Evaluating My GAME Plan Progress

My actions are realistic. When looking at where we are in the school year and what I can bring to the staff and students, I do not want to make drastic changes. I will continue to train staff and look into workshops this summer. I do feel that my students are more ready for new technology projects at this point. With the weather getting warmer, students have a hard time sitting still. Getting the students working in groups and moving around will keep them focusing on school work. I have learned how everyone has different views on using technology in the classroom. Many staff members shy away from technology because it does not work they way they need it to work. I would like to learn new ways to reach all staff members to encourage them to use technology with their students. If students used technology starting in first grade, they would have an easier time when they reach fifth grade. I am starting from scratch with most of these students, and it would be nice to get technology into the hands of students earlier. By having training sessions and giving putting my projects on my website, hopefully will make these more appealing to staff members.

Monitoring My GAME Plan Progress

I am finding the information I need. I have a few trainings coming up, so I will be preparing for those. I am working with staff that has a lot of new curriculum this year, and SMART board training has been put last on the list for many. With that in mind, I need to make sure I am training the staff in a positive manner so they feel comfortable with it. I do not feel that I need to do any modifications at this point. My goals include some long term and short-term goals. There may be a point where I decide there may need to be some changes, but I feel good at where I am. If I add too many new pieces, it would make it difficult to get anything finished. I have learned that there are many places out there that will help me incorporate technology. Having websites and lessons readily available is a huge help when it comes to bringing in technology. Something that I had been thinking about is how will my goals be changing. To continue to improve myself and the technology I use, I need to always be ready for the changes. After my classes at Walden, I want to keep up with the new practices. What are some ways that I can do that?

Carrying Out the GAME Plan

In order to carry out my GAME Plan I will need to keep up-to-date on professional development opportunities. My school district has a variety of workshops throughout the year that I can look into. I could also look at taking graduate classes. I would be curious as to where I could find great opportunities elsewhere if anyone has some ideas.

For my second goal, I will need to visit with colleagues on technology they use and look online for lessons that have used technology. I think it would be great to join an interactive group on-line. I would need additional information from someone who could get me the place to look for that. So far, I have been able to keep up on making one technology lesson each week. I have a variety of tools available to me, but I know that the students will want to try new tools as the year goes on. I also have set up three training dates with my principal so I can train staff on the new toolkit tool in the SMART boards.

Developing Your Personal GAME Plan

NETS-T Indicator: Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

Goals: - Continue to be a SMART board coordinator in my school district

- Attend TIES technology conference each December to learn about new technologies and ways to incorporate them.

- Train staff on new ways to incorporate technology

Actions: To achieve the goals I will meet with the SMART board committee throughout the school year, I will attend the TIES technology conference and take notes, about new ideas to bring back with me. Put into place one or two items I learned at the conference right away. Teach and share information with the staff about important pieces I learned at the conference, and make sure I am available to help the staff when needed. Also, train staff on new ideas with the SMART board. We have so many technology tools available to us, and I can help bring these pieces to the forefront

Monitor: I will stay up-to-date with SMART board committee meetings. Continue to plan training dates with the principal. Continue to check the TIES website for conference details. Write all training dates and meetings on my calendar.

Evaluate and Extend: I will make sure lessons and tools I learn will get used each year. Many times after a first lesson, it needs to be adjusted to meet the needs of the learner better. I will make those changes after each lesson to be ready for the next time I use it. I will have an evaluation after each training session to make my presentations better for the staff.

NETS-T Indicator: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Goals: - Take time each week to build one new lesson with technology

- Give multiple technology tools to use in final projects

Actions: Take one prep time each week to build technology lessons, whether it is related to the SMART board or Web 2.0 tool. Talk to the students about some of their favorite technology tools to use within lessons to increase motivation and ownership. After learning new tools to use at conferences and my masters class, I can incorporate those into projects the students have. For example, rather than using paper and pencil, I can give the option to share with a VoiceThread or Podcast.

Monitor: Write “technology lesson building” in my plan book each week. I will only focus on that lesson during that block of time. When planning projects, I will always include at least one piece of technology for students to use. I will add those tools into my daily lessons so students are familiar with the different technology tools available to them.

Evaluate and Extend: After each week, I can reflect on how the lessons went and how many of them I did. Some weeks I will be doing a few different technology lessons. With that, I can see which subjects I could add