I feel like I have been effective in reaching towards accomplishing my goals for my GAME plan. However, I have made a few adjustments this week due to a state wide writing prompt centered around the topic of technology.
Over the past several weeks, I have been taking a closer look at creativity and how to use technology to encourage this in my classroom. Currently my students are working on a state wide writing prompt that is consuming most of my instructional time. However, the prompt actually revolves around how communication technology has changed their lives. They are currently in the researching phase and they have all chosen one type of technology that people use to communicate to focus on for their paper. I plan to expand on this assignment and have the students use one of these technologies to create a final product. In the final product the students will explain how the specific communication technology could be used in the elementary classroom. So far, my students have been very interested in researching and have been able to find a lot of useful information.
I have also researched digital citizenship and discussed this with my students. In the next two weeks I plan to use some of the online resources on YouTube and TeacherTube to help my students understand this concept of being a respectful digital citizen. My hope is that after Christmas break my students will create a VoiceThread about digital citizenship to share with other students. Since my students are researching different types of technology that people use to communicate, I may change this and allow them to choose their own technology tool.
The research my students have been doing has exposed me to new technology tools that they use to communicate with their peers. For example, several of my students use one of the PlayStation game systems to chat with their friends. I had no idea that this could be done. I have also learned that a lot of my 5th grade students are on facebook. The class discussions I have had with my students this week has made me more aware of how much they truly know about technology. I plan to continue to research any new technology tools that they share with me and find out of they can be implemented into my classroom instruction.
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7 hours ago
Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI think that by taking a required assignment like a state wide writing prompt and turning it into a project for your students to complete in your classroom is a great idea. I also really like your idea about having students make a Voice Thread about digital citizenship. Your students will have to site their sources and the images that they use while they create their Voice Thread. What a great way to reinforce the importance of digital citizenship!
Finally, I am amazed at the technology that students are exposed to outside of school as well. I hear my students talk about Facebook, texting, chatting on their game systems, and searching the internet to find/play games. Today, I even had one of my students talk about knowing how to place an online order American Girl website. It just goes to show me how much technology has changed since I've been in school (which is not all that long ago).
Ashley,
ReplyDeleteIt great to be able to learn about technology from your students. Playstation as a social networking tool-I didn't know. I was just as surprised when Wii became a movie rental tool!
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ReplyDeleteAshley,
ReplyDeleteFirst, I didn't realize my daughter (6th grade) hadn't logged out of her Google account and when I posted my comment, it was in her name. :o) Sorry!
Good for your incorporating the writing prompt to go along with your goals in your GAME plan. It's amazing how much we can learn from our students!
Mrs. Winner, I am glad that I am not the only one completely amazed by the knowledge my students have in terms of technology. I can’t believe one of your students knows how to order from an online website!
ReplyDeleteKelly, I didn’t realize that you could rent a movie from a Wii! I have a Wii and would love to know how to do this. Is it through a site like Netflix?
Denise, thanks for your thoughts. I was very pleased when I realized how nicely my GAME plan fit into what I was already doing.
Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI can relate to how long a writing prompt can take for students to complete, but your prompt sounds well worth the time. This is exactly the type of assignment that is necesary for students to take direction for their own learning. Communication is something that all students have interest in, and it is a terrific idea to have them not only develop meaningful ways to use current technology in the classroom, but also have them use the technology in the final product. I will love to hear how it turns out.
Drew