Reflecting on my GAME plan...

The GAME plan that I constructed for this course was, for the most part, a solid plan. There still isn’t much that I would change, even with all that I have learned throughout this course. I still want my goals to focus on student-directed learning, differentiation, and technology rich learning experiences. I believe that this GAME plan has taught me a lot about the various uses of technology in my classroom. I have began integrating blogs, wikis, and digital storytelling into my lessons and have been creating more authentic learning experiences for my students, based on the goals I set forth in my GAME plan. The technologies also allow me to meet the varying learning needs and preferences of my students. The monitoring and evaluating portions of the game plan have proven to be beneficial to both myself and my students. I am constantly monitoring my students, as are they, to determine their understanding and, ultimately, to help them be successful self-directed learners. Overall, using the GAME plan is very effective and I plan to continue using it in the future and teach my students to use it as well.

As a result of following my personal GAME plan, I have learned just how beneficial this method can be. The GAME plan has taught me to break down the integration of technology into my classroom to make it a more smooth transition and not seem so overwhelming. The GAME plan has also helped me to learn to be more organized in my instructional practices and I have learned an abundance of new technologies. I realize now that using these technologies in the classroom is an effectie way to differentiate my instruction. This is necessary for my students because they do not all learn the same way or at the same pace. Using the GAME plan has helped me learn how to teach my students to be self-directed learners because “the GAME plan requires you to think about and take steps to direct your learning process” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 3). Using the GAME plan enable me to model this self-directed learning for my students. I want to get my students in the habit of using the GAME plan for their own learning so that they will have control over their learning and be empowered to become self-directed learners.

I plan to take steps to use technology in my classroom everyday. Students today are constantly immersed in technology, except when they are in the classroom. To make the learning experience authentic and the instruction engaging for my students, I need to infuse what is relevant to my students, technology, into my classroom. My students need this exposure to technology to be prepared for their futures. This course has given me the confidence to do this and the ability to see the synergy between technology and classroom instruction. One should no longer exist without the other. Technology can make learning engaging for the students and leave a lasting impression on their classroom experiences.