Monitoring My Game Plan Progress

Indicator 5: Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

I am finding resources that will be very helpful in assisting me with seeking additional professional development that will help enhance my technology skills so that I will be able to share with my colleagues what I have learned. I receive an email to participate in a 2 day online workshop on MS Office 2007/2010 application. I am planning to complete this workshop doing my summer vacation because I will have more time to commit to this goal.  This workshop dates are very convenient so my schedule will not have to be altered to accommodate this event.  I have learned that when I search for opportunities to expand my professional growth I will be seeking those that will are online. Online workshops help save me time and I have more flexibility to complete the process on my own time.  I have also learned that it is better to plan ahead so that I will not be overwhelmed because I am taken off too many tasks.

Indicator 1: Facilitate and inspire student’s learning and creativity

I am finding resources that will help me facilitate and inspire student’s learning and creativity by taking graduate courses through Walden University. I am learning how to create lesson that are going to provoke students to think critically and creatively. The literature that I read weekly is assisting me with helping to transform my classroom into one where students are more engaged in the learning process.  I know now that students learn best in a positive environment where they teacher allow students to become independent thinkers, exhibit their talents and skills, and incorporate advance technology. I learning that classroom should be student center instead so my role in the classroom is more of a facilitator. 

Carrying Out My Game Plan

 Indicator 5: Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

One of the ISTE standards that I would like to improve as an educator is indicator five which is Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership.  In order for me to ensure that I seek more opportunities so that I can grow professionally is going to require that I set realistic goals of the number of professional developments that I can participate in on a semester basis.  Because I am pursuing my masters’ degree it does limit the extra time that I have to seek additional technology workshops.  However, on the other hand I am learning innovative technology strategies to enhance my instructions while completing my masters degree. The technology workshops would be beneficial as well because these are hands on sessions, where I have an opportunity to use the latest software and devices as it relates to my specific content area.

Goal:

To obtain credentials as a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) so that I can demonstrate proficiency in the newest standard of the world’s foremost desktop computing applications.

Resources:

I will need to enroll in Moodle training so that I can take one or more of the Office 2007/2010 suite exams to include Word 2007/2010, Excel 2007/2010, Excel 2007/2010, PowerPoint 2007/210, and Access 20076/2010 courses that relate to my business education curriculum.

Additional Information:

I would need to know the requirements for course which includes a timeline for the length of course, fees, and certification process.

The Steps that I have taken so far:

I have talk with others business teachers in my district who are already teaching the MOS certification curriculum inquiring about the textbook, content, teaching skills and knowledge required to instruct this class. 

Indicator: 1) Facilitate and inspire student’s learning and creativity

The other indicator that will help me improve my teaching practices is learning how to facilitate and inspire students to work to their full potential. As an educator, I find that student’s academic achievement is based heavily on teacher’s ability to facilitate instructions in a manner that is going to inspire student learning. This require teachers to incorporate activities that will allow students to demonstrate their knowledge of course content through various means of strategies that will promote students creativity and critical thinking skills.

Goal:  

Design and create lessons that will spark student’s interest so that they will become immerse in learning how to use advance technology to grasp complex course content knowledge.

Resources:

I will need a variety of technology online resources such as access to blog websites, podcasting application and multi-media software such as movie maker and Adobe. I will also collaborate with my colleagues to seek additional educational websites to explore variety of instructional strategies that will help students learn new vocabulary in my curriculum.

Additional Information:

I will inquire about whether the educational websites are freeware or shareware programs.  I want to know if students can access these websites through smart phones and home computers. I will also make sure that parents, administrators, and central office staff will approve technology use in my class.

The Steps That I Have Taken:

I have taken a technology interest survey in all of my classes so that I can be more knowledgeable of the kinds of electronic devices that students are familiar and how they use these devices daily. This survey will help assist me with selecting the kinds of technology that students would like to use in class. I could also assess students’ skill level in using a specific application or device. I will also use this opportunity to introduce students to advance software they may not use often such as voice recognition, computer animation and multi-media software.

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.

National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-S) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Developing My Personal GAME Plan

According to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), there are five indicators that teachers should focus on to enhance instructions which are the following: 1) Facilitate and inspire student’s learning and creativity 2) Design and develop digital –age learning experiences and assessment 3) Model-Digital Age Work and Learning 4) Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility 5) Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership.

I feel that I allow students the flexibility of using varied methods of learning styles to demonstrate that they fully understand course content material in my class.  I plan activities where students can use their talent, ability and knowledge as it relates to the curriculum. I want my students to be engaged in the learning process so I am aware of the importance of incorporating activities that will allow them to be creative while still mastering course content.  My lessons include cooperative grouping, inquiry based problem solving lessons, so that students will be motivated as a learner.  Because I teach business education technology courses which are all related to new advances in technology, my students are required to learn how to use new devices and software applications daily.  One of my responsibilities as a technology teacher is to allow students the opportunity to explore a wide range of technology so that they will have the essential skills demanded from the workplace. 

One of the areas that I continue to find a challenge is making sure that I am continue to seek professional development  workshops that will help me improve my technology skills.  Technology is changing so rapidly, so once I learn how to use a new devices or software, something new and more advances is introduce into the society. I am constantly having to stay abreast of these advances as well as teaching new courses in my curriculum. This can becomes overwhelming at times however the positive side of this is that because I am a technology teacher, there will always be something new that I have to learn, so my job will always keep me growing professionally. 

My game plan for improving in the area of engaging in professional growth and leadership is to continue to attend the week session during the summer for business teachers. During this conference, I learn innovative instructional strategies, updated curriculum changes, and explore the latest advances in technology.  This conference is so valuable because I also have the opportunity to collaborate with other educators from my state.  This helps me build a network of relationships with others who are able to share their teaching strategies, challenges, and success stories that they have encountered in the classroom. This year, my plan is to become certified in the Microsoft Teaching Academy, which our state is mandated for all high schools.  I will have to teach the Microsoft modules to my students and at the end of the year, students will take the test to become certified.  This certification will allow students to enter the business industry showing that they have acquired the necessary skills to be successful using MS Office applications.  I will have to attend numerous workshops on this certification so that I will feel comfortable teaching students about completing each module. When students see that I am a lifelong learner this will motivate them to become more active participant in the learning process.  At the beginning of the year, I will share with my colleagues, what I learned in the summer conference about new education trends.  This will also give me the opportunity to collaborate with teachers who would like to integrate technology in their class..

In summary, the ISTE is the guideline that will help drive instruction in my class.  If I use this plan effectively it will help increase student achievement and improve my professionally growth because it will direct the steps that I will take to improve my teaching practices. My job as an educator is to make sure that I am preparing students to be productive citizens who will have the skills and knowledge to compete with students globally.

 

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.

http://www.sedl.org/pubs/tec26/classtech.html

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Enriching Content Area Learning Experiences with Technology, Part 2