The very first
week of this course focused on the promotion of self-directed learners. One way
to encourage and monitor self-directed learning was through the GAME plan. G
focuses on goals, A focuses on actions, M focuses on monitoring, and E focuses
on evaluating (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010b). Following and focusing on
those four items will lead to an accomplished self-directed learner. At the
very beginning of this class, I made a GAME plan for myself. That GAME plan was
to utilize my classroom set of iPads as often as possible. While using the
iPads I hoped to teach students how to use them and really feel comfortable
using them as well as teaching them how to be appropriate in the digital world.
While trying to implement my GAME plan and reading/watching the resources for
this class, I learned that integrating technology into the classroom needs to
be done in an effective way. In order integrate technology effectively in the
classroom a teacher must have knowledge, confidence, belief of what makes good
teaching, and a supportive culture (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010a). Learning
the importance of those four traits impacted me. I have realized how important
it is to have colleagues support. I am lucky to have a coworker that also
recently received a classroom set of iPads. It was phenomenal having her
support and being able to collaborate with her. Now that I have started to
really implement iPad usage in my classroom, I may revise my plan and give some
responsibility to my students. I may encourage them to find ways that we can
use the iPads in class while we learn content as well. Maybe I will encourage
them to find helpful apps or useful websites. I think being a self-directed
learner is an important skill to have. In order to teach my students the skills
of a self-directed learner, I could use the GAME plan with my students. Like I
had to do for this class, I may have them come up with a GAME plan for the
first semester of school.
After taking this class, I have
realized there are some adjustments I need to make to my instructional
practices. I want and need my students to become self-directed learners. I so
often tell my students what to do, step by step, and rarely offer a chance for
them to explore. Self directed learning is “any increase in knowledge, skill,
accomplishment, or personal development that an individual selects and brings
about his or her own efforts using any method in any circumstance at any time”
(Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009, p.2). If my students are self-directed
learners, then they will be able to respond to the rapid and continuous
technological changes that inevitably will occur during their professional
careers (Cennamo et. al., 2009, p.7). I need to stop giving students the steps
and teach them how to learn. One way to develop my students into self-directed
learners is through technology use.
Students can use online collaboration to communicate with each other
when trying to solve a problem, they can use social networking sites to ask
others for information on a question they are trying to find the answer too,
and when all the work is done and the students have found what they were
looking for, they can use digital storytelling to share their findings.
References:
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology
integration for meaningful classroom
use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage
Learning.
Laureate
Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Enriching Content Area Learning
Experiences with Technology, Part 1
Laureate
Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010b). Promoting Self-Directed Learning
with Technology.
