Technology Integration Plan
I plan to incorporate appropriate educational technologies in my classroom to teach Earth and Space Sciences to ninth and tenth graders. I intend for these technologies to help me identify the background and interests of my students as well at their instructional and resource needs. I also hope for my students to learn on a deeper level through the use of varied and interesting technological techniques. I must be sure to maintain equality and a sense of balance in the classroom. Technology can be an incredible aid for learning but can also create a divide between students with diverse social economic status and, therefore, access to computers; we will spend a few class periods in the school computer lab to ensure access for all students and to make the best use of valuable class time. Also, learning happens best by doing so I will be sure to impress upon my students the need to put technology aside and experience the natural world often.
My plan for the year is to use Wikis, online surveys, blogs, interactive PowerPoint lectures and quizzes, Podcasts, and Webquest in my classroom. I will first introduce my students to my Wiki page, to which I will post PowerPoints and other class materials as well as links to external resources for reference. Students can update the site with new information they find on our topics of focus. This will be a good procedural step to show my students what material we will be covering and how they are to access course materials when necessary. The entire first week of class will be devoted to familiarizing with the Wiki and taking personality surveys, learning style surveys, and pre-tests online with ‘Google forms’. Online surveys are useful to analyze the background knowledge, interests and capabilities of the students in my class. It would also be quite useful to administer pre-tests and post-tests online since such activities are, although very useful, repetitive and not directly educational. Pre and Post-tests can provide a means to assess achievement of my goals for each unit by comparing student knowledge on a subject prior to and after instruction.
After I have gotten to know my students I will know more specifically how to carry on but I plan to begin more structured lesson plans to teach standardized material. The first unit I will cover is Earth systems and surface features. At the end of a month long unit, my students will be able to, as indicated by the ODE Academic Content Standards, explain Earth’s system processes and explain the processes that move and shape Earth's surface. The first unit assignment will use ‘blogspot.com’. Student Blogs will be great for submitting assignments so that all students have access to each others’ knowledge and opinions. I will only assign detailed article summaries or opinionated assignments to prevent cheating. The first assignment will introduce our first unit and requires students to find current news about a geological event anywhere in the world. They must upload photos or maps of their location and summarize current happenings and research.
I will make PowerPoints for each week and will incorporate quiz questions. I must be sure to give each child a chance to answer each day. I will utilize PowerPoint lectures to teach more basic, introductory material and vocabulary to my students and by incorporating quiz questions I can not only monitor learning comprehension but also assign participation points per question to enhance attentiveness during lectures. I will compliment my weekly PowerPoint lectures with’ Audacity’ Podcasts, which are a great way to send parts of a lecture home with students. For lessons that are particularly challenging, a Podcast would be perfect for students to repeatedly listen to important concepts while completing homework assignments.
Each Friday I will administer a weekly comprehension quiz on paper. After we grade the quizzes in class and clarify any misunderstandings and difficulties, I will ask that my students complete a blog assignment where they address their incorrectly answered quiz questions as well as anything they would like me to clarify from the week’s lesson. I will modify my presentations based on overall weekly comprehension and online blog feedback. I also plan to assign regular comprehensive take-home essays, which can be posted on blogs, to induce a deeper level of thinking and understanding on a topic.
The second week into the year I will introduce my Webquest, which will address the intended standards and provide an additional means for student assessment. The Webquest will incorporate aspects from field trips we take or daily activities and laboratories. Webquest will be great to incorporate new elements each month for an extended semester project; by introducing my students to the Webquest early on, they will have the opportunity to access and work on the project throughout the lesson. For my first unit, the Webquest will require students to locate a geographical feature near their home. This could be a mountain, stream, lake, sedimentary rock, etc. If no geological features are easily accessible to a student, he or she can take advantage of ‘Google Earth’ to complete the project. After identification, students will describe what Earth processes occurred to result in the particular feature and they will make multiple visits to monitor changes and become familiarized with the ecosystems surrounding the feature.
I will document this process by saving all of my online creations and compiling them onto an RSS feed. This way, I will have access to work from myself and my students to show future employers. I will also keep detailed notes of how to create each online tool and take note of assessments to determine success.
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