Walden University--EDUC 6713--Week 4 Application

To provide a recap for myself as well as my readers; the goals I have selected for my GAME plan fall under two primary categories.  The first category is the encouragement of learner reflection and the second category is to engage in professional development while also encouraging and motivating other individuals to grow in the area of technology integration.  While both of these categories seem applicable and meaningful by themselves, I believe that by combing my learning from each I will increase my effectiveness and understanding to an even greater level. 

So far, I have found both of these categories to be well-worth my investigation time.  If I had to place myself on a progress timeline I would place myself deep within the Action stage.  However, it seems that the stages within the GAME plan seem to overlap and merge with each other.  In other words, my progress within the Action stage has led me into the Monitoring stage as well.  In fact, as I acquire new information I am constantly reflecting on how that learning relates to my current context and future. 

Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) emphasize the crucial importance of monitoring your learning, as this is a crucial component in successful self-directed learning.  The primary tool I have used during this stage is a reflection journal.  I do not have a tablet and handheld digital device; therefore, much of my monitoring and reflection can be found within the pages of regular paper notebook.  However, if I had such a device I think it may help me to organize my learning more effectively.  Plus, I could use a recordable device in order to verbalize my own thoughts or the thoughts of other interested individuals.    

            Within my notebook you will find information on both goals.  I have talked with fellow educators and have received some fairly sound advice.  In regards to student reflection the favorite idea I have come across is to have a “Wrap it up!” session at the end of each lesson.  These sessions could help my students to evaluate their own understanding in regards to a number of standards and goals required within my district Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum documents (Laramie County School District 1, 2011). 

During this time students take a quick 5 minutes to write down their thoughts about the learning.  This is also their time to write down any questions they may have in regards to the content.  From this point the teacher can select from a variety of sharing options; there can be a class sharing session, a peer/small group sharing session, or the teacher can simply take their writing and read it at a later time.  This reflection can also be considered a form of student self-assessment, which is a critical stepping stone towards self-initiated learning (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).

            On the other hand, I was recently given the opportunity to work on encouraging and motivating other individuals to grow in the area of technology.  This opportunity has come to me in the form of a student teacher with whom I will be working with next fall.  Yes, I know this is only one person with whom I can potentially influence, but it is a good start.  Therefore, from here I think I need to modify my action plan to reflect the needs of a new teacher in regards to technology integration.  Not only do I plan on using the content and learning I am able to attain via my own education, but I also plan to expand upon this content and create a repertoire of knowledge that can be shared with my mentee. 

            Finally, the main question that has arisen from my learning thus far is, “How do I know when I have enough information?”  It seems to me that there is so much to learn in regards to both of my goals.  I am having a hard time deciding on a stopping point.  I guess the key aspect to remember is not to overwhelm myself and provide myself with time to not just graze the surface for a vast amount of information, but to dive deep into a few selected resources that can really help me to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the knowledge acquired within the attainment of both of my goals. 

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.

Laramie County School District 1.  (2011).  Grade kindergarten GVC 2011-2012.  Retrieved from http://gvc.www.laramie1.org/modules/locker/files/group_files.phtml?gid=1749089&parent=13847822&sessionid=b91b3fad577d9b89464d37148bb3ec21

Laureate Education, Inc.  (Executive Producer). (2010).  Program three. Assessing student learning [Webcast]. Integrating technology across the content areas.   Baltimore, MD: Author.

Walden University--EDUC 6713--Week 3 Application

After reviewing my GAME plan it seems that my goals fall under to two broad categories; the first category being the encouragement of learner reflection and the second category being my own ability to engage in professional development while also encouraging and motivating other individuals to grow in the area of technology integration.  While both of these categories are different they actually will require many of the same resources.

In order to encourage student reflection I will need to use technology to research alternative methods for engaging even young students as they attempt to reflect upon their learning.  I will need access to a variety of forms of informative material, such as digital or even printed resources.  I may also need to interact with other colleagues who have successfully implemented this reflection within their own classroom.  Finally, I could attempt to receive expert opinions from college professors within my area or accessibly via the Internet.  Furthermore, there may also be professional readings which I could check out from our local library or buy from our local bookstore that will assist me in my venture to identify with successful means for using student reflection within the classroom.

Similar to the student reflection goal, I believe that the professional development goal will also require outside resources.  I will need to check with our local college in order to identify experts within the realm of technology integration.  Hopefully, I will be able to set up a time to chat with these individuals or at least exchange emails with them.  Furthermore, I will need to access credible material provided by professional organizations.  This could be done via the Internet or professional publications.  Finally, I may also be able to find information from other teachers within my district who can provide me with technology integration tips that work well within the context of our personal educational settings.

Therefore, the additional information that I will need in order to further my GAME plan will be centered on retrieving and identifying resources which may be critical to my growth within each goal.  As of right now I believe that I am still within the Action step of my GAME plan.  The next step will be for me to monitor my learning as I attempt to implement some of the information I retrieve during my research.  This monitoring will be a crucial step in my self-directed learning as it will require me to constantly reflect on my learning and how it relates to my current context and future (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).  During this time I plan on using a reflective journal to document my thoughts, observations, and ideas.  Finally, I will need to evaluate the meaning of the learning and how it directly relates to my professional and personal environment.  Furthermore, this step will allow me to identify where I am at as a professional and where I want to go!   

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.

               

Walden University--EDUC 6713--Week 2 Application

Week Two Application— Developing Your Personal GAME Plan

Developing a GAME plan is an essential step towards pursuing my own personal need to become an effective and efficient self-directed learner.  While learning how to use technology is generally a self-directed task; an appropriately designed and purposely implemented GAME plan can help increase the amount of learning that can ensue from that task.  Furthermore, this plan encourages the learner to take on the role of being a metacognitive thinker and apply their learning to the context.  In fact, the components of the GAME plan align almost perfectly with the mindset of metacognitive learner as they think about their own thinking and process the implications of their own ideas and thoughts.

            The first step in the GAME plan is to set goals for learning (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).  In the case I have decided to set my own personal goals that will help me to increase my awareness and capabilities to meet the National Education Standards for Teachers which have been determined by the International Society for Technology in Education (2008).  These standards and indicators have been created to help educators to engage students and improve learning by enriching their professional practice and the learning environments of their students.  All of these standards personally hold much potential to strengthen my professional traits.  However, there are some in which I feel more comfortable and some in which I feel the need for personal growth.

            The indicators in which I have decided to focus on for the developments of my GAME plan fall under two different standards.  The first falls under the standard of facilitating and inspiring student learning and creativity.  The following indicator encourages the teacher to promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008).  Student reflection is not something I find myself pushing for too often at the Kindergarten level.  However, I think I forget that even at a young age children are still capable of reflecting upon their own learning.  This reflection may need to be modified to meet the capacity and extent to which a younger student can complete this process.  Therefore, my first goal is to determine how technology can help me to provide meaningful reflection time for my young learners.  Furthermore, I would like to indentify the correlation between this reflection and the content standards in which I must focus upon within the guaranteed and viable curriculum of my district (Laramie County School District 1, 2011).

            The second indicator which I have decided to focus on within my GAME plan falls under the standard of engaging in my own professional growth and leadership (ISTE, 2008).  I decided to focus upon this goal due to the difficulty I have had in the past with fellow educators who just seem so stuck in their own ways with little to no willingness to change and be open to new and different possibilities.  While I wish to be a leader within my profession and pave the path for others, this job is definitely easier said than done.  However, by focusing on the following indicator within my GAME plan I am hopeful that I will be able to ease this difficulty.  The following indicator prompts the educator to contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community.  Therefore, my second goal is to identify means for encouraging and promoting the growth of others as well as myself within the area of technology integration within the classroom.  More specifically, I am hopeful that I will be able to make others take note of what kind of learning is possible when you successfully include digital tools and resources within your classroom.

            The next step in the GAME plan is to plan a course of action that I will follow in order to meet these goals.  During this step of the plan it is essential to locate information by using a variety of methods (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).  My first and most obvious source of information to achieve these goals will come from the time I spend interacting with my fellow classmates within this course.  My blog will provide me with a means for this communication.  However, I also plan on using outside resources, such as searching the web and looking for professional websites that may provide me with authentic information on this topic.  There may also be experts which I can locate and email in order to receive additional feedback on the topic.  Finally, I plan on talking with my colleagues and fellow teachers within my district.  I will meet with my instructional facilitator and ask for her insight as well as other teachers who may seem to have already effectively implemented technology within their own classroom.   

            While I am taking action I will also begin the next step in the GAME plan.  As I collect information I will also simultaneously monitor my learning.  Sample questions I may ask myself during the monitoring stage are provided by Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009); “Is my plan working?  Am I finding the information I need?  If I am unable to answer yes to either of these questions, then I may need to redesign or construct my mode for collecting information.  In fact, during this stage I must constantly reflect on my learning and how that learning relates to my current context and future.  During this time I plan on keeping a journal to organize my thoughts and learning as well as a concrete area for self-reflection.

            Finally, this self-reflection will lead me into the final stage of the GAME plan, evaluating my learning (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).  If I have not successfully met my goals I will obviously need to restructure my plan and attempt a different plan of attack.  However, if I have met my goals or partially met my goals, then I will need to formulate a plan to extend my learning.  In other words, I will need to apply my learning within the context of my personal situation and circumstances.  Furthermore, I will need to plan for the extension of this learning into my future professional actions.  In fact, having this knowledge in the future is an aspect that many successful teachers posses as they integrate these digital tools within their own classrooms (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).   Finally, it is essential to share my learning with others in hopes of not only helping myself, but also others who are interested in the application of technology within their own classroom.

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

Laramie County School District 1.  (2011).  Grade kindergarten GVC 2011-2012.  Retrieved from http://gvc.www.laramie1.org/modules/locker/files/group_files.phtml?gid=1749089&parent=13847822&sessionid=b91b3fad577d9b89464d37148bb3ec21

Laureate Education, Inc.  (Executive Producer). (2010).  Program three.  Enriching content area learning experiences with technology [Webcast]. Integrating technology across the content areas.   Baltimore, MD: Author.