Week 6: Video Games for Learning

(Source: http://www.businessadministrationinformation.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/gaming-classroom-e1382449922604.jpeg)

Let me start off by saying that I think gaming in the classroom can be very beneficial in many different ways.  I know that every educator has their own ideas about gaming and its effectiveness but I can definitely say that I see the benefits of it on a regular basis.

First, I use keyboarding games in my classroom with my sixth grade students. Whenever we finish something early, or have an extra few minutes at the end of class, I direct them to our Moodle page and on the page, I have provided multiple typing games for the kids to practice their keyboarding skills.  Some of the games are really fun, like this racing game, in which students can race against each other or the computer.  One benefit I see on a regular basis is competitiveness.  Many of my kids love competition and use these games as an outlet for that.  They like to play against each other to see who wins and is “better.”  In my opinion, I love that my students are learning without realizing it.  Each time they sit down at a computer to play one of these games, they are refining his or her keyboarding skills and having fun while doing it.

Although the competitiveness can be a good thing, it can also double as a negative implication.  Sometimes, the “friendly” competition evolves into something not so friendly.  I don’t see this happening too often, however, that type of heated rivalry really takes away from the reason why I allow the kids to play the games in the first place.

I think the use of gamification, the leader board, points, etc., provide most students with that intrinsic motivation.  Everyone wants to be recognized for something they do well.  The elements of gamification can provide students with extrinsic motivation to succeed.  If they perform well, that is their reward.  However, a lot of students have the intrinsic motivation to succeed as well.  I think intrinsic motivation is dependent on a number of factors and obviously, differs from child to child, but when it comes to gaming, the intrinsic motivation of success vs. failure is something that is often seen through game play. 

In an article called “Will Gaming Save Education or Just Waste Time?” Kristen DiCerbo, a senior research scientist echoes this notion by saying; “We've been doing [game rewards] for years; referring to the use of tokens, points, and other artifacts that make up the backbone of the gamification movement. For some things – like very rote tasks – and for students who aren't motivated, yes, that does increase kids' general interest in the short term.”

Another benefit of gaming is that students are given a platform in which they can learn by doing.  It helps them problem solve, fail and succeed in a safe environment.  They do not have to worry about making a fool of themselves in front of a class full of their peers, but can explore, fail and succeed in a safe environment that won’t judge them based on their actions.  Like Katie Salen says, “Sometimes, the learner will have to try hundreds of times to find success. You know you are getting better at that particular skill every time you try, and you are learning something about how to solve that particular problem. The failure is productive. Rather than hitting some kind of wall and just stopping – which is what kids tend to experience in the classroom – failure becomes a fantastic thing because it's about iteration and discovery. When I try it again, I am going to apply that particular piece of learning.”

In another article I found about gaming, one benefit that is explored is the benefit of insight into a student’s learning and instantaneous feedback.  Brian Waniewski elaborates by saying,  “Beyond teaching, video games can also offer useful information about how well a child is learning and can even provide helpful visual displays of that information. Video games can also provide instantaneous feedback—typically via scores—that teachers and students can use to determine how well students understand what the games are trying to teach them.”  I know that personally, one thing I struggle with is grading.  With nine different sections, it is hard to find time to grade over 200 papers and keep up with other demands of my job.  Gaming would provide an outlet for students to receive that instantaneous feedback and give me immediate insight into how they are progressing and navigating through their learning.

The aforementioned article also mentions one huge drawback of gaming – cost.  For many districts, extra money is difficult to come by.  The fact that gaming could require different components like “computers, tablets or other specialized technology as well as dedicated Internet servers and other communications systems” would be a huge drawback.  In addition, “they may also be a need for additional infrastructure, personnel and teacher training.  A full, game-infused curriculum could cost millions of dollars and require ongoing support” according to Alan Gershenfeld, co-founder and president of E-Line Media.  That could be a huge downfall for many classrooms teachers who do not have access to these types of technologies. 

With anything in life, there will always be positives and negatives.  But as Katie Salen says, "Play is the way that human beings learn about the world…. That's how we discover how things work." In my opinion, gaming in the classroom has so many benefits to students and teaches them valuable life skills (like problem solving and flexibility) that as long as it is done appropriately and in conjunction with learning goals, the gaming experience can be invaluable.

Week 5: The Flipped Classroom

My six word story on the flipped classroom

The one thing I learned when investigating the various ways that the flipped classroom is being used by other educators is that it looks different for everyone hence, my six word story!  As was mentioned in the video from this week’s content, The Flipped Classroom Discussion Take 2, not one educator is doing a flipped classroom the same way. 

Unfortunately, I missed the live Twitter chat but I did get the chance to explore the flipped class hashtag on Twitter.  I found that my exploration took a pretty natural journey, which I will share with you all in this post. 

First and foremost, I had the opportunity to read about all of the ways that teachers are using the flipped model in their classroom.  I tried to pick content areas or age levels that related to me the most.  The first article I found to be most relevant was article by Edutopia called “Flipping the Non-Flippable Classroom."  As an “Encore” class (which basically means not a main subject like English, Social Studies, Math or Science), I typically identify with content areas described in the article like PE.  Although I completely think that my class is “flippable”, I wanted this article to make a believer out of me.  Reading on, I was introduced to a teacher named Jason Hahnstadt who is a K-8 PE teacher in Illinois.  He was instantly drawn to the flipped model because he realized how beneficial it could be.  Like with many other subjects, some PE students were coming in with prior knowledge of basic concepts like the rules of lacrosse or how to properly exercise.  Since incorporating the flipped model, he is now spending less time going over the basic concepts and more time actually getting the kids to move and “do.” 

In addition, on his personal webpage, he shows readers how he utilizes the same flipped model not as a teacher but as a coach.  I found this to be truly significant for me because as a coach, I completely understand how this could be useful with players.  With middle school basketball players (girls), many of them play basketball all the time while others may have never played before in their life.  I can see how making videos available for the girls prior to teaching a concept at practice would give everyone more of a level playing field.  A lot of times, sports are exactly like school.  You have to practice, study and be prepared for that final assessment (in this case a game) to achieve the end goal; a good grade or a win for your team.  I found Mr. Hahnstadt’s resources and utilization of the flipped model most intriguing and most relevant to me. For those wondering, he is an example from Mr. Hahnstadt’s page of how he uses the flipped model in coaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P9Rk9i0YzU (I couldn't get the video to come up on it's own... Sorry!)

The second example of a flipped classroom that I came across was by a middle school math teacher, Jessica Brown and science chair, Alicia Burge from Illiniois.  When describing how it works for them, they put it simply and say, “In the evening, students learn material either through reading class notes or textbooks, watching videos or movies online or by listening to podcasts produced by the teacher. During class, the teacher designs activities, experiments and discussions revolving around the material the students learned on their own. Because students have to be prepared in order to participate in classes, the responsibility for initially learning the material falls on them, not the teacher. Class time is then devoted to mastering information and seeking support from the instructor through interactive activities.”  I found this description to be particularly helpful.  It clearly laid out how they use the flipped model in a way that was easier to understand. 

Another thing that this article talks about is the challenges of the flipped model.  For example, Jessica notes that challenges occur when initially implemented the model because it is not widely used however, she has found the students adapt quickly.  In addition, she shares that when one student falls behind, it can often affect the whole class so it’s important to establish expectations that the entire class is one working unit; to help each other out is important.  Despite the challenges, both teachers agree they will never go back to a more traditional model. 

One thing that concerned me while reading the aforementioned articles is what the kids think.  In education, there are so many new fads that teachers are too quick to implement without carefully weighing both the advantages and negatives.  However, in the second article mentioned, a student perspective is shared.   One student says that it makes her more “independent [because] if you don’t come to class prepared it affects everyone.”  Another students says that it has given him “better confidence in learning by myself.”  I found these perspectives to be quite insightful, but I wanted to know more about the true feelings of the students.  I stumbled across an article written by three high school students who have been learning under the flipped model since seventh grade.  Some of the advantages they mentioned were an added feeling of responsibility and building better relationships within the classroom.  Ironically enough, the students do not mention one negative. 

Interestingly enough, the last article I found when exploring the hastag on Twitter was an article shared by our very own Dean Shareski called, “A Few Concerns About the Rush to Flip.” Maryellen Weimer shares a few big concerns about flipping that have plagued me as well.   One big concern I share with Mrs. Weimer is who should be taking flipped courses? Knowing that I watched the video for this week and hearing how elementary school students are flourishing with the flipped model, it still leaves me hesitant.  Currently, I have both sixth and eighth grades. I would feel more comfortable doing this with my older kids first.  My sixth graders are all over the place and being an “encore” class, I can’t imagine that my class is at the top of list when it comes to outside (or extra) work.  Like Ms. Weimer asks, “Who should be taking flipped courses? First-year students or seniors? One of the first questions we should be asking about any new method is whose learning will benefit the most from that approach.”  I think this is a realistic concern for most teachers. 

After reading so much about the flipped classroom, I know there are many positives yet with anything in life, there are also negatives.  My question to educators out there would be the following: Are you using the flipped model? If so, what do you like the best and what do you like the least? If you aren’t using the flipped model, what is stopping you? Hopefully, as a group, we can figure out how to remedy some of those concerns.  Ultimately, each of you know what will work best in your classroom and that might just look a little different than the next person… And that is OK!

Week 4: Which 1:1 Device Works Best For Me?

The device I chose to focus on for this assignment is iPad Minis.

Demographics

The target group size would be all students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade which would be somewhere around 900 total students.  The socio-economics of the group is mostly middle to high SES.  At HMS, eighth graders used to be 1:1 with netbooks but are now currently 1:1 with iPad Minis.  In future years, all students will be 1:1 with iPads.

Rationale

After much research, I’ve decided that iPad Minis would be the best choice for my district.  There are two important features that iPad Minis provide are robustness and operating system.  The iPad Minis would come equipped with a protective case and would endure the daily wear and tear of the students.  Second, the operating system would match the teachers’ Macbooks and therefore, transfer seamlessly into classrooms.

Implementation plan

The implementation plan would be to start with the current 8^th graders.  Each year, monies would be budgeted to add another grade when eventually, all students in grades 6-8 would have iPads.

Professional development

After teachers are issued their own iPad Minis, there would be multiple professional development workshops offered throughout the year (and summer) for teachers to work through any problems or share valuable tools they have found when using the Minis.

Anticipated outcomes for success

Like Ben Grey mentioned, one of the most valuable components of an iPad is the fact they allow students to utilize them in an environment in which they feel comfortable.  They are easily transportable and lightweight so students can take them and work on them, virtually anywhere.  In addition, students would enjoy having the freedom to utilize their iPad throughout the day and connecting it with their schoolwork.

Possible problems

One possible problem could be students using the iPads inappropriately.  It would be important that each teacher sets their expectations early in the year so students are clear on what is expected of them.  Free time and work time must have a clear distinction so students understand and can differentiate between the two.  Another problem integrating iPads would be the numerous tools available to educators.  Since there are so many tools, it may be difficult if each teacher is using something different because the students may feel overwhelmed.  In addition, the teachers may feel overwhelmed that they have access to so many great tools but they aren’t sure how best to use it.  Like previously mentioned, it would be really important for the district to continue to offer professional development opportunities so teachers understand the tools available to them and continue to learn about new tools that may be introduced. 

Models to follow

I found so many great examples of how iPads are being utilizing in the classroom.  For example, there is a great video of how iPads affect an elementary school classroom.  Watch below:

When looking for specific examples of how teachers are using iPads in their classrooms and in what ways, I found this awesome Slideshare.  The examples in this Slideshare are so creative and can be used by teachers across all content areas.  The presentation can be found here.

Last but not least, I found an article written by a high school teacher who works at a district that is currently 1:1 with iPads. In the article, he notes a variety of different ways that he, and his colleagues, have been integrating iPads in their own classrooms  and gives specific examples of how it has been working for them.  The article can be found here.

Thoughts from others

When I reached out, I talked to two very different colleagues.  One of my colleagues teaches eighth grade and the other, sixth grade.  Currently, our eighth graders are 1:1 with iPads.  Next year, our sixth graders will be as well so I thought it would be interesting to get two opposite perspectives.  Giving you all a little background knowledge, our eighth graders used to be 1:1 with netbooks and are now 1:1 with iPads.  Since my colleague had endured the switch, I asked him what his thoughts were on the iPads vs. the netbooks.  His response was, “I think the iPads are ten times better than the netbooks.  The iPads are much more mobile and all in all, we have less problems with them than we did with the netbooks.  The thing I like best about the iPads is all of the apps available to teachers.  The most annoying thing about the iPads is that my students don’t always use them appropriately and since they’re smaller than the netbooks were, it’s more difficult to catch them in the act [of playing games].” 

When I asked my colleague who teaches sixth grade what she was looking forward to most about the iPads, she said, “I’m looking forward to being able to utilize different tools with the kids.  [Her aide] and I have already been investigating what might work for the special ed. kids and how that will help them. I’m also looking forward to each of the kids having an iPad because my set of 10 netbooks isn’t cutting it.”  On the other hand, when asked about what she was not looking forward to, she said, “From what I’ve heard [from other teachers] I’m not looking forward to constantly having to worry about if my students are playing games are not.  I hope that doesn’t happen but I think it will be hard to monitor that 24/7.”

Conclusion

When implementing any device into a classroom/school/district, there will always be positives and negatives.  As teachers, it’s always our focus to concentrate on the negatives since that is what we have to continually deal with.  If students are always playing games, when does the learning come in? What’s most important is that we focus on the positives that the devices can bring.  It gives some of our students the ability to utilize a device they might not necessarily have access to at home.  In addition, they are learning how to use all kinds of different devices, which will prepare them for life after high school.  The more they learn and can adapt to different tools and devices, the more prepared they will be to succeed.

Questions

My question to my classmates would be, if your classroom/school/district is 1:1, what device are they using? What is the biggest challenge you face with that device?

I look forward to hearing everyone’s responses!

Additional sources used

Top 3 Problems with Tablets in the Classroom –  http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/top-3-problems-with-tablets-in-the-classroom

Choosing the Perfect Tool for 1:1 – http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ856116.pdf

Pads vs. Netbooks for 1:1 – http://edreach.us/2011/04/01/ipad-vs-netbook-for-a-11/

Week 3: Filtering Content & Digital Citizenship

Reworking our current Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) was much more difficult than I had anticipated! Our current document is six pages long (single spaced) so I thought it would be pretty easy to pull out the main ideas.  The AUP is something I discuss with all my classes and even more so in depth with my eighth graders so I consider myself somewhat of an expert.  However, trying to narrow down three big ideas was harder than I thought.

Here is the link to my school’s current AUP: http://www.hershey.k12.pa.us/cms/lib/PA09000080/Centricity/Domain/4/815%201%20Acceptable%20Use%20of%20Technology%20STUDENT.pdf

After constructing what I thought would be final document, I decided to pull up two neighboring school districts’ AUPs for comparison.  I was surprised to find that both comparable districts were MUCH shorter and easier to understand.  However, each policy did have similar ideas to our AUP.  Like previously mentioned, the only real difference was the length. Upon investigation of these comparable AUPs, I decided to go back and revise my initial document. I wanted to make it shorter and easier to understand like the ones I had found online. 

Like Joe Wood said in the video, our kids do get it.  When he shared the story about his kids finding an inappropriate fern image, they moved right along and navigated to the next thing.  I agree with Joe’s thought that the more we filter, the more we hinder our kids.  They get it.  So, keeping that in mind, I decided to develop my AUP based on the thoughts that a long list of prohibitions might not be what’s best.  As I mentioned, I wanted to develop something easy to understand, short and to the point.

The link to my revised AUP can found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wd5UAkj5q9GBXJHUVeikkD-digJf6cJ_-n1rGEzNcSk/edit?usp=sharing

Here is the link to a neighboring school district’s AUP: https://www.palmyraportal.org/files/uploads/website/files/BoardPolicies800/816.C.pdf

I don’t have many recommendations for this one because I liked it the best out of the three.  The only thing I would change would be to shorten the list of prohibitions.  The list of 19 different things that students aren’t able to do is a lot.  In my opinion, less is more effective. 

And here is the second link a neighboring school district’s AUP: http://www.ldsd.org/cms/lib/PA09000083/Centricity/Domain/40/244_-_attach.pdf

Again, I don’t have many recommendations for this policy because I really liked it.  However, the one thing I noticed right away is that the policy doesn’t dictate any specific SCHOOL-related consequences in the policy.  For example, in our policy, it specifically states that consequences could range from detention to suspension to expulsion.  I think providing both students and parents those consequences in black and white, helps avoid any complications in the future.

My classroom approach to digital citizenship is pretty much what my curriculum is all about.  The Computer curriculum uses a website called CommonSenseMedia.org for a majority of our lessons.  This is a free resource available to teachers to teach students about digital citizenship.  Our big idea is, “How can I be a responsible digital citizen?”  Personally, I think the best way to approach this topic is to have open and honest conversations about digital citizenship.  This is something that directly affects them on a daily basis. Like Joe Wood mentions in the video is that students are going out on the Internet and using different applications and tools but our job is to educate them on how to use them appropriately and what are the consequences if they don’t.  I connected with that the most because that is something that I try to do in my classroom with my students.  We talk about cyberbullying, private and personal information, copyright and sexting (just to name a few) and educate them on how to be smart out there on the Internet, be educated and be informed about the consequences of choosing to abuse one of these topics. 

One way to approach digital citizenship that I came across in one of my other graduate classes was that it was discussed about giving students time throughout the day (whether at lunch or the last fifteen minutes of the class period) to utilize their own personal devices like “Device Time”. I have mixed feelings about this approach.  I believe one advantage would be again, to have open conversations with students about how to use their devices appropriately but on the other hand, I wonder if they will abuse that privilege.

Another approach to digital citizenship that has been gaining popularity is the Bring Your Own Device policy.  Again, I have mixed feelings about this.  I think that educating students about digital citizenship would open the lines of communication with this policy however; all teachers must be on board.  In addition, a district would need to make sure there is one uniform policy for teachers to follow so that way, not only are students learning about how to become good digital citizens but the rules of what that looks like doesn’t change from one classroom to another.