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Looking at the ISTE NETS-T, it is easy to gain a sense of
where I stand as a teacher with regard to utilizing technology in my
classroom. Most of my strengths lie under
the standards of modeling digital-age work and learning, promoting and modeling
digital citizenship and responsibility, and engaging in professional growth and
leadership. Networking with other
teachers in order to learn about new technologies and share my own knowledge of
technologies is one of my passions. My
students are very excited about the prospect of using technology in the course
of learning math, and have even enjoyed a behavior tracking system that I found through my network.
Honestly, the biggest areas of challenge for me include getting
my students to reflect upon their learning using collaborative tools, and also
designing or adapting lessons to include digital tools. It would be great to have my students share
their thinking and understanding with
their peers in order to engage in discussion and have them work out and clarify
any misconceptions as a group instead of looking to me for the "right"
answer!
To improve in the area of having students collaborate, I
have started my first class wikis. I am still working out exactly how I will use them, since many students do not have internet access outside of school. Posting questions and having students discuss their strategies for solving the
problem in the discussion section of the wiki is one possibility, but this is hard to work out logistically, since we do not have a
one-to-one laptop program and so many students do not have access at home. I am still
working out ways to include my students without internet into the conversation
(any ideas?)
In order to improve in the area of designing/adapting
lessons to utilize digital tools, I will continue to research and look for ways
I can modify my lessons and still remain true to our curriculum. Most of the technology I currently use in my
classroom is the graphing calculator. I
have used our computer lab to show the students Geometer's Sketchpad, but
accessing our one computer lab is sometimes difficult, since it is often
booked.
I would also like to improve in the area of finding
relevant, real-world applications for the content I am teaching. Students will often look at a problem and ask
why they should care, since they are all going to be professional basketball
players… This is a big issue that I
would like to work on. Part of the
problem is not having enough time to complete all of my tasks/responsibilities
and still have enough time to be creative - right now there are not enough
hours in the day…but that will change in a few months!
References:
NETS for Teachers. (2008). International Society for Technology in Education. Retrieved September 12, 2011 from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx.
That is great that you have started a class Wiki. Do you have any computers in your classroom? If you have one or two students computers in your classroom, you could cycle the students throughout class to post to the Wiki. Although it is not ideal, it would allow those students who do not have internet at home the opportunity to participate.
ReplyDeleteColleen
Colleen~
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the only computer I have in my classroom is the computer I use for grades, and it cannot be used by students (due to confidential files and information stored there.) I do like your idea, though! Perhaps I can talk to our IT department and see if they have any "extra" older computers just lying around. If I can get a couple of those installed in my room, your idea just might work. I will definitely look into it on Monday.
Thanks for the insight!
Jen: I do not teach math, but my team partner does. I know that she is finding it difficult to gather different ways to use math and technology. Lately we've been using tablet PC's and iPads to have the students practice math and language arts. I can honestly say that they enjoy using them. We also use the program www.studyisland.com and the remote response system (clickers) in class. Students are able to read the problems, work the problems out, and submit their answers when they finish. The RRS are expensive but your school may already have them, and some can be found used for purchase online.
ReplyDeleteAs far as making these math skills relevant, you could try using sports figures or celebraties. Explain to them that these people must be good with money, or able to use different math skills in general to remain aware.
Angel~
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to tie some of the more abstract concepts in Algebra to "reality," and those are the things the students struggle with the most. Having technology to help them visualize some of the concepts would be incredibly helpful, but at the same time, our budget does not allow for it.
I have been working to find internet tools that I can use to demonstrate concepts on the interactive whiteboard - and that has helped, but it would be so much nicer for students to be able to explore and play with the concepts on their own...
Maybe someday, we'll have the tech for each student, but not now or any time soon...