Revising My GAME Plan

WEEK 6 – EDUC 6713
• What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?
• What goals are you still working toward?
• Based on the NETS-T, what new learning goals will you set for yourself?
• If you are not ready to set new learning goals, how will you extend what you have learned so far?
• What learning approaches will you try next time to improve your learning?

As I continue to evaluate my GAME plan and examine the progress I am making toward my goals I have found that the applications in this course are helping tremendously for meeting the NETS-T goals I chose at the beginning of this assignment: 1) NETS-T 2C- Design and Develop Digital-age Learning Experiences and Assessments and 2)NETS-T 3C Model Digital-Age Work and Learning.
The goals listed above are still in “works in progress” and since students today spend countless hours using popular technologies, I am constantly trying to incorporate ways to use technology to my advantage. I have already conducted a survey to see how many students and parents have computers or other forms of technology with Internet access to use as their first choice for communication with technology. There is a huge percent of my students and parents/guardians that have a preference to communicate by the use of technology, but it is not 100% yet. Due to the economy many families have found it necessary to temporarily disconnect their Internet and cell phone services until their budgets are a little more stable.
I feel my progress is going well and I have gained a great deal of information and exposure to new technology tools that I will use in my instructional practice. The tools I believe will be most helpful in my instructional practices are the social networking tools such as blogs, voice threads, wikis and other collaborative tools. All of these can be used to allow for students collaborating and discussing ideas around real-world issues. A way to help them to become immersed in learning experiences and use their higher order thinking skills instead of the “old-school” way of just lecture and notes.
One of the new goals I would like incorporate into my GAME plan involves as Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) point out; to “constantly assess my technology integration skills to identify the new knowledge and skills I need” (p. 4) to stay current with how students want to access technology in the classroom. It is going to take constant research and a great deal of effort and time, but the rewards in the classroom will be quite worth the energy I put into the task.
I went to school in an era where there was not much choice for technology to take place in the classroom. This makes me realize what a powerful position technology has in the instructional process and for students in today’s classroom, not to say that learning can’t happen with out technology. If schools will provide, and teachers implement technology with instruction as we are learning in these courses, meaningful education can connect students with real-world socialization processes needed to be successful in the 21st Century.
I will continue to keep researching and trying new learning approaches for implementing technology in my instructional plans. I am requesting to attend the technology conference being held in Atlanta, GA in 2010. I have never been a conference like this and after all the great ideas for implementing technology I have gained through these courses, I am hoping the request will be approved so I can actually see what is available to use in the classroom and the countless ways to mix new information with technological tools.

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