Carrying Out the GAME Plan

This week I will take a closer look at the resources and information I need to carry out my GAME plan effectively.

GAME Plan 1: master the design, adaptation, and implementation of Web quests
Indicator 2c: customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources (International Society for Technology in Education, 2011);

• Resources Needed: I need to spend some time searching for sites that will help me create Web quests—preferably something simple so I can get started quickly.
• Information Needed: What lessons would be best suited to a Web quest? I would like to incorporate a Web quest into my Anne Frank unit; will I have time to do so since we’re starting the unit next week? Teacher Chan Gray (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009) mentions using technology at the end of units; perhaps I could I use a Web quest as a culminating activity to help students review before assessment.
• Steps So Far: I have not taken many steps so far. I have reached out to my new learning community, however, which has brought me some fresh resources, so I have a starting point.

GAME Plan 2: develop a better understanding of the acceptable use of digital information in a school setting in order to clearly relay it to students
Indicator 4a: advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources (International Society for Technology in Education, 2011)

• Resources Needed: I want to find more sources that students can use without fear of copyright infringement. I plan to talk to the media specialist at my school about activities to help my students understand how (or if) they may incorporate information and images located online in their own work. I want to find resources that help convey clearly the concept of fair use. 
• Information Needed: I hope to get a better understanding of Creative Commons; I frequently see it cited as a great source for copyright-free images, but when I first reviewed it, determining acceptable use was not as simple as I had expected it to be. I want to implement discussion of digital citizenship before my students begin creating their public service announcements. 
• Steps So Far: I emailed a contact in the technology with questions about fair use for schools. He deflected my comment to the supervisor of media specialists, but I have not gotten a response from her. I found a series of articles on copyright and fair use (Starr, 2010) that looks promising; I hope it helps clarify my understanding. I have emailed FreePlayMusic.com to clarify the terms of student use; part of it indicates that it is free to students; another section indicates that a license must be purchased.

My learning strategy will consist of searching the Web (for Web quest sites; for sources of images and music that are appropriate for school use; and for clarification of fair use) and communicating with experts. I hope that for these two GAME plans this will be sufficient, but I understand I may need to adapt my strategy if my self-evaluation reveals less than satisfactory results. Ongoing self-evaluation will be another strategy that I will employ in order to monitor my progress.

I look forward to hearing from my colleagues; I know that you will be a most valuable resource as I develop this plan!

References
International Society for Technology in Education. (2011). Nets for teachers 2008. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Meeting students’ needs with technology, part 1. [DVD]. Integrating technology across the content area. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Starr, L. (2010, May 25). Education World. Copyrights and copying wrongs. Retrieved March 14, 2011 from http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr280a.shtml