Developing Your Personal GAME Plan

Developing Your Personal GAME Plan

Technology is constantly changing.  There are always new tools to learn and new ways to implement those tools into the classroom.  Technology can help teach 21st century learners.  According to Prensky (2008), technology needs to be incorporated and used in the classroom.  Students today learn digitally.  Technology should not be forced though.  Tim Best (Laureate Education, Inc., 2012) said that technology should not be the goal.  We need to use technology that fits the content we are teaching. I have lots of room for improvement when it comes to incorporating the NETS-T Standards in the classroom. We were asked to take a look at the NETS-T standards. These are the National Education Standards for Teachers related to Technology in Education.   I then chose two of the standards that I do not meet as proficiently as the others. 

“Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

            Specifically: 2b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all

            students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting

their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress

2c. Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources

Standard 4:  Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

            Specifically: 4b. Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered

            strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.”

            (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008)

            I need to work better at adapting for the diverse learner when using technology.  I do a great job at teaching to the average learner, but I need to reach all learners- not just the average ones.  I am not afraid of incorporating technology, but if something does not go right I give up to easily and quit; or sometimes I get myself so stressed about changing my teaching style that I never actually created a technology-enriched learning environment.  I need to be willing to make my classroom more student-centered verses teacher-centered.

Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) suggested using the GAME plan to help guide self-directed learning.

“1. Set Goals

 2. Take Action to meet those goals

 3. Monitor progress toward achieving goals and

 4. Evaluate whether the goals were achieved and Extend your learning to new situations” (pg.3)

I need to improve on incorporating technology effectively into my classroom.  Hopefully, using the GAME plan as a guideline, I will do just that.

            Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) suggests that in order to set my goals I need to ask myself, “What do I want to know or be able to do?” (pg.4). I want to actually have a technology-rich classroom environment. I do not want to force technology into my day; but I want to see where it best helps meet the content and use it.  I also want to reach all learners by adapting my lessons appropriately; not just some of my learners. I also want to turn my classroom into a student-focused classroom where not only are they learning the content, but how to investigate and explore the answers to the questions they might have.

            Next I have to take action in order to achieve those goals.  Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) said I would ask myself, “What information do I need to meet my goal? What resources are needed?” (pg.4).  My first action will be to finish my master’s degree.  The degree is integrating technology into the classroom- this should give me many different instructional activities to try involving technology.  The information I learn should give me many ideas on how to reach my goal.  Second, I need to visit classrooms that are technology-rich.  I need to see how it is done.  Finally, I need to research the best practices for helping a wide range of student abilities.  Once I have gathered my information, I need to start implementing those ideas into my classroom.

            During the monitoring stage, I want to have an accountability partner.  I could ask a fellow colleague or my principal to be my accountability partner.  This person can help me decide if I am staying on target to reaching my goals and help me modify the plan if I am not reaching my goals. I also will have a timeline laid out as to how I should building incorporating the technology that allows my classroom to become student-focused.  The timeline will keep me on track throughout this process. During this stage I will keep some type of reflective journal- whether it is in a blog or an actual notebook.  I need to truly reflect on how things went, not just describe what happened.

            Finally, I will evaluate and extend what I am incorporating.  Did I meet my goal? Have I reached all learners? Have I integrated technology into my classroom successfully? How will I do things differently in the future?  These are all the questions I will ask to know whether I was successful or not at improving incorporating these standards into my classroom.  I will compare my classroom to the way it was before I started the GAME plan to the way it is now once I have completed the GAME plan.  I will look at the performance of my students- more confidence and stronger abilities will tell me if I have reached my goals or not.  I could even have my students to a pre-survey and a post-survey to see if my plan has helped my classroom be a more leaner-friendly technology-rich environment.

Renee Scott

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.

International Society for Technology in Education.  (2008).  Standards for global learning in the digital age.  Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards.aspx

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2012). Enriching content area Learning experiences with technology, part 1 [DVD]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Prensky, M. (2008). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40–45.