Inspiration

The future depends on what we do in the present. - Mahatma Gandhi

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Using the GAME Plan (app 7)

The GAME plan is a process that helps you achieve short term, and or long term goals through self-directed learning. One way that I can use the GAME plan in the classroom with students is to model the procedure with every activity. This will create a model that students can apply to any future learning endeavor.

The implementation of this procedure can be as simple as creating a student handout that acts as an outline that each student fills out prior to beginning any assignment. For example, the handout would have multi sections labeled Goals, Action, Monitor and Evaluation. The students would have to fill out what the assignment Goal is, what their Action plan will be in order to achieve the Goal, how they plan to Monitor their progress, and what they will do in order to prepare for an evaluation, assessment, grade, or document what they have learned and what could they have done better. The evaluation section would be completed at the end of every assignment.

Getting students to complete this for every assignment would get them into a habit of thinking ahead, staying focused, being organized, and reflecting upon learning and best practices in their self-directed learning. Additionally, when reviewing the list of NETS-S standards for students, I found that I was able to align four out of six indicators with the GAME plan method.

NETS-S #1 Creativity and Innovation aligns with the Action piece of the GAME plan. Once you have established a Goal, applying creative thinking, innovation, and existing knowledge, is at times necessary to reach that goal.

NETS-S #2 Communication and Collaboration, also supports the Action part of the GAME plan. Interacting, collaborating, and communicating are all ways in which students can act together in other to problem solve an issue and "support individual learning as well as contribute to the learning of others" (http://www.iste.org/)

NETS-S #3 Research and Information Fluency skills link up well with the Evaluation phase of the GAME plan. Planning, strategizing, analyzing and synthesizing are all ways in which students can evaluate their progress and determine if they need to make changes in the direction they have taken in order to facilitate a successful outcome to their goal(s).

NETS-S #4 Critical thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making, matches up nicely to the Monitoring portion of the GAME plan. "In collecting and analyzing data in a consistent manner; students can plan and manage their activities in such a way that will help them form a solution to realize their goal(s)." (http://www.iste.org/)

In closing, the GAME plan is beneficial to students in two ways, it can help students stay focused and organized when planning and achieving learning goals, and it can help them achieve the technology competencies outlined in the NETS-S standards located on the International Society for Technology in Education website (http://www.iste.org).

References:

International Society for Technology in Education (2010) Retrieved October 2010, From: http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007.aspx

2 comments:

  1. Marcella,

    I think it's a great idea to model the GAME plan often in the classroom. The students will become more comfortable with the process and it will be that much easier for them to implement themselves. Setting goals is an important part of life. This process allows the students to start setting goals early in life and realize the importance of the process when they want to accomplish something.

    Allison

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  2. I like that you point out that a GAME plan can (and should) be used for short and long term goals. Students filling out their own form for each assignment is also a good idea. You are directing them to become self-directed learners.

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