The progress I have made towards the goals in my
GAME Plan are that I have begun to redesign lesson plans to include the
technology component to further enrich the learning environment and to assist
students with being able to manage their own learning which is what Dr. Ertmer
(Laureate Education, Inc., 2009) says that incorporating technology in the
lessons where appropriate will do. I am
also reviewing the various sites I have discovered and bookmarking them so that the
students will not have to spend much time looking for the information
and spend more time researching, creating and learning. I have been thinking about how I would like
to set up my lessons for project based learning and the manner in which I would
like to set up the groups so that I will have all of the prep work done and we can get into the learning part of the plan. I have already started to think about and contact speakers I know the students would benefit from as well as get the career specialist to put me on their calendars to come into my class as a part of the support team I hope to utilize. I have purchased a camera and camcorder for my students to use when they begin putting together their power points, and other types pf presentations.
I do not believe I need to modify my action plan just continue to monitor and adjust when and if needed. I have learned the benefits of project based learning and how if they are linked to authentic real world instruction, the students can and will really benefit (2009). I just continue to go back to what Prensky (2008) says about how much students already know when they come to school and the lights they already have on and the experiences they have already had before coming to school and I know we as educators have to tap into what they already know and help them move to another level of learning with support, guidance and technology.
this is not a questions but a concern regarding filters and blocks on the computers. How often do I use problem based learning and is it ok to use it for most of the lessons during the year? I am also concerned about appropriate social interaction when students work together on a project or problem.
Reference
Prensky, M. (2008). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40–45.
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.
Prensky, M. (2008). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40–45.
Tonya,
ReplyDeleteI often use problem/project based learning because I feel it fits my disciplinant the best. As a health education teacher many of the topics I cover such as tobacco, alcohol, physical fitness and nutrition the students can relate their lives to now or at least in the future. I feel authentic assessment works best for me. I only have my students for one marking period before they go back to physical education. I usually have one project based assessment for each unit of study. I have begun to move away from the standard written test and more to these types of authentic assessments. “Authentic assessment, students are required to demonstrate understanding of concepts and perform skills within the context of that authentic activity, that is, by replicating real world performances as closely as possible” (Cennamo, Ross, Ertmer, 2009, p. 147). I use the project assessment almost like their final test. Leading up to that point I will direct force choice assessments such as small quizzes or open ended question when I want my students to critically think about a conflict question to prepare them for the final assessment.
I had some of the same concerns you have about social interaction between students. I found through trial and error there are a few keys. First, make sure you have a specific grading rubric so the students know exactly what is expected and how they will be graded. That does not only help the students but also helps you as the teacher when you are trying to assess their project. A rubric is a great guide for everyone involved. “Rubrics are framed by some type of scale, but the degrees of the scale are clearly described or defined to demonstrate different levels of quality” (Cennamo et. al, 2009, p.155). The second key I feel in problem based learning is to make sure you know your students before grouping them. I place my students in groups and do not let them choose most of the time. I separate them by ability, by behavior and by personalities. Many times a project assessment might fail before it starts just due to your grouping of your students. Thirdly, make sure every student has a job. Keep the groups small and require every student to submit something to you. If too many students are working for example on a PowerPoint there will be classroom management problems. Only one student can type at a time. My best lesson of the year focused around tobacco and had each student working for a made up anti tobacco advertising agency. In groups of four, each student had a different role, whether it was a cancer doctor, a historian, a marketer or accountant. The students had to work together but also were in charge of their own work. This worked well because it focused on face-to-face interaction, social skills and individual accountability. Hope my suggestions help ease your concerns.
Kennie
Resource:
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.
Kennie,
DeleteI really appreciate your suggestions and I am certainly going to use them because in the past I allowed my students to choose their own groups thinking they would work better with people they felt comfortable with instead they felt it was social hour and I spent a lot of time redirecting and reminding them of their deadlines. Most of the time it did not work very well, but it was a learning experience. Now it is time for me to try things another way. I do use rubrics because they do make the process much clearer and as Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer (2009) says rubrics set the expectations at the beginning so students can better set their own goals for performance and it is a quicker way to generate feedback (p.,156). I have changed the way I assess my students, also, I do not give them those forced-choice assessments much anymore. I really like the tobacco project it has really given me ideas. Thanks again
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.
Tonya
Hi, Tonya—
ReplyDeleteYou’ve made a lot of progress on your GAME plan, already--I’m always impressed with the thoughtful way that you approach new tasks. I think that your decision to use small groups for problem-based learning activities will make a big difference for a lot of your students. I hope that your students and your administration will be very supportive of your efforts and that you’ll find a comfortable balance with the other assignments and assessments that you have developed. It’s smart to be concerned about launching new projects and using new activities, of course—it’s important to keep the students’ attention at all times, and troubleshooting when you’re doing something new can be challenging. Last year, I had a student who was actively trying to sabotage our small group interactions and I ended up developing a checklist for social interaction and applying it to everyone in the class. I resisted doing it at first, because I thought my 10th graders should be beyond that, but it ended up working quite well. I patterned it after the rubrics developed by Canada’s Adult literacy Council, so it didn’t seem too patronizing to my students (English, 2009). Here's the site: http://www.nald.ca/library/learning/btg/ed/evaluation/groupwork.htm
Bookmarking and tagging useful sites for students is also a great idea—what’s your favorite site? I’ve always used Delicious, but I hear Diigo might be even more useful.
References
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.
English, C. (2009, May 4). Bridging The Gap - Education Component - Evaluation Tools - Group Work Rubrics and Checklists . What's new | National Adult Literacy Database. Retrieved July 20, 2012, from http://www.nald.ca/library/learning/btg/ed/evaluation/groupwork.htm
Susan,
DeleteI have found using Diigo is working quite well for me and I hope to do more bookmarking sites and using it this year if our technology people will allow it. I have a great deal of problems with sites being blocked. I think students working in small groups together is great sometimes it gets to be a problem when they only want to socialize and not follow instructions like they should but I do see learning taking place so I know it works and I will keep on searching for ways to get the right groups together. I like your checklist idea, thank you for the site.