As educators, one of our major goals is to create self-directed, life-long learners; individuals that continually seek new experiences, knowledge and skills. Learners that “engage in three key processes: planning, monitoring, and evaluating their learning activities” (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009, pg. 3). The GAME Plan provides an outline and directions for learning that puts the responsibility, evaluation, and extension of learning directly in the learners hands.
Throughout the time of this course, I have tried to find out the best way to implement the GAME Plan with my own students. Although I was overwhelmed because of the speed with which we were moving forward, however, that has provided me with a good sense about the pacing to consider when applying this strategy with my students.
According to the International Society for Technology in Education’s standards, students must be able to demonstrate creative thinking and innovation, communicate and work collaboratively, demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning, use critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making skills, use digital tools to research and use information, understand and practice legal and ethical behavior relating to technology, and transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies (ISTE, 2007).
Applying the GAME Plan to reach proficiency in these standards supports the accomplishment of our goals. It will also allow students to set their own goals and then plan for their actions and then monitor, evaluate and extend those goals. This way we create within each one of them a self-directed and a life-long learner.
References
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
International Society for Technology in Education. (2007). National Educational Content Standards. Retrieved February 17, 2010 from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS
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Joseph,
ReplyDeleteI really like the way you articulated the importance of teaching students to be self-directed learners. Once students learn how to use the GAME plan, they have a structure they can use to pursue any interests they have. The GAME plan really can help support them by providing them them the format to become life long learners.
Carolyn Doyle
Joseph,
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're doing a great job so far! Any thoughts as to what you'll do with your students to help meet the ISTE's?
Jessica
We have moved very quickly through our GAME plan. Maybe you could include 1 standard from the NETS website in a lesson each week. This way you could alow your students to see one standard at a time and hopefully they wil get to know the standard in a weeks time.
ReplyDeleteJoseph,
ReplyDeleteI think you made an important point about pacing. You do need to take into account students' abilities when planning pacing. I usually plan for an average student to need about 2.5 times longer to finish an assignment than I would need. This usually works out.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI think that the post by Shannon Jones would answer your question. Including one standard each week in a lesson, and then it will be a routine in the classroom for the students. Thank you Shannon. Nice idea. I hope it will work!
Joseph
Shannon Lowmiller,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your suggestion, I think that I do something similar in planning but I never measured how much longer it will take the students to finish an assinment. 2.5 times for an average students makes sense, I will keep that in mind. Thank you!
Joseph