EDUC 6713: Final Reflection

Cennamo, Ertmer, and Ross tell us that, “[t]he GAME plan enables you to customize your approach to learning tasks, to develop relevant skills that are important to you, and prepares you for lifelong learning,” (Cennamo, Ertmer, & Ross, 2009, pgs. 3 – 4). As I reflect on my own GAME plan developed and followed throughout this course, I feel as though I learned several valuable lessons as a result.

The goal on which I focused throughout this course was to increase my proficiency in customizing learning activities to address my students’ diverse learning and working styles and ability levels through the use of digital tools. While working toward this goal, I discovered Google Docs, which, as I “play” with it, seems to be one of those “must-have” teacher tools. Using Google Docs, students can create PowerPoint-style presentations (as well as other types of documents) together, with all students having access and equal opportunity for input. This will allow for students with varying technology abilities to create a product collaboratively, without one student “taking over,” which can easily happen in a small group setting.

In my learning about the GAME plan process itself, I find myself with conflicting opinions. In theory, it is a great strategy to help students improve their self-directed learning skills. Allowing students to set, monitor, evaluate, and extend their goals puts their learning in their hands, where it should be. This strategy does just that. However, the pace we followed throughout this course left me overwhelmed and questioning its effectiveness.

After sitting back and thinking about it, I now feel as though I can actually see myself using this strategy with my students. Goal setting is a major component of self-directed learning and the basis of the GAME plan. If implemented properly, I feel as though this strategy will be an asset to my instructional practice.

I have to admit that there is no need for an adjustment to my instructional practice regarding the integration of technology. We already use some form of technology on an almost-daily basis. This course has, however, confirmed my opinion that technology is an incredibly valuable tool for learning and its use will benefit my students well beyond the nine months they are with me.

Reference:

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.

EDUC 6713: APP 7: Using the GAME Plan Process with Students

Our goal as educators is to create self-directed, life-long learners; individuals that continually seek new experiences, knowledge and skills. Such learners, according to Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer, “engage in three key processes: planning, monitoring, and evaluating their learning activities,” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, pg. 3). The authors’ GAME Plan (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009) provides a framework and guide for learning that puts the responsibility, evaluation, and extension of learning squarely in the learners hands.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve worked through my own GAME Plan in an effort to understand its purpose and process and determine the best way to implement such a strategy with my own students. While the idea behind this strategy is a good one, the speed with which we have “gone through” it left me overwhelmed and a bit frustrated. This, however, has proven to be a valuable lesson about the pacing to use with my own students.

According to the International Society for Technology in Education’s (ITSE) standards, students must be able to demonstrate creative thinking and innovation, communicate and work collaboratively, use digital tools to research and use information, use critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making skills, understand and practice legal and ethical behavior relating to technology, and understand technology concepts, systems, and operations (ISTE, 2007).

Using the GAME Plan as a means for gaining proficiency in these standards accomplishes two goals: proficiency the NETS•S standards themselves and greater skill in self-directed learning. Allowing students to set their own goals then handing the responsibility for monitoring, evaluating, and extending those goals over to them is the only way to truly “teach” them to become the life-long, self-directed learner I set out to create.

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.

EDUC 6713: APP6 - Revising my GAME Plan

One of my GAME Plan goals is to increase my effectiveness in engaging my students in exploring real-world issues and authentic problem solving using technology. We are in the middle of a quarter-long project about the United States Census and its affect on the House of Representatives. The kids are currently working on comparing the population and number of House members for each state from the last two Census years (1990 and 2000).

Yesterday, the kids were to finish pulling population and House data from websites I bookmarked on our class Diigo page and enter it into an Excel spreadsheet I set up for them. The next step will be to teach them to create and copy a formula that will calculate the change in each set for each state. The kids were much more engaged and willing to do the work when they realized they were not going to have to complete those calculations by hand. They are very interested in getting to the next step and learning about what Excel can do for them; so much so, my room has never been as quiet then while were working yesterday!

Additionally, the students did not “hand in” a spreadsheet, rather, they e-mailed it to me as an attachment – something many of them have never done before and thought was “really cool.”

I’m not sure this is a goal I will ever be able to say that “I’ve reached,” as there will never come a time that I will be satisfied with my ability to engage my students; I will always strive to be better and do more. I think in order to properly use the GAME Plan format, I need to set goals that are truly attainable and their success can be measured. I think the fact that I used a “never-ending goal” for this assignment is the reason I have felt so stressed over the past few weeks – definitely a lesson in goal setting I can apply in my classroom!

My new learning goal will be based on NETS•T 1c: Teachers promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes. My plan is to learn to use and effectively employ the use of Google Docs in my classroom – specifically, Google Presentations. Again, my plan is to first “jump in” and “play” in order to figure out exactly how it works then determine how to use it with my kids. (Some folks get really stressed out by my “jump and play” method, but it works for me!)

APP5: Evaluating my GAME Plan Progress

I have to be honest and say that my “actions” this week have been very limited. With teaching, coaching, mentoring, and graduate school, I have barely had time to sleep, let alone take action toward my GAME plan goals.

I have learned over the past few weeks that there are more tools available than one could ever imagine if you just look for them. This is not new learning for me, but it is previous learning that has been acutely reinforced. I have also learned (again, not new learning, but reinforced previous knowledge) that our technology integrationist is of little help in finding new tools and developing new ideas for my classroom.

I really want to be able to customize learning for my students, as I teach an incredibly diverse group. However, becoming an “expert” takes time, which is something I do not have a lot of these days. I would really love to get in contact with a technology integrationist that has new ideas, something lacking in the one working in my building.

I think I need to re-examine my plan and focus it a little more. I feel it is too broad right now, which is causing me to feel a little overwhelmed. I’ll do that by taking some time this weekend to sit back and think about what is truly important to me and my students right now. What can we actually use, that is beneficial, practical, and supportive of their learning; not just something to bring in for the heck of it.