My Technology GAME Plan

“The primary task of the educational system must be to give learners the right tools and provide them with a critical mind, so that they can ask the right questions and make the right connections. The problem is that the world is not the stable, static place it once was. The world has changed and continues to change” (Jukes & Macdonald, 2007). In the spirit of creating a 21st Century learning environment in my classroom, I have been researching methods for creating self-directed learners. I want my students to be curious about new innovations and have the ability to research and understand the changing world around them. I began working on creating a self-directed learning environment n my classroom last year by guiding my students through the inquiry process. I used the QUEST model (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007) to inspire students to create their own questions, evaluate online resources and synthesize information. I still have far to go towards inspiring my students to think critically. Before my students can become self-directed learners, I need a game plan for becoming more tech-savvy myself.

I have begun my own personal technology revolution at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) web site. This site lists five standards for guiding teachers to implement technology in their classrooms. I will start small next year and choose two standards to implement as I grow as a technology user.
Cennamo, Ross and Ertmer offer a suggestion for creating a GAME plan for self-directed learning. I plan to set a Goal, take Action, Monitor my progress, and Evaluate the results as I implement new technology in my classroom (2009).

Here is the plan:
1. Set a Goal: I plan to take on two of ISTE’s NETS for teachers (2008). First, I will work on standard number two- “Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments”. This standard asks teachers to design and implement authentic learning experiences incorporating technology. I will also work on standard number three- “Model Digital-Age Work and Learning”. This standard asks teachers to develop fluency in technological systems and transfer than knowledge to students.

2. Take Action: I am going to start working with technology right away in my classroom. In order to teach web page design and encourage collaborative reflection, each class will create a web page to share our understanding of poetry throughout the year. Since I begin each class with a poem a day, we can build web sites around our explorations of the themes and ideas behind the poems we read. Creating web pages as a group will give me the opportunity to model techniques for creating interesting sites. Later in the year, my students will be able to use these skills for implementing their own web pages about the novels they read. To continue building my own skills, I will keep this blog spot current and share my revelations with the class. I may be able to encourage my students to build their own blog spots. A collaborative reading wiki may be another addition as well.

3. Monitor my progress: As we work together to build class web sites, I will need to constantly be reflective about the process. Are all of my students engaged in helping design our pages? Is everyone getting an opportunity to add insights? Are the students internalizing the value in this process? If I feel that students are getting bored, I may decide to have groups create pages for the site to give more involvement to the class.

4. Evaluate the results: As we near the end of the year, I will take a step back to consider the effectiveness of this project. Have my students become more tech-savvy as a result of these activities? Have they each had the opportunity to create a web site? What are my next steps?

If we want to be effective educators for our 21st Century students, we have a lot of work to do. We have to do more than just educate ourselves on the mass of technological tools available for teaching. We need to also teach our students to ask questions, to consider the validity of the sites they use to find answers, and most of all, to be willing to try new technologies and reach for the knowledge available to them. I feel more confident at achieving these aims now that I have a GOAL in mind. If you would like more information about setting up a GOAL for technological advancement, check out the resources below.
Kris

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.

Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for Internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.

Jukes, I. (2007). 21st century fluency skills: Attributes of a 21st century learner. Retrieved from http://www.committedsardine.com/handouts/twca.pdf