Monitoring my GAME plan

As I implement my GAME plan, I am reflecting on what went well, what did not, what

improvements could be made, and what did my students and I learn from this.  In regards to the first standard I chose:  2A:  Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity (ITSE, 2012), I have used the internet to uncover interactive websites that could be utilized in the classroom.  Implementing them as a whole class activity is easiest as I have only one computer in the classroom.  Integrating technology like this has its drawbacks.  If it is not the student’s turn at the interactive whiteboard, then they have a tendency to not pay attention to what is going on.  Even with the inclusion of a guide that the students must record answers on, keeping students on task is a tremendous challenge.  An additional consideration was the loading time of the links that student’s chose.  Being that we do not have the fastest connection at the school, this too took time and lost student interest in the activity.  Exit cards at the end of the lesson had students reflecting on the note taking and slowness of the connection as being the big drawbacks of the activity.  The next time I try something like this, I would like to use one of our computer labs and have the students work at their own pace.  This might eliminate the time spent redirecting student behaviors.

The second standard that I am focusing on is 5C:  Evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning (ITSE, 2012).  Devoting time to look at and work with these technologies is challenging as majority of my time is spent grading, creating lessons that will engage my students, documenting the interventions that I use in my classroom, and the myriad of additional record keeping tasks that occupy teachers time.  At this time, I have had precious little time to explore new technologies to use with my students.  I have a Word document with a list of technologies that I want to spend some time getting to know.  I am playing with the idea of bringing in a few students during RTI (Response To Intervention) time and giving them the list to explore.  They could take notes on what they like and dislike about it, what is challenging about it, and whether or not they feel it has any educational value.  This endeavor will allow me to bring technology to my students and provide them with the opportunity to become the instructor (empowering the learning process).   From there, I would then choose the technologies that I feel merit a closer look.

 

References

ITSE, I. S. (2012). NETS for Teachers. Retrieved September 12, 2012, from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers

Game Plan Enacted

After closely looking at my GAME plan, the resource that I will need for the first standard addressed is a computer.  Looking at the programs that are already located on either the server or hard drive will be a good starting point to incorporate technology into the lesson.  As was pointed out in chapter 5 of Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009), simply using a Word application for students to type their responses instead of hand writing them allows them access to a plethora of resources that they otherwise would not have (ie:  thesaurus, dictionary, spell check).  Additionally, the visual adjustments of the font and zoom features gives students who are visually impaired a chance to alter the text to meet their specific needs.  Creating a table (again using Word) of what lesson is being taught, paired with the new technology, will give me the opportunity to reflect on what went well in the lesson as well as where the refinements need to take place (thus covering the monitoring and evaluation piece)

As for the second technology standard I am working on, I will need access to the internet.  Checking in with various blogs and social bookmarking sites requires such access.  It also entails creating a community of professionals who have explored the technologies being looked at.  Once more, a table of what was being addressed and how it works will be used to keep track of what has already been covered.  Once a technology application has been studied, I can then best see where it will fit into my existing curriculum. 

Steps that I have taken to this point are the initial planning for incorporating technology into my lesson plans.  Figuring out the logistics of how to gain access for my students is the critical juncture at my workplace.  It requires foresight and cooperation among my coworkers.  Being that I have only one computer and an interactive whiteboard, I either plan an activity that has all participating as a class or I need to switch classrooms with a colleague.  My initial attempt with this will take place tomorrow at the interactive whiteboard.  Students will have the opportunity to explore the website http://www.aztec-history.com/ and create a collective concept map of who they are and what they represented.

References

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meangingful Calssroom Use. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

Cóttrill, J. (2006-2012). Aztec History. Retrieved September 19, 2012, from Aztec-History.com: http://www.aztec-history.com/

My GAME Plan

The GAME plan (goals, actions, monitor, evaluate and extend)  is an instructional model for self-directed learning that guides one through the steps necessary for customizing one’s approach to learning tasks and developing important relevant skills (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).  The approach is structured to help one not only develop and refine learning goals for themselves but also to attain those through relevant actions taken by the learner.  The final steps involve monitoring ones plan and determining, as a result of the learning, what one would do differently in the future. 

As an assignment for an online master’s class that I am taking, I am going to come up with my own GAME plan in relation to technology use in the classroom.  Using the ITSE (International Society for Technology in Education) NETS for teachers as a starting point, I want to focus on two areas of technology use where I would like to increase my proficiency levels. 

The first is standard 2A:  Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity (ITSE, 2012).  One goal that I have set for myself is taking one lesson per unit that I teach and incorporating a technological component into it (not just for the sake of adding technology but to enrich the lesson being taught).  The action that I intend to use is examining technologies that I am already familiar with and matching them to the lesson being taught.  This will not overwhelm me with learning a new technology while attempting to implement it in the classroom.  Monitoring and evaluating will be taken together as I will reflect both during the lesson being taught and afterwards looking specifically at what went well and what did not, how smoothly the transition from a paper based to a technology based lesson went, and ultimately what did I and my students learn from this experience.  Having student fill out evaluations on the lesson would be helpful to gain their perspective on those issues as well.

The second standard that I want to focus on is 5C:  Evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning (ITSE, 2012).  This is traditionally an area where I am weaker, relying on the technologies that I am more familiar with so as to be able to more confidently support my students in the classroom.  Using technology itself, I have set up a goal of examining a couple of different avenues such as blogs like Stephen’s Lighthouse (http://stephenslighthouse.com/) or the Delicious book marking site (http://www.delicious.com/) to keep up with the technology that is out there at least once a month.  Devoting time to look at and work with these technologies is the next logical step (the action plan).  Spending a few hours per month exploring and practicing with these technologies will give me a better understanding of how they will work within a classroom setting and how they will fit into the educational goals I have for my students.  This endeavor will allow me to both monitor and evaluate the content that I am engaging with as well as be able to determine whether or not I am meeting my own learning goals.

 

References

Abram, S. (2005, July). Retrieved September 12, 2012, from Stephen's Lighthouse:

http://stephenslighthouse.com/

AVOS. (2011). Retrieved September 12, 2012, from Delicious: http://www.delicious.com/

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom

 Use. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

ITSE, I. S. (2012). NETS for Teachers. Retrieved September 12, 2012, from

http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers