Reflections on New and Emerging Technologies

As I reflect on what I have discovered throughout this course and the entire technology program, I realize that I am finally becoming more comfortable with using technology in the classroom. My students are more eager to learn an progress in Spanish as we use technology to expand their knowledge and their ability to use Spanish. The technology teacher jokes with me about how I use as much new technology in my classroom as she uses in hers.

One of the technologies that we discussed in this class was MUVE's. I can see that this would be a great avenue of discovery for my students. They could visit Spanish speaking countries in the virtual reality and learn about the culture in ways that they do not have the opportunity to everyday. Also they would be able to communicate with others from Spanish speaking countries. I want to work on a proposal to use the MUVE at my school.

Another proposal that I want to submit is using computer games to motivate my students to learn Spanish and use it in a practical manner. Students will use their problem solving skills as well as creative thinking. The administrators are always encouraging us to use new methods to help students learn the curriculum and apply it. These games could help the students do this. The students would be eager to learn and use their Spanish when it can improve their performance within a game.

As a result of this class I am going to work on setting up online collaboration through Moodle or epals. This way students will be using technology every week to improve their Spanish as they communicate with native speakers and learn about their culture and share about the American culture with others. Using online collaboration methods will also allow students to continue their learning outside the classroom which is a desired outcome. I intend to make technology a regular part of my classroom as I seek to motivate students to learn and use Spanish.

Online Learning in K-12 Schools

Here is a link to Application 4

http://ed.voicethread.com/share/1026546/

Week 8 - Differentiation Reflection

During this class, I was part of a group that shared resources for differentiation and UDL on a social networking site. The resources that were shared were very helpful. Some of the sites that were shared I will use as I implement technology within my classroom to differentiate content. The sites have many useful ideas and technology strategies that are shared to help in planning lessons so that each students strengths in learning can be used to help them achieve success within the classroom. Some of the resources will be helpful in using technology to help remediate students who need extra help in learning and applying the content of my class. One resource from google books "Fair isn't always equal" has already been very helpful in using technology to assess the students through differentiation. www.lmsd.org is another resource that had good project based ideas for assessing students.

Some adjustments that I am making in my classroom due to what we have learned about UDL and DI and using technology is to use more technology in the presentation of the content so that all students will have an equal or fair opportunity to learn and understand the content in a manner that fits their learning style. To do this I have started using PowerPoint, the smart board, and Interwrite to present new content material. After all material has been presented, I am adding activities in Word, Publisher, and VoiceThread as well as PowerPoint to allow the students to practice and apply what they are learning. During this, I observe to allow students who need remediation access to remedial software and students who are advanced an opportunity to use technology to expand their learning. I have also made my final assessment of material learned in a unit a two part process now. There is a test and then there is a project where I allow multiple technology options to the students such as creating a PowerPoint presentation or an e-book to demonstrate their ability to use what they have learned. One thing that I have already observed as I have implemented this is that the students are more eager to do their projects and that I am observing more success as the students are able to choose what is within their learning styles.

Final Reflection

In this course, I came up with a GAME plan to integrate more technology in my classroom using NETS-T standards. Two that I chose to work on were design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments and model digital-age work and learning. The digital age learning experiences I concentrated on were using video projects in my classroom to help students learn and use the content area knowledge they were learning. Also during this class, we were asked to come up with lesson plans that used technology in several different ways. This helped me in my goals that it helped me to focus on adding technology to my classroom in various ways. I now see the benefit and the ease of adding technology to teach students and help them learn Spanish through problem-based learning that involves technology where they can discover things that will interest them and be applicable for them. The students were also enthusiastic about using the computer to practice their grammar and vocabulary which gave them a different way of learning other than the usual rote memory of verbal repetition. Playing games with the vocabulary on the website improved their retention and use. The video activity made them more enthusiastic for using their Spanish conversation skills and even made them more eager to try new areas and become more fluent.

On the other goal of modeling digital age work and learning, I was able to use technology through blogging, e-mail and a website to communicate with the students and the parents. The students were able to get on the website and get tutoring help for Spanish concepts they did not understand. The parents were able to track when assignments were due, check what standards we were working on, and check on rubrics for projects that are due. The students watched and participated with me as we learned together how to edit videos. As I made lesson plans with technology, I learned how students enjoy learning through technology and how simple technology is to add to a lesson. This has made me more eager to add this to my classroom in the future so that my students will become more fluent in Spanish. The NETS-T and the NETS-S standards are very important to the students future and I look forward to implementing them within my classroom.

Helping students create a GAME Plan

In this educational world where standards for the content areas are discussed daily and posted on the board for the students to see what standards they are to meet and exceed, we as teachers need to help our students become aware of the NETS-S standards and help them meet and exceed them. One way I would like to help my students achieve this is to give them a list of the NETS-S standards and discuss as a class which standards we would like to set goals for each nine weeks period. The list of standards would be placed in their Spanish notebook in a separate section. We would also create a checklist of the standards to check different times the students met and exceeded the standard. The first week of a nine weeks period the class would choose two standards to work on for that nine weeks, and then we would set the goals to meet. After setting the goals for the standards, we will discuss different actions to take to reach these goals that will also apply to the content standards that we are learning. I will encourage the students to journal as they monitor their progress toward their goals. As a teacher I will make sure that their are activities within the classroom that will help the students make progress. At the end of the nine weeks, we will look through our journal and the projects we have been able to make with technology and evaluate our progress and discuss ways where we can continue to meet and exceed the standard we have concentrated on.

I believe that the students will be eager to create a GAME plan each nine weeks because it will help them see that technology can be used to help them progress in their content area classes. Technology does help our students use the knowledge they are learning in deeper ways than simple rote learning. Helping students lean to make GAME plans will also help prepare them for the future.

Revising the GAME Plan

This week has seen the accomplishment of many goals of my GAME plan. One of the goals I had set for myself was to add interactive games to my website for the students to be able to use to help them in learning the material. I found a website www.classtools.net that works very well for me to post several different interactive games that will reinforce learning of the vocabulary. I posted by first interactive game on my website this week. The students are excited about being able to use something other than the digital flashcards to study their vocabulary. I am continuing to post the homework and class notes on the website for parents to be able to know what is going on in class as well as know what standards are being taught and assessed.

Another success I had this week was learning how to edit a video using Moviemaker and add text to the video to teach grammar concepts. I hope to use this during this chapter to be able to record the students acting out skits demonstrating their vocabulary and grammar. Then I will help them to edit the video to emphasize the vocabulary and grammar through written text.

After gaining more information this week about how "educational networking" and online collaboration can truly be beneficial to the student and helpful in application of what the student is learning, I am going to set my next goal as NETS-T 1c which is promoting student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning and creative process. One of the first steps toward achieving this goal is to start working on a proposal that will demonstrate the benefits of social networking and online collaboration. The proposal would show that the students could experience greater diversity as well as teach each other and learn from others. It would also point out that it would give them the chance to interact with professionals in a safe environment. (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009)
The ability for students to interact with students from another culture would be very beneficial especially in my Spanish classroom.

Laureate Education, Inc. (2009). Spotlight on Technology: Social Networking and Online Collaboration, Part 1. Integrating Technology Across the Content Area. Baltimore: Laureate Press.

Game plan update

I have not made the progress that I would like to see on creating games and adding them to my website. Most places I have used so far would require my students to go to that website to play the game. I am starting to look into software that I can purchase to create games and place them on my website. My students are using my website more to keep updated on information from the class and also to review the notes from the class each day. The parents are using the website more frequently to keep up with the Standards that are being taught as well as the assignments that are due. The parents like the fact that they can find the rubric on the website for projects that are due.

The students are eager to work on the digital video and are starting work on the script and discussing how to illustrate the grammar concepts and the vocabulary in the best way. They are discussing what are the best places in the school to videotape and if there will be a need for costumes. We are working with moviemaker to learn how to edit when we do create the video.

I feel that I am closer to success on my goal with the website than I am with the video. The students are eager but access to technology is sometimes difficult at school.