Gaming4Ed
Using game play & development to educate
Lesson Idea for Classroom Blogging
014 years
Walden University – Course 6710: Week 2 Application, Part I
Rationale for Blogging:
Blogging is a great instructional tool because it allows students to interact with technology to build their technology fluency, form real-world connections to lessons through a more age-appropriate instructional method, and provide an alternate outlet to collaborate with teachers and peers.
Idea:
As a middle school technology applications teacher, I could use blogging for collaborative projects. One such project would be when students create their own computer game in a group setting.
Purpose:
I could use blogging in two distinct ways for this project. First would be a Group Project Blog. Students in a group (made up of two to three individuals) would set up their own blog to develop their game plan details; document their research and resources; evaluate, track and assess their accomplishments and challenges through journaling; and post their game. This would be the complete “electronic” product they would turn in for a grade. The second part would be to have a Course Blog for collaborative troubleshooting. Students would identify and elaborate on problems and ask questions; review posts and respond to peers’ questions with a clear explanation on how to solve problems. This part is more student-centered, allowing the students to be the instructor, while teaching them valuable “soft” skills (respectfully working with others) they will utilize in the future.
Benefits:
The Group Project Blog would enhance the lesson by having students create an electronic portfolio, or possibly structure it to be more like an electronic “business” proposal. The Course Blog would enhance the lesson by giving students an innovative way to collaborate that is more in line with the technology they are familiar with and possibly use in their personal lives.
Impact of Technology: Doing Things Differently
114 years
by Shanna
in Thoughts on Games
Technology allows us to do the same things we have been doing, only differently. Buying, selling, communicating, etc. is now more streamlined and efficient because of technology. Take for instance, communication. We started with runners over land and ships by sea to carry messages and mail. The Pony Express was later established to get correspondence through hostile territory more quickly. In the 1700s, steam engines were invented (Botorff, n.d.) and in the 1840s, the electric telegraph was invented allowing messages to be sent via Morris code (Rainwater, n.d.). In 1876, the first telephone transmission was made (Wikipedia, n.d.) and in the 1890s, the first gasoline powered car was built (Bottorff, n.d.). In 1924, airplanes were used for the first time in the United States by the U.S. Postal Office (AcePilots.com, 2009). Finally, we come to the Internet where electronic mail (e-mail) was started in 1972 (Gaudin, 2002), followed by instant messaging and web conferencing capabilities. The evolution of communication, in around a century and a half, is quite impressive!
In education, technology has evolved, allowing us to still give quizzes and tests, as well as, take and average grades, but we can now do all of this on the computer where it will automatically score and average grades for us. Students can use the internet to research resources online through various search engines like Google and the Encyclopedia Britannica, instead of being limited to using old card catalog systems and what is available in their school library.
As a learning tool, educators have been using technology to engage and motivate students. One such resource is online or company provided games. Game play is a prime example of “doing things differently” to educate students. Instead of reading a book, filling out a worksheet, or taking notes on a lecture, students can work interactively to learn grade-level content. Now, I am not saying games should replace all teaching strategies, but I am stating that games offer a fun and lively way to introduce or reinforce content to students. Games provide basic to complex visual stimulation, promotes fundamental to advanced motor skills, and encourages critical thinking and problem solving abilities. Depending on the type of games made available to students, they can build upon their independent learning and/or social and group collaboration skills.
Resources:
AcePilots.com. (2009). Record-setting pioneers in the golden age of aviation, 1919-39. WW2 and aviation – facts, history, and pictures. Retrieved March 6, 2010, from http://www.acepilots.com/pioneers.html
Airline – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved March 6, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airline#The_first_airlines
Bottorff, W. W. (n.d.). The First Car – A History of the Automobile. Austin Business Computers, Inc. Home Page. Retrieved March 8, 2010, from http://www.ausbcomp.com/~bbott/cars/carhist.htm
Gaudin, S. (2002, July 17). A conversation with the inventor of e-mail – InternetNews.com. InternetNews realtime news for IT managers. Retrieved March 6, 2010, from http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/1408501
Rainwater, D. (n.d.). Evolution of communication. SG & Singapore map – Singapura, Singapur, Singapore information. Retrieved March 6, 2010, from http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/119438/conference_call_pricing/evolution_of_communication.html
Yes, I Said “Games!”
114 years
by Shanna
in Thoughts on Games
Why is it that the words “video game” is still met by opposition by the education industry? I understand that violent games exist, but many schools already use software or online subscriptions to educational sites that use games as a learning tool. Games have fun and interesting graphics for visual learners, promote interaction through challenging scenarios for kinesthetic learners, and some even utilize speech and sound effects for auditory learners.
According to a national survey done by Pew Internet & American Life Project in 2008, 97% of kids ages 12 through 17 play video games (Irvine, 2008). With this high interest and the push to meet the needs of 21st century learners, game play and game development should be embraced as a tool that will engage and motivate students to learn and explore while they build the skills necessary to think critically and problem solve.
Resources:
Irvine, M. (2008, September 16). Survey: 97 Percent Of Children Play Video Games. Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 6, 2010, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/16/survey-97-percent-of-chil_n_126948.html
