Developing My Personal GAME Plan

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A teacher’s craft can never be fully perfected. Even in earlier generations, when the pace of technological change was so slow as to be practically imperceptible, good teachers would continually develop and refine their practice through research, collaboration, reflection, and revision of their methods. But the proliferation of digital information and communication technology in recent decades has both facilitated and necessitated a more rapid pace of personal professional development. Having a systematic method for self-directed learning such as Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer’s (2009) GAME plan assists both students and their teachers in this ongoing process of relentless adaptation.


The first step of any successful voyage is establishing a destination, so it is appropriate that Cennamo et al.’s (2009) GAME plan begins with goal setting. Although I am pleased with the progress that I have made in many areas of professional development in the realm of technology integration in my teaching, it would be easy to become overwhelmed by ever-growing inventory of technological resources available. I cannot envision a time when I will be satisfied that I have fully realized any of the International Society for Technology in Education’s (ISTE) (2008) National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers. But I can choose a destination for the next leg of my lifelong journey. Mindful of room for growth in each of the ISTE’s (2008) NETS•S Standards, I believe I and my students could most immediately benefit from my focus on Standard 2, which encourages teachers to “design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S,” specifically, indicators “c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources” and “d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching” (p. 1). Although I have addressed these goals to some degree, the vast and growing wealth of technological resources and research available for realizing effective pedagogical theory necessitate constant attention. Therefore, my benchmark for success must be one of progress rather than completion. I will consider each new and effective application of technology to enhance and assessing my students’ authentic learning experience evidence of achievement.



With these goals in mind, I can go about developing and implementing a plan of action (Cennamo et al., 2009). In order to achieve my goal, I must first gather information about technological resources available for crafting learning experiences and assessments and discover which best reflect both my content-area goals and the learning needs of my students. Doing so requires an array of approaches, including formal coursework, independent research through many resources available on the Internet and elsewhere, and collaboration with colleagues and students both in person and online through tools such as weblogs, listservs, and even online gaming servers (Prensky, 2008). An early focus of this research can be on investigating technologies and methods that I am aware of, but that I have not yet fully exploited. Further research can investigate technologies that are either wholly new or entirely new to me.



As I learn about new technologies for promoting learning and conducting effective assessment, it will be important to consider whether and how they can be implemented to create innovative and authentic learning experiences. In order to effectively monitor my learning, I should consider whether what I have learned meets certain criteria, including whether it is appropriate for my students’ needs and interests and for content goals, whether it is practical in consideration of resources available, and the degree to which it is reflective of sound learning theory (Cennamo et al., 2009; Prensky, 2008). As I notice patterns indicating the effectiveness of different learning strategies, I can refine my approach to personal professional development to make more use of those resources that have provided the greatest benefits.



As I enter the evaluation stage of my GAME plan, I must be cognizant that, while I may be able to measure some progress toward my goals, any ultimate hope of full integration of all of the most appropriate technologies in my pedagogy must, as technology expands the cosmos of possible learning experiences, continually recede ahead of me. With that in mind, I may consider my efforts successful if I have created new, personalized learning experiences that address my students’ diverse needs, learning styles, abilities, and interests, and if I have crafted assessments that both inform and evaluate my teaching using a variety of appropriate methods and technology reflecting the ISTE’s (2008) standards and curricular goals.



As I plan and progress toward greater and more effective integration of digital technology in creative learning experiences for my students, I must keep in mind one caveat: that any technology is only a tool. To be effective, technology must be employed in a way that reflects sound learning theory, curricular goals, and individual students’ needs (Laureate, 2009).







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 (ISTE). (2008). NETS for teachers 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2009 from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm



Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. Baltimore: Author.



Prensky, M. (2008, March). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40-45.