The final week of my class Integrating Technology through Content Areas
through Walden University is here and
there have been many things that I can take back to the classroom now
that summer break is at the end. This
course has given me a GAME Plan, technology tools, ways to help my students
succeed for their future, and strategies as a teacher to infuse technology into
the classroom. As I reflect on the past
seven weeks, I now realize that being
able to integrate more technology into my classroom is on the horizon.
The
GAME Plan that I developed had two major standards that I incorporated to focus
on from the National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). The first being to facilitate and inspire
student learning and creativity where teachers use their knowledge of subject
matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that
advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and
virtual environments. The second is to promote
and model digital citizenship and responsibility where teachers understand
local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital
culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices
(International Society for Technology in Education, 2008). These standards will
help my students and I be able to integrate the technology needed to keep up
with the 21st century skills needed in the world that we live and to practice a
behavior that is appropriate and legal so that students will use technology in
an ethical manor to guide them throughout high school and beyond. When going into the classroom this fall I am
hoping to work with the technology teachers so that we all can practice and
teach what is best for our students.
When
I think about the immediate adjustments that I will make to my instructional
practice regarding technology integration in my art room I know that I need to
ask for what I know is best for my students.
Now all I have when it comes to technology in my classroom is access to
a computer lab and one iPad for my classroom.
I need to request that my classroom be respected like the rest of the
classrooms in the building when it comes to technology in order for my students
to thrive. A whiteboard would be
extremely useful to show artworks, have students do presentations, and be
interactive with what they are learning.
For my students to use problem-based learning, social networking/online
collaboration, and digital storytelling that we have learned through this class
I need to have a classroom that is up-to-date with the 21st century.
During
the three weeks of the course, I had to develop a unit plan that incorporated
problem-based learning, social networking/online collaboration, and digital
storytelling that all integrated technology.
Problem-based learning will enable my students to do the following: learn
content as they learn high-order thinking skills, promote student development
as self-directed learners, collaborate with others, learn the language of the
discipline in authentic contexts, learn the content deeply and apply their
learning to new situations and the content is explored in an authentic and
meaningful way (Laureate Education, 2010). Most middle school students are use
to the ideas behind Social networking/online collaboration, so this technology
strategy would engage the students in a positive way if used correctly. It allows students to incorporate teamwork,
work in and out of school challenges students to work at a higher level, and
allows for tandem learning of language from native speakers (Laureate
Education, 2010). Finally, digital
storytelling in my classroom would be a natural fit with the right technology
advancements available in the classroom. Digital storytelling builds various
types of skills such as research, analytical, creative thinking, problem
solving, interpersonal and communication skills (Laureate Education,
2010). Because of the creative and
visual outcomes of digital storytelling, it is a perfect fit for any classroom
especially an art room.
The
past seven weeks of this course at Walden
University has been a learning
experience by adapting the way that I go about creating my lessons so they fit
into the GAME Plan taught through the class.
Once I was able to develop the unit through a wiki I had a better
understanding of how it can happen in my classroom. I hope as I finish the next two classes with Walden
University I will be able to
integrate technology in the art room to the best that I can with the technology
tools that I can access.
References
International Society for
Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.
Laureate Education, Inc.
(2010). Spotlight on technology: Problem-based learning and technology – Part I. [Video webcast].
Retrieved from [Video webcast]. Retrieved from www.courseurl.com.
Laureate
Education, Inc. (2010). Spotlight on
Technology: Social Networking and Online Collaboration,
Part 1. [Video
webcast]. Retrieved from www.courseurl.com.
Laureate Education, Inc.
[Producer]. (2010). Spotlight on technology: Digital storytelling, part 1
[Video webcast]. Retrieved from www.courseurl.com.
