In the age of technology it has become very important for teachers to know the role it can play in their classrooms and the impact it can have on a child's education. In order to successfully implement technology into our daily lessons and into the professional aspects of our profession we need to know how to use it. One way for an educator to be effective in the classroom and professionally is to familiarize themselves with the National Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Teachers (NETS-T). It is part of our
responsibility to not only haw to use technology but also how to incorporate it successfully and ethically into our practice to better our students as well as our relationship with the parents.
As I pondered over the five standards and the various indicators associated with each I quickly realized that while I had some strengths using technology I also had my weaknesses. The two standards that I believe I fall short on are standards one and two.
The first standard focuses on how I "facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity" using technology. The second standard focuses on how I "design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments" using digital tools and resources. Under each of these standards are four indicators to help me understand how I can meet each standard successfully. I do not believe I am weak in each standard as a whole but that I rather have weaknesses in part of the standards I have chosen. In the first standard I fall short with the second indicator: b) engage students in exploring real world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. In the second standard my goal is to strengthen my ability to design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity, which is the first indicator under the second standard.
In order to begin my journey of strengthening my ability to meet these particular indicators I need to establish a GAME plan, with my GAME Plan I will be able to map out how I will personally go about becoming more knowledgeable and comfortable with these particular technology standards and indicators. A GAME plan is not meant to be set in stone but rather consist of realistic goals that can be modified as I reflect upon my own learning. Currently I do engage students in authentic learning and I try my best to encourage creativity in the classroom. However, the incorporation of technology to support the authentic learning and creativity has been weak. Part of the reason is due to the fact that my school is just starting to expand on its technology and make it more readily available to teachers and students and secondly I am in the process of learning through Walden how technology can support learning. My goal and plan of action is to find new ways to use the technology currently available in my classroom to enhance and encourage authentic learning and creativity. In order to accomplish my goal I need to learn the various ways of how I can use the technology that I do have at my disposal and incorporate it more often into the lessons I teach. I also plan on seeking workshops related to technology in a social studies classroom and collaborating with colleagues who are more tech savvy than I am. By staying on top of the new technology and learning how to use it I will feel more confident in using it in the classroom. The best way to monitor my success is to keep track of how often or how little I use technology in the classroom. The more it is used then I will know that I am staying on task with my GAME Plan. It is also important that I reflect on what I learn and reflect on the days technology is used in my classroom. Through reflection I will be able to make modifications to my GAME Plan.
