Looking at the GAME plan that I created last week, I asked myself the following questions:
What resources will you need to carry out your plan (video, reading, experts or colleagues, etc)?
What additional information do you need?
What steps have you been able to take so far?
The resources I need to carry out my plan are already available in my school. We have a computer lab and laptop carts for the students. We have laptops for all of our teachers. Microphones, headphones, and headsets are available. We also have a few webcams available. Each classroom has a Smartboard and we have a camera to use to photograph student work and school events.
I need to see about locating websites that connect interested teachers, and I need to look into upgrading my VoiceThread subscription. Either that or I need to get the other teachers in my school to subscribe. I also need to find teachers who would be willing to add resources to the wikis so that we can publicize them to the faculty of my school.
So far, I have been able to set up the teacher wikis that I have planned, and I have been able to have my students start the research for their wikis. I have begun to publish podcasts of students reading their writing on our school website. I have not been able to begin my Skype projects, but my principal has asked me to do a tutorial program called A+ with my classes, so this part of my GAME plan will just have to be delayed. I do have one class who is interested in this project, so at least I will be able to assist them during my planning time. One last thing I need to do is meet with our art teacher to plan the student gallery. I think we may be able to do this during our mutual planning time this week.
I’ll be back with you next week to let you know how I am coming along.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
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It sounds as though you have a well thought out and organized plan. Congratulations on having all of the resources you need. That is a huge obstical with a lot of schools. I needed microphones a while back and had to purchase my own because of our budget freeze.
ReplyDeleteI understand about the delay as well. I have had to delay and actually modify my GAME plan because other duties of my job got in the way. Good luck with planning with other teachers and the rest of your GAME plan. It sounds as though everything is falling into place nicely.
I know you haven't started Skype, however when you do you will love it. I used it last year and the year before with a 9th grade science class. We communicated with a class in the upper peninsula of Michigan (we are in the Detroit areas) to look at water quality. It was great to have the students experience another teacher from a different area teaching about the same topic we were working on.
ReplyDeleteWhat is your plan with Skype when you do get it up and running? Do you have another group set to communicate with? It sounds like you are well on your way to carrying out a great GAME plan.
Erin
Tara,
ReplyDeleteI actually conduct a fund raiser each year to raise money for things that the lab needs such as the headsets and microphones. The one I use is Computers for Education. It is a pain, but it pays off when I need to get something. The last bit of my money from last year is going to have to pay for toner for my printer. Not my first choice of how to spend the money, but in this budget, that is the only way I am going to get it.
Nancy
Erin,
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I will not be taking the lead on the Skype part of my GAME plan. I think the third grade teacher whose class will be doing it has contacted a class at the high school that they will be working with, but I will just be assisting her as needed. I hope that I can get back to teaching my lab the way I want soon and stop administering this tutorial program. Doing that all day every day is not going to meet any of my standards, and it is boring!