Monitoring your GAME plan progress

I have been making gains and learning a lot in terms of my GAME plan and making progress. I have been successful in finding information that I need through a variety of resources. I have watch about 20 videos on theteachingchannel.org and taken pages of notes on how to implement the common core, how specific teaching strategies help guide instruction, how to use small reading groups, and how to further integrate technology in my classroom. I have found the videos to very impressive, with a wealth of information, but short enough to not be overwhelming. I have also signed up for an additional common core integrations class (a continuance of my last class) and a three day technology course in early August. Though I am waiting a bit to attend these, I have been making good progress through this class and my independent videos thus far.

So far I have not found anything I need to modify, but may once I take my additional classes. I have learned about how to become better digital citizens, how to choose strategies partners, writing higher order questions, aiding in learning difficult vocabulary, how to give better student feedback (video from the student perspective, so good!), and how to use common core language myself and get students to do the same. 

My new questions were prompted by the videos I watched and will require some research and meeting with my new colleagues to find out. I will be starting at a new school, in a new town this fall (same grade level). I want to know where my new school, Boulder, is at in their implementation of the common core? What is administration expecting of me in terms of common core? How are Boulder teachers changing their teaching to prepare for the new assessments (Smarter practice)? What new school wide assessments are being used to assess common core mastery during the school year? I have really been focusing my video watching and professional development on the common core and technology, which is opening up new ideas that I will need to meet with my new team to answer. 

How is everyone doing with the common core? How have you all used technology to support it? How will this year be different for you in terms of teaching and implementing the common core? I'd love to know more about your experiences!

Jenny

Carrying out my GAME plan

In order to carry out my GAME plan I will rely on a variety of resources and information. My first goal was to facilitate student learning and creativity. To aid in my learning and help my students I plan on observing other teachers in my school during their technology lessons. Seeing how others use technology in their classrooms will spark my imagination and give me new ideas on how to integrate technology into my own classroom. I will also use theteachingchannel.com as a resource. The website offers numerous videos of other teachers in their classrooms. I plan on watching some videos on my subject areas and of others using technology to aid in student learning. The process of leaning from my peers in my school and from online videos will help me towards my second goal of keeping up with professional development. 

I think that I will need more information about what technology resource I will have available in my classroom next year. I am moving to a new school (from a very high tech school) and am hoping to find similar resources as I have had. My new school district just passed a technology levy, so I am hoping to receive new technology and have input in how we spend the money at my school. 

So far i have been able to watch some great videos about technology integration from this Walden class (as well as others in the past), see some great online resource videos, and go to a common core workshop. I want to keep up with this in order to aid me in the fall. anyone have any suggestions of things I should look into online? Any great lessons for my reading, writing or social studies classes? I am always looking for new resources! Thanks! 

Developing a GAME Plan

When using a GAME plan to guide self directed learning, one sets goals, takes action to meet those goals, monitors their progress, and evaluates their effectiveness at achieving their goals (Cannamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). By setting goals one can better plan for their learning and help with follow through in order to complete their goals. The GAME plan is a simple and efficient tool to use to guide one’s learning, especially when it comes to setting out to learn new technology on your own.

I will use the NETS for Teachers to guide my goals in learning and integrating technology in my classroom. My first goal will align with indicator one of the NETS for Teachers, to facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity (ISTE, 2008).I would like to design projects and lessons that allow for students to use technology to guide their learning, and use various technologies to creatively express student learning.

A second goal will align with indicator five, to engage in professional growth and leadership (ISTE, 2008). Technology is constantly changing and updating. As an educator I need to stay current and proficient in using the newest technology and integrating it in my classroom in order to teach my students 21^st century skills and have them college and career ready.

In order to achieve these goals I will enroll in our fall educational technology conference and continue with my masters classes in technology to further my professional development. I will take one new way of creatively using technology and incorporate it into my classroom each quarter. I will monitor my progress by assigning a creative and new technology project each quarter, and evaluate my learning and student learning when I assign grades at the end of each quarter. I will give myself a grade on how I implemented the new technology, assess student learning, and have students share how they thought the technology enhance their learning and engagement.

I will extend my learning by taking a project or technology that worked well and trying in another of my content area classes or pushing the project further through more time, more technology use or using it in a new way on another content area. If I find that some technology projects or lessons did not go well, I will work with my peers and find other professional development resources to aid my learning and thus aid my students.

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.
International Society for Technology in Education. [ISTE]. (2011). NETS for teachers. Retrieved             from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx

                                                 

Happy 4th of July!

Welcome to my blog!
Jenny