Writing a GAME plan can be an effective way for students to set Goals, create Actions needed to meet these goals, Monitor what progress has been met in order to achieve the goal, and finally, Evaluate whether the original goals were achieved. Students can create and utilize a GAME plan when they are involved with self-directed learning, because it keeps them focused and prepared for the project’s end result (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009). It is important for students to become self-directed learners because with technology changing at rapid paces and with employers training their staff using modules and computer programs, people must be able to teach themselves the skills they need in order to stay ahead of the brutal competition. Since using problem-based learning activities allows the classroom to become more student-centered than teacher-centered, they provide students with an opportunity to practice using the GAME plan model as well as become self-directed learners.
During this course, I had to utilize the GAME plan technique while trying to create my own classroom website. The GAME plan was working fantastic at the beginning of the project because I was able to set goals on when I would dedicate time to the project and also a timeline with realistic action steps. The timeline would state when I wanted to finish the website, and the actions were the steps needed to actually build the site itself. I found this portion of the GAME plan relatively easy to fulfill, but I will admit I had a difficult time monitoring my own progress. For this portion of the plan, I was simply going by whether or not I was actually working and making progress on the site, but I realize this may have been incorrect, and I now understand how monitoring really entails being able to measure the gains of the knowledge I need to meet my goals (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009). I expect my students will have problems with the monitoring aspect as well, so I will need to make sure I check the students’ projects on a consistent basis, so I can make sure they obtain whatever knowledge they may need to be able to finish their projects. Also, when I needed to evaluate my website, I would simply refer to how my website was progressing after each session I worked on it. I need to concentrate more on evaluating if the learning process I used in order to learn the technology required to build the website was successful, and if I need to change strategies about how to learn the new technology. I find students (as well as myself) always have the hardest time with reflection because we try to write about our process after it is completed instead of simply writing about our learning as it progresses. For this reason, I may try to use classroom journal entries so students can collect and write down their thoughts regarding the learning process of their self-directed learning projects, and after the project is complete, students can look back on the journals and notate what they had difficulties with and how it can be corrected for future learning.
Some adjustments I will make regarding technology in my classroom will entail teaching students how to use the above-mentioned technology, introducing my students to online collaboration, and making lessons more accessible for different students. A sort of mantra from the resources of this class that keeps sticking in my head is to not simply use technology for technology’s sake. In other words, every time technology is used in my classroom, it must be for an exact purpose and the curriculum should guide what technology I use and not the other way around (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010). I will admit that in the past I have been known to throw technology into a lesson without really needing it. For example, I once had students look up information on the Internet regarding Shakespeare, because I wanted them to participate in a scavenger hunt where they would find information about Shakespeare and the Elizabethan era from a certain website. I believed the students would enjoy using the technology as part of the lesson, but upon reflection, I realize I was only using technology in the hopes of keeping the students occupied and engaged. I could have easily printed out information from the website and had students read the text and answer the questions. In other words, technology was not really needed in order for the students to perform the intended task, and I always want my use of technology to be purposeful and necessary. My second adjustment comes in the form of collaboration. One of the basic 21st-century skills students must obtain is how to collaborate on a project while not being in the same room with other students. More and more businesses have their employees work in this manner; therefore, I must have my students complete projects and correspond with each other using blogs and wikis, so they will have an opportunity to use this important skill. Since I teach high school English, collaboration is easy to come across because students can discuss a novel and leave comments for each other , or they can work on a project (possibly involving problem-based learning) together and not need to meet during class time. Finally, differentiation can be made easier through the use of technology. Students are able to find almost any text they may be reading in class online and be able to manipulate the text in a wide variety of ways. Students can chunk the text and leave out unimportant pieces of information in order to make the reading more understandable, highlight certain areas to make the text stick out, and move text around to make it more chronological if necessary (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).
All in all, I feel the GAME plan format is a formidable way for students to focus on upon projects, especially when they are related to a problem-based learning because it gives students a sophisticated way of devising a plan and tracking it to make sure it is working properly. I will definitely introduce this format to my own students, and I will also adjust the way I use technology in the classroom so I can increase the effectiveness of my curriculum. I cannot wait to use the ideas I have learned in this class regarding technology being used for collaboration, diverse learners, and digital storytelling, and after I master the ways to use these, formats I hope to teach my fellow teachers and colleagues how these methods can help expand the learning inside their classrooms.
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.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Ertmer, P. (Speaker). Program 3: Enriching content learning experiences with technology. Part 1. [DVD]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore, MD.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Meeting students’ needs with technology: Part 1. [DVD]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore, MD.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
GAME Plan for Students (Week 7)
When students use the GAME plan format for self-directed learning, it allows them to set goals for a certain project, take action in order to meet the goals, monitor their own progress towards achieving these goals, and evaluate whether the goals were achieved (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009).
The GAME process works well when combined with technology because it provides students with a detailed “road map” or method of creating, designing, and assessing their own work. I have two technology goals for my students during the rest of the school year. One of these goals is to have my students build their own web sites for a project within our class, and the other goal is to have students collaborate from outside the classroom via blogs and wikis. Most, if not all of my students, have not used this form of technology before, so having them utilize the GAME plan will help with the creation of their lessons.
I chose these two goals for my students because they coincide with the National Education Standards for Students. Standard number one involves creativity and innovation. With this in mind students will apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas and create original works as a mean of personal and group expression. Standard two states how students will communicate and collaborate using various forms of digital media (ISTE, 2007), so my students will use blogs as a forum to communicate about projects in class.
These two projects will revolve around project based learning; therefore, making sure the students use the GAME plan to its full potential is extremely important. For example, when students are building a website based upon a text read in class, I will teach them how to set the goal of building the site (what will the site look actually look like and what information will be on it), what they need to learn (action) in order to build the site, how they will monitor their progress and relay information on what they are completing, and evaluate whether their goal has been reach by reviewing a rubric or some other type of assessment tool. I am hoping that the GAME format combined with project-based learning will allow my students to meet some educational goals in technology as well as help them successfully complete project-based learning projects around my curriculum.
I am looking forward to the above mentioned projects and GAME plan because I fully believe it will help my students engage with the class content, further develop their technological skills for the 21st century student, and allow my classroom to become more student centered than teacher centered. Building my own website for my own project at Walden University was a great move because now I recognize what pitfalls my students may face while creating their own piece of work, and I feel more prepared to help them complete their projects.
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 Educatio. (2007). NETS for Students 2007. Retrieved December 17, 2009 from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007.aspx.
The GAME process works well when combined with technology because it provides students with a detailed “road map” or method of creating, designing, and assessing their own work. I have two technology goals for my students during the rest of the school year. One of these goals is to have my students build their own web sites for a project within our class, and the other goal is to have students collaborate from outside the classroom via blogs and wikis. Most, if not all of my students, have not used this form of technology before, so having them utilize the GAME plan will help with the creation of their lessons.
I chose these two goals for my students because they coincide with the National Education Standards for Students. Standard number one involves creativity and innovation. With this in mind students will apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas and create original works as a mean of personal and group expression. Standard two states how students will communicate and collaborate using various forms of digital media (ISTE, 2007), so my students will use blogs as a forum to communicate about projects in class.
These two projects will revolve around project based learning; therefore, making sure the students use the GAME plan to its full potential is extremely important. For example, when students are building a website based upon a text read in class, I will teach them how to set the goal of building the site (what will the site look actually look like and what information will be on it), what they need to learn (action) in order to build the site, how they will monitor their progress and relay information on what they are completing, and evaluate whether their goal has been reach by reviewing a rubric or some other type of assessment tool. I am hoping that the GAME format combined with project-based learning will allow my students to meet some educational goals in technology as well as help them successfully complete project-based learning projects around my curriculum.
I am looking forward to the above mentioned projects and GAME plan because I fully believe it will help my students engage with the class content, further develop their technological skills for the 21st century student, and allow my classroom to become more student centered than teacher centered. Building my own website for my own project at Walden University was a great move because now I recognize what pitfalls my students may face while creating their own piece of work, and I feel more prepared to help them complete their projects.
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 Educatio. (2007). NETS for Students 2007. Retrieved December 17, 2009 from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007.aspx.
Friday, December 10, 2010
GAME Plan Week 6
My website seems to be coming along nicely. Part of my GAME plan is to monitor my progress on how well the project is developing (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009), and I can definitely say I am learning more and more about the program. I have discovered how to overcome some of the issues I mentioned in my last blog, and my confidence on how to use some of the technology is growing.
Most of my learning comes in the form of being self-directed because I have a task I need to fulfill, and I am researching and teaching myself how to actually create the website (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009). It is important for me to become a more self-directed learner because new technology is expanding so rapidly I need to take more of an initiative to seek out how this technology can help my classroom teaching and teach myself how to use it. My research comes in the form of looking at other teacher’s websites to see what type of layout and items they have, and I receive ideas for my own site by looking at others. Also, I have been utilizing the help feature for the web building program in order to teach myself how to create my site. As of now, I have not been able to meet with the technology expert from my school due to scheduling conflicts and time commitments, but I am still making progress at a steady pace.
The only challenge I still have is placing a calendar onto my website. I want to have a place for important dates on my website, so I thought a calendar would be a great idea so students can see when certain papers and projects may be due and dates for quizzes and tests. Obviously, I can simply write down important dates in list form on the side of the website, but I believe a calendar would be more ascetically pleasing and be more organized for the students. The help section does not seem to provide information on this topic, but I will keep on looking for solutions.
I have been completing various pages on the website and it seems to be going well. I have a basic foundation laid for the website, but I have to consider what I am going to use the actual website for and how will it benefit my students. I want to make sure my students are using the website in order to help with their learning and that the website is beneficial for all students.
Reference:
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.
Most of my learning comes in the form of being self-directed because I have a task I need to fulfill, and I am researching and teaching myself how to actually create the website (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009). It is important for me to become a more self-directed learner because new technology is expanding so rapidly I need to take more of an initiative to seek out how this technology can help my classroom teaching and teach myself how to use it. My research comes in the form of looking at other teacher’s websites to see what type of layout and items they have, and I receive ideas for my own site by looking at others. Also, I have been utilizing the help feature for the web building program in order to teach myself how to create my site. As of now, I have not been able to meet with the technology expert from my school due to scheduling conflicts and time commitments, but I am still making progress at a steady pace.
The only challenge I still have is placing a calendar onto my website. I want to have a place for important dates on my website, so I thought a calendar would be a great idea so students can see when certain papers and projects may be due and dates for quizzes and tests. Obviously, I can simply write down important dates in list form on the side of the website, but I believe a calendar would be more ascetically pleasing and be more organized for the students. The help section does not seem to provide information on this topic, but I will keep on looking for solutions.
I have been completing various pages on the website and it seems to be going well. I have a basic foundation laid for the website, but I have to consider what I am going to use the actual website for and how will it benefit my students. I want to make sure my students are using the website in order to help with their learning and that the website is beneficial for all students.
Reference:
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.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
And The GAME Continues - Week 5 Post
I am pleased to say that the work towards my GAME plan has been going well. First, I decided to discard the Blue Voda website builder because it turned out to be more difficult to use than I originally intended. It was not as simple as a drop and drag program as I believed, and the website was not exactly as free as it originally advertised. I could barely complete any sort of web building unless I upgraded to a better quality program for a monthly service.
After completing some more searching on the Internet, I found a new web building website entitled Weebly. It was easier to use because of the drop and drag method, and most of the “bells and whistles” I wanted to add onto my site was free. So far the website is going well. I have some items up including pictures, videos, handouts, and links to other sites. However, most of the information will be changed when I have the site up and running. As of now, I am using most of the current information as filler because I need to find and transfer documents from other computers in order to make it fully complete. Once I have most of the site as I want it laid out, I will switch the filler content .
I am mostly teaching myself how to build the site through trial and error. I am clicking on buttons to see what they do and using what background knowledge I have involving computer software to figure out how to set the site the way I want it. I am also using the “help” feature of the website when I do not know information I am seeking, as in how to link videos from You Tube onto my site. Since I am trying to become a self-directed learner and working at my own pace, the help feature has become an invaluable tool for me. I have been sticking to my schedule of working on the website for one to two hours a week, but unfortunately I have been switching my scheduled days around because my personal schedule is constantly changing. This week, I actually worked for about 4 -5 hours on my website because I wanted to catch up from last week’s lack of activity.
I have run into some frustration when it comes to completing a few tasks regarding the website. For example, when I drop and drag certain items down (as in a location for pictures and videos) I am having a hard time making the space for these items larger or smaller. I have figured out how to make the actual picture itself or You Tube “viewing screen” smaller, but the “drag” takes up more space on the site so I cannot place other items, like a text box or more pictures, near it. The help button does not seem to provide assistance for this scenario. The only hypothesis I have regarding this is that I am on the free website builder, and if I pay a small monthly fee I receive more features on building the site, so perhaps the free portion on the program is restricted. This has become frustrating because the website is not aesthetically pleasing because of all the gaps, but my next goal is to have this problem figured out by the middle of this week. If it seems I cannot fill in the spaces of my website, I may have to decide to reconfigure its appearance.
Posted below is a link to my website, so please feel free to see what I have completed so far and make some suggestions. All in all, I am excited about how the website is coming along and hope to have it mostly finished by the end of class. I would like to have it up and running by next semester, so I still have about six weeks until that time.
www.mrlewishopeonline.weebly.com
Until Next Time,
Dustin
After completing some more searching on the Internet, I found a new web building website entitled Weebly. It was easier to use because of the drop and drag method, and most of the “bells and whistles” I wanted to add onto my site was free. So far the website is going well. I have some items up including pictures, videos, handouts, and links to other sites. However, most of the information will be changed when I have the site up and running. As of now, I am using most of the current information as filler because I need to find and transfer documents from other computers in order to make it fully complete. Once I have most of the site as I want it laid out, I will switch the filler content .
I am mostly teaching myself how to build the site through trial and error. I am clicking on buttons to see what they do and using what background knowledge I have involving computer software to figure out how to set the site the way I want it. I am also using the “help” feature of the website when I do not know information I am seeking, as in how to link videos from You Tube onto my site. Since I am trying to become a self-directed learner and working at my own pace, the help feature has become an invaluable tool for me. I have been sticking to my schedule of working on the website for one to two hours a week, but unfortunately I have been switching my scheduled days around because my personal schedule is constantly changing. This week, I actually worked for about 4 -5 hours on my website because I wanted to catch up from last week’s lack of activity.
I have run into some frustration when it comes to completing a few tasks regarding the website. For example, when I drop and drag certain items down (as in a location for pictures and videos) I am having a hard time making the space for these items larger or smaller. I have figured out how to make the actual picture itself or You Tube “viewing screen” smaller, but the “drag” takes up more space on the site so I cannot place other items, like a text box or more pictures, near it. The help button does not seem to provide assistance for this scenario. The only hypothesis I have regarding this is that I am on the free website builder, and if I pay a small monthly fee I receive more features on building the site, so perhaps the free portion on the program is restricted. This has become frustrating because the website is not aesthetically pleasing because of all the gaps, but my next goal is to have this problem figured out by the middle of this week. If it seems I cannot fill in the spaces of my website, I may have to decide to reconfigure its appearance.
Posted below is a link to my website, so please feel free to see what I have completed so far and make some suggestions. All in all, I am excited about how the website is coming along and hope to have it mostly finished by the end of class. I would like to have it up and running by next semester, so I still have about six weeks until that time.
www.mrlewishopeonline.weebly.com
Until Next Time,
Dustin
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