Monitoring my GAME plan progress

To strengthen my proficiency in providing meaningful and applicable education to all my students with diverse learning abilities, I am gradually adding to my “technology toolbox.” Discussions with my colleagues in school and through the discussion board in this course have proven somewhat beneficial, though very few teachers in my school use technology in a regular basis, so new ideas are hard to come by.

I don’t think I need to modify my action plan at this time, though I do think I need to find the time to focus myself on finding new tools that I have yet to try. Time has been my major concern.

I have learned that the time spent in planning to incorporate technology in a lesson increases the level of students’ engagement in class and it raises the level of excitement especially if they are learning something new. I have learned also that presenting a topic in relation to real life situations increases the value of what they are learning.

I don’t have new questions, but I do think that there need to be some kind of relation or a connection between computer classes and other subject areas teachers so they can discuss the available options for teaching our students the skills needed for a program or software that will be used in other class. The amount of time it takes to teach basic computer skills means a waste of instructional time which can be used in more productive ways if the students already have those skills.

Carrying out my GAME plan

My GAME plan consists of engaging students in exploring real-world issues and customizing and personalizing learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles. Therefore, I need to integrate learning activities through technology that meet the needs of the diverse learners in my classroom through the integration of projects that address learning styles, working strategies, and abilities. To carry out my action plan, any and all resources are welcome and needed.

Some of the resources that I will need to carry out my GAME plan are access to technology (computers), and access to programs and websites.

The additional information that I will need to carry out the action of my GAME plan is to increase the knowledge and skills that will allow me to use a diversity of avenues for technology tools to provide my students with interesting and motivating ways for learning to meet the needs of all of my students. I need to “use technology to learn more about technology” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 10).

The steps that I have been able to take so far to carry out my GAME plan is that I had an opportunity to talk with the math coach in my school about an interesting program, GeoGebra, one of my classmates here in this course told me about and I found it attractive and motivating. I have a plan to use that software in the second semester of this year, and the math coach seems to be excited about it and she is very supportive about using technology in classroom.

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Developing my GAME plan

Self-directed learning is, “any increase in knowledge, skill, accomplishment, or personal development that an individual selects and brings about by his or her own efforst using any method in any circumstance at any time,” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, pg. 2). Therefore, to strengthen my self-directed learning skills, it is important to create a GAME plan to serve as a guide.

The two NETS-T indicators I choose for my GAME plan are:

“1b: To engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources; and
2c: To customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources” (National Education Standards for Teachers, 2008).

Goals:
* To learn new technological tools that I can integrate into my classroom.
* To provide a meaningful and applicable education to all my students.

Action:
* I will collaborate with my colleagues to discuss what works and what does not work for their students.
* I will try new technological tools in my classroom and see the results.
* I will look up for the new researches to learn about what is proven to be a good tool.

Monitor:
* I will depend on my students’ observation to monitor their motivation and engagement.
* I will track their tests scores to determine whether students benefit from what I am doing.
* I will have conversations with some of my students to ask for their opinion.

Evaluate and Extend:
* I will collect and record data from the monitoring process to evaluate my plan, so that I will be able to sake a step back to make any necessary changes.
* I will attend workshops offered through my school or other professional institutes to extend my knowledge and skills.

References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved January 14, 2010 from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.