Week 8 Reflection

The gameplan that I have been working on has been very effective. It made me realize that I can teach meaning and real-world applications without sacrificing content knowledge. Also, I learned that reflection is a great way for students to recall what they learned, so they may store the information more securely.

The new learning I developed while trying to accomplish my goals was that real-world applications open up many doors to activities and discussion amongst students. It also gives their learning purpose and it makes them realize that math is not just another course they have to take in order to graduate. Also, the applications get the students involved more and allows them the opportunity to think critically and problem solve. This new learning has made me decide to revamp my lessons and incorporate real-world applications at least once a week with my students. This will keep them on their toes and engaged in their learning.

As for technology, I plan on incorporating digital storytelling in my classroom as an attempt for students to review a unit. I also plan to utilize this teaching strategy for after the State tests because they leftover time seems to be quite monotonous. The students will feel like they are doing something exciting and different. Plus, I think allow them to incorporate their creativity will be fun for them and myself.

Week 7 Game Plan

In order to use the Game Plan process with my students, I would create a survey including the NETS-S standards and indicators. I will have the students rate which ones they would like to learn from 1 to 10 (I would also state that I expect more than just ones across the board). Then I would collect the surveys, and I would talley them up and find the top 5. I would then show those to the class and tell them that these are our tech goals. We would all develop ideas to reach those goals, and we would develop methods to monitor and evaluate our progess. I want to include the students in the development of the game plan, so they wwill feel more involved in their learning. After we lay the game plan out, I will pass out a copy of the game plan to the students that they will have to sign. That way we are all involved, and we are all responsible.

Week 6 Blog Post (Game Plan Continued)

So far I have learned how fun and interesting incorporating real-world applications into my teaching. It is a blast when the students ask if this stuff really happens, or when they say, "I thought that math was just to frustrate us, but I can see that it has it uses." I also like how the applications give students a chance to recall math that was taught earlier in the year. As far as technology goes, I have learned that there is a lot of sources that I can look to acquire a lot of materials, so I won't have to worry myself there. The technology also allows me to model the situations that they are working with. The kids love animation no matter how simple it is, so technology is a gold mine in that area.

I am still working on trying to get more reflection involved in my classroom. I think I should start reflecting on my own actions, and then I think I will be able to incorporate it better since I would have my own experiences. I think this will also help me analyze the students reflections better, and it will allow me to provide better feedback.

After looking at the NETS_T Standards again, I think that another goal I would like to work on would be providing a better mixture of formative and summative assessments. Right now, I focus on summative and throw in a formative or two once in a while. I think I should try to incorporate at least one of each for each unit. The problem I am running into for that is getting bombarded with grading and reading along with the planning that I already do. I know that we all have that issue, so I guess I will have to suck it up and do the best that I can. In order to satisfy this goal, I plan on doing a lot of observations and hands-on learning. I learn better by doing than just reading. I will also ask others that I work with about how they incorporate a good mixture, and I will see if I can mimic or extend there practices.