The GAME Plan

The GAME Plan: Strengthening Two NETS-T Standards

I consider myself technologically literate, however; one area I need to improve on is collaborating online.  I am somewhat shy, so collaborating online is uncomfortable to me.  I have to tell myself that I make my students work outside of their comfort zone quite often.  I need to do the same for myself.  Most of my students use some form of social networking daily.  I would like to tap into their ability to social network. According to Will Richardson, “We now live in a world where even twelve-year-olds can create their own global classrooms around the things about which they are most passionate” (Bellanca, 2010). I want to give my students the tools to create these global communities.  I can begin by scaffolding my lessons to ease my students into the world of global collaboration.  ePals is great place to begin.

NETS-T Standard 4.d:

Develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital age communication and collaboration tools (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008).

Set Goals

·      I will collaborate with a classroom from another country using ePals.

·      My students will send emails, videos, Skyping with a classroom from another country to get to know their culture.

·      My students will correspond effectively (grammar, sentence structure, etc.) with the student they are matched with.

Take Action:

·      I will send home permission slips for my students’ parents to sign to allow their students to participate.

·      I will create an account with ePals and request email accounts for my students.

·      I will select a classroom from another country from the ePals “Find Classroom” page.

·      I will contact the teacher from the classroom I have selected and set up a list of expectations (an emphasis on culture) and create a timeline.

·      My students will correspond with the class via email, video, and Skype.

Monitor Progress:

I will ask the following questions throughout the collaborative learning experience:

·      Is my class collaborating with a class from another country?

·      Are my students learning about another culture?

·      Are my students using multiple technology tools to correspond?

·      Are my students effectively communicating with their counterparts?

·      Do I need to modify my GAME plan?

Evaluate and Extend:

To determine if I have met my goals, I will ask the following questions:

·      Have my goals been met?

·      If not, what could I do to meet these goals?

·      What worked well?

·      What could I improve for the future?

·      How could I extend the project?

I believe that I do a pretty good job reflecting within my classroom informally.  I do not, however, write out formal reflections that I keep in a notebook for future references.  I understand that reflections are more than descriptions, they can be in depth with shared feelings, critical perspectives, and may even lead to creating goals.  To get to high-level reflection, one must take the time t work on writing deep reflections. It is not easy: it takes time to develop these skills (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). I believe that I have to do a better job of developing my students into self-reflectors.  Creating a virtual notebook with Google Docs should give my students the practice that they need to be better at reflecting upon their academic achievements and needs.  This should improve their academic success.

NETS-T Standard 1.c:

Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008).

Set Goals

·      I will create a virtual reflection journal in Google Docs to reflect upon each day’s lesson and use it as a model for students.

·      Students will create a virtual reflection journal in Google Docs.

·      Students will reflection using a virtual reflection journal in Google Docs to determine growth and areas of improvement in their learning.

·      Students will use their reflections to improve their academic weaknesses.

Take Action:

·      I will provide time each day for reflection. 

·      My students will reflect at least once a week (due to my classroom set of five Chromebooks) in their virtual reflection journal in Google Docs.

·      Students will set goals to improve any academic deficiencies.

Monitor Progress:

I will ask the following questions throughout the collaborative learning experience:

·      Are the actions helping my students achieve the GAME Plan goals?

·      Is the virtual notebook doable with only five classroom Chromebooks?

·      Are my students writing meaningful reflections?

·      Are my students setting goals that are helping them improve academically?

·      Do I need to modify my GAME plan?

Evaluate and Extend:

To determine if I have met my goals, I will ask the following questions:

·      Have my goals been met?

·      If not, what could I do to meet these goals?

·      What worked well?

·      What could I improve for the future?

·      How could I extend the project?

The exercise to use the GAME Plan to strengthen preficency in two NETS-T standards has given me a better understanding of how the GAME Plan works.  I have found that it is very efficient.   The plan is easy to follow when created.  I like how it is always being monitored and can be adjusted as needed throughout the process.  In the end, the evaluation phase determines how the lesson can improve the next time it is implemented so that students benefit from the best lesson possible.

References

Bellanca, J. (2010). 1st century skills: Rethinking how students learn. Bloomington, IN:Solution Tree Press.

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful

classroom use: A standards-base approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom

ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers