From the initial development of the GAME plan (Bottorff, 2013, July 10), my concern was how the new computers in my classroom would affect the overall implementation of the plan in the coming school year. Once the technology was in place, then I could begin development of the actual problem-based unit plan, the online-collaboration plan, and culminating in the digital storytelling lesson. Once students acquire access to technology, familiarity with digital literacy can begin. One of the big moments of clarity in this class is the realization our initial focus is not on the technology, but in the learning outcomes of our students. This will affect teaching strategies in the future, as the refocus came through the renewed study of Kathy Schrock (2013, June 13) and her work in adapting Bloom’s Taxonomy (Bloom & Krathwohl, 1956) and the migration of this mindset to the cloud of digital technology.
As the GAME plan progressed, I wanted to take the path of least resistance and incorporate a self-directed learning model for students’ and staff, align the plan to the current Common Core adoption timeline in our district, and prepare for the inclusion of assessment methods during the school year. Two of the best ideas for incorporation into my content and curriculum planning that I discovered during this course include the adoption of mindtools into the English language arts curriculum (Jonassen, 2006) and the recent work of Allan Carrington (2011). Within his Web Blog there are multiple sources of great information for inclusion of technology in the curriculum, especially tablet applications in a classroom setting.
The importance of continual content modification will give the teacher the ability to analyze a variety of issues that are meaningful to the students, allow discussion, and give the learners the tools to learn and infer from the text and media they are exposed to. As students develop the ability to fuse literacy with technology, they will learn to adopt these tools to access multiple points of view on multiple texts. As I integrate problem-based learning throughout the year, I would like to ensure these future projects strengthen understanding of PSUSD guidelines (PSUSD, 2013) and National Technology standards (ISTE, 2011) in order to prepare my students for future educational and career challenges.
A great tool in the classroom is the motivation that occurs when students work together using technology reading and writing tools on project-based learning assignments. Zac Chase and Diana Laufenberg (2011) write, “Having access to technology is not the key- inquiry-driven curriculum served by technology is the critical factor” (p. 536). I was surprised to rediscover how giving the power of choice to students gives teachers the opportunity to repurpose discovery amid the challenges of daily instruction. Students enjoy learning when they have the freedom to choose the topic and make judgments about the outcome of their projects. I found that students really do learn through socializing, and that cooperative learning helps their literacy process. I am more willing than ever before to let students work together, and help each other, because research and my own experience proves that technology is a bridge to digital literacy.
References
Bloom, B. S. & Krathwohl, D. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals, by a committee of college and university examiners. Handbook 1: Cognitive domain. New York: Longmans.
Bottorff, R. J. (2013, July 10). Developing a GAME plan. [Online assignment submission]. Unpublished manuscript, Walden University.
Carrington, A. (2011). In support of excellence: It’s all about the students [Web Blog]. Retrieved from
http://www.unity.net.au/allansportfolio/
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Chase, Z., & Laufenberg, D. (2011). Embracing the squishiness of digital literacy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(7), 535-537. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/861741411?accountid=14872
International Society for Technology in Education. [ISTE]. (2011). NETS for students. Retrieved from
http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students.aspx
Jonassen, D. (2006). Modeling with technology: Mindtools for conceptual change (3rd Ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J: Merrill/Prentice Hall
November, A. (2008). Web literacy for educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Palm Springs Unified School District [PSUSD]. (2013). Technology plan. Retrieved from www.psusd.us/index.aspx?page=557
Schrock, K. (2013, July 13). Bloomin’ apps. [Website]. Retrieved from http://www.schrockguide.net/bloomin-apps.html