There are some things that I have learned while working on my GAME plans, that I can apply to my instructional practice. First, I have learned many new things about Webquests, including how to use them and how to create them. I know that once I use a Webquest (either a pre-existing one or an original creation) then I will have an even deeper understanding. I have also learned about digital/electronic portfolios and started to design one that I could use with my classes. Again, I learned quite a bit but now have to put it into action in my classroom. Finally, the most important thing I learned is the process itself, the GAME plan. Now that I have gone through it myself, I will be better equipped to teach it and use it with my students. Not only will it help in my lesson planning and implementation but I will also be able to teach my students how they could use it themselves for their self-directed learning. Like I stated in a previous post, I have always been a self directed learner but I have never approached it so systematically before and I have never thought about my learning so consciously.
I am still working on both of my original goals. While I learned a lot about both WebQuests and digital portfolios, it was mostly facts and ideas. My next step is to take all of that new knowledge and put it to use in my classroom. I need to do a Webquest with my students and I have to help them create portfolios before I can say that I officially met my goals. Once I have done both of these things then I can reflect on what happened and decide what I need to learn more about or modify. I am also still working on learning about technology in general. While my GAME plan goals were much more specific, I am slowly trying to do the same thing with many other educational technologies. This would be my new learning goal until I complete my studies here at Walden, at which point I could dedicate more time and effort to setting more goals for self directed learning.
Next time, I think that I will try harder to find a colleague or even a friend of a friend to help me learn a new technology. While some of my colleagues and classmates gave me some good ideas and resources, I think for me personally, it would be more effective to have someone there to show me and be there to answer any questions as they arise instead of relying on mostly research and discussions. I would also be stricter with myself as far as scheduling a time when I would work on my goals.
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Vicky,
ReplyDeleteWebquests are a great resource for educators. There are many websites on the internet that offer ideas and tools that will help you to generate ideas. One example is the following website http://webquest.org/index.php
The GAME plan process guides the educator through very organized thinking and planning. I share your feelings of this being an extremely beneficial way of creating lessons for the classroom. The tough part for us is to continue to use this method of planning after this course when we are all so busy.
Good luck with the use of the webquests. I do not know very much about them, but reading your blog has made me want to explore them.
Joe Wesche
In my district, each school has an educational technologist (ET) whose primary responsibility it is to collaborate with educators with the effective use of technology to improve student learning. Even in this environment, the ET’s have found success by encouraging educators to collaborate with each other when learning and implementing new technology.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think it is important just to take the plunge with technology. It is healthy for students to see educators trying new techniques, even if they do not always work out wonderfully on this first try. Trying new things, failing and recovering from from failure are all part of the learning process. For me, students provide some of the most valuable feedback on whether technology contributed to their learning or not.
Hi Vicki!
ReplyDeleteThe best part about webquests is that they can be used for anything! You might consider starting small by giving your students a list of sites through which to browse, gradually increasing the amount of freedom you allow...until eventually students are on their own. This is a wonderful way to introduce ethical Internet use as well as 21st century skills sets, such as questioning and critical thinking.
Keep up the good work!
-Tara