My GAME Plan

As I reviewed the National Educational Standards for Teachers, I realized that I am not proficient in many of these standards, which confirms that I have chosen the correct concentration for my Master’s degree. Personally, I feel comfortable to say that I try to model creative and innovation thinking through traditional forms of instruction; however, I have been learning various ways in which technology can achieve these skills more readily when used in the learning environment (Cennamo et al., 2009).

Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) discuss how teachers can create GAME plans in order to respond to the rapid and continuous technological changes so that they may better meet the needs of their students today and in the future. Two indicators that I would like to strengthen as a teacher are:

Goals

1b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.

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

Actions

1. In order to engage and personalize learning activities using digital tools, I need to obtain the knowledge necessary to utilize the tool effectively before I can incorporate into my lessons. Dr. Peggy Ertmer strongly encouraged that teachers research and manipulate the digital tools first before using it with students so that they are comfortable with the tool and experience success while using it (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009a). Therefore, my first action would be to identify at least 1 new technology tool every 2 months. This will allow me to explore the applications so that I can become familiar with the tool and gain experience with it. Overall, this will allow me to become proficient in approximately 5 digital tools throughout the school year. I will also seek out a Personal Learning Network (PLN) as suggested by a teacher from our video resource to ensure that I have many avenues in which I can become skilled in these technology tools.

2. I would also like to understand my students learning styles better so that I can effectively meet their needs. In order to do this, I will have my students take a multiple intelligence test (similar to the following website) to identify what multiple intelligences they excel in (http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html). I I will also have conversations with students about how they feel they best learn (given choices, how would they rather engage in the learning activity). Based on the information gathered, I will create lesson plans that encompass a plethora of learning styles using the proper technology tools that coincide with the content objective. As a teacher stated on our video resource, technology is to enrich our system. As teachers, we should look at our objectives and decide what digital tool will enrich and accommodate the lesson (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009b).

Monitoring

In order to determine how well my students are meeting their learning goals, I will use a variety of informal and formal assessments. After I execute a lesson, I will actively reflect on what worked and what I need to improve upon so that I can modify my lesson for future years. I will also have my students reflect on their learning by rating their level of engagement and motivation throughout the lesson. Were they actively engaged in the lesson? Were the students able to explore and identify accurate information using the digital tool specified?

Evaluating

I plan to evaluate my GAME plan by asking myself several questions: Were the students successful in mastering the skill noted in the objective? Was the digital tool specified the appropriate tool for the lesson? I will give the students the opportunity to express their opinions about the lesson to each other as well as to me through a “feedback” form. Using this form, I will make the necessary changes to my lesson so that it may be more successful in the future. I will also have students perform a special task using the digital tool so that I can verify that my students know how to use it effectively. This will allow me to determine if this particular tool will need to be implemented using other curriculum objectives for more practice.
By becoming more knowledgeable in various digital tools, I can provide authentic learning experiences for my students. I will be able to deliver instructions through a multiple of modalities in order to varying learning styles. Technology will also provide students with various presentations methods that will enhance their learning experience and make it more meaningful to them.

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.

Laureate Education, Inc., (Producer). (2009a). Program Three. Enriching content area learning experiences with technology, part 1 [Motion Picture]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc., (Producer). (2009b). Program Four. Enriching content area learning experiences with technology, part 1 [Motion Picture]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.

Multiple Intelligence Test located at http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html

National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf