Game Plan

GAME PLAN

After examining the standards of the website for the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), I realized that there are many indicators I need to strengthen. The first indicator I need to work on is the standard 2.b, which is to design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote students learning and creativity. I chose this indicator because I have access to the technology in my class but do not use it efficiently. Three years ago, the district equipped each classroom with a smart board a computer and Elmo. I use the board for activities such as matching, memory, and anagram but I am noticing more and more that students are not challenged and therefore do not stay on task.

            For this indicator I came up with the following GAME plan.

My goal is to integrate technology efficiently more often to my daily lessons and not just with my projects. Like the video Enriching Content Area Learning Experiences with Technology part 2 stipulates I want to make sure that I do not “integrate the lesson to the technology” (Laureate Education, 2009).

My action plan is to spend more time researching on the Internet for authentic activities within my content learning using technology. Another resource is the “smart exchange” that comes with the smart board program. Finally, I will take time to talk to other teachers in the district. Collaboration as I learned in my previous course, will allow me to “heighten my awareness of knowledge I’ve generated about teaching that I now take for granted” (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2009).

I will monitor my work by analyzing and see if I can adapt the information to my content areas. I will try to see if collaborating with other colleagues is helping me to achieve my goal. Do I need to do more research on the different type of technology? 

Finally, I will evaluate my actions. Do I implement more lessons integrating technology? Is it any easier? Did the research and collaboration help me to create lessons integrating technology more effectively? What is my next step?

My next indicator I decided to work on is 5.b exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills to others. I am fairly new in the field of teaching and in my district. One of my goals is to help others using their technology skills. When I first started, I assumed all the teachers kept up with the technology and were integrating it in their lesson daily. Today I feel teachers should take it to another level. The issue is that teachers are not train unless they just finished their undergrad and/or their graduate classes. Once I master integrating technology in my content, I will then be able to help others who struggle. For my GAME plan, my goal is to teach and/or inform my colleagues about the power of the technology in the classroom.

One of my actions is to introduce my work my colleagues. Also, I would like to survey the teachers in my building to see who uses technology and how. Eventually I would like to create a wiki for the teachers to share lesson plans, projects, and activities that enhance students learning and creativity.

I will monitor my actions by analyzing the surveys and listening to the feedback. How can I interpret them?

At last I will evaluate my actions. Did my actions have an impact on my colleagues? How? What is my next step, to help other teachers creating lesson plans with technology? What about a Professional Learning Community(PLC)?

Dana, N. F., & Yendol-Hoppey, D. (2009). The reflective educator’s guide to classroom research: Learning to teach and teaching to learn through practitioner inquiry (2^nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore, MD