GAME Plan Progress

I have decided to slightly adjust my GAME plan. Instead of looking for ways to adjust my teaching to fit my students' various learning styles, I will look for resources and begin a collection of websites, articles, and lesson plans that I could use with my students when I have my own classroom. Because I am able to teach any age, I will look at sites that are not age specific, but I will also look at a variety of resources that are age specific. I would like to create a location where I can keep all of the resources in one place (this blog would even work for that, but I haven't figured that part out yet) and organized so that they are easy to access for myself and anyone who is interested.

I am still interested in communicating with other teachers about technology related issues. I am working on contacting teachers in my area that would be interested in this. Some have asked if this networking would be for teachers and their students to join myself and my class on projects, but at this point I am simply interested in sharing ideas and resources with other teachers. In the future I do believe that it would be beneficial to network with classes, but not at this time.

Beginning the GAME Plan

Until I have a full time position, it is difficult to work towards my goal of incorporating more activities that teach to the students' learning styles. However, I am collecting resources to use when I am able to work on this goal. I have started collecting websites and information that will be helpful to me when looking at my lessons and how to adapt them to my students.

I have begun working towards my other goal of networking with other teachers in my area. I have started to locate teachers who I have worked with to see if any of them would be interested in joining a network that would be centered around technology.

I have received a few sources already for different ways to look at my students' learning styles, but I am always interested in other sources as well. As for networking, I am trying to figure out the best way to complete this goal and what would be the most efficient way to communicate with other teachers.

GAME Plan

After reviewing the NETS-T Standards, I realized that there are many areas that I need to work on, but a couple specifically are 2.c: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments: customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources and 5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership. The first standard is one that I try to do, but I find myself not following through or not finding the time to fit technology and various strategies in my lessons and I would really like to improve on that. Standard 5 is an area that I am really weak in and part of that, I think, is because I do not have a full time teaching job yet, so I do not have a network of teachers to go to (except at Walden).

Goals

1. When trying to include more learning activities that reach students' various learning styles, I would like to try giving learning style surveys to my students to decide exactly what strategies and techniques would be most beneficial. When I have my own classroom I also think that being able to plan these strategies and choosing the technology would be easier because of the more consistent job and students.
   
2. My goal for Standard 5 is to join a network of teachers to discuss various topics and current events in education.

Actions

1. There is not much I can do about incorporating more strategies for diverse learning until I have a teaching position.
2. I am going to look into different teacher networks in my area. I already have quite a few teachers who I connect with from various long term positions, but it would be nice to create a community online where we can all connect.

Monitoring

1. I will review my progress for incorporating strategies by self-evaluating my lessons on a weekly basis.
2. I will also try to maintain an online community where I will try to check and update at least once a month.

Evaluate

I will evaluate my learning during by self-evaluating my lessons and by being held accountable by my network of teachers on the online community.

http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf