The following forms of technology that would be essential for delivering curricula for grade 7/8 would include a teacher laptop, SMART board, Data projector and speakers. It would also be nice if each student could use have access to a laptop or other means of reaching the internet for blogging, researching or composing assignments using a variety of software.
2. Consider next year….what format and supports do you see as most valuable as we move forward?
Next year, I would like to continue using the tools that I have been using over the past couple years. These tools range from Notebook software oriented tools and pages to web based tools such as blogging, creating avatars, glogging (glogster.com). I have found the support to be great over the past couple years and I look forward to discovering other ways of integrating technology as a means of engaging and enhancing learning in the classroom. I would like to see the SMART board project increase to other participants with "mentor coaches" - or in the very least, other classrooms (especially if the teacher has the initiative and the drive to get involved in using technology) should also be given the opportunity to at least apply for a data projector and speakers.
3. Share some of the ways you were a mentor and leader this past year with technology. How did you collaborate with others? What contributions have you made to the project and/or your school? How can you grow this capacity?
This past year I assisted fellow SMART board teachers with setting up their own classroom blogs as well as shared the format and structure for my "Blogging Lit Circles" unit. I also assisted a couple "non-SMART board teachers" at my school in setting up their own classroom blog through lunch hour and after-school sessions. Through blogging, I was able to collaborate with a U.N. peacekeeper currently stationed in South Sudan who was originally a RCMP officer here in Regina. This partnership allowed students the opportunity to engage and ask questions of a peacekeeper on her mission (or what she was allowed to share) and her perspectives on life in Sudan and what it's like to see the "birth" of a new country. I also had the chance to collaborate and share how I integrated the use of avatars (voki.com) into Core French; as this was an oral french assignment. A couple of my fellow SMART board colleagues were able to learn how to create the avatar and embed it into their own classroom blogs. In order to grow in this capacity, I would be willing to share the ideas in how to incorporate student blogging into curricula and the use of classroom blogs into Home-School communication.
4. Reflect briefly on your goal for this year. Did you change on the technology integration matrix?
Share some technology integration successes you experienced this past year.
This past year I wanted to further engage students in using technology to enhance learning... I wanted technology to the the vehicle for engaging and exciting students about the content of what we were learning... I didn't want technology to be the central focus of the lesson. I feel that this year students were doing more than just "going on the computers" to use various forms of software; they seemed more aware of the process for researching, exploring different web based tools, collaborating and sharing ideas, as well as problem solving when using the various forms of technology.
One of my major goals this year was to improve Reading Strategies and written response. In order to develop these skills, I chose to use blogging as a means to enhance student-peer responses in both English Language Arts and Social Studies. One of my other goals was to find ways of engaging students to use different forms of technology from home, thereby increasing student independence. This is why I chose accessible web-based activities, such as blogging and "glogging" - so that students could do some of the assignments/projects from home (if they of course had access to a computer and the internet).
Did I change on the technology integration matrix?? I think overall after examining the various strands on the Technological Integration Matrix I could consider myself to be moving towards the "Infusion" area of the matrix.
Next year I would like to continue to use web based sites to engage students... I hope to sign up for Global Penpals and work on a global focused project on "Culture - Festivals and Traditions" through Edupal, as well as utilize Prezi for on-line collaborative presentations, and finally have students sign up and use Google docs as a means of more collaboration between students on group or partner projects.
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