Reflection on GAME Plan EDUC - 6713

Part 1:

Creating and reflecting on my GAME plan has been a useful and practical way to prepare my students for a future where collaboration and technology are expected in the workplace. The feedback my classmates wrote on my blog provided links and suggestions to new learning. I learned ways to better reach my goal of adding technology assessments and evaluations in my classroom, and tips and techniques to monitor my students’ learning in a technology enhanced environment.  I have bookmarked links and resources that have provided me assistance in choosing project based learning and digital storytelling assessments so that I have a better well-rounded assessment grade book in my third grade classroom. In addition, this has impacted my classroom by providing motivation ways to assess my learners. I have yet to see a class that gets excited when the teacher assesses them. Adding technology assessments has changed their assessment attitude. Now, when I introduce a project based or digital storytelling project, my students’ enthusiasm is evident.

Following and learning about the GAME plan process has been a beneficial experience. I am still constantly revising ways to add a technology assessment project each marking period. For example, I recently did a digital storytelling project and collaborated with an older grade.  Since my students had help I struggled a bit on how best to assign a grade using the rubric that I developed. I will continue to research how to use technology collaboration projects and look for rubrics that align better to this type of learning.

Using the GAME plan format with my third graders is something I would like to try in the future. The most beneficial part would be to lead my students to understanding how to monitor their learning and change it to make it better. This is not impossible, but a challenging concept for the age of the students in my classroom.  They often see any work they do as their best and critiquing and changing it is a whole new way of learning for them.

Part 2:

 This course has given me the understanding behind integrating problem based learning, social networking/online collaboration, and digital storytelling into my instruction.  One huge advantage is how these types of projects are easy to differentiate for the varied learners in my classroom.  This helps me to improve my classroom environment to connect with all of my students. 

Dr. Abrams mentions “visual literacy” as a core characteristic of the present generation of students (Laureate Education, Inc, 2010). This point has helped me understand the importance of using a combination of written literacy with 21^st century literacy. Some immediate adjustments that I plan to make in my instructional practice are to continue include problem based learning and digital storytelling in other content areas. I am developing a digital storytelling unit in science where my students will be teaching the class an area of the water cycle unit, by creating a digital story. In addition, I plan to Skype an expert meteorologist as a way to use social collaboration learning to the unit.

One of the most important things that I learned in this course is to use social media as a way to reach out to other educators for ideas. Without feedback from my classmates and instructor, the monitor, evaluate and extend parts of my GAME plan would be difficult to successfully complete. I will continue using social media as a way to grow as an educator.

            Moving forward, I can say with confidence that the GAME plan process has given me the tools necessary to create a technology environment that motivates and increases my young students' focus in my classroom.  My weekly lesson plans will include more technology in the form of project based learning, educational/social media, and digital storytelling projects. In addition, I will continue to make small changes in the areas of tweaking my grade book to include a blend of traditional and 21^st century assessments. My classroom has evolved over the past seven weeks and transformed to include more meaningful curriculum based technology projects.

 

References

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration or meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Laureate Education, Inc. (2010a). Spotlight on Technology: Digital Storytelling, Part 1. Retrieved February 17, 2013, from Walden University: https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2097789_1%26url%3D

Laureate Education, Inc. (2010b). Spotlight on Technology: Digital Storytelling, Part 2 [videocast]. Retrieved February 17, 2013, from Walden University: https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2097789_1%26url%3D