Course and “GAME” Plan Reflection

In the information age we are currently in, experts in the field of education have begun to realize the importance of teaching students to be self-directed, lifelong learners. In other words, students need to learn that they ultimately control their development of knowledge, and we as teachers must instill the process of acquiring this skill. A major principle of this learning model is for students to become metacognitive learners that reflect on their learning and thinking processes. As recommended by Dr. Katherine Cennamo, educators can teach the process using the “GAME Plan” model which can be broken down into the four stages of goal setting, taking action to meet the goals, monitoring progress towards them, and evaluating achievement (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).

After inspecting my own classroom model, I set a personal “GAME” plan that focused on strengthening student learning and creativity through an online learning management system known as Moodle. This plan is rooted in the idea that students can often use technology and the Web to direct and personalize their own learning process. I have realized that I have to often step away from controlling student learning in the front of the classroom, and transition into letting students take the driver’s seat and self-direct their learning. Within Moodle students will be linked to videos, interactive games, investigation applets, and many other features for them to investigate at their own pace. On the days we use Moodle, I will become more of a facilitator that sets up the days objective, monitors student or group productivity, and puts closure on the lesson topic. I feel as though this new “GAME” plan is truly focused on creating self-directed learners that do not have to rely on the teacher to spoon feed all of the knowledge.

In addition, I will integrate other features discussed in this course such as problem-based learning (PBL), online collaboration and communication, and digital storytelling. In my three piece interdisciplinary unit I will introduce students to all three of these so that we can easily revisit and use them the rest of the year. I will begin by having the students address a PBL question directed towards the rate of water flow at St. Anthony Falls, use Moodle forums as a site for online collaboration to solve similar problems, and create a digital story of their field trip and its mathematical connections. I am excited to introduce these tools this year because I can see the value and motivation they add through personalization, incorporation of media, and creative thinking. These authentic learning experiences will place added motivation and creativity into my course curriculum, and through proper reflection, the students will begin to understand how to take control of their learning.


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