Final Post: A Reflection

When initially developing the GAME Plan (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009), the thought was to use it to increase proficiency in NETS-T, the various technology indicators for teachers described by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE, 2008). Budget cuts led to the closing of many programs across the nation, including the Alternative Education program at Bush campus. That closing precipitated a transfer to another campus, one with little to no technology in the classroom. It was extremely frustrating to have moved so far forward in setting up an English Language Arts curriculum that incorporated digital technology and engaged students in learning 21st century skills only to have to take so many steps backwards and start all over.

This made the GAME Plan even more relevant to my daily classroom practice and gave me the tools that I needed to approach administration and colleagues regarding technology integration on the new campus and to open a discussion about the various ways to create a supportive culture of technology (Laureate, 2009). Technology, when used to support learning, “complements learning outcomes” (King-Sears & Evmenova, 2007, p.8) and prepare students to meet the demands of a global job market. Unfortunately, progress on a plan such as technology integration is understandably slow, but trying to set up meetings for discussion of the plan during summer break made it seem like it had totally come to a standstill. I am, however, looking forward to the start of school in a couple of weeks to that I can start working on overcoming this challenge and “creating a culture of collaboration and interdependence” (Ertmer & Simons, 2006, p. 40) both in my classroom and on the entire campus.

Setting goals and following a plan is something that I have always done without thinking. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer’s (2009) discussion of the GAME Plan really helped me put the process into words and encouraged me to think about teaching my students to use it as well in the various aspects of their academic lives. The act of setting goals, creating an action plan and then monitoring and evaluating their own progress and learning is something that will also serve them in the real world and allow them to take responsibility for their own education. For them to do this, they will have to stay in school and as teachers we can help them do this using ISTE’s NETS-S (2007) technology standards for students to keep them motivated and engaged in the classroom content. Students today are more motivated by teachers who can speak to them on their own level and students today are more technologically savvy than ever. Using technology hooks them and keeps them coming back for more.

Once the school year starts, I will implement this process in my own classroom immediately. Because of the behavior problems associated with the types of students in Alternative Education, giving them a sense of autonomy over their own education will help eliminate the power struggle in the classroom and make them feel more like a community. Instead of being the leader of that community, I will happily relegate myself to be its guide.


Resources

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 (ISTE). (2007). National Education Standards for Students (NETS-S). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/content/navigationmenu/NETS/forstudents/2007standards/nets_for_students_2007.htm

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2008). National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

King-Sears, M., & Evmenova, A. S. (2007, Sep/Oct). Premises, principles, and processes for integrating TECHnology into instruction. Teaching exceptional children, 40(1), 6–14.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program three: Enriching content area learning experiences with technology part one [Motion Picture]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.