The "A" in GAME

In the design of a GAME plan, preliminary actions must be made in order to begin reaching the intended goals. These initial actions include the locating and gathering of resources, along with the building of background information.

To reach the first goal of my GAME plan, which is to develop a self-directed learning module for students, I will need to access a variety of resources for guidance. My first step will be to select a unit around which to base the module. Next, I will need to access example Webquests, or a module of similar design, already posted on the Internet related to the selected content. After gathering ideas and designing a module customized for my students, I will need a place for publishing that is accessible to students. I already have a class webpage connected our district server, and would like students to access the Webquest through the class homepage. I may need to contact a technology specialist at the school to inquire about how to correctly create the necessary links and on designing a user-friendly homepage.

The second goal, which is to locate and provide students access to a digital portfolio, will also require me to locate several resources. I already began accomplishing this goal by contacting a school business partner at the University of North Florida. As a professor in the Education Department, this contact was able to provide an example of the online portfolio required upon graduation for the Education students. I also contacted the Career Coordinator for our district, asking for suggestions and possible funding sources. She provided with me to a link to a free online portfolio through the Florida Department of Education website. From here, I will need to make the decision on which one to use, based on the needs of my students and user-friendly functions. My next step will then be to sign up for an account and create an example portfolio, familiarizing myself with the technology. I will also have to provide training to the other teachers of the career academy for which I plan to incorporate its use before the beginning of next school year when students will be asked to begin portfolio creation.

While planning for the actions that need to be taken, I have come to the realization of why a structured plan, such as the GAME plan, is necessary to reach these profession development goals. As the first actions are taken, additional ones are needed, and I am sure more are to come as new discoveries and questions arise. This will all be determined by ongoing monitoring of the actions, becoming the next step of my GAME plan.