Revising My GAME Plan

Erin Schilling: Week 6 Application


The following is my response to this week’s application questions:

• What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?

What goals are you still working toward?

I have learned a great deal about some simple Web 2.0 tools and other software programs that will allow me to achieve my first goal of developing digital learning experiences for my students. The unit plan I am developing for this course will be put into action within a couple of weeks. I am excited that the things I am doing now will be directly applied to my instruction. I think that the most important thing I have realized is that I can (and should) start with a small project that I feel I can easily manage (there are enough unforeseeable challenges that arise; I do not want to bite off more than I can chew). The technology application should be an asset to the understanding of my content objectives; it should not overwhelm me or my students so much so that we lose sight of what we are supposed to be learning.

I am still working toward strengthening my role in my school and district technology teams. So far, there has been little discussion of technology-related topics among our staff as we are focused on improving math and reading scores. It will be my goal to seek out specific ways that technology can play a part in improving achievement in math and reading.

• Based on the NETS-T, what new learning goals will you set for yourself?

I think a logical goal for me to work on next is to “Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility” (http://www.iste.org). With our current topic of “online collaboration,” I feel that helping my students understand their roles and responsibilities in this global forum is important.

• What learning approaches will you try next time to improve your learning?

I would like to have conversations with colleagues at my school similar to those I am having with my fellow Walden classmates. I think that the topics we have discussed are very valuable and I know that many of my co-workers are excited to try some new things. I think that starting an informal blog (as I have mentioned before) would be a neat way to initiate these conversations. I am sure there is a lot I could learn from people within my own area about how we would like to move our students forward by using technology as a means for learning.

If any of my Walden classmates already have this type of set-up with their colleagues, I would love to hear how it works. What topics do you discuss? Is there a diverse group of people who share ideas? Are people motivated to participate? Thanks in advance for any input you can give me!!