As I reflect on the GAME plan I developed during this course, I have mixed feelings. On the positive side, I feel that the process of developing my personal GAME plan and the format of the plan was extremely beneficial. The structure that this plan provided helped me to stay focus and maintain that focus. Using the plan, I was able to progress towards the goals I had set for becoming proficient in specific areas of the ISTE NETS. The GAME plan not only allowed me to set these goals, but have set actions that I could take to to achieve them and also to monitor my progress. Monitoring has always been an issue for me because my time is so stretched. Finally, I liked the fact that I was able to adjust my plan according to my learning and the acquisition of new information and the realization of new needs.

On the negative side, I feel that I was not able to truly utilize the GAME and reap all of its’ benefits because I did not develop this plan until the end of the school year. The end of the school year presents so many time challenges for me and as such, I do not feel I was able to devote as much time as I could or should have to my GAME. Yet, the beauty of the plan and its’ format is that I can continue with it throughout the summer as well as into next year in order to meet the goals I had set for myself.

I do feel that there are several things that I have learned from the process as well as my actual GAME that will aid me in my daily instruction. The first is that it is extremely important to set aside time throughout the week for my own professional development. Of all of the goals and actions that I set in my GAME plan, the one thing that gave me the most insight and knowledge into new technologies and how to use them in the class was just taking time in the week and searching the Internet or articles for information on how others utilize technologies in their classroom or just reading about emerging technologies. I feel, as an educator, we become so involved in the day to day tasks in our profession that we forget that we must take time for our own professional, as well as personal, needs so we can continue to stay at the top of our profession and truly give our students the best. As a result, I have sectioned off time three days a week on my calendar for next year that just allows me time to “discover” by researching and exploring various web resources and publications that I have subscribed to.

Another change that I have made as a result of the knowledge and understanding that I have gained from my GAME plan is that I will truly examine any technologies that I use in my classroom in order to determine its’ worth for my students. I want to use technologies that will benefit my students as well as enhance their educational experience. What I want to avoid is using technology just to use it and then reducing its overall effectiveness in assisting as well as motivating students. For example, an electronic whiteboard can be an amazing tool in the classroom, but it can also become a mere hi-tech expensive replacement for a chalkboard.

Overall, I would say that my experience with the GAME plan was a good one. I plan to use the format of the GAME plan to help me with my professional development throughout the school year. I also intend to introduce it to my colleagues in order for them to use in their own professional development. I will also experiment with using it to assist student with setting goals that they want to achieve throughout the school year.