Using the GAME Plan Process with Students

The NETS standards for teachers and students are based upon the same concepts of integrating technology into instruction. I found that the standards for students are more detailed, however. I feel that by following this set of criteria, I could more easily plan for specific activities involving technology.

In order to include my students in the GAME plan process and these standards, I would present the list to my class for them to see. I want them to become familiar with the goals that I would like to incorporate in our class. I also might ask students to work in small groups to identify the standards that they would most like to focus on. Another idea I had was to focus on a certain standard (ex. Creativity & Innovation) each month or unit, so we could tackle the list in a systematic way.

As a class, we can create a GAME plan together for reaching our goals. This strategy is one that I would want my students to use on their own eventually, maybe while completing a long-term project. Completing a plan together as a class would be a good way to introduce this technique and model the appropriate way to follow through with goal setting. The most important thing to me while trying to integrate technology into my instruction is the involvement of my students. I always want them to feel like they are valued members of the class and that their opinions are valued.

Revising my GAME Plan

One of the most interesting things I have learned so far in this course is how to use Problem Based Learning in the classroom. These types of learning experiences can be coupled with online collaboration tools to create meaningful learning experiences that are infused with technology. PBL promotes students autonomy in the learning process (Ertmer & Simons, 2006). This type of project would be great to use with my secondary students, who will be responsible for their own learning in just a few, short years. I would like to incorporate more of these types of experiences in my teaching, while still staying focused on integrating more technology tools as well.

Looking at the ISTE-NETS standards, I would like to focus on one in particular, promoting student reflection using collaboration tools. Reflection is a key element of PBL, according to Ertmer and Simons (2006). I have found that most students do not engage in reflective thinking on their own, so this is something I must guide them through. Thinking back on one’s progress, identifying areas of strength and need, and looking forward to next steps are the pieces of reflection. I can support my students in this process while incorporating collaboration tools like wikispaces. PBL lends itself to the use of collaboration tools, which can in turn be used as a means of reflection. In addition to the goals I have set previously for myself, I would like to work towards creating a PBL project for my students to engage in meaningful, collaborative learning.

Ertmer, P., & Simons, K. (Spring 2006). Jumping the PBL implementation hurdle: Supporting the efforts of K-12 teachers. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 1(1), 40-54. Retrieved from http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=ijpbl.

Evaluating my GAME Plan Progress

While working towards my goals, I have hit a snag in my plan. I had planned to research blogs to get new ideas about tech tools and innovative ways to use them. The Mobi device that I would like to incorporate in class is a new piece of technology, so I am having trouble locating resources that will help me as I develop a lesson plan. To adjust my course of action, I have found a few teachers in my school who have already used the Mobi with their students. I still have to pick their brains to get some tips, but I would also like to observe a lesson where they actually use this tool in their classes.

So far on this journey, I have gained some insights about incorporating technology into the learning experiences I provide for my students. Most importantly though, I have learned never to assume students have background knowledge. Whether it be related to content or how to use a piece of technology, we can never plan based on the notion that we can skimp on providing background information. Especially with new educational technology, like the Mobi, that kids most likely have not seen outside of school, proper use must be explicitly taught.

My next step, in addition to observing my colleagues use the Mobi, will be to determine a way of systematically teaching students about this new device. This means I will have to determine how I plan to incorporate this tool first before sharing it with my students. I am curious as to the ways in which my peers have taught students about using new technology in class. I am open to any suggestions!

Monitoring My GAME Plan Progress

As of right now, I do not think I need to modify my plan at all. Currently, in keeping with my goals, I am trying to find a way to incorporate the Mobi tool I recently learned about from our media specialist. I have been searching online for ideas of how to incorporate this tool into instruction, but have had little success. I am assuming because this technology is new, teachers have not had a chance to share their ideas on blogs and so forth.

I have, however, been brainstorming on my own of how to use this tool in the classroom. I was thinking about having students make their own assessments on the Mobi. Perhaps as part of a jigsaw-type assignment, when students are teaching their peers, the final evaluation could include a quick quiz for their peers to demonstrate what they just learned. This may take a lot of preparation on my part to ensure the students know how to create Mobi files, and can use it properly.

Through this experience so far, I have learned that I must become 100% comfortable with using a piece of technology before I expect my students to use it. Sometimes we automatically assume our “digital natives” will catch on quickly, but that is not always the case. I found this out today while working in Microsoft Publisher with a student. We cannot make assumptions about our students’ background knowledge in any sense, whether it is about content we are teaching, or tools we expect them to use in the classroom.

Carrying Out my GAME Plan

As I work towards my goals, I have chosen a class and teacher I want to work with to integrate a UDL approach for instruction. I have already started creating a class profile matrix that helps me outline and visualize the students’ strengths and needs as learners. I need to complete this summary before I can even think about moving forward in choosing technology tools for a lesson.

I still plan to explore certain resources further as I pursue my goals. I have already inquired with our media specialist to find out the technology we have available in our school. I also plan to learn from my Walden colleagues as they also work on integrating technology into their own lessons. I have also subscribed to several educational technology blogs, including http://ilearntechnology.com/ and http://www.freetech4teachers.com/. These resources have been excellent in opening my eyes to various tools that I could incorporate in my lessons.

My next step, after I complete the class profile, will be to identify an upcoming lesson that could be modified to fit the UDL approach. Then, I can use the students’ profiles to determine appropriate tools that will support them in their learning.

GAME Plan

After much self-reflection, I have determined two areas in which I would like to improve when it comes to integrating technology into my teaching. I have decided that I will focus my time and energy on the following International Society for Technology in Education standards (ISTE, 2008):

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

3a. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations

In order to achieve these goals, I need to take several actions. To accomplish indicator 3a, my first step will be to stay abreast of new educational technology that I can use in my classroom. I plan to read educational blogs and access the expertise of the technology experts in my school system (King-Sears & Evmenova, 2007). This also means I must become familiar and comfortable with using these tools on my own, before even considering their use in my instruction. This leads to indicator 2c, applying technology to meet the diverse needs of my students. If I become an expert on certain tools, I will be able to integrate technology that is best suited to my students’ strengths and needs.

Once I conduct some research and become familiar with the technology, I will approach the educators I co-teach with and get their insights and suggestions into the integration of these tools. Working together, we can determine the best ways of supporting our students with educational technology.

To monitor my growth, I will check my progress weekly. I would like to start researching tools in the first week, and by the second, I should be discussing the options with classroom teachers. My goal is to incorporate new digital tools into one classroom setting per month.

International Society for Technology in Education (2008). National educational technology standards for teachers. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx

King-Sears, M., & Evmenova, A. S. (2007, Sep/Oct). Premises, principles, and processes for integrating TECHnology into instruction. Teaching Exceptional Children, 40(1), 6–14.

Reflective Essay

Students today are inundated with new technology. This course shed light on the 21st century skills that we must teach our students if we want them to be successful in our digital society. These new tools require an entirely new skill set, new literacies if you will. According to November (2008), we must “teach our students how to think critically about this media,” (p. 3). Our role as educators has shifted and this course allowed me to take the first step in preparing my students for their futures.

By completing a 21^st century unit plan, one that integrated my content with new literacies, I was able to see first hand just how seamlessly the two fit together. At first glance, it seems these new literacy skills and content curriculum are mutually exclusive. That could not be further from the truth. Now that I have experience integrating these 21^st century skills into a content unit, I feel more prepared to do this in future lessons. In fact, many of the projects I already assign my students require them to use these new literacies. This course has taught me the importance of letting these skills share some of the attention that our curriculum objectives receive. Students should be aware that they are learning strategies for effectively searching the internet, for example. They should also be made aware of how mastering these new literacies will benefit their futures in a digital workplace. This course showed me how I could begin shaping my students into digital citizens.

To continue building on the insights I have gained in this course, I have set a professional goal for myself. I would like to infuse more lessons with 21^st century skills, eventually covering my entire curriculum. By incorporating these goals in my subject area, I can be sure my students are learning these valuable skills. My hope is that I can share this idea with my administration, and they will have other content areas follow my lead. Now more than ever, it is essential that we prepare our students to become citizens that will thrive in our increasingly digital world.

November, A. (2008). Web literacy for educators. Thousands Oaks: Corwin Press.