Week 3 Resources

This week we are asked to share the resources we will acquire in our quest to develop our GAME plan. While I hope to maximize content learning by incorporating technology regularly and to engage in professional growth experiences, I would synthesis my response as: What resources won’t I use. Every day as a technology user, I am increasing my understanding of technology. It then becomes paramount to share those experiences with my students in creative, educational, real world, ways. Meeting the needs of diverse learners then means using the technology that I best understand to customize the instruction presented to them. (Laureate, 2010). By continuing my education at Walden and working with the newest programs created, I will seek out creative ways to use them. I am not the first to try to use new software in creative ways. By researching other educators’ examples and experiences, I can see what worked, what didn’t, and what fits my current educational situation.

I also intend on continuing to attend workshops and conferences that increase my understanding of new technology as well as new ways to use what’s out there. For example, tomorrow I will be attending the MACUL conference as mentioned last week and one workshop I will attend is called “Googles tools for search, research, and collaboration”. Honing these skills with a free and often used search engine like Google will better prepare me for my own instructional strategies. We will be working with maps across the curriculum, collaborating using docs and sites, and learning time saving methods with advances search. Another topic of interest involves the use of Netbooks. I was made aware of the fact that our school will be attaining these for next years use in compliance with a state mandate to assess skills digitally. While assessing happens occasionally, there are several workshops offering suggestions of additional applications for Netbook use that can be initiated more regularly by a proficient classroom teacher.

Not only will I be increasing the opportunities to include technology in my instruction by formal education, I will continue to seek skilled professionals to advance understanding. This also offers opportunities for teachable moments as I model for my students. The intent is to follow a learner-centered strategy. This will enable me to best consider and then meet the needs of diverse learners. Through authentic instruction, I will be able to create a learner-centered classroom where the diverse interests, talents, knowledge, background, and skills are part of the daily lesson plan model (Cennamo, Ross, Ertmer, pg. 167, 2009).

Resources:
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.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Meeting Students’ Needs with Technology, Part 2 [Webcast]. Integrating technology across the content area. Baltimore, MD: Author.