GAME UP

Although I have been working hard on my wiki, I have wanted to incorporate other technologies into my instruction, so two weeks ago I proposed a digital storytelling project to my remediation group, asking them to do sort of an “all about me” type of activity that will support creativity and collaboration as per the National Education Technology Standards noted on the International Society for Technology in Education website (http://www.iste.org/content/navigationmenu/nets/forstudents/2007standards/nets_for_students_2007_standards.pdf). They have selected an activity near and dear to them that they will share with the class, in essence, teaching us about this aspect of their lives. I have asked them to think beyond the obvious, incorporating data that may not be known to most of us, heightening interest and learning. One student is doing motocross, sharing the basics of riding, the required gear, current superstars in the sport, and how it is, for him, a family sport. Due to lack of computer lab availability, much of this work is being done at home, but, surprisingly, my pupils do not seem their usual “put upon” seventh grade selves and are excited to share. Presenting them in days preceding the holiday break, when their attention spans are minimal, is a boon, as this is something they are actually looking forward to. I am excited to learn more about them and their interests and am hoping it will assist me in developing our next unit.

In that I must continue my planned remediation lessons, I am incorporating conferencing into that period, meeting with each student every few days, for several moments, to discuss and monitor their progress. Most of them are at the script developing stage, as discussed in their week’s resources (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008) Letters were sent home, and signed by parents, to inform them of the project and to ask for their help in monitoring for appropriate content, as I will not see most of the final products until the day they are presented, and I have two classes with a total of 63 students, making this not only an important task, but a potentially overwhelming one (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). I have also garnered aid from the seventh grade technology instructor, who utilizes ninth period for remediation as well, and can offer lab time to those with limited resources at home, as well as technical aid. In addition to helping me with this project, the aforementioned instructor and I are also working on a unit, that she will incorporate into her technology curriculum, on digital citizenship, as I will find it difficult to accomodate little more than a refresher at the beginning of each new undertaking within my own instruction. In this way all learners, not just my pupils, will receive in-depth lessons on how to conduct themselves properly and cite sources correctly when working on-line, as called for in the NETS standards set forth on the ISTE website (http://www.iste.org/content/navigationmenu/nets/forstudents/2007standards/nets_for_students_2007_standards.pdf)

As so many of us have come to realize throughout this course, I now understand that small steps are just fine and that one must jump right in. This is a learning experience for both me and my students, with an emphasis on learning. Helping them to be comfortable with the process and tweaking their interest holds great value, especially for students who are so close to high school, where they must be knowledgeable and engaged in order to achieve the success needed to move on with their education. I am just happy to be moving them in the right direction, building many skills, including creative, analytical, problem solving, interpersonal, communication, and research, as per this week’s video resources (Laureate Education, Inc., (2008), all of which are also incorporated into the NETS standards listed on the ISTE website (http://www.iste.org/content/navigationmenu/nets/forstudents/2007standards/nets_for_students_2007_standards.pdf).

As for my wiki, still  no word from administration, but I have decided that if and when I get the word, I will extend our poetry unit throughout the year, connecting it to the units we will address during the remainder of the school year. This decision has alleviated my frustration and provided further challenges for me in regard to my curriculum. The future use of Voice Thread and podcast within this wiki, and on others I hope to create, will further students technology content area knowledge, as well as foster communication and collaboration skills, areas of concentration discussed on the ISTE website (http://www.iste.org/content/navigationmenu/nets/forstudents/2007standards/nets_for_students_2007_standards.pdf), along with research and information fluency, something I am incorporating via a cross curricular project with my team’s geography teacher who needs assistance with his states project. The details for the later have to be worked out, but we are hoping to establish students blogs so that our pupils can engage in reflective thinking while monitoring the steps they engage in during the research process. The ideas are flowing, and with it the excitement, especially since my team is now getting involved. This will help all of us, students and teachers alike, as we advance each of our skills and accelerate our learning with each new task mastered. It never ceases to amaze me how I can be so exhausted at the endless work, yet exhilarated and driven by it at the same time!

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Program number twelve. Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas [Motion picture]. Spotlight on Technology:  Digital Story Telling: Part 1. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Program number thirteen. Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas [Motion picture]. Spotlight on Technology:  Digital Story Telling: Part 2. Baltimore: Author.

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