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So far my actions with regards to adjusting my GAME Plan have kept me moving forward. I have been able to complete a the lesson plan for two of the three lessons I plan to pitch, however since I have a student teacher finishing up within the next week, I have had very little time to devout to completing it until after the weekend.
There are a few things I have learned that I can apply to the instructional practice. One is when I am presenting the material to my students and my colleagues, that I am aware of their differentiating abilities. Not everyone is going to be as quick to pick up on the software, or the programs at first. However, I did select projects that are pretty easy to implement. They are more point and click in order to have my recipients gain confidence. Secondly, I will make sure I implement a checklist that walks everyone through the process step by step so they can have a reference if their wheels begin to fall off. Lastly, with regards to my peers, I plan to provide a list of resources for them to explore if they want to adapt more lessons using technology. I was going to provide each with possible ways to implement what I taught them in their content material, and had planned to make it a “learn by doing” activity.
There are still things that I have to learn, such as how to introduce a technical lesson to immediately reduce the stress level of having to sit through a working meeting. I also have to find a way to evaluate the different technical levels of my students without wasting too much time. Some of my students have trouble reading above the 6th grade level, yet they are more computer savvy than I (which may not be that sporty, but…), so the classes are differentiated along technical lines.
Currently I am trying to find an alternate way to introduce my presentation with my peers to address the stress issues that technology present to those who are intimidated. It is so important to keep it simple, yet boost morale in this type of setting. We as teachers are so busy with abstract material that it is easy to get discouraged by just another useless staff meeting that serves no purpose or use in the classroom. I guess that is my ultimate goal, to eliminate wasting time with activities that fail to facilitate teaching and learning.
Seven Mind Mapping Tools to Try This Year
2 years ago
Virgil,
ReplyDeleteEvery time I read your blog post I feel that I learn something new. I really enjoy reading about your use of checklists and learn by doing. Furthermore, your knowledge about the limitations of your own abilities is very well articulated. Iknow that you will be able to figure out how to evaluate the different technical levels of your students.
I also understand the importance of making staff meetings meaningful. I have sat through quite a few that have been boring and ultimately useless. However, it sounds like you will be well prepared to provide your staff with a great presentation. Nice work!
Virgil,
ReplyDeleteTechnology really does stress many teachers who have been in the business for a long time. Most often it is just the start-up process-each Web 2.0 tool is slightly different in the sign-up process, and its organization takes some getting used to. Just making an account, and logging in, can become a stumbling block. Then learning how to manage the account takes some more practice. So speaking from the perspective of an old-timer, your attempt to diminish the intimidation of learning new software for old teachers is going to be your biggest challenge, folowed closely by the attempt to convince them that their effort in learning these new-fangled things will in fact assist them in getting through to more of their students. Good luck, and salute.
Virgil,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tim that people that have been in education for a long time are very much resistant relatively to web2 tools. You will have to face that. It is also very important that we are not very young because it gives us a better chance to change their views on some of these important issues.
I thought that it was only here in Portugal that we have worthless bureaucratic meetings, and that time would be much better spent learning some of these technologies for the students’ sake.
Maria
Thanks for your kind words. And Tim, I guess you could call me sort of an old timer. I came to teaching at 35 and am now 48. I am NOT a digital native like those I teach. It's funny to think our students have no concept of a pay phone along the street or at a gas station, most don't own a VCR tape, nor do most own a vinyl record. It's amazing at how technology has changed in the last 5 or 6 years, so I am maybe hyper-sensitive to what my peers think of technology. But if I start very simple, I learn myself, therefore I will do the same for them. It really is just taking small steps. I teach a student who actually OWNS his own business. He started it at age 12. He knows so much about Website development that he is a keynote speaker at a convention. I find that amazing, and intimidating at the same time, yet I have never taught a nicer young man. He will do any task that he is asked and will show an incredible amount of patience in the process. So I kind of think of him when I fear technology, why fear it, most of it can be restarted, revised, or redone if you make some drastic mistake, most of the time the mistakes are very simple and once the concept of "fooling around" with it is gained, a person realizes that it is manageable.
ReplyDeleteVirg,
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of digital natives, I am in the same boat as are all of the teachers in my high school level alternative school. I am 54 and am the youngest teacher. the next youngest is 60 years old and they three others are within their 60's.
None of them, as well as myself, got into computers as kids, we all did so as working adults as they became available in our businesses, government offices, and research labs. Each of the 5 teachers with me came into teaching when they retired from other careers, or when they left a traditional high school and transitioned into special education or just happened to fall into the teaching position here.
Saying all that, each one of them has embraced technology to the extent we have the technology made available to us.
We have a computer lab and each teacher takes their kids their to visit various working content websites to practice skills, or otherwise gain information in their content area.
Within their classroom, each teacher has a laptop connected to the internet and has a projector to project what is on their laptop to the screen on the wall for all to see.
We each have a TV/VCR/DVD machine in our rooms. Some of the teachers have made video/movies on content subjects, PowerPoint presentations, and completed research on the internet from school for reports and other projects.
We also do out SOL assessment testing online too.
Each student has a personal webpage on the school's website where they can work on and store assignments, review their grades (and the parents can do so as well) and receive course work/graded tests and other stuff from teachers.
So, even though the teachers are of a generation that did not start out with computers and other technology, they have fully embraced cthem for their classrooms to the extent that they are comfortable and the school board allows for our very meager budget.
Great work, please keep it up.
Rob Zingg