Looking back at the GAME plan....

Using the GAME Plan concept helped me focus more on the software program I was learning. Usually when I try a new program, I do not necessarily make a focused effort on it as much as I probably should. Partly because of the volume of new programs being thrown at me in our one-to-one educational environment and partly because I am going a mile a minute. The GAME plan system made me slow down (just a bit) and focus a little more on my actions. I think as a teacher this was a good things because I thought more like a student than a teacher.

I plan to use the GAME plan with my students in the spring when we start our energy unit. I think it will help them focus more on how to use the new software program they chose (publisher, edublog.com and voice thread). I also think it will be a good way for me to introduce using Jing to have them demonstrate their learning/using of the website with the creation of a screen capture.

I am usually very flexable with students and wanting to use other programs but with the GAME Plan process, I aim to be less flexable and sort of force (or more push and nudge) them to use the required program. My hope is that with being more strict, my students will push through a road block or challenging part and overcome to be successful with a new software option rather than falling back and simply using something they already know.

All and all the GAME plan system is a good structure to use for both myself and my students. I can see it working as a great organizational planning tool as my middle school kids grow and prepare to be out in the "real world" without their teacher then to guide them. They can learn to guide themselves.