Reflecting on my GAME Plan

    The goals that I developed for myself at the beginning of this class revolved around professional development and implementing technology into my classroom.  I think these were very good goals for myself.  What I learned over these past seven weeks is that my main roadblock in being successful towards these goals is myself.  I need to get past my anxieties and start implementing what I know about technology.  I have had enough professional development regarding technology what I really need is to find a professional learning community that is focusing on implementing these skills.  Seeing real people that I can talk to would encourage me more to make the necessary changes.  

    I also set a goal to become for involved in my district regarding the technology that we use and how we use it.  In the past I have been too passive.  I need to become a better advocate for all the positives that technology has to offer.  By creating samples of certain projects that can be completed and showing them to the technology director and potentially the superintendent I will be able to bring about change that will allow more social media to be used in my classroom.

    Some of the immediate adjustments that I am making in my classroom is that if I see a way to incorporate technology into my teaching and my students work I should take it.  From what I have learned in our learning resources, discussion boards, blog posts, and what I am doing in my classroom, all I see is students increased engagement when technology is involved.  This does mean I need to change some of my classroom management to accommodate project based learning.  I am also learning to find the balance of assessing student learning through both traditional assessments and projects.  

    I have found that it is very easy to incorporate project based learning, social networking, and digital storytelling into Language Arts and Social Studies.  Many of the topics being taught in these subjects are conducive to conducting projects.  Math is going to be more of a struggle, but when the opportunity is there to use technology to enhance learning I need to take it.  

    All in all, I have been very pleased with what I have learned in this class.  The strides that I have made in making my classroom a 21st century classroom has encouraged me to push on.  I am excited for what is ahead.