Reflection and Resolution

There are several things I will take away from this course that have made a significant impact on my teaching practices. First and foremost is the importance of goal-setting for myself and my students. Working through the GAME Plan process really helps to make goals attainable. It allows you to break it down into small workable chunks to achieve while at the same time allowing for changes along the way. One thing it does not let you do is give up. If your plan did not work, you evaluate why and go back and change your actions so that you can try again. I have yet to attain my original goal but I have made progress. This is something to be proud of in the midst of holiday preparations, graduate work, new programs, and the general utter chaos that is everyday in the field of education.

This blog played a significant role in the GAME Plan. It has become a platform for support, encouragement, and commitment. It is one thing to say to out loud to yourself, "I want to reach this goal." But to put it in writing and publish it for the world to see is another. I resolve to continue blogging and setting goals for myself. I also intend to implement more GAME Planning with my students. I know they can also benefit from the steps as well. It mirrors so much of the creative process I try to teach everyday.

In addition to the GAME Plan, I leave this course with extra confidence and no more excuses. Integrating technology seamlessly into any content area is possible. Not only is it possible, it makes such perfect sense. Every teacher I talk to about using technology in their classroom always uses the excuse...I just don't have the time...it's just one more thing piled on top of everything else. It is my hope that I can move forward as a leader and show others that it is not an additional burden but a time saver and most importantly a more effective teaching tool. Technology shouldn't be taught in isolation and unfortunately so many schools are set up that way. Oh goodness.....do I hear another GAME Plan on the horizon. I'll let you know.

Using the GAME Plan with Students

I have already used the GAME Plan with my 2nd through 5th graders to help them organize their thoughts on a clay project we recently started. Making a sculpture out of clay is a four week process and it is very helpful if the students have a clear plan of what they want to make long before they touch the clay. Using the GAME Plan my students set a vision of what they wanted their project to look like, decided on an action to accomplish it, and monitored their process while they worked. Their projects showed considerable improvement and they are currently evaluated their final product. Now we did this the old-fashioned way using paper and pencil, but I can see this being accomplished through a Blog or discussion board just as easily.

Just as we used the GAME Plan to approach content standards, it could also be used to help accomplish technology goals. I have all my students set a personal art goals at the beginning of the year and we monitor their progress towards these goals through the year. I could require students to also set a technology goal for themselves as well. As I found out through this process, setting a goal is very motivating especially if we have to revisit it often and reflect on the steps in writing.

Naughty or Nice?

When we set our goals, I guess I had something longer-term in mind and I did not consider the craziness of the season. So when I evaluate my progress I feel like I have moved along better then I expected. I had to modify my actions along the way but overall I feel very positive about the process.



In working towards my goal for modeling collaboration, I have set up two collaborative projects with co-workers that integrate technology and the visual arts with the regular classroom curriculum. One will occur in February, to coincide with a third grade writing project and the other in the spring to coincide with the fifth grade study of WWII. Both involve a collaborative effort by students and both teachers to produce a digital storytelling presentation. The problem-based learning unit we are currently working on has helped a lot in planning both of these projects.

My other goal of creating authentic problem-solving for my students has also begun to make some forward progress. I have finally connected to a local issue that I believe will create an exciting project for my students to become involved in. After planning it out with my Learning Community's help, I plan to implement it early spring of this year.

So even though I felt a little "naughty" at first for seemingly dragging my feet while I worked on these goals, I do feel pretty "nice" about the progress I did actually make. I really enjoy the GAME Plan process. It definitely helps you commit to personal improvement.

Two-Four-One Deal

It was a pleasant surprise this week to find many of my thoughts about these goals restated within our resources. I really didn't read ahead but I must admit it is spooky how similar my train of thought has followed the words of wisdom from Dr. Peggy Ertmer this week. I guess that is one of the wonderful things about blogging. It not only opens you thoughts up for others to collaborate and share, but it also keeps a nice electronic record of your thought process as well.

I was also pleased with the fact that my two goals align quite nicely with our upcoming unit plan. I see modifying my action plan to include these steps. I believe the structure of this class will provide the motivation to fully pursue my goals. Honestly, it has been challenging to motivate myself . I have been bogged down with my real-life problem, and that makes it easy for me to shelf the idea until after the holidays. This unit plan will put the fire under me and ensure that I have something concrete to apply to my instructional practice. I've got to say that it is hard to resist a two-for-one deal.
At the same time, I can progress further on my other goal by collaborating with my learning community on this unit plan and gaining more confidence working with a group. The experience working together using a Wiki will make me much more comfortable using this tool myself so that I could be more effective using it in my instruction. Another two-for-one....got to like that.