As I inch closer to my goals, I feel pretty good about how I have developed my GAME Plan and continued on with it. Growing up, I was always told that every action had an equal or opposite reaction. The actions that I have taken to help meet my goals have been successful, helpful and at the same time frustrating. I have been able to talk with my mentor teacher and other colleagues about different assessments that they use in their classroom in regards to technology. They have really helped me and furthered my interest in learning new software that will help aid with that. With my second goal, collaborating with students, peers, parents and community members, I have had some struggles. Some people are interested and others just simply are not. Those that are interested do not have the time right now. So I have kind of stalled out for the time being. After my spring break, I am going to contact some schools in the state and ask if they would like to collaborate on a project.
I have learned a great deal. I think the biggest thing that I take away from this, is that when we set GAME Plans into motion, we need to prepare ourselves and be ready to adapt and change the GAME Plan when it is needed. New questions have arisen throughout the process and have led me to different areas that I did not think about before.
I feel that I still need to learn that this takes time and is a process. I am a person who generally likes things to happen as fast as they can. When I set a goal, I am pretty determined to make that happen, especially when it comes to education. Unfortunately sometimes things do happen--collaborators not having the time or people not being interested in collaborating--and I just need to remember to take some time to think things through and evaluate when necessary.
At this time, I feel that my GAME Plan for collaborating with others will probably not take place until next year. To fit my current needs, I need to focus on getting plans in place and being prepared for that. My goal for varied assessments does not really need to be adjusted; I need to put all my learning and research into action-using it in the classroom.
So from everything that has happened so far, the most important thing is to be prepared. Here is a link to a video that will remind you to Be Prepared.
Laura,
ReplyDeleteYou’re right about having to adjust our goals as we move along. You may be quite determined to collaborate, but if your colleagues don’t have the time, it’s hard to make progress. My department has a goal of creating one collaborative lesson per marking period, which has forced us to find the time, and it really is time well spent. (What’s more, if we work on this after hours, we get paid for our time—quite an unexpected bonus in these times of belt-tightening!) Bouncing ideas off each other helps us come up with a fresh lesson none of us could have created individually. We have the opportunity to observe each other delivering the lesson too, so that provides further help. What works for one teacher doesn’t always work for another, but I always learn when I watch another teacher in action. I know this is not quite the same sort of collaboration you have in mind, but it certainly has the same end effect of better supporting our students.
Did you find any useful ideas about assessment in this week’s discussion? I hope some of the suggestions made by our colleagues gave you additional ways to think about varying your assessments. Is there anything we (as your learning community) can offer to help you with that goal?
I too am struggling this year with trying to incorporate technology in assessment of my students. Recently students created a final project for Dr. Seuss Read Across America. I gave students the choice to create anything with the use of technology. Most students created a PowerPoint presentation and I was very impressed with their work. I also had some students take these slides and add their voices with the use of Voicethread. The second form of technology I recently used was with email. I posted a dialogue test to my homework page. Students had to open the link, write the sample with correct dialogue, and then email me it. Students struggled at first with the task, but after a presentation from me they have all started to submit.
ReplyDeleteThought you might want to get some ideas for technology assessment! GOOD LUCK!
Thanks girls! I appreciate the ideas and information you gave me. This week is Spring Break, so not a lot has happened. I have started looking at different lesson plans and looking at how technology assessment can be used.
ReplyDeletePersistence Pays Off
ReplyDeleteI hear you in that when in comes to setting our great ideas into motion often doesn't happen as fast as we want them to. As I've found out, it can take a long time to get everyone needed--administrators, colleagues, and students--all involved in making it work. But, persistence will pay off. It took two years before I used a website to take my classroom beyond the school. Even now, I'm still trying to figure out ways to modify and improve my existing technology-based lessons and projects.
My goal is not to use technology in the classroom to simply "wow" students visually, but rather to truly engage them in learning and to teach them valuable skills they can use in the future.
Best of luck to you and thanks for your post for thought!