Making a GAME Plan

I am currently taking a course entitled Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas for my master’s program. This week, we are revisiting the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) website in order to examine the National Education Standards for Teacher (NETS-T) to determine indicators in which we would like to improve our confidence and proficiency. I feel that I have progressed in many of the indicators within the NETS-T standards as a result of my master’s program, but I definitely still have room for growth. In order to achieve that growth, I am going to make a “GAME Plan” which is a method for developing self-directed learning that includes setting goals, taking actions to achieve those goals, monitoring progress, and evaluating learning (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).

G – Goals

My goal is to strengthen my confidence and proficiency in two indicators within the NETS-T standards. The first indicator that I would like to improve in is Standard 1d which is the ability to “model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments” (International Society for Technology in Education [ISTE], 2008). I am the only English language learners (ELL) teacher in my school. As a result, I often collaborate with teachers who teach other content areas, but I seldom speak with other ELL teachers. I would like to change that fact. To do this, I will have to extend beyond my school to collaborate with ELL teachers from other schools.

The second indicator within the NETS-T standards that I would like to strengthen is Standard 5b, my ability to “exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others”(ISTE, 2008). As a result of my master’s program, I have learned a great deal of information related to integrating technology into the classroom. I would like to take the initiative to share my knowledge with the teachers at my school to help others to be motivated to incorporate more technology in their classrooms and to improve their technology skills as well.

A – Action

In order to achieve my goals, I will have to take action steps. For Standard 1d, I will collaborate with other ELL teachers outside of my school. I plan on getting in touch with the two ELL teachers that I worked with at my previous school with the specific goal of discussing technology that they and I are incorporating to enhance teaching our content. We will communicate monthly via e-mail and FaceTime to talk about lessons we have completed using technology and their outcomes.

For Standard 5b, I will work to inform other teachers of technology tools that I have used that may be beneficial in their classrooms. We have Professional Learning Community (PLC) time every Wednesday at our school. During PLC time, I join in with the foreign language teachers and the English content teachers on a rotating basis. In those meetings, I will share information about technology tools that I have found to be successful within the classroom. I will also let all the teachers know that I would be willing to meet with them to provide an individual overview of how each tool works. As Dr. Peggy Ertmer discusses in Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas: Enriching Content Area Learning Experiences with Technology, Part 1, a supportive culture is highly beneficial for integrating technology effectively (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). I am hoping the support I provide will help my colleagues to develop the knowledge and confidence that they need to incorporate more and more technology tools into their content teaching.  

M – Monitor

In order to monitor my progress while collaborating with the other ELL teachers, I will keep a journal to document new technology tools we have discussed, whether or not I found new tools to be beneficial in my classroom, and new ideas for future conversations. I will also have a set day/week each month for correspondence. I can keep the date in my planner and make sure to continue collaborating throughout the entire school year.

To monitor the technology support I am providing to my colleagues, I will keep track of the technology tools that I share and make sure to share one new tool each month.

E - Evaluate   

I will have my students help me to evaluate the new technology tools that I incorporate as a result of my collaboration with the other ELL teachers. I will have them rate each new tool and provide feedback as to why they rate each tool the way that they do. I will also ask the other ELL teachers to share their opinion about how our collaboration process is impacting their teaching.

In order to evaluate my ability to support and motivate colleagues in their use of technology tools, I will ask them to provide feedback to me about whether or not they found the tools I shared to be worthwhile and beneficial in their classrooms. I will have them either share that information orally or via e-mail. That information will be used to determine how to continue this process in the future.

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/standards/nets-for-teachers

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating technology across the content areas: Enriching content area learning experiences with technology, part 1. Baltimore, MD: Author.