Reflecting on the GAME plan process

In the beginning of this course, I was put to task in designing a GAME plan in which I would set forth a goal to work towards.  That goal that I set was in the area of integrating technology into my classroom in an effort to bolster the learning of my normal content.  The main focus of the goal that I set was to increase the amount of time that my students spend using technology, and specifically, increase their use of my online classroom on MOODLE.  To a lesser extent, I set a goal for myself to attend professional development courses where learning about using technology in the classroom was being taught and discussed. 

For my first goal of using MOODLE more often, I made great strides.  I set myself a personal goal of sitting down with MOODLE for approximately fifteen minutes each day, trying to learn new things about it along the way.  After a few days of this, I was setting up online discussion forums for my students to hold their book discussions, and using the same tool to have discussion questions for the books we were reading.  I dove into the process head-first and found great results in it.  The students took to it almost immediately.

As for attending professional development courses, this goal did not go as well.  I had intended to go to a MOODLE learning course, but unfortunately the one day that the course was offered, we had parent/teacher conferences.  And looking forward on the calendar, there were no more offered.

This process will affect my practice by causing me to be more reflective in my practices, as well as causing me to be more of a goal-setter.  On most days I have a difficult time looking past the end of the day.  This process has caused me to get better at doing that.  Now that I can see the benefits of the process, it will cause me to do this more consistently, as well as use it with my students.  This process works much like the idea of inquiry based learning.  The students need to set a goal, monitor the process, and work towards these goals.

As for adjustments to my classroom practices, I can see this constantly evolving what I do.  If I reflect on the day, see a weakness in my practices, and set a goal of changing it, there is no way it cannot effect me.