Carrying Out Your Game Plan

To date, I have only had the opportunity to use the digital camera to take pictures of items at school that would be used to teach a lesson on “Whose ~ is this?” Also, I was able to incorporate audio messages of Japanese teachers speaking English in the above mentioned lesson. Believe it or not, the students did not expect the here their principal or their home economics teacher speak English. In fact, they seemed more intrigued with being able to identify the teacher than anything else. At this school, the English department is yet to incorporate the use of the Internet or videos let alone to incorporate instructional software to facilitate learning. So the assumption that many people have that most Japanese classrooms are fully furnished with sophisticated technology, is only a myth. However, some institutions are way advanced in its effort to be technologically advanced. Naturally, educators can continue to be innovative in the classroom as it is not the technology that will make our students successful but our students are responsible for their success with teachers’ assistance.

The resources I will need to support my game plan would include digital camera, video, colleagues at work and at Walden, online resources, and CD player. I would like to learn more about how to incorporate technology into the classroom to facilitate all learners. As I improvise I could take creative idea and modify them to maintain the same level of challenge for students but using the simplified version. Learning is not static so I should be flexible to explore how to facilitate learning by using new educational games that are highly stimulating with varying levels of difficulties.

It is my hope that my colleagues at work can accommodate some of the new learning styles that would require the use of technology to enable students to enjoy the same satisfaction as if they were outside of class. I would like to know more about how to incorporate technology in my lessons with disabled students. I wish I were responsible for my English classes then, I would have had more leverage to spark more discussions among students by using a variety of resources to promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility.

Kerry-Ann’s GAME Plan!!

For this week’s blog, the focus is to develop a GAME Plan based on the National Education Standards for Teacher (NETS-T) which was taken from the Web site for the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). I have high expectations for achieving these goals and would like to identify ways to improve my professional development as much as I intend to impact the lives of my students.

 The two goals that I would like to set based on the indicators
from NETS-T include:
(1) To promote and model digital citizenship and
responsibility

(2) To design and develop digital-age learning
experiences and assessments

 The actions I would like to take to achieve these goals are:
(1) to ensure that as a teacher-librarian, I need to keep abreast with current
trends in digital technology in so far as literacy development is concerned.
(2) to develop a keen interest in the various kinds of educational resources
that Japanese teachers use in different institutions.

 I will monitor my progress by recording anything innovative whether by
digital images or by documenting descriptions from my observations and or interviews with various resource personnel.

 I plan to evaluate and extend my learning by cross-referencing with other teachers, and librarians in Jamaica and Japan to synthesize how I can recreate my future classroom or learning center with great influence from digital technology.

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

Reflection on the Impact of Technology on Education, Work and Society

Benefits of the Course

The course, Understanding the Impact of Technology, on Education, Work and Society

provided me another opportunity to receive practical training about utilizing

technology to do different things and to do things differently. Throughout the

course, I was challenged to use blogs, wikis and podcasts which was rewarding.

Prior to this course, I had never subscribed to professional blogs nor was I able

to create my own blog. Blogging is a very exciting publishing tool that can be used

as a teaching tool in various ways. It should be noted that, “when overseeing

student blogs, the teacher’s role becomes that of connector, not just evaluator”

(Richardson, 2009). On the other hand, creating a wiki with my fellow colleagues in

groups enlightened my perspective on how to coordinate group work in an online

environment. The implementation of critical 21st century skills such as, time

management, collaboration, compromise, communication and applying critical

thinking, research and computer application skills were made clearer. Therefore, my

perspective on how to use wikis can provide endless opportunities for students to

utilize their creative energies while making memorable moments of working in groups

and presenting their products to a wide audience.


This course has also enabled me to reflect on my professional and personal

development. While studying about the impact of technology on society and other

best practices to improve my teaching methods, the opportunity is as intellectually

stimulating as it is personally rewarding. Therefore I agree with Kottler who

states, “when you begin to acquire and value the habits of personal reflection,

your professional life will be enriched” (2005). By reading various research

articles about education help to broaden my horizon about how to implement

authentic strategies that are applicable within the 21st century classroom.


Through the instrumentality of this course, I was also able to interact with my

students to create a podcast which was conducted through an interview. One

potential benefit of using podcast is that students can apply research skills,

critical thinking skills and finally present the data to their audience which

expands the channel for others to comment on their findings through writing which

continues beyond the traditional way of learning; using paper and pen. My

confidence to utilize technology has improved because of the numerous practical

experiences that I encountered. It is evident that our students are evolving and

changing everyday. Therefore, “if we as teachers are closed minded, we will not be

able to keep up with today’s learner” (Prensky, 2005).


Strategies to Expand Knowledge of Technology

As an educator, I can expand my knowledge of technology integration by setting high

expectations for myself knowing that in the future, I will be more prepared to

train 21st century learners whose learning will demand more than the traditional

methods of learning that I was accustomed to. The students we teach now come into

our classrooms with not only a different way of learning because of the digital

world they are growing up in, but they also enter our classrooms with a great

knowledge of how to use advanced technologies to get information for themselves

(Laureate, 2008). It will also be incumbent on me to practice as much of the skills

that I learn in the course so that I can keep abreast with the trends and best

practices of technology. Additionally, by studying with my colleagues who share a

myriad of experiences about their use of technology in the classroom, provides

additional ideas that I can add to my reservoir of strategies for integrating

technology in the classroom with the aim of increasing student learning. Another

key strategy for expanding my knowledge of technology integration is by visiting

educational blogs and websites that provide practical ways for educators and the

wider school community to adapt to the changes that exist in the global world. The

insights gained from exploring other institutions’ curriculum and standards will

benefit my students and colleagues who can be encouraged to realign their

perspective on the benefits of technology in the academic setting and also for

lifelong learning.

Long-term Goals

The two long term goals that I have developed with the aim of transforming my

classroom environment into a place where technology is integrated to meet

instructional goals and increase student achievement are:

1. Possessing high expectations for applying computing skills – I would like to be

consistent with visiting educational blogging sites to actively participate in

areas of concern that specifically address the impact of technology on education

and the society. I will also increase my podcast library with content that can be

beneficial to my personal and professional development for the sole purpose of my

students’ achievement.


2. Researching, documenting and implementing- I will try to incorporate 21st

century skills in my activities even though I am not able to use technology to

teach my students on a daily basis in my current job. I will also try to keep a

record of ways to use technology to do different things so I can suggest these

ideas to the teachers I assist.


With the ever changing society, all facets of our lives will experience changes and

the role of the teacher is no exception. The role of the teacher will need some

adjustment in order for them to better understand the society. If teacher can

understand the society then they will be better able to guide individuals to take

their place in the society. As educators reflect on their role to meet the changing

needs of society, they ought to remain, flexible, open-minded, optimistic and

resolute.


References

Kottler, Jeffrey A. et. al. (2005). On being a teacher: the human dimension. ( 3rd ed.). Corwin Press: California.

Laureate Education, Inc. 2008. [DVD]. Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society, “The changing role of the classroom teacher- part 2”. Baltimore, MD.

Prensky, M. (2005). Listen to the natives. Educational Leadership, 63(4), 8–13.
Database: Academic Search Premier Database. Accession Number: 19270008

Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for
classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Utilizing Blogs in the Classroom

Using Blogs as a Teaching Method in the Classroom

“Blogs facilitate a new form of genre that could be called ‘connective writing’ a form that forces those who do it to read carefully and critically” (Richardson, 2009). Learners will most likely gravitate towards blogs as a platform to improve their writing because it is in a format that is easy, stress-free and exciting. Additionally, blogging in the classroom will provide a new and different way for teachers and learners to network and communicate with others. Pennay reiterates that, he “found the students to be more engaged in the writing process” when they used blogs because their writing were “more thoughtful and elaborate than… in the past”. Pennay supports the opinions of Drexler, Dawson and Ferdig, who stated that “collaborative blogging improved students’ attitudes towards writing [and] feedback generated from the collaboration … increased students’ motivation to write” (2007).

Blogging “demands clarity and cogency in its construction, that is done for a wide audience, and that links to the sources of the ideas expressed” (Richardson, 2009). Students can expand their connection with other learners in other countries which “facilitates connections in ways that plain paper cannot” that demands clarity and cogency in its construction, that is done for a wide audience, and that links to the sources of the ideas expressed” (Richardson, 2009). For example, Language students can create conversations with native speakers and Science students can dialogue with experts in the field which can efficiently contribute to their vicarious experience.

As an educator, the primary purpose for introducing blogs in the classroom would be as a platform for my students to improve on their writing and communication skills. As a learner, my English has improved over the years mainly because of more exposure to writing and from constant contact with people who are exemplary writers. Hence, I would use blogs a medium for my students to be exposed to various writing styles. Additionally, if students have the opportunity to be communicate with their peers through words, then not only will they develop a greater appreciation for each other's thoughts but they can learn from each other. Once students are adequately prepared to write in an open forum like blogs, then they will be more cautious about their grammar, spelling, among other important aspects of the writing process. By using blogs, students can also be given the opportunity to highlight their talent and creativity. Blogging can be used to enhance the lesson as students' feedback from comments will provide evidence for me to ascertain whether the goal is being achieved. Blogging can help students to learn the value of taking constructive criticisms and using them to enhance the quality of their work. Also, potential writers as well as those who like to rationalize can further develop their strengths. "Blogs can be a powerful promoter of creative, intuitive, and associational thinking" (Eide Neurolearning Blog, 2005).

Using blogs in a Grade 9 Language Arts lesson would be appropriate for addressing students' writing and communication skills. With the use of an online learning environment, my students can learn to reflect on the comments of others before posting comments, they can ask probing questions for clarification or to obtain new knowledge. My students can also apply ethical research skills during the process of information sharing. Furthermore, blogging can be a relax environment for students to write and post more than one reaction to several responses. I would definitely allot sufficient time for students to respond to tasks as I would like to cater to both slow and fast learners.

Using blogs is also an effective tool as it can be accessed from any computer so students could upload their post that is convenient to them under favorable conditions. Blogs are the sophisticated journals that are trendy and not limited to gender or intellectual capabilities. Therefore, I would give my students time to embrace this new mode of expressing their thoughts and expanding their ability to be exposed to the new information age within a technological atmosphere.



References

Drexler, W., Dawson, K., and Ferdig, R. E. (2007). “Collaborative blogging as a means to develop elementary expository writing skills”. [Electronic version]. Journal for the Integration of Technology in Education Annual. Web. 27 July 2009.

Eide Neurolearning Blog. (2005, March 2). Brain of the blogger. Retrieved September
25, 2005, from
http://eideneurolearningblog.blogspot.com/2005/03/brain-of-blogger.html

Pennay, Anthony. (2009, September). Techno- literacy: a boom for writing
instruction in the classroom. EBSCOhost. California English, Vol. 15 Issue 1, p18-20, 3p; (AN 44276829) Retrieved October 4, 2009 from
http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=44276829&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for
classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Profiling Students in the 21st Century

Demographic Profile for 21st Century Students

Introduction

On February 5,2010, I conducted an interview with 3 Junior High School students in

Japan to obtain feedback about their use of technology. But the primary reason for

the interview was to be able to have first-hand knowledge of how to use the new

technology, Podcast. Simultaneously, I conducted a survey in an attempt to gain

some insight into the amount of time students interact with technology and the

types of technology they use at home and school.

Results
Interview

Three students were interviewed, two girls and one boy. A total of ten questions

were given and the responses varied. Two girls used the Internet to surf the web

while the boy used the cell phone as the technology they used the most. However,

two students said the technology they used the most was exciting while the other

said it was useful. Two students said they used technology the most in social

studies while the other student said she used technology in art class. Some of the

technologies that students use at home include, computer, TV, electronic

dictionary, video recorder, digital cameras, DVD players, cell phones and video

games. One student used her favourite technology (electronic dictionary) everyday

for one hour. Another student used the computer as her favourite technology

everyday for two hours. Finally, the other student used the computer as his

favourite technology everyday for about two hours. Students were asked which

technology makes learning more interesting and the responses were, TV, electronic

dictionary and multimedia device. Interestingly, students revealed that the

technology they would like to have at home would be iPod, multimedia device and

cellular phone.


Questionnaires

The interview was conducted among seventeen seventh graders who study English.

These students were selected based on availability of the teacher to translate the

content with the students. 90% of these students used the iPod the most at home

everyday for about two hours. More boys used video games as their favourite

technology while the girls used the TV as one of their favourite technology. 100%

of the students use the computer in Information Technology class with the teacher’s

help. Also, students can listen to CD player during lessons for English classes

whenever the Assistant Language teacher is absent. 85% of the students think the

technology they use the most is exciting while the other 15% said they used the

technology because it is popular. There was 100% response that computer makes

learning more interesting.


Value of the Exercise

The Podcast exercise was rewarding for me as well as my students. The initial

process to download the software audacity was not as challenging as exporting the

audio file to Podbean. Nevertheless, I was able to complete it though there was one

mishap. I set the timer for the designated 5 minutes but the final student did not

have the opportunity to share his two last questions. Considering Japanese students

are very busy, I could not redo the interview because he had an appointment.

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank Dr. Wolsey for his guidance in completing this assignment. I

also extend thanks to the Japanese teachers for helping to translate the

questionnaire so students to could understand. Special thanks also to my students

who took the time out of their busy schedule to participate in this assignment. The

support was tremendous and I have been more enlightened about another 21st century

tool which can be used effectively as a new teaching tool that can help to enhance

learning and student performance.


The following is the link to the Podcast. As you listen, I hope you will find it

as interesting as it was creating it. Thank you.

http://kerryk.podbean.com/

Profiling 21st Century Students

Profiling 21st Century Students

Posted using ShareThis

Evaluating 21st Century Skills

This week, I would like to share my views on the Web site: Partnership for 21st Century Skills.

The Partnership For 21st Century Skills and its members provide a vast number of tools and resourse to help US education system keep up by fusing the traditional 3 Rs with the essential 4 Cs (critical thinking and  problem solving, communication, collaboration and creativity and innovation. 


MISSION STATEMENT
Serve as a catalyst to position 21st century skills at the center of US K-12 education by building collaborative partnerships among education, business, community and government leader. 

MEMBERS 

 Pearson, American Association of School Librarians, Intel Corporation, Adobe, Apple, Microsoft Corporation among others.

RESOURCES 

Tool Kits, PDF Files, Brochures, Videos (speakers bureau), Publications, Online Tools, & Professional Affiliate Development Program

My initial reaction to the Web site was far from impressive because the physical appearance had too many empty spaces and the text was not evenly distributed. Nevertheless, as the saying goes, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. Therefore, after going beyond the aesthetical presentation, I realized the Web site was after all, really impressive because of the efforts of the organization to collaborate all stakeholders of the education system; teachers, parents, policy makers, students, researchers among others. The organization also attempts to sensitize all individuals whether at the local or international level about the impact of literacy on the society in the global village. 

I was surprised to see uses of technology that I have been exposed since I began this course. For instance, the wide cross-section of information relating to education was presented through blogs, videos, and Wikis. Such new found knowledge is no longer a surprise because this is the era where information is exploding so technology needs to be upgraded to enhance the quality both in terms of efficiency and effectiveness. By and large, we can now see practical examples of how some technologies allow us to do things differently, while others allow us to do different things. For example, the tab Digital Art utilizes adobe systems Inc. works to host digital stories on Adobe’s Digital Kids Club Web site. I was also able to obtain new literacy strategies such as, Family Book Nights, Jumpstart’s Read for the Record Campaign. There are far more creative ways to enhance our lessons with the use of technology from this Web site.

Have you found any fresh ideas to stir the brains of your techno savvy and techno amateur students?

I did not find anything important that I disagreed with but I am sure you can share some of those with me and let us discuss them.

The implications for my students and me as a contemporary educator is that, technology can create a new learning environment. This environment should be embraced because we do not want to remain a static society. Additionally, we should also realize that technology makes traditional teaching strategies automated or completed with more efficiency. To this end, various businesses and organizations are expanding their existence in the online environment for greater recognition as well as to maximize profit. As a result, the education system should take a proactive approach to prepare its learners to meet the new work environment and thus be able to comply with global standards.

This Web site is rated 'E' for everyone. So please let me know your impression of the Web site and how you can apply some of its best practices for in an effort to adapt to 21st century skills.

Contributor: Kerry-Ann Kerr

 

The Joys of Travelling!!

There are so many opportunities that one can obtain from visiting other countries. As an educator, I am always curious to learn about the education system in other countries and compare some of the methods and strategies with those from my country.

My visit to Cuba allowed me to observe aspects of their education system which provides free quality education. The checks and balances that are implemented to ensure the system works such as ensuring students are enrolled in school as long as they are at a certain age. Otherwise, if an individual is no longer in school he or she must be actively engaged in a job.

As a teacher in Japan, the education system is quite different from Cuba's or my home country Jamaica. The Japanese government ensures that each school is adequately equipped with resources of which technology is no exception. Japanese students spend more time in school than other students in other countries which has its advantages as well as disadvantages.

When I examine the education system in Jamaica which has its strengths and weaknesses, I cannot help but think that something is amiss since our literacy rate is low. Is it that our schools are inadequately equipped, is it that we do not placed enough emphasis on learning, it is that our education system needs revamping?

I would like your suggestions about practical ways Jamaican teachers can address the problem of illiteracy. How does your country ensure that its literacy rate is not a world-wide embarrassment?