Update on My GAME Plan

So far, I have found a lot of information in order to reach my two goals. I would like to find more information on water systems yet. It is a big undertaking and it seems like I should revisit that goal. I don't think that it is realistic to think that I will find ALL the resources that I want to make this unit completely engaging. I think I need to start with a goal of incorporating technology and "real-world" issues into five lessons of the unit. It is re-assuring to know that there are so many great resources available on the Internet. However, at the same time, it is a daunting task to find the resources that I need to make this unit engaging for my students.

I have found many great resources for my WebQuest goal. I think that I have all the necessary information in order to create my own WebQuest and look forward to the task of creating it. As I think about the activities that I would like to include in this webQuest, I now need to figure out how I want to assess the work that my students do. This week's reading on forms of assessment reminds me that I need to include a variety of assessment types in order to best evaluate how my students learned the information. I will definitely include some forced-option, open-ended and project-based assessment. I just need to figure out how to best do this.

References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards Based Approach. (Laurete Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cenage Learning.

Carrying Out My GAME Plan

Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas: GAME Plan

Resources for my GAME plan:

In order to carry out my GAME plan, I will need to find resources that I can use in order to meet my goals.

The action for my first goal was to find "real-world" resources that I could use in my study of "water systems" for Grade 8 science, in order to engage my students better.

I have found one resource so far that I plan to use with my class as we discuss water pollution.

http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/disasters/bp is a great site that uses google maps and places the recent oil spill from the Gulf of Mexico where you live. This allows students to see how large of an area would be covered in oil. This site, in conjunction with sites such as CNN's blog that followed the oil spill (http://news.blogs.cnn.com/category/latest-news/gulf-coast-oil-spill/) would give students the information that they would need in order to take the knowledge acquired in our study of water pollution and analyze what has been going on in our world today.

This is only one lesson in a unit, and I would like to use "real-world" issues in order to engage my students throughout our study. I still need to locate resources that can be used to study river systems and watersheds, erosion, convection currents and water treatment.

The action required for my second goal was to create a WebQuest for the study of Ancient Rome or Greece. There are many resources that exist on these subjects, but I have not found one that I really like. As a result, my goal is to use the skills I already have to create a website that meets the criteria that I have for a WebQuest.

Some of the WebQuests that I have found already to draw inspiration from are:

Ancient Greece: http://www.rdsc.vic.edu.au/ag/ag2.htm

Ancient Greece: http://www.teachnet.ie/stpats2004/ancientgreece/introd.html

Ancient Greece: http://www2.franciscan.edu/webquests/ancientgreece/

Ancient Rome: http://www.librarybcds.com/6WQrome/6WQrome.html

Ancient Rome: http://chalk.richmond.edu/education/projects/webquests/rome/

Ancient Rome: http://questgarden.com/42/32/6/061118152036/

I think that creating a WebQuest that is tailored for my needs in my classroom is an effective method to "scaffold or support [my] students' use of the web." (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2010, pg. 55)

References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas: GAME Plan

After visiting the International Society for Technology in Education, and the National Education Standards for Teachers, I found that I am already fairly confident in all of these areas. However, there is still room for improvement!

So, here is my GAME plan:

Goals:

The two indicators that I would like to focus on are:

1. Teachers engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.

2. Teachers develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

Action:

In order to achieve these goals I will:

1. Research resources that I can use from the "real-world" that will engage my students in understanding the concept of Water Systems in Grade 8 science.

2. Develop my own web quest-type authentic learning experience that will be used in a combined ELA/Social Studies project on Ancient Greece.

Monitor:

I will monitor my progress by reminding myself of my goals and working on achieving them on a weekly basis.

Evaluate & Extend:

I will be able to evaluate my plan when I try incorporating my goals into my classroom. If the lessons work, I will have achieved the goals. However, if the lessons are not successful, I will have to re-evaluate my work towards the goals.