Reflecting on my GAME plan…

To be quite honest, until this course I had never heard of “ISTE” and the National Education Technology Standards. It only makes sense that all of this exists – I mean, we do live in the age of technology. And just because many of us work in districts where technology still seems to be on the back burner (few computers, little training, etc.), there’s no reason to think that the powers that be haven’t thought of national standards in technology for teachers and students to adhere to. With that said, I am thankful for the GAME plan strategy. I will reiterate my feelings of being overwhelmed at the thought of mastering the continuously improving use of technology in the field of education. Being able to pinpointing a Goal, plan an Action, Monitor my progress, and Evaluate my attempts, provides me with a focused route that encourages my autonomy and growth as an educator. Otherwise, I would be headed in all sorts of directions – trying to master everything, without really mastering anything.

Considering my most recent GAME plan:

My first goal was to improve upon ISTE Indicator 1(b) that suggests teachers “engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.” Probably the most interesting thing I learned about during this Walden course was problem-based learning. Obviously authentic experiences and real-life chances to make a difference is not only motivational for students, but it encourages students to become responsible citizens of the world. Enhancing these sorts of lessons with social networking opportunities provides students with multiple perspectives. Problem-based learning with social networking promotes the idea of a flat world where the students from around the world can contribute to the solution of 21st century ideas. This is an extremely exciting idea; one that challenges teachers and students alike to face real-world issues in a real-world collaborative.

My second goal was to progress more in the area of ISTE Indicator 4(b): “to address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.” One of the most helpful pieces of new information was the study of the Universal Design for Learning. I was unaware of all of the UDL learning tools - some of which are readily available such as online calendars for student organization, online tutorials, and visual tools such as making a font bigger. The UDL website (http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines) offers a multitude of ideas that I am anxious to study and experiment with.

In considering my second goal, this course reminded me that wireless responders are also a great way to not only engage and assess, but to “provide equitable access” of all students to technology and content. With wireless responders, only the teacher knows who is “getting it” and who is not. Students have no embarrassment. In addition, this activity provides ample time to discuss why one answer is correct over another.

I am very anxious to somehow find the time to experiment with these new-found ideas. I do plan to implement my problem-based learning lesson, together with its accompanying social networking and digital storytelling lesson, because students are given the opportunity to improve upon their city in a way that could really affect their lives. In addition, I plan to implement as many UDL strategies that I can. I feel like in the past I have taught to the middle. I don’t know if this was simply a survival strategy to use as I learned new content, or whether it was because I was unaware of all of the UDL learning tools that are available. Regardless, I am excited to try to meet the needs of all of my students by implementing 21st century skills into my classroom.