Getting Students in the Game

Students love technology! In fact, they are fascinated with most activities that involve technology. This is an important piece of knowledge that we can use as educators to help us engage students in the learning process. Part of this process should involve having students develop goals for themselve involving technology. Students need to desire to improve thier skills not just be told that the skiills are ncessary. I think the GAME plan would be very effective implemented with students. We have been setting goals at my class for the past year during the advisement lessons. At my school we have called these goals "SMART" goals - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time sensitive but I feel that these goals are very similar to the GAME plan steps.

I think that students will benefit greately from the Monitoring step of the GAME plan process. I would like to incorporate the technology skills that my students feel they need - this may take some independent learing on my part as many of my students are very skilled with different forms of technology. I will have studnets brainstorm a list of all the ways technology could be included in the lcassroom at the beginning of the year - using the Mimio and whiteboard. Students will record the list in thier Interactive Student Notebook (ISN) and will highlight in three colors - One - Technology they feel they are masters of, Two - Technology that they are somewhat familiar with and Three - Technology that they have never heard of before. This will allow me to differentate the learning and provide the skills and instructions on how to use technology, as I will be able to provide instruction for those who need it (like with Voice Thread) but not to those who know more about the capabliites than I am familiar with. Infact I might even incorporate those who feel that they are masters working with students who need assistance.

I am really looking forward to this higher level of integration in my classroom. I think by incorporating the technology all year and my students will advance thier skills on the different standards of the NETS-T. I think my students will really enjoy it as well and will be highly engaged.