Revising My GAME Plan

Goals:

The two indicators that I would like to focus on are:

1. Teachers engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.

2. Teachers develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

Action:

In order to achieve these goals I will:

1. Research resources that I can use from the "real-world" that will engage my students in understanding the concept of Water Systems in Grade 8 science.

2. Develop my own web quest-type authentic learning experience that will be used in a combined ELA/Social Studies project on Ancient Greece.

As this course has progressed, I have found myself frustrated with the amount of time needed to reach my goals in a way that meets my standards and the needs of my class. I want to develop lessons that are not only infused with technology, but also lessons that meet the students where they are. There is such a diverse group of students in my class, as in every class, and it can be difficult to find "real-world" issues that students can explore if they cannot comprehend the information they find.

Even though I faced this frustration in the completion of the "action" portion of my goals, I have still tried to incorporate these goals in smaller ways in my classroom. I am in the process of developing an assignment for ELA/SS to wrap up the study of Mesopotamia. They will have the opportunity to choose a project that is best suited to their strengths that will also make use of technology in a way that highlights what they have learned.

I found that I aimed too high with my action plan for reaching my goals. I have to remember to keep it simple and straightforward, and know that I cannot accomplish it all overnight. As I looked back in the course text, I was reminded that I need to continually revisit and question whether the plan is working. Are students successfully learning what they need to through my lessons and projects? If not, I need to revise.

References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards Based Approach. (Laurete Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cenage Learning.