GAME Plan

After reviewing the National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T), I realized that I am not currently doing everything that I can to meet all of the standards and indicators identified in this document. One of the indicators that I feel I can improve upon as a teacher is in my ability to “design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity” (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008). While I have tried to incorporate new technologies into my instruction over the past year, I know that I need to continue working toward learning about new resources to use in the classroom. Another indicator that I would like to work on is to “participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning” (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008). In order to improve my performance on these two indicators, I have developed a GAME plan, or a self-directed learning plan, according to the steps described by Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009). My single plan addresses both of the indicators that I am working to improve upon.

Goals:
Learn about how wikis are used to support student learning.
Determine what type of grouping works best when assigning a wiki project to students.
Learn how to assign students to groups within the wiki software provided by my school.
Identify other teachers in my school who have used the wiki software for student projects.
Identify other teachers throughout my county who use the wiki software in their classrooms.
Identify local and global learning communities where wiki and other technology use in the
classroom is discussed.

Action:
Ask other teachers in my school about their use of wikis in the classroom.
Subscribe to technology newsletters and blogs to participate in global learning communities.
Engage in discussions with global learning communities about the use of wikis in the classroom.
Network with other science teachers in my county at professional development events and ask about their use of wikis in the classroom.
Ask other teachers to share what they know about using the wiki software provided by my school.
Ask other teachers how they prefer to group students when assigning a wiki project.
Discuss best practices for assessing wiki projects with other teachers in my school, county, and the global learning community.

Monitor:
I will monitor my action plan weekly and assess my progress toward each of my goals. If necessary, I will make modifications to the action plan in order to meet all of my goals. I will keep a log of all the information that I gather as I carry out my action plan to facilitate the monitoring of my progress.

Evaluate and Extend:
I will evaluate whether or not I have achieved all of my goals as stated. If not, I will adjust my action plan in order to meet my goals. If I have met all of my goals, I will have evidence for each goal in my log. Once my goals are met, I will be able to seamlessly incorporate wiki projects into my curriculum using the software provided by my school. Most importantly, I will do so with confidence in my own abilities and with confidence that the project will lead to student success.

As I reflect on my GAME plan, I am concerned that my plan is too ambitious. My list of goals seems lengthy, but many are interconnected. Also, my action plan addresses each goal that listed, so I should be able to meet each goal successfully. I hope to see much success with my GAME plan, as I often feel overwhelmed by the number of technology tools that are available and the rate at which new technologies emerge. I want to incorporate them into my curriculum, but I get bogged down thinking about how much there is to learn. I developed my GAME plan around the use of wikis because my school provides a wiki tool through BlackBoard, a site that all teachers use to post updates and assignments. Since the software is provided, I do not need to take additional steps to get permission from the school and from parents to use the wiki. Once I master the wiki and use it in a way that enhances student learning, I will develop another GAME plan to determine if and how I can obtain permission to use tools outside of the BlackBoard program.


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). The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf