Monitoring Your GAME Plan Progress
. 1. Are
you finding the information and resources you need?
Yes and no; My GAME plan is tilted Digital Vocabulary. For unit I will teach
my students how to create new set of vocabulary words using the Interactive
Smartboard including the imagery, audio, and video for each vocabulary word. First, I will model how to combine imagery and
a new vocabulary word. Next I will model
how to add audio to the same vocabulary word.
If available, I will model how to add video to a vocabulary word. My students will use technology like Voice Thread to create
their own presentation. Students will
present vocabulary words defined by imagery, audio and if possible video.
Finding imagery to define their vocabulary words has not
been a problem thanks to websites and search engines like Google Images. What has been a challenge for some students
is narrowing images down to one image that best defines their vocabulary words.
Finding audio to add to a specific
vocabulary word and imagery has been challenging. One adaptation to the audio aspect was
allowing students to create audio with their own voices. Some students have the talent to imitate sounds
they hear and reproduce that sound with their own voice.
Adding video to their vocabulary
words has also been a bit challenging.
The issues with video has been finding video segments that are
appropriate for school, and finding videos that are short segments under ten
seconds has also been challenging. A
video adaptation or adjustment we made was learning how to download and use
computer programs that allow you to edit video.
2. Do you need to modify your action plan?
Another modification is
providing more scaffolding. First I will
have the class break into their collaborative groups and work with their groups
to add imagery and audio to a second vocabulary word. After that I will strategically partner
students to add imagery and audio to another vocabulary word. Eventually students will be able to independently
add imagery and audio to a fourth and fifth vocabulary word.
3.What
have you learned so far?
I
learned how important it is to communicate with other educators, specialists,
and educational coaches in my district to identify what tools do they have in
place, and how are they using them.
I also learned that each student has their own unique gifts
and talents. It is up to me as an
educator to identify those gifts and provide choices and opportunities that
allow my students to maximize those gifts (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).
Ultimately, I have learned that when you are integrating
technology, as a teacher, I need to be flexible with be able to modify the
lesson, provide strategic scaffolding, add more or better technology, and increase
the timeline.
4.
What
new questions have arisen?
To save time should I find
vocabulary words that have many options for imagery, audio, and video segments?
Should I include programs that edit
images, audio, and video? If so, should I increase the timeline to accommodate
websites and software that will allow my students to edit their images, audio,
and video?
I don’t want to limit my student’s creativity, so how much scaffolding
should I provide?
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.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive
Producer). (2011) Meeting students’ needs with technology, part 2. [Video
webcast]. Retrieved fromhttps://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset
Valentin,
ReplyDeleteSince you are working with second graders, it would probably be a good idea to choose vocabulary that will be easy to support with images and video. Having students create their own audio is a great idea and allows them to become even more involved in the vocabulary. If you have "stars" who have excellent skills at sound effects, what a great way for them to shine.
There are free websites or software that you can use to edit audio and video, but it might be difficult for second graders to use some of them. If you are a Microsoft school, there is a free program called MovieMaker you can use. It is pretty simple, and with some training you might get video editing "stars" who can become experts and either edit for other students, or teach others how to use the program. An audio editing program I have used is Audacity. It's free and not terribly hard to use, but might be too complex for third graders. Here is a site I found that has lots or audio editing resources listed http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/Audio+Tools. I don't know most of them, but you might try them out. In fact, that site http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com has tons of tools that might be useful for you and your class.
Have fun
Mary
Mary,
DeleteOne of my greatest assets is having students who are already have excellent computer skills. Just as technology continues to advance at a record pace; every year second graders show up to second grade with more and more computer skills. Strategic pairing is an excellent strategy I use in all subjects. After I am able to identify students who have excellent computer skills and those students who struggle with trying to navigate on a simple website; at this point I am ready to strategically pair students with excellent computer skills with students who are still learning how to use computers.
Thank you for sharing the website and software resources. Both are resources I plan to use in the future. In the past I have had the same assumption that an assignment like this is too complex. What I have experienced in the beginning I did more modeling and collaborative groupings, however, every year students come with more and more computer skills. When I have technology issue, I used to email our computer specialist and wait for her help. Now, I ask my students if any of them know how to resolve this issue; to my surprise there have been one or two students who already have the skill and knowledge to resolve the technical issue.
Val
Valentin,
ReplyDeleteThere is another website I have used in the past called www.flocabulary.com. It’s a great tool that provides songs with visuals and audio to teach different concepts. Some parts of it are almost like a modern version of School House Rock. Many of the concepts discussed are also aligned with the Common Core Objectives. The site also has a section that deals strictly with vocabulary. Check out the word up project, which has vocabulary that is aligned with testing as well.
I know it can be a challenge when you have limited access to technology. After you sign out the IPads and use them to enrich vocabulary, maybe an extension project could be to create your own song to perform in front of the class. This would show comprehension of the terms and allow for the creativity you were talking about. Good luck!
Christine
Valentin,
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this! I think creating the digital library for vocabulary words is fabulous. You mentioned the students creating their own sounds for the vocabulary words, perhaps the sound they create isn't necessarily linked to the vocabulary word, but linked to them personally. Like a mnemonic device to help them recall the definition or details about the vocabulary word.
I think determining how much scaffolding to use is a challenge for all teachers. We don't want to "put the ceiling on" kids learning, but sometimes too many choices and options is a bad thing. It is often overwhelming (for me, much less students) when there is so much information before and I don't even know where to begin. My only suggestion is to fall back on your knowledge of your individual students. Some may need more scaffolding than others. I don't think there is a set answer for this question, though I am rarely a black and white person, in everything I find shades of gray.
Good luck! I will definitely try to incorporate this idea with my kiddos. I know some of my students have access to computers at home, I think it would benefit my kids to use a digital story telling tool to create a DVD of vocabulary words that they can view at home.
Liz
Liz,
DeleteI agree and have used this mnemonic strategy before with my students by linking their vocabulary word with a song or a short rhyme. I have learned from experience that when a student can make personal connection or link it can make a strong connection to a student’s long term memory. When needed a student can use their word, short rhyme, or song to reactivate their long term memory and have total recall of the information needed.
Finding the right amount of scaffolding will always be a challenge. When there is lot of information or a difficult task, I usually plan for the least amount of scaffolding; however I also leave enough room and usually prepare and prep for more scaffolding. All classes and students are different, so there is no magic amount of scaffolding. The difference in having student’s be successful is having the flexibility to add or decrease just the right amount of scaffolding.
Val