Using the GAME Plan Process with Students
As I look back in past weeks’ posts I have realize that my Game Plan has found small ways to get accomplished. My two goals throughout this course were “Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity” and “Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessment” (ISTE, 1997-2009). The purpose of these goals was to make better use of the technology we have within our school as well as further the students’ creativity and dedication to the academic field.
With these goals in tacked and constantly on my mind, I have found little ways to take accomplish portions of them. For example, I have implemented essay questions that provide the students with historical information and it’s relation to present issues. Students are now making a connection between our history and our current society. In addition, the students are beginning to realize what they will need to do as citizen to make society more efficient. The students are successfully engaged in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using such tools as the World Wide Web (ISTE, 1997-2009). However, with this said, I have yet to accomplish the other aspects of this goals. My students are only aware of collaboration to a small degree. My students were able to show how they collaborated with in a group. Yet, I want to take this to the next level and have student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify their conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes (ISTE, 1997-2009). To do this, I will have to continue to carefully plan our my lesson and project that will focus no so much on the content but what the students will be doing with in their groups.
My second goal, “Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessment” has been a process which came to me unexpectedly. At my school, a select number of teachers were introduced to a program known as DyKnow. This program provides the teacher with the right about of security when using a computer. The teacher is provided with certain monitoring tools that helps keep the students on task. I have successfully adapted relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity (ISTE, 1997-2009). Through this program, I am able to prepare the students with essential skills for the future. My students have realized the importance of listening to the teacher and interpreting the information into a format they understand. Furthermore, the Dyknow program has assisted me in customizing and personalizing learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources (ISTE, 1997-2009). I am able to find out if a student does not understand a certain topic right away and provide the addition tools to assist them. I can also monitor the students work while they are working individual or in groups through this program. Lastly, the students have also learned that Microsoft Word is not just a typing program but an advance way to create colorful charts to help explain the material.
Despite the small success there is still room to grow and improve. From this point, I would like to take the students knowledge of real-world issue and apply it to a blog where the students can post their comments to one another. In addition, I want to utilize as much technology tools such a wikispaces, podcast, and voice-thread the help develop all the 21 century skills the students will need in the future. With this game plan in action, I will continue to reflect back to my journal and add addition and modifications to my lesson to not only promote technology but make my class room a great place to learn and have fun.
December 19th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Stephanie,
It is great that you have accomplished portions of your GAME plan during such a short amount of time. I know that your students have benefitted greatly from the implementation of your GAME plan in the classroom. The Dyknow program that is available to students at your school seems like a wonderful program. It is great that you are able to receive instant feedback from this monitoring tool that lets you know if a student does not fully understand a topic. There will always be room to grow and improve and as long as you are willing to do what it takes to make this happen, your students will always reap the benefits.
Alicia
December 20th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Stephanie,
I was excited when I read about your Dyknow program and went to talk to my IT people about it. Suprisingly, our county is using a program like this too. No one had made me aware of this and I was not using the program at all. Rumor is is that the program will be rolled out early next year and I really look forward to using it.
I like how you say your Game plan is happening a little bit at a time. I do not think that our GAME plans necessarly happen very quickly and that doing it a little bit at a time works best for both ourselves and our students.