Developing S.M.A.R.T. Goals

 The desire I have when I enter the educational field is to teach early education (Kindergarten through Third or Fourth Grade). In my current position working with adults who have either physical or developmental disabilities oftentimes although the guys are adults (over the age of 18) developmentally their comprehension can be compared to individuals with the level of understanding ranging from a toddler to a teenager. This would not be a one fits all solution, but it is a solution that can be altered to address multiple levels and subjects of learning. 

Developing a game that functions in the same way as a hidden object game or a point and click game. It does not have to be as complicated graphically as many AAA games played on consoles or other gaming machines. These games can contain simple images and characters to guide them through the game and award them with scores. Some of my residents reading levels are very low so a read to me option can be applied so that they can have the game read to them the questions and even describe the items they are looking at. The game format can teach simple subjects such as letters, colors, shapes, animals, numbers, and even begin to teach reading. This format could even be modified to serve individuals such as my residents that could help them learn to read but also provide them with something that directly engages with their Individual Plans where they are learning simplified lessons on anger management, how to communicate better to avoid behavioral issues, how to avoid dangerous or problematic decisions. Higher functioning clients (those with higher intelligence quotients or are more developmentally advanced may require games that demand more engagement and offer more complicated graphics and animations). This type of game design could also be something that is applicable for special educational purposes to engage with students with learning disabilities as well. The game could also be designed with the capability to function on either a desktop or a tablet app. The simplistic design would make it so that the same format can teach many different subjects and possibly even be modified to meet educators specific needs. 

Dr. Neil J. Lambert writing for the Harvard Business Impact talks about the 5 Fundamental Principles for Developing Educational Games that are applied to tabletop educational games. Those principles are that: educators must plot the game’s learning outcome, a gameplay concept must be chosen, the game’s objective must be pinpointed, the action system must be mapped out, and a game’s expectations need to be set (Harvard Business Publishing Education, 2024). This concept is applied to a tabletop game such as Monopoly or Catan, but this design can also be digitized and used for younger children and individuals such as the ones I currently serve. According to classwork.com there are multiple tools available educators can use to create these games. Educandy (http://educandy.com/) is a service that can create simple vocabulary and multiple choice trivia games. Flippity (http://flippity.net/) is a free service working through Google Sheets templates that provides nearly two dozen options for games geared towards vocabulary, problem-solving, and trivia games. Class Tools (http://classtools.net/) offers free educational games and templates for creating educational games that are map-based, word sorting, matching and other common game formats. Tiny Tap (http://tinytap.it/) is free and works with iPad and Android and educators can create games for their students that will work with the devices they already have or the school assigns to students ‌(Byrne, 2021). Game Ace is another tool educators can use in designing their own educational games for their students (How to Design Learning Games - Game-Ace, 2025). So the App/Program design is a tool to assist in the teaching of reading for children/adults with reading deficiencies. The program is 3 pronged. The first prong is to teach the alphabet and pronunciation. The second prong is to teach learners how to put letters together to form words visually and phonetically. The third prong is to teach putting words together in sentences. The content uses The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen intended for implementation at the kindergarten level. 

The Initial Goal is to expose learners to the basic blocks of reading with the hopeful result of learners being able to read and understand basic sentences. We want to begin teaching learners how to recognize letters, their phonetic sounds, be able to put them together and sound out basic words when they have difficulty recognizing them, with the end goal of learners being able to read The Three Billy Goats Gruff using the app/program. This should be introduced at the beginning of the semester and should be completed before the end of the first quarter at the earliest and end of the semester at the latest providing assistance to help learners achieve proficiency. Proficiency will be measured by whether learner will be able to read the book. For children learners and adolescent/adult learners I have the patience and skills required to achieve the goal with parental assistance outside of school hours. The necessity of the ability to read is one of the fundamental goals of educating learners and it is best to set the goal as soon as learners begin their educational journey, or as soon as deficiencies are observable. The deadline being between nine and sixteen weeks for young learners (aged 4-6 depending when they are enrolled into kindergarten), for older learners the timeframe should be similar with additional care and support to assist them with achieving the objective. With this goal and technology implementation upon completion the app/program may then be reformatted for the next book building upon what the learners have absorbed.

By combining reading skills and introduction to technology using hardware, software, and applications that learners and their parents will be familiar with making the program something learners and their parents are familiar with while giving the educator the ability to evolve the program as they move through the school year with each block of curriculum (TPK, PCK for learners and their parents, TCK for educator and parents who support learners). This implementation provides learners with the support needed for retention while also presenting the information through a method that keeps the presentation consistent whether they are at school with the educator or at home with their support ‌(Kurt, 2018). This format helps the school support their educators with tools to create supplemental educational materials and technology to better present the information to their students. It helps the school maintain a singular vision between its educators regardless of subject and provides the opportunity for collaboration across subjects. It provides flexibility with implementation where what might work for one educator may not work as well for others, and the collaborative environment creates an environment for experimentation and innovation. With device access provided by the school we can have widespread implementation for students. The investments by Sallisaw Public Schools in tablets for elementary age students provides teachers with the supports needed to create and implement these programs. Under the educators design the app/program is high quality and bespoke to the curriculum they are teaching making it ready for evaluation at quarterly, semester, and annual intervals ‌(Non-Essential Conditions for Effective Tech Use in Schools, 2024). This framework meets many ISTE standards. Educators are setting their goals and practices by customizing the technology for teaching reading (2.1.a). Educators are given the tools needed to advance their shared vision and collaborate between peers (2.2.a, 2.4.a) advocating for access to(2.2.b) and modeling technologies that can then be shared throughout the institution (2.2.c.). It develops learners into digital citizens by creating positive experiences that parents and other support figures will be able to understand (2.3.a, 2.4.d) while providing educators tools for evaluation (2.3.b) with safe and legal tools (2.3.c). Overall it creates a connected and cohesive experience that benefits all stakeholders involved ‌(International Society for Technology in Education, 2024).

Cited Sources:

Harvard Business Publishing Education. (2024). Harvard.edu. https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/5-fundamental-principles-for-developing-educational-games

Byrne, R. (2021, August 15). Five Good Tools for Making Your Own Educational Games and Practice Activities - Classwork. Classwork; Classwork.com (Work On Learning). https://classwork.com/five-good-tools-for-making-your-own/

‌How to Design Learning Games - Game-Ace. (2025, May 27). Game-Ace. https://game-ace.com/blog/how-to-design-learning-games/

Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Jørgen Engebretsen Moe, Alperin, M., & Pankhurst, K. (2014). The three billy goats gruff. Tiger Tales.

Kurt, S. (2018, May 12). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) Framework - Educational Technology. Educational Technology. https://educationaltechnology.net/technological-pedagogical-content-knowledge-tpack-framework/

Non-essential Conditions for Effective Tech Use in Schools. (2024). ISTE. https://iste.org/non-essential-conditions-for-effective-tech-use-in-schools

International Society for Technology in Education. (2024). ISTE standards: For educators. ISTE. https://iste.org/standards/educators