Sunday, September 16, 2012

Creating A GAME Plan to Meet Technology Standards

 
Cennamo, Ross and Ertmer (2009) suggest that all teachers should develop a GAME plan. This consists of setting goals, taking action to achieve those goals, monitoring your progress, and evaluating or extending your growth towards attaining the goals. I have developed a GAME plan as a way of meeting ISTE NETS-T standards. Setting these goals will promote my own self-directed lifelong learning as well as help me promote self-directed learning in my students.
 
The first standard I would like to address is standard 5 indicator A.
Standard 5:  Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership: Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources.
 Indicator A. Participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning
 
My goal is to be a leader at our school as we begin to integrate a new technology for the teachers and students with the addition of ipads.  The ipads are in the process of being set up so that each class will have a total of ten available and each teacher will have their own ipad to be used for teaching. 
Actions to complete this goal are:
1. Earn my master's degree in the integration of technology in the classroom.  I will use the knowledge I am gaining about technology in my class as well as share this with my colleagues.
2.  Attend seminars and/or webinars on teaching with the use of ipads.  Then prepare a presentation for teachers at one of our monthly teacher meetings. 
3.  View and contribute to blogs about the integration of technology in the classroom and the best apps to use for students in fourth grade.  I will incorporate these apps and practices into our daily routines. 
I will monitor my growth and progress by setting up a timeline for the actions I have developed.  I will earn my master's degree in February.  I will use the resources I have learned to help fellow teachers throughout the integration process.  I will teach at a teacher's meeting by the first of the year.  I will view and contribute to blogs as an ongoing action.  I will incorporate new apps for classroom use throughout the school year.  I will only incorporate those that will be beneficial to our classroom structure.  Prensky (2008)  states that technology should not be incorporated just to be incorporated.  I agree with this statement.  Students need to see how technology can be useful in their learning not just shown that it is there to be used. 
I will evaluate my own progress at the end of the this 2012-2013 school year. I will ask myself if I was successful in adding technology as a tool for learning.  I will ask myself if my peers seek me out as a leader in our new technologies.   I will take time to reflect upon whether or not I have been successful in being a leader to teachers in my school.
The second standard I would like to address is standard 3 indicator B.
Standard 3: Model digital age work and learning: Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society.
Indicator B: Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.
 
My goal is utilize the social networking site of edmodo to collaborate with students, parents, and other teachers to improve my classroom practices.
 
Actions to attain this goal are:
 
1.  Set up a class site on edmodo. Teach students and parents how to use this site as a classroom tool. 
 
2.  Join learning communities that are available on the site.
 
3.  Post assignments that must be completed through the site itself.  This will allow parents and other members who have our classroom code to view and participate in our learning. 
 
I will monitor my own progress by setting dates to have met each goal.  I have set up an edmodo site.  The students have not been added. I will do that this week.  In the next three weeks, I will teach parents and students how to use the site.  I will join learning communities over the course of the next few months.  I will begin posting assignments to the site by November. 
 
I will evaluate my progress by asking parents if they feel our site is useful to keeping them informed.  I will ask students how they feel their learning is enhanced by edmodo.  I will document how often I use or steal ideas from the communities I have joined on edmodo. 
 
The GAME plans for each goal will help me be more confident with technology in my classroom and promote my proficiency.  This will not only enhance the teaching of my studnets, but also my own self-directed learning. 
 
 
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). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Teachers_2008_EN.sflb.ashx
Prensky, M. (2008). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40–45.
Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database.

 

2 comments:

  1. Teresa-

    It sounds as though you fully understand how to implement the GAME plan. You have laid out steps that are attainable and that will direct your learning process. It also fully demonstrates lifelong learning. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) state that all the above things are qualities that the GAME plan demonstrate.

    I can appreciate how you created your GAME plan to not only benefit your personal growth but also the growth of your fellow colleagues.

    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.

    You are obviously making a commitment to learning how to best integrate technology into your classroom and school.

    Renee Scott

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Renee.

      I teach with two other teachers on my team. One is my age and the other is older. Both teachers view technology as an assett, but neither really seek out the opportunities to bring to the classroom. I take that responsibilty on as my own. I am eager to share my learning as they are with me also. I think their confidence with technology lacks.

      Right now it is a learning tool that we will all need to embrace for the benefit of our students.

      Delete