Week 3: Flushing out the GAME Plan

On my journey to tackle my GAME plan, it becomes important to evaluate what tools I will need in order to achieve these improvements as an educator. In order to do so, I need to structure my needs for each of my goals.

            The first skill I am focusing on is what NETS-T (2012) describes as providing “students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching” (page 1). In order to achieve this, I first need to look at what resources I will need. I have obtained a copy of Henry Jenkins’ (2013) Reading in a Participatory Culture, a book that looks at reading classics like Moby Dick in a culture where students are focused on social media. The book offers options for assessing differently in the context of this generation’s needs and skills. I also have a copy of Michael Graham’s Google Apps Meets the Common Core (2013). Graham’s (2013) books looks at how technology can be used to integrate technology into the day to day classroom. The book outlines the ways in which these tools, which every student at my school has access to, can be utilized in order to help me less formally assess students. Another focus of my GAME plan goal of assessment includes looking at writing utilizing technology. I have also gotten a copy of Todd Hick’s Crafting digital writing: Composing texts across media and genres (2013) which look at ways in which students can utilize technology to improve their writing, while also preparing them for the skills necessary for the 21^st century. The only component I may still need to locate is a resource that will give me specific tools to utilize the class set of Kindles I have in my room. I will continue to look for this source.

            My second GAME plan goal focuses around what NETS-T describes as the ability to “Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats” (page 1). As part of this goal, my focus is going to be around how to better utilize the technology available to me in the forms of my class portal webpage, Twitter, and Facebook to communicate with my students, their families, and my peers. Because there are not necessarily resources directed at my exact needs in print, I have decided that the best resources available to me for this goal are actual colleagues. I will be utilizing my principal, Dwight Carter, who was recognized as a national digital principal of the year; my department chair, Jeni Hawkins-Newman, who utilizes her portal extremely well; and our district public relations director, Mallory Sribanditmonkol, who utilizes social media for the district. My goal is to interview them as to how they utilize these tools to better their communication and see how it can be translated to my classroom. For this goal, I will still need to locate a print source or two to support the claims that these experts make in order to strengthen my understanding. I will do this through further research.

            The steps I’ve been able to achieve so far are gathering my resources. I have interviews set up with my colleagues and have procured the resources necessary. The next step will be filling in my further information spots and then beginning to categorize and take notes on the resources available to me.

Reference:

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.

Graham, M. (2013). Google apps meets Common Core. New York, New York: Corwin.

Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting digital writing: Composing texts across media and genres. Chicago,

Illinois: Heinemann.

Jenkins, H. (2013). Reading in a participatory culture: Moby dick in the English classroom.

Teachers College Press.