RCampus Presentation

I feel that my school could benefit from considering using a Course Management (eLearning) System. I especially like the features of the resource www. RCampus.com. My PowerPoint presentation about its features and why it should be implemented in our school.

GAME Plan: Final Reflection

My initial GAME plan that I developed in week one was to strengthen my confidence in the following areas: my ability to design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments; and to engage in professional growth and leadership. These goals are based on the NETS-S standards. My plan was to create lessons at least once each month that included technology for either interactive learning or assessment and to to set aside time each week (one hour) to research new technology tools for the middle school mathematics classroom. Over the duration of the course, I realized that my first goal of incorporating technology was not terribly difficult, so I found it possible to develop digital lessons more often than once a month. The second part of my goal needed to be adjusted to fit realistically into my lifestyle. With a family at home and limited planning/free time at school, I found that one hour each week was difficult to dedicate. I chose to change it to researching digital tools for at least one hour during the first week of each month. I marked this time on my calendar so I was sure not to neglect it when the first week arrived.

During my research times, I learned that there are a lot of tools at my fingertips. I found a lot of research helpful, especially something as simple as the blogs of other educators, but one of the most useful and free tools I have found is PrometheanPlanet.com. My school uses Promethean software for our activboards, and there are mountains of free resources to incorporate technology and new teaching strategies on the site.

I found that an almost immediate change that occurred in my teaching is my willingness to search the Internet with my class. A lot of random but intriguing questions come up in class about where mathematical concepts originated. Now, I make time during the week to search with my class and learn about whatever topics peaked our curiosity during lessons.

GAME Plan: Week 7

Consider how the NETS-S and the NETS-T are inter-related. Based on your experience with the GAME plan process and the NETS-T, how might you use the GAME plan process with your students to help them develop proficiency in the NETS-S?

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has standards for teachers and students to help guide technology-related education. These standards are inter-related, which may be obvious, because the teachers must develop a particular level of technology skills in order to teach students to develop some of the same skills for the 21st century workplace they will be entering.

The NETS for students are creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration, research and information fluency, critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making, digital citizenship, and technology operations and concepts. The NETS for teachers are facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity; design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments; model digital-age work and learning; promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility; and engage in professional growth and leadership (http://www.iste.org/standards.aspx, 2010).

The major connection between all of the standards is that the teacher is modeling and promoting the lifelong skills, so that students can see them on a regular basis and apply them to their learning and technology-use. I think a great way to encourage students to grow in the standards outlined by ISTE is for them to be aware of what they standards are and allow them to set their own goals for growth. There are six categories, which can even be divided into smaller subcategories of skills, that students can explore and use to set goals for accomplishment. At the beginning of each quarter, students can develop their own GAME plans, based on their strongest and weakest standard. Each student can have a small journal to record their plan: goals, actions, ways to monitor, and evaluations/extension. At the end of each quarter, students can evaluate if they have strengthened their area of weakness and extended in their strong area.

Reference:

International Society for Technology in Education. (2010). NETS. http://www.iste.org/standards.aspx.

GAME Plan: Week 6

So far, I think that I have learned a simple lesson during the course of my GAME plan. I have realized that to incorporate technology in my instructional practice does not have to be an overwhelming and time consuming task. There are so many tools right at my fingertips, such as tools that come with my school software, fellow educators' blogs I can follow in Google Reader, and a growing list of resources saved on my Delicious page.

I do not feel that I am at a point yet where I am ready to add new learning goals, since I am still making progress in achieving my previously set ones. I plan to continue to grow in my independent professional development by adding more blogs and websites that contain educational technology information for mathematics classrooms to my Reader. I also plan to attend at least one workshop before the end of the school year, as long as my school is able to pay for my attendance.

In order to improve my learning in future research in educational technology, I plan to set realistic goals and take my time making sure I get the most out of the learning process. I will try to do this instead of rushing to complete the task.

GAME Plan: Week 5

I feel like my actions are finally becoming effective for meeting my goals of incorporating more technology in my classroom and managing my time to investigate education technology. Today was the first day of the first week in December, and I spent about thirty-five minutes (one of my planning periods) looking into some different tools I can use in my classroom. My main focus today was on using Activote software with my board, so students can each have their own remote to select answers for questions or quizzes that I post on the activboard. I think it will take me a couple more sessions to perfect it, as there is a lot of preparation necessary, but I am moving in the right direction, finally!

After reading the course text (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009) about some technology tools I can use in my mathematics classroom, I returned to familiar concerns about calculator use in my classroom. My students are permitted to use calculators on assignments and most assessments because I feel they allow students to focus their attention on the more complicated aspects of new concepts. However, my current eighth graders do not seem to have a strong foundation of manual calculations, which I know is partially due to a teacher-related issue that inhibited their learning during sixth grade. A new aspect I want to make sure to research when I am investigating classroom technology is how I can allow students to use assistive technology, like calculators, but also have extra skill-builders on the side to ensure that they have the appropriate paper-pencil capabilities when they enter high school.

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

GAME Plan Progress: Week 4

So far in my GAME plan, I am learning that certain aspects are more challenging than I expected.  I am still doing fine with the incorporation of technology for students to use in at least one lesson per month.  So, perhaps I need to do more with my lessons, like use digital tools three times per month, and one of those lessons should involve students using the computer lab to do some sort of mathematical research.  I have realized that there is so much technology available to use in my classes that simply setting a goal of incorporating it once each month is too simple for what is available to me.

The second portion of my plan is where I am struggling: to improve my professional development in the area of mathematics related educational technology.  It is not necessarily that I am not able to find materials to research on the Internet.  My greatest challenge is occurring in the area of self-discipline to manage time for conducting research.  With my current stage of life, pregnant wife and mother, I have a personal goal to be home by 4:30 everyday to be with my family, and I typically leave my schoolwork at school.  If I am not able to complete by the time I leave, I tackle it the next day.  My original plan was to write a 40-minute time slot for researching in my daily lesson planner, so that I would have a physical reminder to do it.  However, most of the times I have attempted to dig into the Internet to research, a colleague needs helps, or a parent calls for me, or a student needs extra help with math.  I cannot realistically seem to be able to take time while at school to look into anything effectively.  This has brought me to the conclusion that I need to do the research at home, when all distractions are left behind and in bed for the night.  I think my initial plan is to conduct one hour of research during the first week of each month.  Next week is the first week of December, so that is my first opportunity to apply my revised plan!  

I know that addressing my issue will still be a struggle for me because I prefer to spend time with my family when I am home.  But, that being said, I am also in a career field that requires growth and comprehension of tools available to use in my classroom.  My students are entering a workforce that requires digital knowledge and problem-solving capabilities.  If I am to teach them in the best way possible, I need to continue my own education.

GAME Plan Progress

My initial GAME plan was to incorporate more technology in my lessons by fulfilling a goal of at least one lesson per month that requires students to use digital tools. My second goal was to develop more professionally by researching more informational pieces about how to use technology effectively in the classroom.

So far, I have already had a lesson that allowed my students to utilize the technology available to them to help build their math skills. They had an entire class period in the computer lab to find age-appropriate and useful websites that can help them this year in their Algebra 1 course. I was monitoring students during the session, and the school filter was set so I did not have to worry about mature content popping up.

I have addressed my second goal by looking up blogs and informational websites related to mathematics and technology for grades four to nine. I already had several saved in my Google Reader account, but have been neglecting them for many months now. One piece of information I would love is a list of websites from a credible source that provide news and research findings about different types of technology used in the classroom, particularly middle school mathematics classrooms. I have the hardest time sifting through all the sites for classroom technology and mathematics to find ones that contain everything I want. Maybe my standards are too high!

GAME Plan

First of all, the acronym GAME in game plan stands for setting goals, taking action, monitoring, and evaluating/extending (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). After looking at the NETS-T standards for teachers, I feel that I need to strengthen my confidence in the following areas: my ability to design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments; and to engage in professional growth and leadership.

My game plan for building my proficiency in these areas has several parts. My goal is to incorporate more digital tools in my teaching, to maximize my students’ learning and to take more part in current research and practices in the technology area. In order to achieve those goals, I plan to develop lessons that include students using some form of technology at least once each month. The technology could range from researching on computers to creating their own wikis/blogs. I also plan to take time each week for at least forty minutes to view educational research websites and news pages that provide information about current and upcoming digital opportunities for the classroom. I plan to maintain and monitor my progress in both goals by actually writing the time and specified lesson in my calendar, so it is actually planned in my schedule. It is my hope that the visual reminder will keep me aware of my goals. Finally, I will evaluate and extend my learning by interacting with other teachers and online community members who have similar technology interests as me. I also plan to include informational websites in my RSS feed, so that I can easily keep up with news and updates.

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

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

Final Reflection: Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom

Throughout the course “Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom,” I had many revelations. The greatest realization I probably had was that my students may not know quite as much about using the Internet and technology as I have always assumed they do. The focus of technology use should not be the ability for students to use a specific kind of technology, but rather their ability to develop skills to help them “manage new technologies as they emerge” (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007). So, my students may know how to create videos for Youtube and download music for their ipods, but that does not necessarily mean they have the proper literacy skills that can help them in all technological areas of life.

The knowledge and experience I have gained in this course will have a bearing on my future teaching practices. I have learned proper tools to use for effectively and efficiently researching the Internet, such as host commands and various search engines. Before I learned those tips, I was not properly researching. Another area that I know will improve the investigative aspect of my teaching is that of evaluating websites before using them for information. Now that I have these and other skills developed from the course work, I am more confident in my teaching, especially when related to research skills.

One goal that I would like to try and pursue this school year is posting my classroom instruction as screencasts for a class website. I would like for students to be able to go to the site for extra practice or review of what was done in class. I use an Activboard in my classroom, and all I do on the board appears on the computer screen. I would like to record my lessons, with examples and notes done on the board, and return to do a voice-over later for explanations. My hope is that this would help absent and struggling students at home, and it would also keep parents completely informed about what is happening in class. This is my main professional goal, and it is accompanied by the general goal of simply improving my instruction. It is my hope that the knowledge I have developed in this course will make me a stronger teacher who is able to set an example for students and colleagues.

Reference

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

Final Reflection: Bridging of Technology and Instruction

As my current Walden course about combining technology and instruction comes to a close, I reflect on my personal learning theory, which was my very first assignment.  At the beginning of the class, my personal learning theory focused on my belief that learning is social.  I would not make any changes to my original theory because I feel even more strongly about students collaborating and learning cooperatively in my classroom.  The resources I have read and watched over the last eight weeks have shown me even more ways that I can incorporate cooperative learning into my lessons.  

Two specific technology tools I would like to utilize next year to improve my instruction and help my students' learning are VoiceThreads and spreadsheet software.  I had no clue what VoiceThreads were before learning about them a few weeks ago.  Once I saw what they were, I realized that I have watched a ton of VoiceThreads without knowing it.  Even more exciting, my students can create their own awesome videos to apply class content in a creative way.  I plan to have students work in small groups at the end of each quarter to create tutorial videos about a challenging topic from the covered chapters.  As a math teacher, I would also like to use spreadsheet programs, like Excel, to show students various math applications, such as equations, graphs, and formulas.  Another way I would like to use the software is to have students track their effort levels with their grades, to help them see the correlation.

I also have a couple of long-term goals for my instruction and technology.  I would personally like to try to stay up to date with different technology tools that are available for educators, especially free resources on the web.  I learned so many tools and techniques through class resources, and I hate that I was so oblivious to them prior to taking this course.  It is my responsibility to look for ways to improve my instruction and student learning.  My other goal is to work at being a technology advocate in my school.  My school has some technology tools available, but teachers are given so little information about what they can do with them.  I want to make more time for myself to play around and research the different applications, so I can help others become stronger in technology usage in the classroom.

Social Learning Theory

There are many instructional strategies that align with social learning theory.  Social learning theorists view student learning as a collaboration through interactions while constructing things, accompanied by content-based conversation (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009).  When students step into the working world, they will have access to a wealth of information to assist them in their daily tasks and activities.  They can practice that same access in school by working with the "more knowledgeable other," as Dr. Orey describes it (2009).  People get support from a person, computer, or any other information source when they are unsure about a topic.  

Cooperative learning is a widely used strategy that involves students working in groups to complete tasks.  A way to avoid lack of participation is to have group consequences or further independent steps that require focus in the group portion of the process.  Cooperative learning is a reflection of social learning theory because it revolves around students collaborating to reach an answer or result.  They can discuss ideas with classmates and be encouraged that their knowledge contributes to the group product--they do not always need the teacher for help.  I love opportunities for students to conduct multi-media presentations for the class because their creativity can be amazing.  Students learn the concepts as they work with peers to create clear (and often entertaining) methods of presenting the content.  Students can even communicate with students from other states or countries, based on their area of focus, with programs like Keypals or their own student-created websites (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).

References:

Laureate Education, Inc.  (2009).  Social learning theories.  Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology.  DVD (custom ed.).

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

Technology Challenges in My School

Please enjoy my VoiceThread about technology challenges I encounter at my school.

Constructionist Instructional Strategies

Over my three years of teaching math, I have learned that students absorb math concepts best when they see how they can be applied.  Providing opportunities for students to create artifacts based on mathematical areas of study yells constructionism.  Constructionists view learning as a process in which people go through a series of learning mechanisms and create artifacts to develop understanding of content (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009).  Students basically place new information in specific categories of their brains (schemas) and adjust their specifications as they become more knowledgeable about the topic.  

Many strategies are available for teachers to implement so students have chances to work through activities or projects to have a resulting product that reflects textbook information.  I especially like some of the ideas offered in the text, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, 2007).  An entire chapter focuses on making hypotheses and testing them for students to develop problem solving skills in relation to data collection.  Students can use spreadsheet software and formulas to test data results as far into the future as they like.  Situations with very large numbers and graphs that would take forever to calculate and construct with a calculator and paper can be done within minutes using the programs.  Rather than spending the majority of class time preparing data and focusing on technicalities, class time can be used to discuss hypotheses accuracies and test them in different contexts.  Students can actually understand why math is applicable is real life instead of only seeing the aggravations of constructing a coordinate plane and properly graphing equations.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc.  (2009).  Constructionism and constructivism.  Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology.  DVD (custom ed.).

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

Introduction to Probability Concept Map

Instructional Strategies and Cognitive Learning Theory

Cognitive learning theory focuses on the ways that people process information.  It is imperative that teachers have knowledge of the different theories and instructional strategies that align with them so they can adjust lessons according to how their students will learn the content.  By now, educators should know that most students cannot learn from simple direct instruction.  Teachers need to break old habits and test different strategies to help students learn and retain information.  

In "Cognitive Learning Theories," Dr. Michael Orey discusses three main facets of cognitive learning: sensory registers, short-term memory, and long-term memory.  People receive information through their senses, and it becomes part of their short-term memories, where students can only handle about seven items at a time.  Information is then sent to long-term memory, where items are stored as a network of connections between ideas (2009).  Teachers can implement strategies that stem from the concept of retention as a result of connections between ideas.

Visual aides are very important for some students.  Paivlo's duel coding hypothesis supports the method of using images to teach concepts because people remember images and labels as duel codes .  Teachers can present simply-worded topics with related images to help students make memorable connections.  Connections can also be made through elaboration, or relating a new subject to a familiar subject to learn and remember it (i.e. General Lee wore Lee Jeans) (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009).  

A specific instructional strategy that I plan to try in my math instruction is concept maps for organizing information.  So many of my students struggle with remembering steps to solving certain types of equations and problems.  Concept maps and other note-taking tools can help them visualize the flowchart of steps they should follow to find solutions.

References

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

Laureate Education, Inc. (2009). Cognitive learning theories. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. DVD (custom ed.).

Behaviorist Theory in Classroom Instruction

Behaviorists believe that "the learner acquires behaviors, skills, and knowledge in response to the rewards punishments, or withheld responses associated with them" (Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2008).  I agree that student behaviors can be influenced with different forms of immediate feedback, such as positive reinforcement.  Technology can be a great approach to help students absorb the importance of doing homework and practice with effort.  

As a math teacher, data collection is an integral part of my content instruction, and, now I realize, that it can also be used to make an impact on students' perspectives and attitudes toward schoolwork.  I can use rubrics to evaluate student effort, and students can track how their level of effort correlates with their achievements in class via spreadsheet software.  Software like SurveyMonkey.com gives me the tools to create surveys for my students so I can get insight into their characters and help them see the general tendencies of our class.  (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  

My greatest struggle, especially with my eighth graders, is getting the students to completely do their homework and practice skills independently.  The end of the school year is a nightmare!  They do not seem to understand that a major reason they are not succeeding on tests is because they are not actively trying to learn the skills.  I can try to help the issue by incorporating practice assignments that students can use to track their speed and accuracy with specific skills.  Then, I can have them track their success over time with more practice.  Students can also see different angles of mathematical topics with different tools programs provide, such as spreadsheet software and various algebra websites.

References

Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J.  (2008).  Theoretical foundations.  Laureate Education, Inc. (custom ed.).

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

Final Walden Posting

This is the final assignment posting for my technology course at Walden University, in which I have learned of the plethora of resources available to enhance the learning experiences in my classroom.  The course has helped me develop my technology skills by introducing me to and giving me the opportunity to use blogs, wikis, and podcasts.  I have learned the skills that I hope to incorporate in my lessons, and that makes me a better teacher because I will be familiar with the tools my students are using.  I can be a true collaborator with my students to create meaningful learning experiences on the Read/Write Web (Richardson 2009).

Taking this course has not only shown me how to use different technology tools in my school, but it has also deepened my knowledge of the teaching and learning process.  Students do not learn in the same way that they did twenty or even ten years ago because they are "digital natives" (Prensky 2001) who require a different set of approaches when presented with information.  Students want to multitask and be stimulated with visuals and graphics because it is how they function outside of the classroom, so why not in the classroom, too?  In making shifts in my teaching practices, such as using more graphics and game-like approaches, I am taking a learner-centered perspective.  I need to change some classroom practices to make the best learning environment for my students, not necessarily the most comfortable and familiar environment for me.  As long as I am open to new technology applications and adaptations that can aide my instruction, all of my students have the opportunity to be successful 21st century learners.

I plan to continue to grow in my knowledge of using technology for student achievement by investigating and promoting cost effective applications that can be used in my school.  As one of the more technologically-inclined teachers on my staff, I need to be a "change agent" (Richardson 2009) who uses 21st century tools in lessons and shows other teachers how to do the same.  Just as teachers expect students to take initiative to find new problem solving strategies for homework, teachers need to be investigators who continue to look for new ways to form expert decision makers and complex communicators (Thornburg 2008).

Two long-term goals that I hope to achieve over the next two years are to organize a mini-workshop in which I teach my fellow teachers how to use blogs and/or wikis in their classrooms and to form a "Bloggers Anonymous" club for junior high students.  To organize a workshop for teachers in my school, I have to wait until I have had some time to experiment with blogs and wikis in my classroom so I can speak from experience.  Then, I need to collaborate with my principal and technology instructor to get approval and support for the program.  To create "Bloggers Anonymous," I need to organize all of the initial directions and information about blogging, especially security, before I can suggest the club.  Then, I feel it is best to meet with the students to discuss the goals of the club (not just social networking) and send home information for parents to sign for approval.  The greatest obstacle in achieving my goals is administrative support, which I plan to get by being prepared with security information, personal samples, and knowledge.

While I have some feelings of dread going into a new school year when it is still eighty-five degrees outside, I am excited to show off my knowledge of how to teach with technology.  During a recent faculty workshop, I realized that my perspective about approaches to teaching students has completely changed because of my exposure to technology literature and resources.  A course checklist that I completed in week one to assess my use of technology and 21st century skills in the classroom also revealed my development in using technology.  The school year has not started, but I am confident that most of the checklist will show that I "often" (Walden University 2009) give students opportunities to use digital tools to collaborate and critically think about class content and the global community.   If I am to complete the same checklist at the end of the 2009-2010 school year, I plan to not check any "rarely" (Walden University 2009) boxes because 21st century skills will be an integral part of my classroom.  I hope that my fresh perspective serves as a revival for my teaching and motivator for my students and colleagues.

References

Prensky, M. (2001).  Digital natives, digital immigrants.  On the Horizon, 9(5).

Richardson, W. (2009).  Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.).  Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Thornburg, D. & Dede, C.  (2008).  The changing work environment.  DVD.  Laureate Education, Inc.

Walden University.  (2009).  Assessment checklist for technology integration practices.  Laureate Education, Inc.

Profiling Students of Today

Students knowing more about technology than their teachers is a growing trend in many classrooms because of the gap between "digital natives" (the students) and "digital immigrants" (the teachers) (Prensky 2001).  The exposure many students have to technology, and have had their entire lives, could be a driving force in the growing gap between teachers and students in technology skills.  In order to properly educate students for the 21st century workforce in which they will be competing for a job, teachers need to understand students' exposures to technology and learn to incorporate digital skills into lessons (http://www.21stcenturyskills.org).

To investigate the amount of technology in the life of a typical student of the digital world, I interviewed my sister, Alyssa.  She is a nineteen-year-old sophomore in college studying to be a high school English teacher.  I chose Alyssa as my interviewee because she has grown up in the digital age, always having the television, computer, or cell phone available.  I also thought it would be interesting to get some of her opinions about the current training for educators and the level of technology that is involved.  Listen to the interview by visiting http://ash62907.podbean.com/mf/web/auj76/MenearPodcastInterview.mp3.

References:

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2004). Tucson, Arizona. http://www.21stcenturyskills.org.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).

Evaluating 21st Century Skills

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/) is an organization that has been working since 2002 to raise awareness for the need to incorporate necessary skills for the modern workforce into the education system.  The website  provides a detailed model for administrators, educators, and parents to improve the current classroom education so students are more prepared to be expert thinkers and complex communicators in the real world.  The organization discusses the current downward path of the education system without the use of 21st century tools in the classroom, and the best part of the model presented on the website is that it does more than present the issues-it presents the issues and successful strategies to bridge the gap between the real world and the classroom.

The website for the organization is very detailed in its model for success.  I was surprised that the organization and website have been around since 2002 and I never heard about it.  As an education student from 2004 to 2007, I cannot believe that this initiative was not a cornerstone of some of my studies, especially my technology courses.  The entire concept the partnership presents seems a bit obvious: students should be prepared for success in the real world with the necessary skills and tools.  Why is it that the model of incorporating 21st century skills in core curriculum has not been more of a focus in all education systems?

I found the website and its contents to be very enlightening and grounded in research and dependable resources.  I cannot say that I disagree with anything presented on the site, but I notice there does not seem to be much direction for private schools who do not get state funding or grants.  I checked eTech Ohio Educators (http://www.etech.ohio.gov/) to see about my state's technology initiatives, which seems to be many.  The state offers a number of grants for professional development and technology development in schools, but I was very disappointed to find that my school is not eligible for any of the grants.  What is a model that schools with very limited financial resources can follow?  What specific changes can I make in my classroom to at least try to improve my students' preparation with 21st century skills?  I decided to look at a few of the websites of the schools the site mentions who have followed the model: it seems to be successful.  Boston Public Schools (http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/) have put a lot of effort into reforming and refocusing the approach to curriculum and modern skills.  They have several active proposals for funding to improve various areas of their system, especially technology.  I was curious about the different departments in the district, and the extensive list has clearly been adapted with extra departments that focus on improving student enrichment in 21st century skills.

The partnership's report for 21st century skills is eye-opening because it illustrates what no educator can deny-we have a lot of work ahead of us.  Schools must find a way to get technology or access to technology for students.  Teachers need to find ways to educate themselves on the available technology and experiment with it in the classroom.  Students and parents need to refocus at an early age on developing lifelong skills, not just passing the tests.  The administrators, educators, parents, and students must work together to create a system that brings education and life skills together.  "Today's education system faces irrelevance unless we bridge the gap between how students live and how they learn" (Partnership for 21st Century Skills).

References

Boston Public Schools. (2009). Retrieved July 22, 2009 from http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/.

eTech Ohio. (2009). Retrieved July 2, 2009 from http://www.etech.ohio.gov/.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). A report and mile guide for 21st century skills. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/images/stories/otherdocs/p21up_Report.pdf.

How Can I Use Blogging In My Classroom?

As a junior high teacher, I know that many of my students already use blogs and other social networks to communicate with each other.  I feel that their familiarity with blogs is great because I can use them as a communication tool outside of school and as opportunities to set examples of proper communication skills and the potential growth in expert thinking skills .  Richardson (2009) states, "Remember, millions of kids are already blogging, so they certainly are enticed by the tool.  But very few are using their sites as places of critical thinking and analytical writing and reflection." 

I have taught junior high mathematics for two years and quickly learned that students jump to use the excuse that they couldn't finish their assignments because they didn't understand the directions, the information, the notes, etc...  On test days, there is never a doubt in my mind that I will have several students at my desk asking me how to do a process that was taught two weeks ago.  Blogging can be a wonderful tool because it is a public site that students can access to communicate their concerns with the teacher and classmates.  It is imperative that I stress to the students and parents that they must use discretion in their writing because "what you write stays with you" (Richardson 2009).  The blog can have a specific section for students and parents to ask questions about homework or class topics they don't quite understand.  Their questions and my answers will be published so other students and parents can get the same information.  As a busy educator, it is great to know that I will not have to write repetitive emails because the information is public.  Another section can have recommended sites that students and parents can use for extra math practice or games they can use at home.  Many families like to stay sharp during vacations, and I can provide the tools for that through the blog.

This year especially, I plan to utilizing a blog because I will be on maternity leave for three months.  I can use the blog as a way for me to continue communication with my students.  Parents and students can still ask me questions about class topics or just keep me updated on their lives.  Having an unfamiliar face teaching in class can be uncomfortable for some parents and students, and the blog can help to calm some of the nerves over the situation.

Richardson, W. (2009).  Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed).  Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.