Being a reflective
learner is an important quality for people to have. It is equally important to
model this quality for students. One way
to do this is what Cennamo, Ross, and Etmer (2009) have named the GAME
plan. The GAME plans stands for “set
Goals, take Action to meet those goals, Monitor progress toward achieving
goals, and Evaluate whether the goal were achieved and Extend your learning to
new situations” (p.3). Reflecting on my
own teaching, there are two goals I would like to focus on. One is ISTE Standard
1D Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity- model collaborative knowledge construction by
engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and
virtual environments.
Goal- My goal is to incorporate virtual field trips and more Skype
sessions into my classroom to inspire student learning.
Actions- I need to evaluate my curriculum to determine which
lessons lend themselves to virtual fieldtrips. I need to research the Scholastic
website, historical and science museums, zoos, etc. to find resources geared
for elementary students. Many of these places also provide Skype sessions.
Monitor- Monitoring the quality of information on the virtual field
trips is important for establishing factual information. It is essential that
the field trips or Skype sessions actually engage my students since my ultimate
goal is to inspire their learning.
Evaluate and Expand-I can evaluate the factual information my students
gain through assessment and observation.
Another standard is 4D:
Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility. This is to develop
and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with
colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and
collaboration tools
Goal- My goal is for my students to have an understanding and
global awareness of other cultures. Also,
I would like them to learn how communicate respectfully through e-mail.
Actions- I plan on incorporating
ePals into my curriculum. It is
essential that I thoroughly investigate the ePals program to make sure that it
is has the approved settings set by my school and is safe for my students.
Another step is to connect with administration
and parents on communicating globally through e-mail. I also need to find a
classroom through ePals that is willing to be partners with my class.
Monitor- I need to monitor e-mails that are going through to
students of another ethnicity. Students
should be respectful at all times. I also need to make sure students are not
putting any personal information on the web.
Evaluate and Expand- I will evaluate the activity through
discussion and parent feedback. It is important for students to understand and
be respectful of other cultures and customs. This is the best way I know for
students to establish global awareness when they do not come in contact with
other ethnic backgrounds in their daily lives. Hopefully, students and parents
have a wonderful experience and I will be able to expand this into a yearly
communication project.
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.
