Over the course of the last seven weeks, I have been working on and re-working my technology GAME plan. Each week I have taken time to analyze the progress made from the original plan. While this has been a frustrating and yet progressive process for me, the overall structure of using a GAME plan in the classroom is a good idea. The National Education Standards for Students (NETS-S) and teachers (NETS-T) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) outline technology goals for both groups. These standards are designed as a guide for using technology in a 21st century classroom.
What is a GAME Plan?
The idea behind a GAME plan is simply the “plan”. Too often students know they have an assignment, but don’t quite know the process to complete it other than start at the beginning and finish. A GAME plan helps students, and teachers, plot a course of action. What is the Goal? What Action will be taken to reach the Goal? How will the Action be Monitored? And finally, How will the Goals and Actions be Evaluated? This is a great sequence of steps that will benefit any student, regardless if the NETS standards or the content standards
are being used.
In the Classroom
As I have discovered over these last seven weeks, technology integration takes time. Even my own GAME plan had to be adjusted to accommodate time. The same could be said for using this process to help students become proficient in the NETS-S standards. A look back at the first 10 years of the 21st century is evidence enough of this. While technology has skyrocketed in recent years, integrating it into an education system and structure that is much older presents obstacles. Impossible? No, just a slow process. But if teachers develop GAME plans based on the NETS-T standards that get students creating projects using a GAME plan format, standards will be met and 21st century skills will be taught.
I like the GAME plan format and I think it is a strong instructional tool that I plan on using with my students.
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007.htm
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm
1 comment:
You brought up some good points about the GAME plan. A problem that I often run into with my students is that they do not know how to plan. They do not know how to map out the steps and often wait for me to do it for them. I think it would be very beneficial for students to come up with their own GAME plan in which they can outline the steps they need to follow to achieve their goals. Through this process, they can work on becoming self-directed learners as they learn 21st century skills.
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