"I love it when a plan comes together!"

This course provided me with 2 excellent tools that I can use in my personal and professional life and daily activities. The first tool, the GAME plan, includes a strategy that helps me to define and set goals, to develop an action plan, to monitor my progress, and to evaluate the outcome of the project. I’ve found the GAME extremely useful, particularly the monitoring step, as I usually do not spend the appropriate amount of time to review resources; to ask what resources have worked, what additional resources are needed, and what I need to revise. Using the GAME plan to learn how to incorporate digital video tools into my instruction encouraged me to research web resources and to work in a collaborative team.

The GAME plan is also an exceptional organizational tool for my students. I have introduced the plan to my students as many of them face challenges with organization and time management. The steps are easy to remember and students have been able to use the plan to complete and solve class tasks as well as develop their long-term goals.

The second tool, digital storytelling is a wonderful activity that I plan to use to provide an authentic learning experience for my students. Encouraging students to create, produce, and consequently tell their stories will challenge their creative thinking skills and technology proficiency. I especially like the flexibility of the GAME plan approach and digital storytelling. The multidisciplinary feature of telling one’s story helps students to develop deeper understanding of content and to be effective self-directed learners.

Reference
Hannibal from the A-team

Student GAME Plan

I’ve introduced my students to the GAME plan approach as many of them face challenges keeping their ideas and materials organized. Others have difficulties prioritizing their goals and tasks. The GAME plan is a direct plan, easy to remember and what I like best encourages the user to continually monitor their progress. I’ve found that the GAME plan helped me to eliminate distractions as I monitored how close I was to achieving my goals and what I needed to revise.

The GAME plan will assist students to meet the NETS-S standards: creativity and innovation, to use digital media and environments to communicate and to work collaboratively, and use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions. As students plan, collaborate and complete projects, the GAME plan approach provides a framework for students to set goals, develop an action plan, to monitor their progress (or lack of it), and to evaluate and extend their plan.

Set Goals: The initial step is to set goals. Students ask what do I want to achieve. The goal is the “what” of the plan and addresses the standard of creativity and innovation. Students use prior knowledge, KWHL charts to brainstorm ideas for projects and products.

Action: As part of the action plan, students use creative thinking skills, digital media and their ability to work collaboratively. Collaborative groups plan their product, complete graphic organizers to organize ideas and determine the appropriate digital media. Students also apply the creativity and innovation standard when they develop their artifact and experience authentic learning.

Monitor: In this step, students determine what works, what revisions do they need to make. Do they need to access additional resources and materials? How well does the group interact with each other? How well are the students able to solve problems and make decisions? Unfortunately, it is easy to overlook this crucial step. Many students are confident that they will reach their goals as planned, or they abandon the plan and develop a new, more workable one. However, developing steps to make the appropriate revisions may guarantee that a plan will work.

Evaluate: Students will need to reflect, to judge how well the plan was developed is another essential step. Students decide if they reached their specified outcomes, review their KWHL charts and other organizers.

Personal Growth

I’ve learned that the GAME plan is an excellent approach that I can use for a variety of personal and instructional situations. The plan has helped me to track my goals and to further extend some of my activities and ideas. I’ve introduced the GAME plan to my 6th grade teammates. We’ve posted the steps in our classrooms and hallways as well as encouraged students to follow the plan to complete their class and homework assignments.


In addition to the NETS-T goal, to facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity, I’ve added the goal to demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations. I need to learn the technical aspects of digital video and how to incorporate these digital tools into my instructional practice. At this point, there still exists a gap between what I want to do and knowing how to do it. However, I’ve learned that there are people who eagerly share their expertise and ideas when they realized how enthusiastic and committed I am to learning about new digital tools. My project has taken on a “life of its own” as more of my colleagues become involved.


I’ve always believed that I was independent learner, as I prefer to try new ideas on my own. I did not want to make mistakes while working with others and I mainly use a trial and error approach to learning new technology. Experimenting does have its merits; however, it is so much more fulfilling and fun to work with others. I’m not sure if it is just teacher “know-how”, the ability to divide a project into subtasks, I‘ve thoroughly enjoyed learning from my colleagues.

A Work-in-progress

How effective were your actions in helping you meet your goals?

My actions to use colleagues as resource to learn digital movie making worked well. The project has taken on a life of its own as other teachers have decided to meet, learn, and share their ideas and expertise. Even though, we started “the test prep phase” of the school year, we still plan to meet and to support each other. iMovie tutorials have been helpful; however, I continue need to have “face-to face” meetings with supportive colleagues.

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

The GAME plan approach is an excellent organizational tool that I have started to implement into my classroom practice. The plan helps students to be self-directed learners, provides flexibility and is easy to remember. In addition, I am more confident about using video images in my lessons, particularly video casts.

What do you still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?

I’ve learned that I have so much to learn. Video production is an excellent digital tool that promotes student creative thinking skills and content understanding. I’m just learning about the different types of authoring software, video editing features and video file formats.

How will you adjust your plan to fit your current needs?

I plan to incorporate digital movie making into my problem-based learning unit; therefore, my incentive to be proficient with the basics of creating a short movie is very strong. I’m able to use the GAME plan and technology tools to help students design and plan the initial stages of their projects; graphic organizers, storyboards and scripts.