Evaluating my GAME Plan

My goal: Learn how to create and implement using a WebQuest in Sophomore English for To Kill a Mockingbird

How effective were your actions in helping you meet your goals?

I have been working hard on developing my WebQuest, and need to add the websites that students will use to complete the WebQuest. Once I add these additional sites I will be ready to launch the WebQuest with my class.

What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practices?

Trial and error is definitely a skill that I tell my students it acceptable. I have added more technology elements to the task I am having students work on, which I had not tried to incorporate before in this type of final unit project. I would still like to have students learn how to create their own websites, and I am hoping that I can have some advanced students tackle web design so that they can help other students in years to come.

What do you still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?

I think that I am comfortable with the adaptations I have made for my WebQuest, but I am going to try making another one using a site my students cannot access, just to try to see if it is easier using a template and if I can put better information into the WebQuest. I sometimes wonder if my WebQuest is challenging enough for my students and utilizes the internet enough.

How will you adjust your plan to fit your current needs?

I have already adjusted my plans by eliminating the podcasting element, because I feel that was a separate entity I was trying to make connect. I think that I will try to implement that next year with test taking strategies that I will post on my school website. I also decided that despite comments from my colleages about perhaps using an easier site to navigate, I will still use my school website to be the server for my WebQuest. I had a few lower level students test the ease of the site and they were comfortable with what had been developed because they were use to the format. I may try to convince my technology department within the district to open websites next year that would allow more outside web development for teachers and students to access.

Setting up a WebQuest

Are you finding the information and resources you need?

I had a hard time finding resources that I could use to create podcasts and a WebQuest where my students could access the work at school. It has been difficult to stay motivated with completing something great for the students when work is continually filtered out. I decided to focus on just the WebQuest for now and put podcasting on hold for this project. Mainly because podcasting was not going to be necessary for the task I created for my students, and also because applications are limited at school. I decided to use my school webpage to create my WebQuest. Using my school webpage will easily allow my Sophomore students to find the information I want them to have, but it is different to navigate from a typical WebQuest.

Do you need to modify your action plan?

After class discussions while reading the novel, I decided to change the direction of my task so that instead of focusing on just one area of the novel, Tom Robison’s trail, my students will have options for their final projects. I also adapted some of the visuals to include technology sources and have included an online tool for one of the essay choices.

What have you learned so far?

I have learned that sometimes you cannot always complete a project in the exact way that you imagine it, but you can adapt and still make it work.

What new questions have arisen?

Do you think that my WebQuest can be easily navigated? (see link below)

Will my students think that this assignment is more interesting because they are experiencing it via the web?

Colleagues:

Please check out my WebQuest so far and provide any feedback. Keep in mind it is not complete yet.

https://shs-dps-la.schoolloop.com/tokillamockingbird?no_controls=t

Go Teachers!

http://front.moveon.org/the-most-aggressive-defense-of-teachers-youll-hear-this-year/?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4d85068a0d726b29%2C0

My GAME Plan-Resources and Materials

For my GAME Plan I will be creating a WebQuest with integrated podcasts for Sophomore students reading To Kill a Mockingbird(Lee, 1960).

Resources Needed:

-Copies of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee for each student

-Computers for students to access WebQuests

-Audacity software for creating Podcasts

-Headphones with Microphones for creating podcasts

-Collaboration from Co-English Teacher

-Content Materials and Activities

Steps Taken at this Point:

-I have located software to record various podcasts (Audacity); however, I am talking to tech personnel in my district to see if there are other options that would not be blocked at school so students could make podcasts as well. I may switch to video broadcasting so that students can create those at school and I can play them on my school webpage.

-I have gathered content that I want to include in my WebQuest and have scripted what I want to say in Podcasts

-I have written the introduction for my WebQuest.

Additional Steps to Continue Forward:

-I need to find web links with specific content related to the WebQuest

-I have to create rubrics to go with the culminating assessment

-I will be making an outline with what needs to be in each section of the WebQuest

Questions:

-Has anyone used other software besides Audacity to create WebQuests?

-Does GarageBand work with PCs?

-Any suggestions for creating podcasts from the teacher standpoint or student standpoint will be helpful

The GAME Plan for Integrating WebQuests into the Classroom

The GAME plan is a method for teachers to use when practicing self-directed learning for integrating technology into the classroom (Laureate Education Inc., 2009). Self-directed learners teach themselves to use new technologies that can be transferred into the classroom to help motivate and encourage students. The GAME plan is broken into four main components: goals (what you want to learn), action (what you do to learn), monitor (am I learning what I wanted), and evaluate (did I accomplish my goal) (2009).

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has developed a set of standards for teachers to observe and practice while integrating technology into the classroom (http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx). My GAME plan is focusing on learning how to implement a WebQuest in a Sophomore English class with the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960). Two major standards that the ISTE (2008) has developed that will be a part of my focus are: “design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity” and “provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.” Focusing on these two standards will allow me to integrate technology into the classroom and allow variation of assessments for different types of learners within my classroom.

As for implementing my GAME plan, my goal is to become proficient with creating a WebQuest with linked podcasts. I have created class webpages in the past, but I have never created a WebQuest. I feel that integrating the use of a WebQuest into the class will not only engage students but motivate their learning (Cennamo et al., 2009). I also feel that a WebQuest would allow students to work at an advanced or slower pace based on their needs as a learner. A WebQuest is comprised of five basic components, “an introduction, a statement of intended outcomes, steps students should follow, evaluatin criteria, and concluding activities (p. 55).

The actions I have taken so far are to view sample WebQuests on the Internet and gather data and work from my current unit plan to include on my WebQuest webpage. My next steps are to begin investigating various website hosts and how I want to publish my work and if I can connect my WebQuest to my school webpage. I have never created a podcast before, but I think it would be great to have links to the audio tape of the text as well as podcasts of study review tips. I have started to test using Audacity as a way to create podcasts.

So far in monitoring my work, I have not accomplished the main parts of my objective which are to publish information to the web, specifically in the form of a WebQuest. I have also played around with podcasting, but have not created and published a podcast. My next step will be to obtain a web host and publish an initial podcast to that site. Lastly, when it comes to evaluating the work I have started, I have most of the content that I need to create my WebQuest and the information for creating my podcast so I have to increase my confidence and go forth and create a product my students can begin using in the classroom.

I am looking forward to implementing my GAME plan to increase student productivity in my classroom. If anyone has created a WebQuest of Podcast before and has any tools or tips that would help, I would appreciate the advice.

Sources:

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. (Producer). (2009). Program 1: Promoting self-directed learning with technology [DVD]. In Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Lee, Harper. (1960). To Kill a Mockingbird. New York, NY: Harper Classics.