My GAME Plan… Back to the drawing board…

Information and resources are plentiful. Support, however, is lacking. In other words, regardless of the resources that I bring to the table, the discussion of technological resources is at a standstill until the 2010-2011 school year.

I was hired under the premise that this brand new charter school with a for profit national sponsor was prepared to create a technologically rich learning environment. As the administration quickly deteriorates, the teachers struggle to make it from one day to the next.

I must modify my GAME plan. My students do not value education. Their families do not value education. Talks within these communities proclaim that no one cares about these young people, and they are on their own. Every morning, I switch to survival mode before walking into school. There is not a teacher on my staff who wants to return in January, though we all will because we know what quitting might do to our careers. We have put our own health, sanity, and family-security at risk, working our hardest to make a difference in the life of just one student.

My students enrolled in this school looking for something different. As of right now, I have nothing new to offer, and am feeling frustrated and somewhat hopeless. Ross (2009) reminds educators that despite any summative assessments at each year’s end, we are the ones who spend time getting to know our students best (Laureate Education). I would like to incorporate the relationships I build with my students into my GAME plan. It may be the only chance I have to reach this population.

My original GAME plan targeted the reflective process, with a focus on individual growth in my reading and writing classroom. Under the circumstances, I believe that my students would benefit from a variation of e-portfolios, in which they share reflections of their lives with me and their peers. Barrett (2005) emphasizes the importance of “student participation and choice, criteria for selection, criteria for judging merit, and evidence of self-reflection” in the e-portfolio process. I would absolutely implement these aspects, with the specific subject matter chosen by the students. The curriculum content has little to no relevance in the lives of my students. They meet it with anxiety, anger, and outrageous acts. Carol Ann Tomlinson (1999) reminds teachers that we need to meet students where they are.” It is time to listen.

My students have stories to share, and often feel as if there is no one who will listen. E-portfolios, which may begin with paper and pictures due to our lack of resources, allow students to share in creative and collaborative ways. I will provide the structure in which they will create and share their stories and what they learn from day to day; as well as ample opportunity to write, revise, and meet a variety of other standards and skills sets such as creative and critical thinking. Barrett (2005) asserts that e-portfolios provide "multiple purposes: learning/processing, assessment, marketing and showcasing."

I need to reach my students, but I need help.
E-portfolios: that’s what’s on my mind.




References

Barrett, H. “The reflect initiative.” February 5, 2005. Webcast. “High school portfolios: To e or not to e.” Retrieved November 20, 2009 from http://present.bccampus.ca/p43204744/

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Assessing student learning with technology from Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.

Tomlinson, C. (1999) The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.