My Personal GAME Plan for Increasing Technology Use and Student Engagement in my Classroom

I am taking my final class through Walden University in order to earn a Certificate in Integrating Technology in the Content Areas. Our text book for this course, Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards-Based Approach, was written by Katherine Cennamo, John Ross, and Peggy Ertmer. They discuss a strategy for teachers that challenges them to develop a GAME plan for integrating technology into their standards-based lessons. They challenge teachers to: 1. Set personal Goals 2. Take Action to meet the goals 3. Monitor progress toward achieving the goals and 4. Evaluate whether the goals were achieved and Extend the learning to new situations I looked at the National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) that were developed by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). You can view these standards at their website: http://www.iste.org/standards.aspx There are numerous indicators of the direction that teachers need to take in order to be preparing our students to be self-directed, critical thinkers in today’s economy and workplace. I have prepared my own GAME plan for improving my confidence and proficiency in two of the indicators. Here is my own personal GAME plan: 1. Goals: A. Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments B. Exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision-making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others. 2. Action Plan: A. I try to encourage my students to locate primary sources whenever possible when they are conducting research, but I want to take this a step further by assisting my students in becoming aware of how they are able to locate a live person in another country or state that can give a first-hand account. I also want to encourage the use of virtual field trips. They are cost-effective, timely ways to give students a concrete first-hand account of a place or event. B. After taking these courses, I want to be the person in my district that encourages the use of technology, shares resources and ideas through trainings, and promotes the importance of integrating technology to increase student engagement. I will make a Powerpoint presentation on the resources and ideas that I have gained through taking these courses at Walden. I will ask my Administration if I can conduct a Professional Development training for our staff. 3. Monitoring my progress: A. At this point, I do not have any outside personal connections or sources that I have my students use as a reference. At the end of the first quarter of the 2012-2013 school year, I will have a minimum of 2 outside sources that have been used by my students to collaborate on a project. I am hoping to be able to locate an outside source that will we will be able to keep an ongoing relationship with. I will also incorporate a minimum of 1 virtual field trip to be used in the first quarter. B. By the end of the first quarter of the 2012-2013 school year, I will have conducted a Professional Development session for the staff at my school where I share some of the resources andideas that I have learned by getting this Technology Certificate from Walden. 4. Evaluating my progress and Extending my learning to new situations: A. If I have made 2 connections to outside sources that have assisted my students in collaborating on a project or obtaining information and I have incorporated a minimum of one virtual field trip by the end of the first quarter of next school year, I will consider this goal met. I can take it a step further by sharing the connections with other teachers, or by at least sharing the process that I followed that made my connection successful. B. If I have conducted a Professional Development session and a teacher has used the information that I shared to implement in his/her classroom, I will consider this goal met. I can take it a step further by sharing the Powerpoint that I created with teachers that I know in other districts. Wish me luck on my journey to implement my personal GAME plan and increase student engagement and technology use in my classroom! 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. National Education Teaching Standards for Teachers (NETS). Retrieved 3 July 2012 from: http://www.iste.org/standards.aspx.