Monitoring the GAME Plan

I will monitor progress by considering behaviors of my students. Are students responding positively to the new technologies? Are they confused?

I am definitely finding and executing the resources provided to me. The Proloque app is proving to be an excellent resource. Our Special Education Department downloaded it on my iPad and I have been customizing it for one of my students. The Special Education teacher and I have been in close correspondence about the best strategies for this child. The student is in need of a visual aid as the day progresses because of the routine schedule he so desperately craves.

There are some Social/Emotional Standards I am hoping the specific student will have success with as he moves to Kindergarten:

S.E.PK.4- Interact and develop positive relationships with significant adults

S.E.PK.7- Develop friendship skills (help, share, take turns, give compliments) with increasing ease and comfort to sustain interaction by cooperating, helping, and suggesting new ideas for play.

S.E.PK.9- Express feelings, needs, opinions, and desires in a way which is appropriate to the situation.  

S.E.PK.13- Engage easily in routine activities.

My student is responding positively to the iPad app. He is slowly learning the routine of a normal day in Pre-K. Speaking quietly, sharing, sitting down, playground rules, cleaning up, and nap time are all things he is learning as he is exposed to school for the first time. The student is constantly yelling so I revert back to the app so he can see and hear “I can talk quietly.” I push the button, then he pushes the button. He automatically becomes quiet. Also, before we go to the playground he pushes a few buttons (I do not throw rocks, I will keep my hands to myself, I will share) that he remembers. The iPad has become a friend to him where he can communicate and revisit certain feelings, actions, and activities throughout the day. Consistency of using the application is imperative for the child to have success with the standards.

This week we have been talking about assessment. Although in my original posting I noted that formative assessments would be given to see progress I now acknowledge that formative assessments may not measure the standards I have for my student. I feel checklists “are a simple way to score the observation or demonstration of a skill” (Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer, 2009, p. 154). I am prepared to use this form of assessment when the time comes.

References:

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.

Carrying out the Game Plan

My GOAL for my GAME plan is: I will learn and implement digital-age technologies. I will develop and execute strategies that include the needs of all learners with the use of technological tools.

Special needs students can often leave teachers perplexed as to the best kinds of instruction and procedures in the classroom. The Special Education teacher in my school has been in close communication with me about the best practices for special needs students in my class. With my goal, I will deliberately use the iPad to assist me in carrying out the happenings of the day with my student. The student in mind for this technology is very connected to visual and verbal cues. It is important for me to reach all learners, and with a particular application I feel I can accomplish this.

There is an app on the iPad called Proloquo that is a visual and verbal schedule for autistic students. It shows places, people, things, and feelings. You can customize the app including buttons pertaining to a particular child. With the help of the Special Education teacher, I hope to customize this program to assist in behavioral and instructional use during the school day. Learning the software is not easy and will take time.

I have the app downloaded onto my iPad and am already programming buttons to particular situations my student is having difficulty with. The particular learning strategy it covers is the Inquiry/Discovery Method because student’s are mentally stimulated with questions, and they have to think critically. I am looking forward to trying it out. The additional information I will need will come at a later time when I see the practicality and effectiveness of the iPad program.

GAME Plan

NETS-T help teachers look at what skills are currently being demonstrated and what skills still need to be learned. Here is a link to the National Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Teachers: http://images.apple.com/education/docs/Apple-ISTE-NETS-Teachers.pdf

Facilitating and Inspiring Student Learning and Creativity is a standard I feel proficient in. I work hard in engaging students using digital tools I am familiar with. Implementing collaborative activities and tools is vital in the makeup of my classroom. Learning through play is the backbone of Pre-Kindergarten. Bringing out student’s creativity is simple if teachers look at standards, real-world experiences, and digital tools.

A standard I feel could use some improvement in would be: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning. Although I incorporate many digital tools in my day-to-day teaching, I would like to master the communication of information and ideas to peers and the community using media tools. New technologies are emerging daily, and student’s learning is rapidly changing. Therefore, to be effective, teachers must use a wide-variety of resources to accommodate to student learning styles.

Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments is another standard in which I would like to develop more in. In particular, the topic of addressing students’ diverse needs/learning styles is a difficult one. Having students with special needs/learning styles in my room this year has challenged me to carefully examine my goals, actions, and my evaluation of lessons.

I have created a GAME plan in which I have set goals for the development of these two standards.

§  Goals: I will learn and implement digital-age technologies. I will develop and execute strategies that include the needs of all learners with the use of technological tools.

§  Action: The iPad, Virtual Field Trips, visualization tools, concept maps, blogs, electronic books, graphic organizers, and digital presentation tools will be used to support and engage all learners in the classroom. Strategies for authentic instruction will be used: Inquiry/Discovery Method, Problem-Based Learning, Inductive Method, Role-Play, and Simulation.

§  Monitoring: I will monitor progress by considering behaviors of my students. Are students responding positively to the new technologies? Are they confused? Reflections will be noted as progress is made. Do I need to modify my game plan? Formative assessments will be conducted to help answer these questions.

§  Evaluation and Extension: Did all students meet the learning goals? If not, why? Is there a particular topic that needs to be re-visited? What could I do differently to improve my instruction in the future?