Step 1:
In reflection of my personal GAME plan, I believe that the process of creating goals, following through with actions, monitoring those actions, and evaluating the outcomes has been very beneficial for my early success. Many of my GAME plan goals have been set in motion but through the process that Dr. Cennamo described early in this classroom I have had to redirect my actions within a few goals in order to accomplish those goals. Taking the appropriate steps to accomplish these goals within my GAME plan has actually caused an increase in motivation within myself and also my students. Student success rate has already seemed to slightly increase and also the interaction with my colleagues has done the same.
Step 2:
Along with the planning and reflection of my GAME plan, I have been fortunate that I have also gained knowledge that can be applied directly to my current teaching position. The actual strategy of the GAME plan will be applied to my special education students and their personal IEP goals. This strategy will be a great way to reflect and evaluate their present goals and levels of interaction with those goals. Also, I the course interaction with blogging and digital storytelling will be another approach that I hope to implement into my classroom. With the technology that my district offers and that I have in my classroom, I believe both of these will be easily integrated and provide initiative to student involvement.
Step 3:
In regards to this course, there are many items that I have taken away to improve the atmosphere and success of my special education students. The idea of problem based learning has intrigued me so much that I have begun the implementation of preparing my students and myself with the basic change in structure. I am slowly becoming the "guide on the side". I am reinforcing to myself that the gains in student motivation, learning, and collaboration will out weigh the issues such as; a messy, noisy room, grouping problems, and assessing changes. Using technological implements like my classroom blog, moodle, skypee, etc... will allow me to get reflection and also allow the students to engage with experts outside of the content area. Besides these changes in the learning strategies in my classroom, I have already encouraged "thinking outside the box" to my students more than ever. Technology tools, like virtual field trips, have caused my students to truly engage themselves and push their own expectations. I hope with these new strategies that I can create an innovative, creative, and confident learner.
Overall, I have been very pleased with the knowledge I have obtained through this class. My goal is that I continue to challenge myself and my students with the guide of my GAME plan.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Using the GAME Plan Process with Students
After viewing the The NETS-T and the NETS-S present standards, it seems that they align perfectly with one another. For example standard 1(Creativity and Innovation) of the NETS-S directly aligns with the NETS-T standard 1 (Inspiring Student Learning and Creativity) by focusing on the continuous drive to instill and promote creativity in student learning and production. This comes as no surprise, realizing that the standards align, because having goals that go in opposite directions goes against the rules of developing a strong GAME plan. Now how does these standards set forth by the NETS-S coincide with the goals in my personal GAME plan?
Well I was pleasantly relieved to realize that my goals mainly focused on improving student efficiency in many of the NETS-S areas. The biggest way that I see myself assuring that my students are continually improving their integration of technological skills and raising their expectations, is that I am using many approaches from my colleagues. For example, as the school year is on the downhill side, the plan for next year is the main focus. Last evening I had a discussion about a new intervention that a couple teachers from my high school are trying to implement. The program is called S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Environment, & Math). The program is the new differentiated instruction that intertwines traditional skills, 21st century learner skills, career skills, and community integration all in one flexible classroom that is cross curricular. The idea hits on many of the same principals that we, as Walden students, have been taught in our focus area. The best thing about this is that they are accepting a wide range of students (regular mixed with special education). Being able to begin the process of integrating a few special education students into this program will allow all of the NETS-S standards to be met and possibly be the beginning of a new way of educating our students.
Overall, me keeping focused on my GAME plan will directly effect the outcome of my students meeting the NETS-S standards due to the fact that my plan is directly related to both the NETS-T and the NETS-S.
International Society for Technology In Education (ISTE). (2007). www.iste.org/standards . NETS-S and NET-T Standards for learning.
Well I was pleasantly relieved to realize that my goals mainly focused on improving student efficiency in many of the NETS-S areas. The biggest way that I see myself assuring that my students are continually improving their integration of technological skills and raising their expectations, is that I am using many approaches from my colleagues. For example, as the school year is on the downhill side, the plan for next year is the main focus. Last evening I had a discussion about a new intervention that a couple teachers from my high school are trying to implement. The program is called S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Environment, & Math). The program is the new differentiated instruction that intertwines traditional skills, 21st century learner skills, career skills, and community integration all in one flexible classroom that is cross curricular. The idea hits on many of the same principals that we, as Walden students, have been taught in our focus area. The best thing about this is that they are accepting a wide range of students (regular mixed with special education). Being able to begin the process of integrating a few special education students into this program will allow all of the NETS-S standards to be met and possibly be the beginning of a new way of educating our students.
Overall, me keeping focused on my GAME plan will directly effect the outcome of my students meeting the NETS-S standards due to the fact that my plan is directly related to both the NETS-T and the NETS-S.
International Society for Technology In Education (ISTE). (2007). www.iste.org/standards . NETS-S and NET-T Standards for learning.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Revising My GAME Plan
Based on the small strides within my personal GAME plan and also the knowledge that I have gained through this Master's course I have began to understand that technology, even though I thought I knew it's opportunities, provides an limitless boundary in regards to resources. Dr. Tomlinson, in this week's learning resources explains the many opportunities that technology provides to our students through social networking sites like NING, Wiggio, Moodle, and Micro Blogging (Laureate 2009). She also explains the wide range of pros and cons that come hand in hand with these social networking opportunities. How does this relate to my GAME plan? Well, I had thought that I was making pretty good strides with achieving the goals of my GAME plan but after further reflection I realize that I have only made small steps. This realization has come at a opportune time because it allows me to change focus in certain areas to make further improvements. For example, I have and am currently engaged with my colleagues in a few professional development sessions to become trained in a new software that our district has adopted to promote parent/teacher communication. This falls right in line with the NETS-T indicator #5: Engage and Professional Growth in Leadership (ISTE 2008). With this training in the new software I plan on approaching those colleagues who didn't attend to help promote the positives of the program.
Additionally, personally I have implemented a few technological advances into my classroom on several occasions but hope to slightly change direction with my goal to ease our way into social networking as a classroom. I hope that this lives up to everything that Dr. Tomlinson states as positives; easier management, exposure to culture, expand learning, students teaching students, etc.... (Laureate 2009). I feel that if I can implement this efficiently and appropriately my students will be able to benefit both academically and socially.
Overall, I didn't plan on successfully accomplishing my goals of my GAME plan by the end of this course, but I understood that it is a marathon and not a sprint. The steady learning by both my students and I of what integration and methods are right for our learning will prove to be the answer in the long run. Following the outline of the GAME (Goals, Action, Monitor, Evaluate) will ensure a successful run at my goals.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). EDUC 6713 Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. [DVD]. Spotlight on Technology: Social Networking and Online Collaboration Part I & II. Dr. Tomlinson.
ISTE International Society for Technology. (2008). www.iste.org (NETS-S and Performance Indicators.
Additionally, personally I have implemented a few technological advances into my classroom on several occasions but hope to slightly change direction with my goal to ease our way into social networking as a classroom. I hope that this lives up to everything that Dr. Tomlinson states as positives; easier management, exposure to culture, expand learning, students teaching students, etc.... (Laureate 2009). I feel that if I can implement this efficiently and appropriately my students will be able to benefit both academically and socially.
Overall, I didn't plan on successfully accomplishing my goals of my GAME plan by the end of this course, but I understood that it is a marathon and not a sprint. The steady learning by both my students and I of what integration and methods are right for our learning will prove to be the answer in the long run. Following the outline of the GAME (Goals, Action, Monitor, Evaluate) will ensure a successful run at my goals.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). EDUC 6713 Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. [DVD]. Spotlight on Technology: Social Networking and Online Collaboration Part I & II. Dr. Tomlinson.
ISTE International Society for Technology. (2008). www.iste.org (NETS-S and Performance Indicators.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Evaluating My GAME Plan
Well, since a week has past I have managed to make some steady progress toward achieving my goals within my GAME plan. My accomplishing of the goals of integrating technology more often and reaching a higher learner within my students have had substantial progress. Each day I have integrated technology, somehow, within my daily lesson plans. This integration becomes more easily done in my classroom due to the fact that the structure is based on an online learning classroom. So far we, as a class, have implemented an online text reading software that will allow students of a lower reading level to put on a set of headsets and listen to the text provided by the online classroom. This software, which was provided by OPERA, was free and has, in a short time, made some student's level of learning increase.
In the past few weeks of both reviewing my GAME plan and also working through our weekly learning resources I have began to realize that no set teaching method will be suffice on a day to day basis. As I discovered this week problem based learning provides many positive features to the classroom. Dr. Ertmer in her video presentation made me realize that using problem based learning along with technology can make assessing, recording, developing collaboration skills, and teach students work through multi-step problems that involve multiple tasks easier for both of us in the classroom (Laureate 2009).
Synthesizing what I have learned about my GAME plan with what I have learned in regards to problem based learning is my next step. The question arises about, "how do I implement problem based learning into my classroom structure?" I believe if I can do this effectively then many of my GAME plan goals will become reality. Problem based learning will allow me more time to offer direct instruction in certain areas and also more reflective time with the students.
Finding a way to implement problem based learning into my classroom, efficiently, may take some time, but after successfully doing many skills, benchmarks, standards will be met by my students. I envision trying to slowly implement more problem based learning projects into my class to accomplish my goals, achieve student success, implement more technology, and provide a break in the typical routine.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). EDUC 6713 Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. [DVD]. Spotlight on Technology: Problem Based Learning Part I & II. Dr. Peggy Ertmer.
In the past few weeks of both reviewing my GAME plan and also working through our weekly learning resources I have began to realize that no set teaching method will be suffice on a day to day basis. As I discovered this week problem based learning provides many positive features to the classroom. Dr. Ertmer in her video presentation made me realize that using problem based learning along with technology can make assessing, recording, developing collaboration skills, and teach students work through multi-step problems that involve multiple tasks easier for both of us in the classroom (Laureate 2009).
Synthesizing what I have learned about my GAME plan with what I have learned in regards to problem based learning is my next step. The question arises about, "how do I implement problem based learning into my classroom structure?" I believe if I can do this effectively then many of my GAME plan goals will become reality. Problem based learning will allow me more time to offer direct instruction in certain areas and also more reflective time with the students.
Finding a way to implement problem based learning into my classroom, efficiently, may take some time, but after successfully doing many skills, benchmarks, standards will be met by my students. I envision trying to slowly implement more problem based learning projects into my class to accomplish my goals, achieve student success, implement more technology, and provide a break in the typical routine.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). EDUC 6713 Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. [DVD]. Spotlight on Technology: Problem Based Learning Part I & II. Dr. Peggy Ertmer.
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