Developing My Personal GAME Plan

Following the GAME plan strategy for self-directed learning outlined by Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009), I have set goals for the following performance indicators for teachers. These indicators are part of the NETS-T standards advocated by the International Society for Technology in Education (http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx).

Performance Indicators:
2a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
4a. Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources

My GAME plan for indicator 2a is written for my math classes. For three years I haven’t had access to computers for classroom use, but that will change when we move into a new building in the fall. I will have access to a computer lab and will have a Promethean whiteboard in my classroom. My goal is to search for and learn how to best utilize free software and Web 2.0 tools for my Algebra A and B classes. In addition, I will capitalize on the potential of the Promethean board as a valuable instructional tool. My actions will include spending time during the summer at my computer, researching and testing free software and tools, and attending a two-day training session on using the Promethean board. To monitor my progress, I will create a schedule, allowing myself one to two hours per week for research and testing of software and tools and for writing lesson plans to integrate digital tools into my existing lessons. To evaluate and extend my learning, I will assess my teaching after using the new resources with my students in the fall.

My GAME plan for indicator 4a is written for my junior high Keyboarding and Tech Essentials classes. In a previous Walden course, we were reminded of the importance of citing resources each time we use them in our classrooms. That was the first time it had occurred to me that I rarely do that as a teacher, yet I expect my students to do it each time they perform research. So, my goal is to begin citing and documenting all resources I use in my instruction. The action I will take is to provide citations in the proper form each time they are used, and to verbally note this action to my students. I will monitor my progress by asking my students to hold me accountable to this standard, and I will evaluate and extend my learning by asking my students to score my performance with a simple weekly “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” to note whether I am modeling digital responsibility by appropriately crediting authors and organizations for their work.

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.