This week we were asked to take the first step in our GAME
plans and beginning planning what we will need.
I feel as though my post last week actually kind of accomplished this,
but here we go…
What resources will you need to carry out your plan
(media segments, reading, experts or colleagues, etc)?
Idea 1:
Seek out a
teacher that already performs a learning style test to see what information
he/she already has.
Research
online tests and the information that is provided to students once the tests is
over.
Idea 2:
Research how Edmodo and Wikispaces have
been used within my district, as well as outside my district.
Research how teachers, students, and
family sign up for Edmodo.
What additional information do you
need?
For
both I need time. Between working 40+
hours a week, grad school, planning a wedding, and such – I need time. Even during my planning periods I am
typically pulled out of my room to attend a meeting, work on something technological for another teacher, or must plan/grade papers for the next day.
What steps have you been able to take
so far:
Thinking
about the possibilities is the furthest I have gotten. I have logged onto Edmodo and played around with
the site, but my biggest fear is moving my students over to it and then it not
working out. I know I can always undo
everything, but I like to be a perfectionist and know that something is going
to work - and cause just a few headaches (if any).
My thought about
Edmodo this week was that it would help protect my personal work on documents and
such. At this point anyone can Google a
topic and my site might come up. They
could freely use the papers I have developed for my students – without giving
proper credit. At least through Edmodo,
I would know who is looking at my site.
Danielle McDonald
I also felt that my GAME plan addressed this last week. However, looking over and analyzing further so you are sure you are prepared is always a smart idea. It gave me a chance to see a few more of my colleague’s GAME plans as well. I feel as if time is always the issue for teachers. The time it takes to plan, grade, and organize students is always underestimated. I feel that the stereotype of the role of a teacher is an easy 8am-3pm job that has summers off. Little do people know the multiple extra hours spent per week making sure the classroom runs smoothly behind the scenes.
ReplyDeleteWith technology, there is always a glitch. You can know everything there is to know about the software, but when 30 students who don’t know how to use the program try to log on and figure it out, it seems like chaos and frustration. However, when the frustration subsides, it is always a positive outcome where students feel accomplished. If you are a perfectionist, I would try having student log on in smaller groups. You could do stations, one of them be accessing and exploring Edmodo. This way you have more control and can more easily answer questions and troubleshoot possible problems.
Good luck with the wedding planning!
Komsa,
DeleteLogging in with smaller groups would allow for many students to be around one computer at a time, therefore they could help each other work through some issues. Also, it would allow for less bandwidth. For some reason if many people get on the same website at the same time at our school the internet slows drastically.
Thanks!
Danielle --
ReplyDeleteI have been trying new technology apps all fall, and I know exactly what you are going through. First of all, that time crunch -- is there EVER time to just work with a program, making sure it is just right before getting the students involved? Not in my world. I am hoping that by next year, when our master's program is all done, and I have been through some of these activities with my students at last once, I will feel more in control, and be able to eliminate some of those glitches that happened the first time.
That being said, I would encourage you to jump in with both feet and try some things like Edmodo and Wikispaces with your students. That is what I did, and I'm so glad I just got started! I did do some research, of course, but I just let the students know we were heading into this new adventure together. They loved it (9th and 10th graders). I had one whole class period that went awry because our tech person thought she had unblocked GoogleDocs in all the right places, but she had missed one, so my VoiceThread invitation would not come through to their e-mails. But the kids didn't mind as they explored other things while I worked with my technology coordinator in the room. We were soon on our way.
I also tried Prezi in much the same way. I took the students through the tutorials online, using my projector and white board, while they each had a laptop in front of them. They then went ahead and produced their own Prezi, and I must say, many way surpassed my expectations!
Anyway, I am also glad you have colleagues from whom you can get feedback and advice. That way you won't feel like you're out there all by yourself. Good luck!
Mary
Mary,
DeleteThanks. I do already have a Wikispace set up and am hesitant to move everything in the middle of the year. It is possible that after this next week (yeah for a 5 day weekend) that I can go in Monday morning and say "lets try this!" (speaking about Edmodo).
I have to keep telling myself that the students have grown up with technology and will catch on so much easier then I do.
Danielle
Danielle,
ReplyDeleteI too understand the need for more time, hang in there and keep plugging away, you are doing great! One other tip I had for you that would help you from having other people you did not want using your documents and resources you had created for your students would be to use Google Drive. You can create documents, etc. for your students and when you post the link to them on your website, you can adjust the settings for who can view them. You can allow anyone to view it, only people with the link, people who have a password, etc. It works great.
Mark
Danielle,
ReplyDeleteI understand your hesitancy to have the students "move over" to Edmodo and then discover you don't like it or that it can't do something you really do need it to do. Rather than diving full-tilt into using Edmodo or Wikispaces, perhaps you should have a couple of smaller assignments utilizing the tool(s) to see how the students respond and how you like it. When I began using Edmodo, I decided to pilot it with my AP Language and Comp students because I knew that it would be much easier on me than having my freshmen try it out. As I began to get more comfortable with the site, I then started having my freshmen do a few assignments through Edmodo, though not to the same extent as the AP kids. This year I'm using it more with both groups, and I find the experience I had last year with moving slowly into using Edmodo has helped me to better understand what I need to be sure to pre-teach to the students and how to articulate instructions for beginning use of the site.
Small steps might be the best way to get started in this...and, at least for me, would be much less intimidating! I hope all goes well as you check out these new technology tools. I look forward to seeing how your classes progress.