Using the GAME Plan Process With My Students

During the last several weeks, we have focused on creating and implementing our own personal GAME plans to help us learn about technology and technology resources. This plan has set the foundation for developing self-directed learning skills that are important for both teachers and students. This lifelong practice includes "planning, monitoring, and evaluating learning activities" (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 3). When learning through this approach, we manage our contributions and participation in developing new skills or obtaining new knowledge. By passing this framework of learning how to learn on to our students, we are offering the tools they will need to apply knowledge to new situations.

To help my students increase their proficiency with technology, I will have them utilize the GAME plan as well. We will start my reviewing the current technology standards (NETS-S, 2007) and setting individual goals based on background knowledge. Next we will address preferred learning styles and how they might match current or new classroom activities. This will lead us to our action plan. Student feedback is so important at this stage because when they are allowed to make choices about their own learning, they become more engaged and outcomes are improved.

Once we have our action plans in place and are beginning to implement them, our next step is to monitor our progress. This reflective practice will be challenging for many students but is necessary in order to align actions with goals. I will encourage journaling in our class blog or discussion board to promote the positive aspects of collaborative networking. Making adjustments can help to place students on an improved path toward accomplishing their goals. Finally, we will evaluate our progress by revisiting our goals and measuring gains realized and also how we might alter our approaches the next time.

Modeling and scaffolding all of these steps will be important as I link my own goals to those of my students. Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer (2009) add: "…as you are considering ways that you can meet the required teacher standards, you can simultaneously consider ways to help your students meet the required student standards" (p. 7). We will initially discuss and create GAME plans in a whole class situation and then students will be encouraged to design their individual plan. Through the use of a GAME plan, students will be better equipped to transfer and apply learning skills to the constant flow of technology changes that they will experience in their lives.

Concentrating on one or two goals at a time will make this implementation more feasible for my students, but I also want them to envision themselves continuing this cycle throughout their lives. Our GAME plans will need to be an ongoing process as we steadily improve in existing areas and tackle new ones. Collaboration and brainstorming will be key interaction tools that I utilize in order to help students benefit from others' ideas. I look forward to watching my students deepen and enrich their understanding of our course content through their GAME plans and will consider the plans successful when my students are able to take initiative for their learning, consider and learn from others' perspectives, and exhibit confidence in discovering new areas of technology.

References

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

National Education Standards for Students (NETS-S) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007.htm