I chose to play Community in Crisis. Community in Crisis is the second game in the Read to Lead series, which addresses engagement, literacy and career-awareness simultaneously. According to the description, it is designed to 5th grade Common Core State Standards in Reading Informational Text, and is ideal for school-day, after school-, and summer programs. Community in Crisis gives educators access to 40+ flexible hours of game-based learning and project-based activities. Students play the role of executive director of a community organization.
The simulation takes place in Port Douglas. Hurricane Dante has recently damaged the town. The staff of the community center are responsible for assisting community members in their recovery efforts.
I was given two choices and played the Not It episode. There are two main issues in this episode that the community center director (player of the game) has to address. One is that no one wants to clean up the snack room. The other is that no one wants to work with a client named Herb. Everyone claims "not it" in both cases.
There is not a lot of direction when you start the game. There really isn't any. I figured it out after a few missed clicks but 5th graders made need some direction in the beginning. Once you get used to playing the game, it is very easy and students should be able to complete the activities independently.
Community in Crisis works on a lot of different skills. Some that I noted were diplomacy, writing, note taking, and problem solving. Students must complete each task before they are allowed to move to the next item on the to-do list.
My only complaint about CiC is that you are rarely given choices of what to do or say. It would be very easy to click repeatedly to get through most of the simulation. I think it would be better if students were sometimes allowed to pick the less diplomatic or appropriate response to a situation in order to see what the consequences were.
I did like that the game gave you the option to print at the end so students could turn something in to the teacher to show that they completed the assigned activities.
I may play a few more episodes to see if this is something I feel my 6th and 7th graders would enjoy and benefit from.
There’s a new client at Common Ground and nobody
Showing posts with label gradschool. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gradschool. Show all posts
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Monday, November 14, 2016
Adolescent Interview
I interviewed "Freddy." Freddy is a 13 year old male who is a self-proclaimed phone and phone company expert. He knows the price of pretty much every phone plan from every company. He tries to convince me to switch to T-Mobile every time I talk him.
Freddy believes that he spends 18 hours a day on his phone but said that he turns the sound off at 10:00pm to go to sleep. He also said that he spends about 10 hours a day making actual phone calls on his phone. He gets home around 3 and goes to bed at 10 so his numbers are a little off. He did insist that he talks on the phone from dinner until bedtime. He informed me that he never ever actually turns his phone off partially because he needs the alarm on it.
Freddy said that he is on 15 social media sites. He was able to list 11 that he uses, including some that I've never even heard of. He believes that social media is good to connect with friends and family that aren't local but it can also be dangerous. He mentioned kidnapping, pedophiles, pornography, and drug sales as potential dangers.
Freddy got his first smartphone at 11. He thinks that kids should have smartphones by the time they turn 12 but they need to be educated to the dangers associated with phones and social media. He stated that kids need to stop showing off online. I asked him what that meant. He said that kids think it's cool to post nasty stuff and swear. I questioned him a bit at this point because I've seen his facebook posts. He admitted that maybe he needs to take his own advice.
Freddy seems to respect the rules that his mother has set forth. He doesn't use his phone at meals and he doesn't send anything questionable by text or social media because his mother would not be happy. His mother doesn't, however, take his phone away as a punishment. He said she did that once and he just switched to his ipod, tablet and laptop so it was pointless.
Freddy wasn't very excited about teachers using social media to communicate with students. He feels that his phone is separate from school and doesn't want his teacher interfering with that part of his life. Freddy thinks that if a teacher is going to use social media to communicate with students that interactions should be monitored by a principal to make sure the teachers are not being inappropriate or communicating too often. When pressed on this issue, he said that lots of people, teachers included, have trouble being appropriate on social media and he would be very concerned about some teachers communicating too often with students or communicating inappropriately.
I asked Freddy about using technology in the classroom. He said his class has ipads, a smartboard, and one computer. He is not a fan of the program that the ipads use and is not happy that he can't use it for other purposes. He also believes that the classroom should have more computers, a smart tv instead of a smartboard, and ipads that have data packages and not so many programs blocked. I asked what he would like to be able to do with the ipads. He mentioned school wide games of Kahoot and taking pictures on field trips.
Freddy has a hard time imagining life before smart phones and social media. He can't even imagine spending one day without his smart phone.
Freddy believes that he spends 18 hours a day on his phone but said that he turns the sound off at 10:00pm to go to sleep. He also said that he spends about 10 hours a day making actual phone calls on his phone. He gets home around 3 and goes to bed at 10 so his numbers are a little off. He did insist that he talks on the phone from dinner until bedtime. He informed me that he never ever actually turns his phone off partially because he needs the alarm on it.
Freddy said that he is on 15 social media sites. He was able to list 11 that he uses, including some that I've never even heard of. He believes that social media is good to connect with friends and family that aren't local but it can also be dangerous. He mentioned kidnapping, pedophiles, pornography, and drug sales as potential dangers.
Freddy got his first smartphone at 11. He thinks that kids should have smartphones by the time they turn 12 but they need to be educated to the dangers associated with phones and social media. He stated that kids need to stop showing off online. I asked him what that meant. He said that kids think it's cool to post nasty stuff and swear. I questioned him a bit at this point because I've seen his facebook posts. He admitted that maybe he needs to take his own advice.
Freddy seems to respect the rules that his mother has set forth. He doesn't use his phone at meals and he doesn't send anything questionable by text or social media because his mother would not be happy. His mother doesn't, however, take his phone away as a punishment. He said she did that once and he just switched to his ipod, tablet and laptop so it was pointless.
Freddy wasn't very excited about teachers using social media to communicate with students. He feels that his phone is separate from school and doesn't want his teacher interfering with that part of his life. Freddy thinks that if a teacher is going to use social media to communicate with students that interactions should be monitored by a principal to make sure the teachers are not being inappropriate or communicating too often. When pressed on this issue, he said that lots of people, teachers included, have trouble being appropriate on social media and he would be very concerned about some teachers communicating too often with students or communicating inappropriately.
I asked Freddy about using technology in the classroom. He said his class has ipads, a smartboard, and one computer. He is not a fan of the program that the ipads use and is not happy that he can't use it for other purposes. He also believes that the classroom should have more computers, a smart tv instead of a smartboard, and ipads that have data packages and not so many programs blocked. I asked what he would like to be able to do with the ipads. He mentioned school wide games of Kahoot and taking pictures on field trips.
Freddy has a hard time imagining life before smart phones and social media. He can't even imagine spending one day without his smart phone.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Video Games in Education - Annotated Bibliography
I teach middle school boys. They often come to school exhausted. They've either stayed up all night playing a game or gotten up early to do it. Students who don't talk to each other in class will play video games and chat at night. They count down the days until a new game comes out. The newest game system is at the top of all of their Christmas lists. If they don't get it at Christmas, they hope that they will get it with mom's tax return. They live and breathe for these games. Nothing at school means nearly as much to them as those games.
I wanted to look further into the idea of using video games in the classroom to see if there was some way I could harness that interest and obsession to help them learn in the school setting. Right now, we use video games as a reward for good behavior and completed work. Is there a way to use it for more than that? Can they be used in an actual productive manner?
Annetta, L. A. Video games in education: Why they should be used and how they are being
used. (2008). Theory Into Practice, 47, 229-239. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/40071547
This article explores why video games should be used in the classroom setting for all ages. It
gives a solid rationale for it as well as telling about educators who have successful integrated
video games across all grade levels. This article provides a logical assessment of the necessity
of video games in education.
Annetta, L. Murray, M. R., Laird, S. G., Bohr, S. C., & Park, J. C. Serious games; Incorporating
video games in the classroom. (2006). Educause Review, Retrieved from
http://er.educause.edu/articles/2006/1/serious-games-incorporating-video-games-in-the-
classroom
This article reports on a class taken by graduate students that incorporated avatars and role-
playing. They took this class in an attempt to understand how to engage the Net Generation in
the classroom setting. This article is helpful because it gives a real life example of using second
life games for educational purposes in an academic setting.
Gee, J. P. What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. (2003). ACM Computers
in Entertainment, 1, 20. Retrieved from http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=950595
This article focuses on how video games are created and the educational value that video
games inherently possess. The article argues that good video games must be able to be
learned while also being long and challenging. This article helps prove that today's students can
focus on tasks that are difficult for a long period of time if they are motivated to do so.
Kirriemuir, J. Use of computer and video games in the classroom. Retrieved from
http://www.digra.org/wp-content/uploads/digital-library/05150.28025.pdf
This paper reports on how and why teachers are using computer and video games for learning
in their classrooms. It also examines the reasons why teachers may not use computer and video
games and the roadblocks they have encountered when trying to do so. This paper is a good
source for both successes and obstacles in implementing video games in the classroom setting.
Lee, J., Luchini, K., Michael, B., Norris, C., & Soloway, E. (2004). More than just fun and games:
Assessing the value of educational video games in the classroom. CHI 2004, 1375-1378.
Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221514634_More_than_just_fun_
and_games_Assessing_the_value_of_educational_video_games_in_the_classroom
Squire, K. Changing the game: What happens when video games enter the classroom. (2005).
Innovate Journal of Online Education, 1. Retrieved from
http://website.education.wisc.edu/kdsquire/tenure-files/manuscripts/26-innovate.pdf
This paper details the use of Civilization III in a high school classroom. It studies both students
who were successful using it as a learning experience and those that were not. The author
investigates why some classroom structures do not lend themselves to video game usage It's a
helpful article because it shows the positives and negatives of using video games in the
classroom based on a real experience.
Squire, K. Video games in education. Retrieved from
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.100.8500&rep=rep1&type=pdf
This paper explores the history of video games in education. It stresses the potential cognitive
benefits of game playing in the classroom setting. It's a helpful paper because it explores the
history, present, and future of video games in educational settings.
I wanted to look further into the idea of using video games in the classroom to see if there was some way I could harness that interest and obsession to help them learn in the school setting. Right now, we use video games as a reward for good behavior and completed work. Is there a way to use it for more than that? Can they be used in an actual productive manner?
Annotated Bibliography
used. (2008). Theory Into Practice, 47, 229-239. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/40071547
This article explores why video games should be used in the classroom setting for all ages. It
gives a solid rationale for it as well as telling about educators who have successful integrated
video games across all grade levels. This article provides a logical assessment of the necessity
of video games in education.
Annetta, L. Murray, M. R., Laird, S. G., Bohr, S. C., & Park, J. C. Serious games; Incorporating
video games in the classroom. (2006). Educause Review, Retrieved from
http://er.educause.edu/articles/2006/1/serious-games-incorporating-video-games-in-the-
classroom
This article reports on a class taken by graduate students that incorporated avatars and role-
playing. They took this class in an attempt to understand how to engage the Net Generation in
the classroom setting. This article is helpful because it gives a real life example of using second
life games for educational purposes in an academic setting.
Gee, J. P. What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. (2003). ACM Computers
in Entertainment, 1, 20. Retrieved from http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=950595
This article focuses on how video games are created and the educational value that video
games inherently possess. The article argues that good video games must be able to be
learned while also being long and challenging. This article helps prove that today's students can
focus on tasks that are difficult for a long period of time if they are motivated to do so.
Kirriemuir, J. Use of computer and video games in the classroom. Retrieved from
http://www.digra.org/wp-content/uploads/digital-library/05150.28025.pdf
This paper reports on how and why teachers are using computer and video games for learning
in their classrooms. It also examines the reasons why teachers may not use computer and video
games and the roadblocks they have encountered when trying to do so. This paper is a good
source for both successes and obstacles in implementing video games in the classroom setting.
Lee, J., Luchini, K., Michael, B., Norris, C., & Soloway, E. (2004). More than just fun and games:
Assessing the value of educational video games in the classroom. CHI 2004, 1375-1378.
Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221514634_More_than_just_fun_
and_games_Assessing_the_value_of_educational_video_games_in_the_classroom
Squire, K. Changing the game: What happens when video games enter the classroom. (2005).
Innovate Journal of Online Education, 1. Retrieved from
http://website.education.wisc.edu/kdsquire/tenure-files/manuscripts/26-innovate.pdf
This paper details the use of Civilization III in a high school classroom. It studies both students
who were successful using it as a learning experience and those that were not. The author
investigates why some classroom structures do not lend themselves to video game usage It's a
helpful article because it shows the positives and negatives of using video games in the
classroom based on a real experience.
Squire, K. Video games in education. Retrieved from
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.100.8500&rep=rep1&type=pdf
This paper explores the history of video games in education. It stresses the potential cognitive
benefits of game playing in the classroom setting. It's a helpful paper because it explores the
history, present, and future of video games in educational settings.
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Journal Entry 3
I was most intrigued by the concept of blogging in the classroom. Blogging is something I've done for a while. I used to blog about my travels and adventures. Then I blogged a lot about my adoption process. I still occasionally use my blog to express opinions and give updates on our life. Blogging is really easy and blogger is pretty self explanatory. I hadn't, however, considered blogging with my students.
Since starting the class I've been intrigued with the idea of using media and technology to increase my students' interest in literacy activities. My students can definitely be described as reluctant readers and writers. Writing is especially a struggle for them. And why wouldn't it be? They write a piece, hand it in to me, I read it, grade it and put it in a folder. Why would they pour their hearts and souls or even minimal effort into that? What's the purpose? Where's the motivation?
As I read about A'idah (Vasudevan, DeJaynes, Schmier, 2010, pp. 29-30) I had visions of my kids blogging about things they are actually interested in. If the goal is to learn to write a topic sentence and supporting details, why can't they write about a movie they saw or their favorite rapper instead of a "boring" topic from a book? Maybe if their writing was out there for their parents, teachers, administrators, and the public to see, they would be more motivated and more interested in producing quality work.
Students can learn a lot of techniques from blogging. Many of my students are proficient texters. They rely heavily on their phones to correct spelling and capitalization. While they can text, they struggle to type on a keyboard. With today's technology, almost all jobs require at least basic keyboard and computer skills. If they gain enough skills, they can also learn HTML, photo embedding and editing, video embedding, music uploading, linking and all kinds of other skills (Vasudevan, et al., 2010, pp. 29-30). If they don't advance that far, they can still learn to express opinions and write well.
I was so impressed with the idea that I've started a classroom blog. We have a long way to go until the students gain the skills they need to blog really well but they are excited to take their turns writing on the blog and to have their pieces heard and appreciated.
References:
Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (2013). A new literacies reader. New York: Peter Lang.
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Journal Entry 2
What counts as literacy? How does literacy change in response to the new media landscape? What value should we ascribe to the new forms of communication that continue to emerge and evolve online?
For years I taught students with severe and profound disabilities. That experience taught me to see literacy as processing print in any form. The vast majority of the students that I taught during that 14 year period could not read passed a first grade level. For them, literacy meant reading a "Danger" sign or reading a package label to find their favorite kind of chips. Now that I work with middle school students in an alternative school setting, I still tend to use that definition to define literacy. Most of my students are considered to be "reluctant readers." Only one of them ever chooses to read for fun. So, I've learned to choose literacy activities that focus on what they enjoy and what they like to do. We've read some of James Pattersons' Middle School series because the chapters are short, many pages contain drawings, and the print is large. We read Tim Green's Unstoppable because many of them are they are interested in sports. We read the Outsiders and watched chunks of the movie as we went to increase their comprehension and keep their interest in the book. They have used the internet to research their favorite celebrity and write a biography. You have to reach kids where they are. If I start presenting Shakespeare or asking them to write biographies of a historical figure that they don't care about, I will lose them and they won't be participating in literacy activities at all.
Literacy absolutely is changing in light of the new media landscape. My senior year in high school, we had to write a thesis. We spent months researching. Hours upon hours were spent in the library looking through microfilm and hard-bound journals trying to find the information we needed. Now, students can research a paper with some help from google. Instead of teaching kids how to use the microfiche, we need to spend time teaching them how to find a reliable source on the internet. It would be crazy to make them go back to using the methods that we used to research a paper. Instead, we need to figure out and teach the skills that they need to know to properly use today's changing media.
I think we have to value new forms of communication or we will lose our students. When I started teaching, we copied notes and flyers and put them in students' and colleagues' mailboxes to communicate. Now, we get countless emails a day to inform us of information. Parents can use the parent portal and check in on their students progress. Teachers use apps like Dojo to send daily progress notes and reminders to parents. Why would we not allow our students to also use emerging technology and media?
For years I taught students with severe and profound disabilities. That experience taught me to see literacy as processing print in any form. The vast majority of the students that I taught during that 14 year period could not read passed a first grade level. For them, literacy meant reading a "Danger" sign or reading a package label to find their favorite kind of chips. Now that I work with middle school students in an alternative school setting, I still tend to use that definition to define literacy. Most of my students are considered to be "reluctant readers." Only one of them ever chooses to read for fun. So, I've learned to choose literacy activities that focus on what they enjoy and what they like to do. We've read some of James Pattersons' Middle School series because the chapters are short, many pages contain drawings, and the print is large. We read Tim Green's Unstoppable because many of them are they are interested in sports. We read the Outsiders and watched chunks of the movie as we went to increase their comprehension and keep their interest in the book. They have used the internet to research their favorite celebrity and write a biography. You have to reach kids where they are. If I start presenting Shakespeare or asking them to write biographies of a historical figure that they don't care about, I will lose them and they won't be participating in literacy activities at all.
Literacy absolutely is changing in light of the new media landscape. My senior year in high school, we had to write a thesis. We spent months researching. Hours upon hours were spent in the library looking through microfilm and hard-bound journals trying to find the information we needed. Now, students can research a paper with some help from google. Instead of teaching kids how to use the microfiche, we need to spend time teaching them how to find a reliable source on the internet. It would be crazy to make them go back to using the methods that we used to research a paper. Instead, we need to figure out and teach the skills that they need to know to properly use today's changing media.
I think we have to value new forms of communication or we will lose our students. When I started teaching, we copied notes and flyers and put them in students' and colleagues' mailboxes to communicate. Now, we get countless emails a day to inform us of information. Parents can use the parent portal and check in on their students progress. Teachers use apps like Dojo to send daily progress notes and reminders to parents. Why would we not allow our students to also use emerging technology and media?
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Journal Entry 1
"The distinctive contribution of the approach to literacy as social practice lies in the ways in which it involves careful and sensitive attention to what people do with texts, how they make sense of them and use them to further their own purposes in their own learning lives" (Gillen and Barton, 2010, p. 9)
The most important part of any literacy program is how the students internalize and use what they are learning. Technology, social media, and the internet are a huge part of my students' lives. At times, it can be a huge distraction. I'm excited to learn ways to make it more productive for them, especially as it relates to literacy.
As Wilber (2010) points out, new literacies are more interactive than traditional literacies. If you write a paper and turn it in, you read it and the teacher reads it. That's usually it. If you write something on a blog, your classmates can read it. Your family can read it. Strangers can read it. Anyone can have an opinion on what you write. This could be both beneficial and detrimental. I think my students might put more thought and effort into their writing if they knew that it would be read by a wider audience. They might also learn the value and importance of the written word. On the other hand, I think it would be hard for some of them to have their writing and ideas criticized, especially by someone they don't know.
I have not used blogging in my teaching practices. I think about it often but worry about what my students would post and how I would "police" that. I have used it extensively in my personal life and have found it very helpful in connecting with others who are walking through a similar life journey. Both Wilber (2010) and Huffaker (2005) pointed out that blogging can connect our students to peer-groups in the virtual world. This could be especially helpful for some of my students who are not really connected with the other students in our very small classroom.
I think one of the biggest things that we have to be careful of is intentionality. Introducing new technologies is not the same as using new literacies. Teachers must be very careful to use the new technologies in collaboration with data-driven pedagogies to promote literacy among students and not just increase technology time. As Gillen and Barton point out, schooling and training in technology are often steps behind the emerging technology because creating programs and curricula takes time. I think this is yet another reason to choose technologies and programs carefully. If schools are going to invest in technology, it needs to be something that will be useful and relevant for a significant amount of time.
I am looking forward to learning new ways to incorporate new media and new literacies into my classroom to help my students better connect with and understand texts.
This post was written in response to the following articles:
The most important part of any literacy program is how the students internalize and use what they are learning. Technology, social media, and the internet are a huge part of my students' lives. At times, it can be a huge distraction. I'm excited to learn ways to make it more productive for them, especially as it relates to literacy.
As Wilber (2010) points out, new literacies are more interactive than traditional literacies. If you write a paper and turn it in, you read it and the teacher reads it. That's usually it. If you write something on a blog, your classmates can read it. Your family can read it. Strangers can read it. Anyone can have an opinion on what you write. This could be both beneficial and detrimental. I think my students might put more thought and effort into their writing if they knew that it would be read by a wider audience. They might also learn the value and importance of the written word. On the other hand, I think it would be hard for some of them to have their writing and ideas criticized, especially by someone they don't know.
I have not used blogging in my teaching practices. I think about it often but worry about what my students would post and how I would "police" that. I have used it extensively in my personal life and have found it very helpful in connecting with others who are walking through a similar life journey. Both Wilber (2010) and Huffaker (2005) pointed out that blogging can connect our students to peer-groups in the virtual world. This could be especially helpful for some of my students who are not really connected with the other students in our very small classroom.
I think one of the biggest things that we have to be careful of is intentionality. Introducing new technologies is not the same as using new literacies. Teachers must be very careful to use the new technologies in collaboration with data-driven pedagogies to promote literacy among students and not just increase technology time. As Gillen and Barton point out, schooling and training in technology are often steps behind the emerging technology because creating programs and curricula takes time. I think this is yet another reason to choose technologies and programs carefully. If schools are going to invest in technology, it needs to be something that will be useful and relevant for a significant amount of time.
I am looking forward to learning new ways to incorporate new media and new literacies into my classroom to help my students better connect with and understand texts.
This post was written in response to the following articles:
Gillen, J & Barton, D. Digital literacies: A research briefing by the technology enhanced learning phase of the teaching and learning research programme. 1-30.
Huffaker, D. (2005). The education blogger: Using weblogs to promote literacy in the classroom. AACE Journal, 13(2), 91-98.
Wilber, D.J. (2010). Special themed issue: Beyond 'new' literacies. Digital Culture & Education, 2:1, 1-6.
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Grad School.....Again.....
My advice to young teachers out there---go get your masters degree now!! While you don't have a house or kids or a spouse. Do it now. Please.
I started several times but had two major problems. 1. I never really found a program that interested me and that taught me more about the kids that I worked with at Elim. 2. Life kept getting in my way. I got halfway through a program and then decided to move to Mexico. I started another program and then Sara came along. I thought about going back but then we were moving.
Well, New York requires a masters so I'm starting mine online. This could be very interesting. One of the classes requires some blog posts. I decided just to add a page to this blog so you may see some very interesting (or extremely boring) posts for the next few months. Hang in there with me, I'll be back to advocating (or adopting??) in no time....
I started several times but had two major problems. 1. I never really found a program that interested me and that taught me more about the kids that I worked with at Elim. 2. Life kept getting in my way. I got halfway through a program and then decided to move to Mexico. I started another program and then Sara came along. I thought about going back but then we were moving.
Well, New York requires a masters so I'm starting mine online. This could be very interesting. One of the classes requires some blog posts. I decided just to add a page to this blog so you may see some very interesting (or extremely boring) posts for the next few months. Hang in there with me, I'll be back to advocating (or adopting??) in no time....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)