Continuing with the GAME Plan

           In an update on the status of my personal GAME plan goals, I feel that I have made some progress this week.  In reference to the NETS-T goal indicator 2b (ISTE, 2012) of ½ cup teriyaki sauce
⅓ cup brown sugar
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Directions allotting of more time in my schedule for students to research topics of their own choosing, the first session took place on Friday.   Before turning the students loose to search the internet, I reviewed the ground rules for internet searches and went over the Acceptable Use Policy that each student signed at the beginning of the year.  We discussed what should be done if some unfiltered content appeared on their screens.  We also discussed possible consequences for inappropriate searches.  All students seemed clear on the directions and the consequences.  With that reassurance, I let them begin searching.

                I monitored their screens scrupulously, jetting around the computer lab like a hummingbird in flight.  I didn’t want to take the chance that they would search content that was not permissible.  I was very pleased in that they started with somewhat mild topics like cars, foods, and animals.  As one person would find something they liked, their neighbor would change the topic of their own search and join in.  Then the students would discuss what they had found.  The students were looking for recipes, dogs “just like their own’, cars they would like to own, and one child even conducted research as a follow up of to a discussion we had had in Virginia Studies.  The students were actively involved and excited about what they were doing.  And, the best part was, they were learning new information in the process.

                One problem or issue that did surface during this phase of my plan was that the students wanted to print everything they found.  Luckily because there is only one “black” printer to handle two computer labs and the students know they have to have permission before printing, they did not go crazy printing everything in sight.  In fact, they realized that most of what they wanted to print would not turn out the same in black and white as it appeared in color.  They were easily persuaded to view only, rather than to print their new found treasures.  I can envision though, that in the future, they are not going to be as complacent.  Therefore, it will be necessary for me to have a plan in place for them to save or capture their work the next time.

                In reference to my second goal of communicating digitally with my students from NETS-T 4d (ISTE, 2012), I took two steps forward and one step back, so to speak.  In my original plan, I had envisioned individually emailing my students through one of the reading programs already in place.  The more I thought about this idea, I questioned the fact that others would have access to the messages—mainly the software company and the central office staff.  I knew that I would not be saying anything of a personal nature, but didn’t want the children to reveal personal information that they wouldn’t want others to know. 

                Plan B of my goal was to enlist the help of Edmodo (www.edmodo.com), a site recommended by several of my Walden colleagues.  I signed up for the program and created my classes.  After receiving the codes for the students to use, I showed them what the home page looked like and told them they would be receiving a parent permission slip that needed to be signed and returned before they would be allowed to access the site.  This parental permission was required because my students are under the age of 13.  They were excited about this new opportunity, but it will be another week and a half before I will have any users—they left for Spring Break and will not be back until April 8.

                Facing that time delay, I went back to my original plan and sent out a group email message to all of my students through their reading program’s email section.  While it was a mass message so to speak, it was a form of digital communication.  Some of the students will access this program during break, so I may receive some responses before they return back to school. Otherwise, I will be awaiting their permission slips to join me in Edmodo in April.

                All in all, I think it has been a productive week.  I will continue to work on developing more content to add to Edmodo, I will monitor my email via their reading program software, and I will continue to schedule more time for the students to engage in internet searches on topics of their choosing.  I am anxious to see where these steps will lead.

References

Edmodo | Where Learning Happens | Sign up, Sign In. (n.d.). Edmodo | Where Learning Happens | Sign

                up, Sign In. Retrieved March 27, 2013, from http://www.edmodo.com/

ISTE. (2012). NETS for Teachers. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from

                http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers

Updated GAME Plan

Last week I introduced you to the GAME plan that I have proposed for improving my use of technology in the classroom.  I chose to focus on the objectives 2b and 4d from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE, 2012) standards for teachers.  In order to meet these objectives or goals, there are several resources needed and steps that must be taken in order to move closer toward achieving my plans.

For the first objective, 2b, my goal is to allow my students more time to engage in research involving topics of their own choosing.  In order to achieve this goal, I need to make sure that my classroom laptops have updated anti-virus software in place.  I also need to make sure that each machine is functioning properly and is fully charged to allow students more mobility while working.  Some other steps that I want to take prior to allowing the students to search independently are to review the Acceptable Use Policy for our school system, review the established protocols to be followed if inappropriate content passes through the established firewalls, and hold a discussion about responsible internet use, social etiquette, and plagiarism.

My second objective, 4d, is to communicate digitally with my students at least once per week.  Because the avenues for communicating are limited by school policy, I will use one of the internet-based programs already approved by the system.  With its mail program, I will send each student an initial message to start the dialogue after reviewing the user and log-in information with the class.  The laptops that will be used to meet the first set of objectives described above will also be used for this second part.  Once students become more familiar with the process, they may choose to send messages from computers or other devices outside of school.

While the plan is in place, I have not made a great deal of progress toward reaching either one of my goals this week.  My students are in the process of taking state assessment tests this week and internet access is limited to those who are testing.  Once the tests are complete, the laptops will be upgraded by the technician and the plan will move forward.  The discussions and student reviews will be held and the email messages will be sent.

 

Reference

ISTE. (2012). NETS for Teachers. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from

                http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers

 

My Personal GAME Plan

                NETS-T, the indicators with which teachers should be proficient, were developed and defined by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE, 2012).  These standards reflect the competencies that teachers should be employing on a regular basis in both their classrooms and as a part of their personal professional development.  They are 21st century skills that teachers should be incorporating into instruction to prepare their students for educational opportunities now and into the future.

                Since personal reflection and introspection are practices that should be a part of every educator’s habits, I have reflected on the list of indicators on the NETS-T list.  In order to gain more personal confidence with some of these skills, I have selected two indicators on which to focus.  I chose these areas because I see them as being areas in which I am lacking in practice.  By targeting these goals, I hope to gain the reassurance that if I tried a similar activity in my classroom, that it would be successful.

                The first indicator of focus is identified as 2b. The objective reads as follows: 

                2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

                                b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable students to

                                     pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in   

                                     setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and
                                     
                                     assessing their own progress.

                This objective is one in which I feel I have only partially demonstrated in my classroom.  While there are laptop computer work stations set up throughout the room, my students are not usually free to explore and address their individual interests.  I have found that with many time constraints, the students are allowed much computer access, but usually with a specifically assigned goal.  I need to allow my students more opportunities to search for or research topics of their personal interest.

                In order to improve my confidence in this area, I have developed a plan.  This plan is called my GAME plan.  A GAME plan is a methodical approach for addressing a topic (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).  It involves the steps of setting Goals, taking Action to meet those goals, Monitoring progress toward the achievement of those goals, and Evaluating whether the goals were successfully met, altering and adjusting the plan as needed.  The GAME plan for my first objective is as follows:

G:  My goal is to purposely structure more time in my class in which students will be given an opportunity to visit the laptop stations to engage in research on a topic of their choosing.

A:  The actions required on my part are the inclusion of this prescribed time in my lesson plans, the explanation of the plan to the students, and a reminder of the rules for computer use (i.e. Acceptable Use Policy, school handbook).

M:  Monitoring of the progress toward meeting this goal of scheduling the time will be evidenced by the actual lesson plan and a log of the time that students actually had on the computers in this capacity.

E:  Evaluation of the effectiveness of this endeavor will be determine by comparing  the amount of time that was planned for students to use the computers with the log of the actual amounts of time the students were engaged in their personal searches.  If the times are falling short, they will need to be adjusted.

                The second indicator of focus is identified as 4d. The objective reads as follows:

                4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

                                d. Develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness

 

                                     by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using

 

                                     digital age communication and  collaboration tools

                Reflecting on this objective, I do engage in discussions and professional development opportunities with my colleagues face to face and online, but I fall short in connecting with students of other localities or cultures using digital age communication or collaboration tools.  In fact, I do not engage my own students digitally very often.  I monitor the work they are doing and communicate with them face to face, but rarely do we communicate electronically.  This is an area in which I need to expand and perfect.  The GAME plan for this objective is a follows:

G:  My goal is to communicate with my students digitally at least once a week.

A:  The actions required from me are to purposely plan opportunities for this interaction—be it through a wiki, a reflective journal, or through an approved email program (all other venues are prohibited at my school.) 

M: Monitoring my progress toward this goal would be evidenced through the description of the activity in my lesson plans and the actual archives of the conversations.

E:   The way in which this plan would be evaluated for success would be to determine if the communications occurred weekly.  If the frequency goal was not met, the reasons for the lack of conversation would be determined—only valid reasons would be accepted (i.e. lack of technology access due to them being used for state assessments.)

                While these are just two ideas I had for self-improvement in these technology indicators, I would love to hear what the rest of you have to suggest. 

 

References

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A

                standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth,

                Cengage Learning.

ISTE. (2012). NETS for Teachers. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from

                http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers