Game Plan

I teach high school math and I have always used my interactive whiteboard and LCD since I have been a teacher. These along with the TI-83/84 or Nspire calculators are usually enough to satisfy admin about integrating technology in the classroom. However, this is an easy approach and I feel I will be behind the pack if I just focus on my standard equipment. These tools are similar to a book, pen or pencil. They are no longer technology but necessities in the classroom.
I am currently teaching an Applied Mathematics as well as an Economics course along with my standard math classes. These classes give me the opportunity to present technology in different ways than I am accustomed to. It will give me a chance to help deliver 21st century skills to students as well as stay current with new and developing educational technology. This year I have really made an effort to be more familiar with new technology available to educators. A little bit of time and effort is helping my overall instruction in several areas.
I have two main goals for improving my use of technology in the classroom this semester.
3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers:
b. collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation
I have been teaching the Applied Mathematics class for a few years and each year we produce higher quality products and projects. From floating vessels to igloos to cabinetry we have covered many areas associated with math content standards as well as 21st century learning skills. I have not done a good job at communicating the student work with the school, parents or community. We have a very small district (800 k-12) and this makes it easy to contact and communicate with parents and local professionials. Many of these people are bot professionals and parents and they want to help and they want to know what is happening at school. By maintaining relationships with the community using available technology I can help students build professional ties. Some of the material we cover in Applied Math is introductory and I cannot offer professional instruction. If we maintain digital relationships with the community then students who wish to get to the next level will have access to some of the necessary resources. (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008)



4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices. Teachers:
d. develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools. (ISTE, 2008)
Admittedly we do not spend too much time on the internet in our math classes. Our Economics class is a different story. This class is all seniors and it used to be a content standard/text book driven class but with the recent events over the past few years I feel the class needs a lot of supplemental material to appreciate the global economy of today. I am a math teacher but I offered to pick up a void in our high school curriculum by teaching economics. I need help and I cannot answer some of the student’s questions about the stock market and how foreign markets affect ours. I hope to find some foreign classrooms with similar questions to ours. I would really like to have conversations with other countries with economies facing similar challenges as ours. We have a current events quiz every Monday and it would be beneficial to our students to answer these questions with the help of their Asian and European counterparts.
The necessary action to accomplish these goals is just that: action. I need to explore the available global classroom sites that are available to educators. There are several sites that can help me find global classrooms. Teachers are already reaching out to other teachers to make this happen. I know what our classroom needs but we just need to find the time to go out and find it. I need to stop trying to accomplish this by myself and let the class take ownership. With time and some guidance the class should be able to find the answers to their global economic questions. This will help build global classrooms for classes as well.
Each student will need to have a journal including photos of all projects in the Applied Mathematics class. By the end of the year I intend on all students creating an individual project that includes a how to manual that will be posted on the school webpage. They will be presenting their final physical projects to an audience that consists of parents and professionals that have helped us throughout the year. I will be busy lining up professionals that can help students reach full mastery when I have reached my limits. Each time I have worked with some of our local volunteers I have had great results and have been overwhelmed by their flexibility with schedules. I just have a hard time communicating and setting up the dates before it is too late. Setting up digital communities with local parents and professionals will help our students present finished work to a greater audience and it should help me maintain contact with the people who want to work with the school.
Progress for these two goals can be monitored by me, students, parents and any professionals we can associate (including other teacher and classes from our own district) I hope to get advice from my colleagues as the year proceeds on how to improve the appearance of our digital display and how to get the message out that we are online. Both Economics and Applied Math students will be required to either communicate with other classrooms or update how to manuals and projects being developed in there recordings. By having each Applied Math student create their own blog they will see the ease of organizing and presenting information with new technology.
The final products, stock market reports, journals, blogs, how to manuals and other recorded material will be evidence of how well I have addressed these goals. I also intend to gather feedback from parents and professionals who have contributed to our class over the year. An online survey will be implemented for each class to gather more feedback on how to maintain global and local communities and how to better show student work to a larger audience (within our district and beyond)
International Society for Technology in Education retrieved November 9, 2011 from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx