My Personal GAME Plan

After reviewing the National Technology Standards (NETS-T) and Performance Indicators for Teachers I found out that my technology implementation covers several of the indicators on the first three standards. However, the areas where I need to strengthen my confidence and proficiency include the last two standards.

On Standard 4- Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility I would like to focus on the indicator d: develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools.

Since I teach a bilingual class I feel that focusing on that indicator can create learning opportunities for my bilingual students. Because my class is bi-cultural and bi-literate promoting a digital communication with a Spanish speaking country can serve as a bridge to learning about other cultures that share our same language. Our learning could be shared by using several tools such as a wiki where students from both classes can post their work and comments. Another way could be via videoconferencing, where students can engage in discussions about a subject they are both learning about.

On Standard 5 – Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership I would like to strengthen indicator c: evaluate and reflect of current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student’s learning.

Since I’m a strong believer in using technology to support my teaching and students’ learning I know that to be able to provide my students with the tools they need to become effective citizens in our 21st century digital society, I need to get educated about new emerging technologies. Even though my students are very young (8-10 yr olds) I believe it is important that they learn more than just basic technology skills. If we provide our digital learners with the tools to create knowledge and communicate it with others the results can be amazing.

My GAME plan to help me achieve a confidence level on the two standards I listed above includes:

Goals
Standard 4 – Connect my students globally with another class.

Standard 5- Support my students learning using new technologies.

Action:
Standard 4- Seek for an opportunity to develop a partnership with another class in another Spanish speaking country to collaborate in the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and culture.

Standard 5- Learn about new or additional technologies that can enhance my student’s learning and that can be effectively incorporated across my third grade curriculum.

Monitor:
Standard 4- I will be a facilitator when my students communicate with their partner class to ensure that learning and exchange of ideas is taking place.

Standard 5- I will be monitoring the effectiveness of the new technologies I or my students are using to ensure that they are effective.

Evaluate and Extend:
Standard 4- To evaluate this goal I could interview my students to get a sense of their interest about this type of collaboration. I could also observe how their behavior is different when they are engaged in this type of learning. One way I could extend my students’ learning is by having them create projects to share with their partner class. I believe this approach could be effective because they will go the extra mile to produce an artifact that they want to share with others.

Standard 5- One way I could evaluate if the new technologies I’m trying to implement are effective is by assessing my students’ understanding of the content; monitor their engagement and productivity levels; and evaluate their final products.