The GAME Plan

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.

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Teachers_2008_EN.sflb.ashx