The resources needed to carry out my action plan of improving the quality of my performance, as well as my students, are resources I have utilized in the past. I do not consider myself to be an expert in using these tools, but collaboratively working with my students, L believe we can achieve above average ability when it comes to manipulating these technologies and other human resources.
Technology resources we will mostly be working with will require Internet access. From here I will teach, then allow the students to explore digital tools such as Screencasting, podcasting, VoiceThreads, concept mapping, and posting videos on sites such as youtube. For my second GAME Plan, students will be utilizing their skills of searching the Internet for life skills apps; looking for housing, employment, transportation, etc. Collaborative and explorative learning will both take place during these activities by using classmates and the teacher as an additional resource.
Additional information needed to carry out the process of my GAME Plan will become more prevalent once in the process of completing these activities. The first time we complete these tasks my unknown questions will be answered. The initial teaching of any new lesson is a learning experience for both the teacher and the students. Once at this point, it will be easier to identify additional needed information.
Working mostly with GAME Plan 2, my students have completed searches for apartments in the newspaper, on the Internet and in bi-weekely livingaccommodation magazines. They have searched for personal transportaion methods in the same fashion. What I would truly love to locate, would be real-life on-line simulators, such as building a house, maintaining a checking account; any simulator which reflects real-life applications. If you know of any, your suggestions would be greatly appreciate.
Stephanie Coultrip
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Hi Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteYour lessons to have your students locate housing, transportation, and employment are engaging and transfer easily to life outside school. I went back to our Class Cafe posts to find out more about your teaching position. Could you tell me more about your job? I am not familiar with your title Invention Specialist. (Maybe because I teach at the elementary level or because your position has a different title in my district.) Do your students have difficulty navigating through all the differing technology applications?
Gwen
Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteI like that you mentioned that you really have to get in there and experiment with your lessons to know what you need and don't need as the lesson progresses. It is so true that we have to stop and assess our lessons as they are progressing. Many times, I will have the perfect lesson planned and half-way though I realize the direction of the lesson is going somewhere I had not anticipated so I have to stop and plan a different track.
I don't know of any housing simulations. In college, we had to do a city simulation (SimCity) as a major project for one of my electives. It was really engaging and effective. Good luck finding something!
-Ashley
Gwen,
ReplyDeleteI am a high school intervention specialist, which just means I am a special education teacher. Once my students pass the Ohio Graduation Test they are able to take my life skills math class where we work with survival math skills. Mostly it is offered to juniors and seniors and they really benefit from it. They do sometimes have difficulty with the new technology, but we take our time and work through our difficulties. It is a great way to learn patience; if that is possible.
Thanks for your response,
Stephanie Coultrip
Ashley,
ReplyDeleteIt never seems to fail; we think we have everything figured out before we teach a lesson and then something back-fires. It is a learning experience for us all. The students appreciate seeing us as humans and seeing the mistakes we make.
Thanks for your response,
Stephanie Coultrip
I like your ideas. What is it that you teach? It seems as if the students will be learning real life-skills that will be invaluable to them for the rest of their life. Off the top of my head I do not know of any of the simulations that you mentioned; however, there is a simulation for just about anything you can think of on the internet. Some minor searching should yield you a vast selection of choices. Good luck with your progress and I look forward to hearing of your successes.
ReplyDelete--John