Week 8: Reflection

As Integrating Technology Across the Curriculum comes to a close, I reflect on the last 8 weeks and notice how much I have learned from this class. I developed a personal GAME plan to accomplish two specific goals: to model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments and to address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies and providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources. Overall, I feel very accomplished in my first goal and very eager to act on and monitor my second goal.

For my first goal, I designed a unit plan in which students were to complete a problem-based assignment by developing a plan and presenting via a video social networking tool, Safari Live Montage. My students where to find ways to create a "skeeter-free" picnic. We used various internet sites and technological tools to develop background information of the characteristics of mosquitoes in which we presented our information with a live web-conference using Safari Live Montage. After presenting our information, we developed a GAME plan to eliminate anything in our picnic area that would promote the reproduction and survival of mosquitoes. My students developed and presented their plans using VoiceThread. In order to teach with these Web 2.0 tools, I had to master them myself first. By doing various tasks at home using both programs, I felt comfortable enough to teach my class how to use them. Overall, it was a huge success and I can't wait to do it again next year.

As for my second goal, now that it is summer time, I finally have time to sit down and reflect on all the lesson I taught throughout the year to see how I can use technology to create more learner-centered activities to improve my students' understanding of each concept I teach. Next year will be a huge year as I try many things for the first time and monitor their effectiveness compared to the original lesson's effectiveness. I have currently "teched-up" my first Math unit and my first two ILA units. I am very eager to try out everything next year,

The second goal will result considerable and immediate change to the way I teach my classroom. This being my second year teaching second grade, I am now familiar with the curriculum so it is time for me to take more risks in my lessons, something I was afraid to do my first year with the curriculum. Another change in my teaching will be the student use of a GAME plan. I really found the value of the GAME plan process and will start off my second graders with setting short term goals to accomplish long term achievements using the GAME plan process. Once again, last year I was really concentrating on learning the new curriculum and rarely had time to integrate things out of the standard lessons.

And to finish things off, personally, I've always been a very reflective teacher. The GAME plan process has given me another way to reflect on each lesson I teach and each decision I make, thus making me a stronger educator. As I go into my second year teaching second grade, I am excited about the possibility of it being my most productive and effective year yet!