SPRING II WEEK SIX DISCUSSION (DIS 01 & 02)

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tom DeMatteis on April 20, 2014 at 5:09pm

Ashlynn,

I am taking your advice to read this article.  Edmondo is a tool that the tech department at my school has been pushing us to use more.  Anything that can be used to get the students to write more is a good thing.  Some of the other uses sound good too like scavenger hunts, etc.

Permalink Reply by Krista Attix on April 17, 2014 at 6:52pm

The article that I chose from TeachThought blog is titled "The Difference Between Gamification and Game-Based Learning." I found the post to be incredibly enlightening. Although I have heard both terms before, I did not have a deep understanding of the difference between the two. This article gave an detailed description of both, and how they compare to one another. As an overview, gamification is taking behaviors and actions associated with game-like activities and applying them to other areas. The article mentioned many reward systems as gamification, such as point cards, student of the month, and certificates. Essentially, it encourages the child to act a certain way. The post mentioned that gamification is present in everyday life, of students and adults. We are constantly competing with one another, always trying to be better than someone else. This is a form of gamification. On the other hand, game-based learning is simply using games to learn. This could be technology based, or pen-and-paper type games.

After reading this article, I realized that I use both gamification and game-based learning in my classroom. I use Class Dojo to record the students good and bad behaviors. At the end of the week I choose the students with the highest scores to earn prizes. This is a form of gamification, as I am encouraging the students to follow the classroom rules. I use game-based learning through my math centers. Each week, the students play topic related games on the computer. I have used various websites for this, including Study Island, Math Playground, and Brain Pop.

Now that I have expanded my knowledge of gamificaiton and game-based learning, I plan to incorporate them in different ways. My students love competition, and the use of gamification would fit in perfectly in my classroom. They are always competing against one another, even subtly, to get the best grades, finish assignments first, win at games/sports, etc. I could use this to my advantage by setting up healthy competition in my classroom. I would have to structure this so that no students would feel left out or discouraged. As far as game-based learning in concerned, I could use it more with science and social studies. Math games are the norm in our classroom, but science and social studies lessons are typically completed using pen and paper. I would like to find a few games that go along with our next science unit, earth history. I could use rotations, like I do in math, so the students could complete practice worksheets, play science related games, and collaborate with their peers. As I am planning my unit over Spring Break, I intended to search the Internet for content related games. Overall, the article that I chose was very informative, and gave me many new ideas for my classroom.

Blog Link: http://www.teachthought.com/technology/difference-gamification-game...

Permalink Reply by Jillian Willey on April 19, 2014 at 7:20am

I did not know there was a difference between game-based learning and gamification either. I thought both had to do with games. I would bet that this is a common misconception. 

I like your ideas for incorporating game-based learning in your classroom more. Technology, games especially, are a great way to engage students. I would also like to use games more in my classroom. I like your idea of math centers, one of which being a game. This is a great way to use game-based learning on a regular basis. Great post!  

Permalink Reply by Deb Unruh Miller on April 19, 2014 at 12:41pm

This was a great post!  I had no idea what the difference was between gamification and game based learning.  I also use both in my classroom.  Often these days, it seems that gamification is discouraged because some are afraid that competition will hurt a child's feelings, but I think a little competition is important.  Competition is a real world issue and it is important for children to strive to be better students, or whatever they are working towards.  A little competition might just light the fire under a student and keep them growing.  Thanks for the informative post!

Permalink Reply by Eric Tsavdar on April 17, 2014 at 7:56pm

As I perused the TeachThought blog, I stumbled upon an article called "25 of the Best iPad Apps to Promote Creativity in Students". It stood out to me because ever since I got my iPad this winter, I've been very enthusiastic about finding new apps to enhance my instruction and further engage my students in the learning experience.

I teach music, and music is all about creativity. As far as I'm concerned, the more my students use their brains creatively, the better -- both for them and for the choir!

So, this article basically points out that it isn't enough to merely have a cool app on a cool tablet computer; the app needs to be user friendly and appropriate in terms of your class demographics and in terms of how it relates to your instruction. The article then goes on to provide a list (with descriptions) of what it views as 25 of the best apps that fit the bill.

My only complaint about the article is that its descriptions of the apps it selected could have been broader (although, to its credit, it provided links for further information for each one). I also wish the authors would have taken more time to elaborate on their thoughts on technological literacy among students, and just how easy it is to use these apps.

One of the biggest perks of being a student in the applied technology program is that it has necessitated my staying current on emerging trends in technology. In fact, it has often exposed me to them without me even having to go searching (i.e., Educreations, Delicious, and, of course, Blackboard). Consequently, it's been very easy to stay up do date on all of this, but once I graduate, I intend to stay current by continuing to use the resources I've learned about (which will undoubtedly evolve and grow as these things tend to do) and talk to other teachers -- particularly technology-forward teachers -- about what kind of technology they have heard about for use in the classroom, or what they've been using.

http://www.teachthought.com/technology/25-best-ipad-apps-promote-cr...

Permalink Reply by Eric Tsavdar on April 17, 2014 at 8:17pm

Ok, so I was a little embarassed to realize that there was a page 2 to these posts, and discoverd, only after I wrote my post, that someone had already written one about the same article I initially chose -- and their's was on a different page. This is exactly why I don't like it when we have to "be sure not to respond to the same topic as someone else" because clearly, a simple oversight means we can never be sure. In fact, how do I know that at this very minute, as I'm typing my response to the article "10 Tips for Smart iPad Security in Schools," someone in this class isn't already doing it as well, and will hit "add reply" just seconds before I do?

There's a piece of technology someone should consider inventing. Just remember: it all started here.

So, to summarize my new article:

This page, which I also found insightful, provided very useful advice to those fortunate enough to have iPad carts in their schools. I remember, when I was in 4th grade, being given a little blue solar-powered calculator during math lessons out of a big calulator caddy that hung on the wall. These were not your TI-86 calculators with huge screens and games and programming capabilities; these were very basic little calculators. This did not stop us, as students, from wasting our teacher's time by trying to spell words and by typing in numbers and flipping the calculator upside down. (For example, if you type in the decimal point and 1134, upside down, it looks like the word "hello". Oh, the fun we had.) Also, if you held your finger over the little solar panel, the screen would shut off.

Now, imagine if you had put iPads in our hands -- and now you see why this article is so useful. While the article doesn't really offer much help in the way of preventing students from distracting themselves with alternative uses for the device (a downside of the article), it does talk about what type of customer support package you should get (VPP), how to get good price deals on apps (by taking advantage of educator and group discounts) and, most importantly, how to deal with security issues, since iPads have Internet connectivity. (Of particular interest to me were tips relating to location tracking, should the device be lost or stolen, and cloud-based security solutions for data backup.)

While this article doesn't apply directly to me -- as I do not have an iPad cart in my classroom -- just my own personal iPad -- I know teachers who do, and I intend to share this article with them.

http://www.teachthought.com/technology/10-critical-tips-secure-ipad...

Permalink Reply by Samantha Delfeld on April 20, 2014 at 6:55pm

Eric,

This opening paragraph had me cracking up! I was lucky enough to only have about 5 posts to skim to make sure I was covering a new topic. I was also trying to hurry up and read the blog before someone else added their reply.

I do not have iPad carts in my classroom either, but I can understand why this article would be very informative. Even if I had a classroom with computers, security is of the utmost importance. I would find it difficult to teach in a class where every student was at a computer that I could not see. How would I know they are not goofing off? Using technology in the class is great but we have to make sure it is being used for learning.

Permalink Reply by Diana North on May 2, 2014 at 9:07pm

It is never easy!  Thank you Eric for adding a new post and new information!

Permalink Reply by Aaron Curley on April 17, 2014 at 9:51pm

The article I read was 12 barriers to innovation.  At first glance this is not a technology article, but I thought about the innovation that is happening in the classroom and so much of the innovation is centered around technology and how we are incorporating it in our classrooms.  The 12 barriers are as follows: Busy parents, Site Based Decision making councils, teacher turn over, drive-by PLC's, School and community climate, policies, meetings, overly rigid PLC's, district programs, traditional report cards, scripted curricula, and overworked teachers.

I found the article to be very reasonable in its analysis of the barriers and is not saying to innovate just for the sake of innovation.  The best arguments that I read were not the ones that I had in my mind before I read the article but the ones that I did not.  Traditional report cards are a barrier to innovation because it does not lead to a great deal of information about mastery of content.  An A or a C does not convey the information about how close a student is to mastery of a content area.  The reporting instruments and design must be rethought to allow for better more efficient communication of the advancement of students.  One of the cons of the article is the analysis of site based decision making councils.  These councils are usually held in the evenings and are sparsely attended.  This allows innovative teachers and individuals to have great influence over the decisions being made and argued.  The timing also makes it hard for teachers to attend.  It is an opportunity and a barrier all in one.  I do agree with the fact that the last barrier is overworked teachers.  If teachers have every other barrier torn down for them and they are still overworked then innovation will be stifled. 

I try to look to industry for emerging trends.  I have found that many of the technology innovations that have been the focus of the school or classes have been in industry for years before.  Business is motivated by profit and profits are sought to be maximized through innovation.  I also try to read and discuss trends in technology with staff and students because students have their hands on the pulse of technology better than the teachers in most cases.  Innovation is happening all the time.  You just have to find and stay in contact with the innovative people in your building and district so that you can work together in finding the innovations that will transform our classrooms.

TeachThought: http://www.teachthought.com/learning/12-barriers-innovation-education/

Permalink Reply by Deb Unruh Miller on April 19, 2014 at 12:49pm

Very interesting article Aaron!  Your comments about grades on report cards really resonated with me, because currently, my district is using a standards based report card.  I feel that the standards based report card is very vague and non-specific when it comes to relating to parents how a student is doing.  First, the language is in Common Core terms which are not exactly friendly to non-educators.  I think that parents are not even clear on what is being evaluated.  Second, there are 4 levels that children can reach:  1-well below the standard, 2-approaching the standard, 3-meets the standard and 4, exceeds the standards.  The problem with this is that almost everyone is a "2".  So a 2 can be anywhere from just starting to work on a standard to almost meets the standard.  Sometimes I feel that I go through report cards and just mark everyone at a 2, even though my students are at vastly different levels.  As a parent, I was so happy when my son went to grades.  I felt like I finally had a handle on how he was doing.  It's too bad there can't be a more concise way to grade.

Permalink Reply by Samantha Delfeld on April 20, 2014 at 7:01pm

Aaron,

I agree with the outlook about grades on report cards. I find that these education classes are geared toward teaching us how to assess for mastery of learning, yet in schools, that is not what is happening. This is quite a barrier between what is being taught to teachers and what is actually being done in the schools...at least at the college level. Everything is based on a grade and A's earn more points than C's. I could go on and on about this...

Permalink Reply by Mary Tippett on April 23, 2014 at 4:53pm

Great post Aaron! I agree with your statement about looking towards the industry to find and understand emerging trends. I thought about the 3D printer technology almost immediately. It is something that I have been very uneducated about over the last few years, but as it's inched it's way into the educational world I have become more fluent about it's capabilities. I really like your mention of keeping in contact with innovative colleagues, that is a fantastic idea. 

I also agree with the idea of traditional grading as a barrier of innovation. Elementary specials recently switched to a 2,3,4 (Having Difficulty, Developing, Consistently Evident) scale from regular grades. I actually find this much easier to grade students and show exactly what level of mastery the student is at. It's definitely a struggle when parents don't understand the new system and assume their child, who gets a Having Difficulty on a certain technique, is all of a sudden failing or doing horribly. Better parent communication is key, but it shouldn't fall on the individual teachers to constantly explain to multiple parents. 

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