Using the GAME Plan to Accomplish NETS-T Goals

Today’s students have the world at their fingertips as the search the Internet, download music to their iPod, socialize on Facebook, and Skype with their friends. When student’s have a question, they can easily find out the answer. According to Mark Prensky, “Long before they ever get to school, kids have seen a tremendous amount of the world” (2008, p. 42). So in a world of immediate information, it is the educators job to “build on, and strengthen students’ reservoirs of knowledge” (Prensky, 2008, p. 42). In order to accomplish this task, the International Society for Technology in Education has created five different standards known as the NETS-T, which are the ‘National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers’. The five standards include: Facilitating and Inspiring Student Learning and Creativity; Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments; Model Digital-Age Work and Learning; Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility; and Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership (ISTE, 2008).

Out of all five standards, the one that I feel the most comfortable with is the fifth standard, which is to ‘Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership’ (ISTE, 2008). As a third year teacher I have been involved in: ongoing district professional development with technology, a Master’s program promoting the use of technology in the classroom, and a professional learning community that works towards “implementing new technology to improve student learning” (ISTE, 2008). I feel that as a teacher I “continuously improve my practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in the school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources” (ISTE, 2008).

The two standards that I could improve on are: “Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity” and “Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments” (ISTE, 2008). More specifically, my goals are to create more meaningful learning experiences that involve the use of digital tools and to promote more creative thinking in the classroom. In order to meet my goals, I need to take action by reviewing the math content and state standards to find places where technology can easily be implemented. At this point in the GAME plan it is critical that I “make sure all activities clearly relate to specific learning outcomes and are not perceived as unnecessary ‘busy work’” (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009, p. 97). Throughout the process of delivering the specific digital activities I will be sure to monitor my progress and make changes where necessary while focusing on encouraging student creativity. Teaching the same class three times in a row allows me to ‘tweak’ the plan and measure student progress in order to compare different deliveries of the same lesson. At the end of the activities it will be very important to evaluate the effectiveness of each lesson and decide whether or not they would be worth doing again.

At the end of the GAME plan it is necessary for me to continue my development of the NETS-T by creating new goals that will challenge me further in my self-directed learning. Just as students have taught themselves to use technology at home, I too can take charge by learning new and creative ways to implement these five goals into my teaching of seventh grade mathematics.

References:

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.

ISTE. (2008). National education standards for teachers retrieved from http:www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008 on May 12, 2010.

Prensky, M. (2008, March). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40-45.