless of course I actually get hired for a position; then I would need to accelerate the project.

E: Evaluate. I will need to set up a system to organize my ideas and materials. I prefer digital archives as they are easiest to modify and duplicate when necessary, and conserve space. I will also keep a journal to record personal thoughts on the progress toward my goal. I should set a date each month to reflect back on my journal and assess my progress. I can extend my learning by sharing my completed curriculum map with colleagues through a blog or web site where others are free to borrow or make suggestions to improve my work.

jing and screencast.com

I created this evaluation of a web site for my WaldenU course 6712. I used Jing and uploaded to Screencast.com. The assignment directions were to upload the file to Youtube, but without downloading a trial version of Snagit, I have yet to figure out how to get that done. So I decided to try and put a link to it here, hopefully this will satisfy the requirement? W4AssignSmithT

6711 reflection

In my Personal Theory of Learning from week one, I emphasized student engagement. I still believe that engagement is the key to learning. This course has provided me with a toolbox of technology applications based in teaching and learning theories that will help me to actively engage my students. However, it is not about what I can do with technology, but what the students can do with the technology.

I am just beginning my career as a teacher, and am still adjusting and making improvements to some basic classroom management issues. My studies with Walden have expanded my horizons and will allow me to think outside the box as I try and solve these routine classroom dilemmas. Immediate adjustments that I am making to my teaching practice include brainstorming ways to convert teacher centered lessons to student centered lessons. And how might I integrate technology into those student centered lessons so that students are engaged in the content and using class time wisely. I am thinking of how to present content to students in the form of problems to be solved, provide them with access to the tools they need to find solutions and set specific expectations for concluding their research and presenting their information to an audience. We could use word documents or spreadsheets to analyze data. Web Quests can connect us to a world of experts in any field. Virtual field trips can take us to see places we might never have the opportunity to visit in person. Power Point, Voice Thread and Prezi allow us to share our thoughts with the world beyond the classroom through multimedia.

Long-term changes I am planning for my teaching practice include creating an on-line classroom. For example, when a student is absent, how and when do I take time to catch them up to date on the material they missed? If I had a course wiki set up, I could keep a running syllabus and have pages where the class compiles notes in the form of reference materials. I could have links to handouts so students could print out a copy of anything they missed or lost. I would like to record instructions and rubrics for class projects on Voice Thread so students would have a reference that they could consult anywhere, any time. I would like to find web-based applications like Quizlet that I could use to administer assessments that would provide immediate feedback to students and reduce the paperwork for myself.

There are a multitude of changes I could and should make to my teaching practice. It can easily become overwhelming. What I intend to do is pace myself by trying out one new idea at a time, and improve upon it through reflection until it works well. Then I will add another new idea and polish it in the same way. I also need to consider students individuality and group dynamics. What works well with one may not work with the next. And I must always remember to teach the skills behind the activities and not assume them. Teach the students to work in groups before assigning them a group accountability project. I am enjoying the process of filling my toolbox of theories and applications, and look forward to the next course. …after enjoying a little well-deserved break.

Technology for Social Learning

In this week's video on Social Learning Theories, Dr. Orey describes social learning as occurring when students are actively engaged in conversation while constructing knowledge and artifacts. Web 2.0 tools such as wikis and blogs allow users to collaborate on editing and viewing conversations and documents. What makes this technology advantageous is that the users need not be together physically in order to work and learn together. In addition to collaborating to create knowledge, building web sites and multimedia projects have the added advantage of constructing a digital artifact which can be shared with an audience outside the classroom. Working as a team with web quests to find and validate answers to questions students are operating within Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development. The article on Social Constructivism at the Emerging Perspectives web site states that children develop thinking abilities through interactions with adults. Through the internet, students have instant access to experts in any field and can learn from these highly qualified more knowledgeable others. Connectivism, a new theory to describe learning in the information age, is the use of technology to seek out knowledge that others are willing to share. Unfortunately, all the information on the internet is not of an academic nature, and as educators, along with teaching students to find information, we must teach them to also be critical consumers of education, capable of seeing through bias and commercialism to find the truth as it is constructed through our social interactions.