Week 7 GAME Plan Reflection

This course has been an eye opening class. I have always tried to make my projects and tests cumulative since I teach a foreign language. It upsets my students, but as I tell them we simply build on the language that we learned prior- we do not forget how to say the words we learned as a child. Therefore, our projects and tests will always incorporate the vocabulary that they learned previously. My previous projects have always only become longer in length but I feel that they were lacking in cohesion. This class has helped me make my projects more meaningful and progressive.

I never considered having my projects build into a larger more meaningful assignment before. Yes, I have made project-based learning assignments but they have never had the same impact as these that I created this week will. I feel my lessons have more of a purpose and a true goal behind them. I was nervous about creating a social networking lesson plan. However, I loved the sample activities that were presented in the videos for week 6. Vicki Davis (Laureate Education, 2009) made those projects seem so simple and fun for the students to do. I think every student should be involved with a Flat Classroom Project. Our world has too much hatred and not enough acceptance. Bringing our students together like Davis did can open our students up to new experiences and more acceptance and tolerance. I think my lesson involving the high school French students will have a good impact on our department and the students. My students will get a glimpse of what they will be able to achieve if they continue to take the language. While the high school students will be able to encourage and mentor the level one students.

In regards to technology, I think that I over estimate how much my students are able to do. Yes, they are wizards when it comes to social media, however, there is still a lot that they need to learn to use presentation software, to complete audio exercises, and to use some hardware: like speakers and microphones. I need to be more patient and to plan for time in my lessons to give tutorials on these aspects of technology to my students. It took me about 4 weeks for my students to be able to use their school emails from home and another 3 weeks until they were all able to use their audio software in their online textbooks.

My students like using technology and I want to continue to strive to implement meaningful lessons and  incorporate technology into my classes. As Cennamo (Laureate Education, 2009) stressed, it is important to be a self-directed learner and become acquainted with the changing technologies and teaching strategies. I hope to stay current on the latest technologies so I can keep my classes current and increase my students' 21st century skill set.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating technology across the content areas:

          Promoting self-directed learning with technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating technology across the content areas:

          Spotlight on technology: Social networking and online collaboration, part 1. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Corrie Kociscin
French 6-8
Old Bridge, NJ