As I look back at my GAME plan, I'm noticing that already on my way with the use of classroom blogs. As I further develop the use of the blogs with my students, I will be able to help them facilitate learning and creativity while also demonstrating and helping them learn digital citizenship and responsibility.
In order to continue carrying out this plan, I will need continuous access to computers. I will need support from my administration and parents as we take the blogs and further develop them. I would like students to get to the point where they are posting videos as well as posts on their pages. I would also like their posts to be at times informal, but also have them post formal pieces of writing.
I will need additional information as I continue to develop the use of blogs in my classroom. When I get to the point where I have students upload videos on their blog (for example, i hope to have students film themselves acting out scenes of Julius Caesar) I will need to work with administration and parents again to find out what legal steps I need to take to make sure that we are covered. I will also need to see where I can get cameras to use for the projects and also look into students using their cell phones as many have the video recording capabilities already.
Thus far, I have gotten a good start on the integration of this technology. Setting up the blogs took some work with administration. I had to get them approved and I am still waiting for the site to be unblocked school wide for student use. At this point I have had to unlock computers for students whenever they wanted to access the site at school. I also make myself available to students every morning 35 minutes before school starts so that they can use computers in my classroom.
It has been a good start, but I have much more that I can do with this and other technology in my classroom. I know roadblocks will come up as they already have with the delay to unblocking the site. The key will be remaining flexible and finding creative solutions to the problems. So far, so good.
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Hello Matt,
ReplyDeleteYou have identified the need to have consistent access to technology, computers and digital cameras, for you to put your GAME plan into action. That is a very real issue and potentially serious obstacles to using technology in your classes to address students’ diverse learning styles. Do you have enough computers in your classroom for each student to use? Are your computers up to date in the software available, and the ability to freely access information and freeware from the internet? Do you have high speed connections or high bandwidth so that multiple students can be accessing large sized documents or items (images or audio)? These are all issues that I have encountered in the past as I work to integrate technologies into career and technical education curriculums. I have found to resolve them it takes a lot of time, because I often have to work with the technology coordinator and wait my turn for their attention and time. Once I do, then it seems to take even more time for us to communicate successfully with each other (vocabulary and pedagogical concepts) as to what the issues are and what possible courses of action are. Add to that my own need to learn more about technology, options and how to use them, so that I can be a better teacher with technology in my content area classroom.
That being said, small and attainable steps and progress towards integrating technology into the content area curriculums is all that I can manage in addition to all of the day to day work of teaching. Plus the incremental successes (I hope) will keep both me and my students engaged in the change process and motivated to continue on. I am wishing you great success with your GAME plan too Matt.
Matt,
ReplyDeleteI would suggest giving serious consideration to letting the students use their cell phones to record. As you mentioned, many students have phones with the capability and may be all you have in the absence of other forms of recording devices. At the end of class, I have let my students bring out their cell phones to send messages to themselves about homework and/or materials they need to bring in. Good luck with carrying out the GAME plan!
I would like to talk to you in more detail about how you implemented blog use with your students, as this is something I am interested in.
Linda
Inger,
ReplyDeleteYou are right. The access to computers is an issue. We have four computer labs at our school and as long as I sign up well enough in advance I don't have too many issues. Also, by having my students only reponsible for one post a week on their blogs, they have time to come in early and use a computer in my room (I have five available). So far the lack of technology has not been an issue, but you are right in that it is always something I am worried about.
Linda,
My blog implementation has been successful so far. I used this course and previous courses as a model. My students set up their blogs together and they follow all of their classmates. Each Sunday they have one post due. Then by the following Friday they must respond to one of their classmates' posts. Each week is a 25 point assignment: 20 for the post and 5 for the response. Once students respond they copy the URL and post it is a separate post on their blog so that I have a quick link to their responses. This makes grading quick and easy. Let me know if you have any questions at all!
Matt,
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about this Julius Caesar project. One, absolutely awesome-- have you seen the BBC's 20 Second Shakespeare site? Same sort of idea, where high schools internationally have completed the same sort of projects and posted them in a competition to the BBC's site. Some of them are amazing! Two, there used to be a webpage Podcast People that would allow schools free access for this sort of project. I hear they charge now, however, this site has had some good reviews by educators. Hope this helps.
-Becca