Monitoring My Game Plan

I have had success in finding information I need to implement my GAME plan. I have been especially encouraged by the wealth of information I have read and received from my classmates at Walden. The social bookmarking is an incredible resource. At the current time I do not feel the need to greatly modify my game plan. I have spoken with administrators in my building and I am scheduled to present at the next PD day on February 12th. They love that I want to promote integrating technology and are eager for my involvement in improving the skill level in our building. They are very supportive of my professional goals and plan. So far I have learned that my students appreciate and get excited about working with new tools and are feeling a sense of accomplishment. I was surprised to learn that many of my 9th grade students have very little experience with computer based technology tools. Many were even unfamiliar with PowerPoint so I have decided to greatly increase their access - even if it means many headaches and frustration on my part to get their hands on it. I owe it to them as their teacher. I am still struggling with the question of where to find grant money to try to get resources for my students. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

Carrying Out My GAME Plan

To carry out my GAME plan I will need many resources. One important resource is access to college classes and workshops that teach and encourage regular use of cutting edge technological tools. To truly integrate 21^st Century skills it is necessary to have regular access to computer equipment and the internet. A great way to share internet sites with pertinent information is social bookmarking with sites like Delicious where you can share bookmarks and tag them for easy access when searching. Along the same lines of shared bookmarking is developing a network of colleagues (both near and far) to share ideas and information with. Most of the really great stuff I’ve been introduced to has come to me via this route. Another important resource is the administrators in my building. Developing relationships with the people in these positions is important. When they know you are interested and willing to participate they will think of you when opportunities arise for workshops and training. The biggest resource that I wish I had and do not is computer access in my classroom for my students.

Additional information that I will need is knowledge of web sites and blogs frequented by teachers who have similar goals as I do. Where can I find others to build working and learning relationships with? Also, I would like to learn about grant possibilities and how to effectively write grants to get technology into my classroom in a ratio of one computer with internet access to one student who needs to use it to participate in activities that promote deeper engagement and learning.

Steps I have taken so far include taking classes at Walden to increase my skill level and awareness. I have let my administrators know I am willing to be a proactive member of the team. I am gaining experience using blogs in both my personal and professional life. I have set up a Delicious account to have access to sites my colleagues feel are relevant and helpful. Hopefully this is a solid place to start!

My Game Plan

After examining the National Education Standards for Teachers, I have identified two areas where I would like to develop more confidence and proficiency. These two areas are Standard two and Standard five. Standard 2-C states “customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.” Standard 5-D states “contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community.”

My Game Plan

Goals
• To introduce and familiarize myself and may students with emerging and existing digital tools that will enhance the learning environment. My colleague often says he wants to help his students “work smarter, not harder.” As I work my way through this program, the statement makes complete sense!
• To increase my knowledge, skills, and abilities with digital tools and share my knowledge with colleagues through collaboration and professional development.
Action
• I will share my goals with others verbally
• I have already started this phase of my game plan by taking this Master’s program at Walden. I will continue to take classes that engage in the use of digital tools to expand my experience. In addition, I will seek out authentic experiences in my own life using blogs, wikis, and other tools to become more proficient in using them.
• I will follow blogs, communicate with other educators who have similar beliefs and establish support networks to broaden my spectrum of knowledge in the area of classroom integration of technology. I can systematically increase the use of these tools over time.
• I will meet with administrators of my building to convey my interest in being a proactive part of the team in this area and offer to present new and improved ways of integrating technology at PD breakout sessions in our building.
• I will model “working smarter, not harder” to my students and colleagues.

Monitor
• To monitor my achievement of my technology integration goals I will recruit one of the administrators I work with to set appointments to regularly discuss the types of digital tools I have added to our class toolbox and assess their effectiveness in enhancing the learning experience.
• I will share new technology tools with other teachers and offer to work together with them to strategize creative ways to implement and modify the current uses of the tools

Evaluate & Extend
• I will survey my students for feedback on the usefulness of each tool we introduce and experience.
• I will reflect on my ability to facilitate the use of each new tool in the educational setting and determine if I need to find more resources or collaborate with a teacher who has more experience and success using the various tools