Monitoring GAME Plan Progress

The idea of have a GAME plan, described by Cennamo, Ertmer and Ross (2009) involves the steps of setting goals and taking the appropriate action to implement and achieve those goals, including monitoring and adjusting or evaluating their success as needed. While all of these elements happen on a continual basis, resources are needed to start the process of any plan’s implementation. For my personal GAME plan, I have selected two areas of the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) on which to focus, the first of which is to facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity (NETS-T, 2009) particularly through the use of collaborative tools for reflection. By using the VoiceThread and screencasting applications available to me to accomplish this goal, I am in need of technology resources such as computers with internet access, microphones and brief training on the software used. Most of this training can be found using online tutorials, so I will show those to my classes and help where needed. Ross (2009a) tells us that we should not be afraid to allow learners to have options and choice in the classroom, as the choices are built to reinforce primary instruction, not replace it. By using these technologies in addition to classroom discussion, I hope to bring those choices to my students. Choice is a direct way to affect accountability and increase empowerment and ownership in the classroom, as well as outside it (Glasser, 1998).
So far, there has not been any issue in accessing information or resources. All the sites I have used were open to my research and my students’ research. The only area with which I have had difficulty has been in downloading necessary software, such as Jing, for use in the classroom. While I have administrative rights over my computer, my students do not. This was resolved by asking our school’s network administrator to install the necessary components on the computers we use.

The other area I wish to improve my skills in is to "engage in professional growth and leadership" (NETS-T, 2009). By using a blog type of interaction with my colleagues, I can increase my own awareness and understanding of technology available to me and to my students and offer more variety in the project-based learning assignments and assessments to them (Ross, 2009b). Information and materials needed are also computers, internet access and permission to use the software in my school with my students. Most of these are already available to me, so it would not be too difficult to start implementing these strategies soon. The steps I have already taken to allowing my goals to be met in these areas are to create and use a blog regularly, show students screencasting software and have them start interacting with it, and I plan to start using VoiceThread on a regular basis next semester, although we have had some limited interaction with it already. By implementing the GAME plan designed, I hope to make more learning opportunities available to my students and to myself.
So far, I have learned that to truly use new technologies in the classroom, we must focus on one item at a time to allow ourselves and our students to master each area before moving on (Ross, 2009c). This way, we can more effectively use that which is helpful to improving student achievement. In this discovery and realization, I will modify my GAME plan to focus only on the use of one technology at a time so it will be used and not rushed through, as so many other educational initiatives are in today’s world.

-Stephen St. Georges

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

Glasser, W. (1998). Choice theory: A new psychology of personal freedom. New York: Harper and Row.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009a). Program five. Meeting students' needs with technology, part 1 [Motion picture]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Ross, J.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009b). Program six. Meeting students' needs with technology, part 2 [Motion picture]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Ross, J.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009c). Program sseven. Assessing student learning with technology [Motion picture]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Ross, J.

National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf on November 24, 2009.