Monitoring progress within the GAME plan

I am building quite the pile of books to read over the summer, but I would like to attend more meetings or professional development than just read. Don't get me wrong, a lot can be gained from reading, but I feel that more information can be gained from person to person contact and instruction. I have my eyes and ears open to see what others are taking this summer. My district is offering a few days over the summer and I will be attending every day that applies to me and my position next year. I am moving into technology full time next school year, so my focus will be a little different and I will be finding new lessons that incorporate more technology. I want my students to walk away knowing far more than when they walked in.

What are some of you going to be taking over the summer in the area of professional development?? Do any of you know any great websites that are offering webinars?? I will take all the information that I can acquire.

I have started to keep a note book so I can write down all my thoughts and future plans the minute they occur. It is that time of year when you are looking ahead to the future and of course you want to be prepared. In the past when I have had ideas I never wrote them down, after learning the hard way, I want to be better prepared. I also do the same with websites and programs that I come across. This way I can check them out at a later date. One of my bigger plans is to really demostrate to my students more digital text, we are going to break down the ways in which it is read and how to get the most out of it. I want them to be able to look at a site and within the first minute know if that is the site for them.

My GAME plan is heading in the right direction and I am very thankful for that. My biggest concern is locating appropriate professional development that will lead me in the right direction.

Carrying Out the GAME Plan

To carry out my GAME plan which includes the two NETS-T indicators from my last post (exposing my students to more digital ways and improving my personal professional development) I have decided to take an introductory approach starting this coming school year. It is too late to start something now as we have 27 school days left. By starting in the fall I will have a more consistent approach with all my classes and I will be able to pick up where I left.  I will be using an internet literacy book for grades 3-5 and for grades 6-8. This literacy book will help me to break down my lessons and take the steps in smaller increments, a pace more comfortable for students to learn at. My internet literacy materials will use not only paper & pencil, but pre-determined websites including www.readwritethink.org which takes steps through a variety of internet and English Language Arts diagrams. I have used similar materials this school year but not on a consistent basis and only with my fourth grade class.

To help my professional development move along in the proper direction I will be taking as many classes over the summer as possible. The courses that I am looking for will include classroom management, incorporating the Common Core Standards, and of course technology. When I reach out to further my learning I will be able to take that back to the classroom and to my students. I am open to any ideas that my peers may be willing to share. The more I am exposed to the better off my students will be because of it.

Developing my GAME plan

There are two National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) indicators that I feel that I could use more confidence in. They are: 1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity and 2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. In creating my GAME plan I need to be more aware of what my goals are for my students and take the necessary steps to help them develop the potential to reach the goal.

To help me reach my goals I need to monitor student progress as well as my own (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). I think it would be great to teach my students the proper ways of evaluating a website and walk them through what I do when I encounter a new site. This would help to foster creativity among them and create a desire to want to find more sites to use during the school day and at home. To help reach the goal of design and developing digital learning experiences I am going to sit down with my students at the beginning of each school year and ask them what they would like to learn and then match that up standards. My students would serve as a constant reminder as the list that we make would be posted in the room and most students have wonderful memories when it comes to things like that.

The one area that I need some assistance in is with evaluating and extending my learning. I am at a loss as to plan for that or what would even be a good place to start. I would appreciate any assistance in that area.


Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Custom Laureate ed.), Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.