Carrying out my GAME Plan

               Part of carrying out my GAME plan to address ISTE indicators that I need to make improvement on is identifying resources and information I will need to achieve these goals. My first goal is seeking out professional learning opportunities on a consistent basis to enrich my learning of various technologies. My second goal is to then incorporate one new technology into my curriculum once a quarter. I needed to evaluate what steps I have already taken to work towards these goals, as well as assess what resources or information I still need to move forward.

            At this point, I have spoken to my principal about receiving a magazine through the district that explores technology use in the classroom. I have also joined the district-wide technology committee that addresses technology uses and needs in the district, which meets twice a school year. Nieto (2003) argues that teachers must speak with fellow colleagues about important issues to gain a new perspective on a topic, as well as gain fresh ideas or strategies. In meeting with teachers across the district, I hope to not only learn more about new technology and various uses, but play a role in deciding what other types of technology would benefit my district. Finally, I have began my own search for interesting blogs or web resources that are updated on a frequent basis, in hopes that I may gain more technology insight from them. Here are a few: http://karenogen.blogspot.com and http://theconnectedclassroom.wikispaces.com/.  

            In order to meet both of these goals, I still need to speak with other colleagues at my school to identify blogs and other resources they may use to learn more about technology that would be beneficial to my students and me. Ertmer (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009) asserts that in order for teachers to provide enriching learning experiences for students with technology, a teacher must be confident to use the technology and believe that using technology is beneficial to students’ learning. By speaking with other teachers and fellow graduate school colleagues about technology they have used, or where I could find useful information to learn more about the topic, I will gain a greater sense of confidence to use technology in the classroom in the most meaningful way.

            To address both goals thoroughly, I will need to practice using the technologies to learn about their uses. While I will research information and speak with colleagues to learn valid information, ultimately, I will need to practice using them myself to feel confident enough to use them in the classroom. As Richardson (2010) argues, teachers must practice using these new technologies so that they are capable and confident enough to have students learn from them as well.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating technology across the

           content areas. Baltimore, MD: Author.

 Nieto, S. (2003). What keeps teachers going? New York: Teachers College Press.

 Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for                      

         classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.