Involving Students in GAMEs

Using the GAME plan, as presented by Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009), has been a great strategy for me to use as I attempt to improve the instructional practices that I want in my classroom. One of the thoughts I had early on in this process of using the GAME plan, was that the organization process could be quite useful for students. As my experience and understanding have grown regarding GAME plans, I can see that this process can be used by students, both long term, and short term, to help augment academic success.

 

I can see myself using this process with my students on at least one of several different levels. I believe this would a terrific tool to use with students in developing academic or learning goals for each term. Obviously, we want students to be successful in all academic areas. However, it might be more manageable for struggling students to focus on one academic area to improve at a time. Students would identify their goals, based on district and state standards. Then develop a very specific action plan to meet that goal. I would ask students to monitor the GAME plan through data collection and reflection about every two weeks. This could be done either in a journal or on the classroom blog. Students would then be able to evaluate how successful they had been in meeting their goal.

 

Additionally, I see the GAME plan as a great way to focus students at the beginning of a unit or project, so that students hold themselves accountable for their own success. Students could set goals for the unit or project, based on learning goals and rubric requirements of the unit and project together. This, again, would require students to reflect on their own progress toward their goal. It would help students meet the NETS-S technology standards, because students would be setting goals that parallel the use of technology in the classroom. In projects or units, students could set goals focused not only on content understanding, but also on the collaboration they will be having with peers, as well the use of varied technology tools, including podcasting, digital storytelling, and the use of the blog to present or discuss the topic.

 

Most importantly, I would use each of these smaller GAME plans to help my student reach their term or quarter GAME plan outline. Ultimately, using a GAME plan with students would be a great benefit to the organization, planning, and justification for every academic choice they make in their learning. I could even see a mini GAME plan put to use for students who struggle from week to week, or even from day to day in the classroom. Students could set a daily academic goal, and understand what his or her action is to meet the academic goal of the day (or week)

 

Using the GAME plan has certainly helped me to organize my lessons, thoughts, and professional needs.

 

Julie

 

Resource: Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.