Lately I have been working on developing a unit of study for my AP Physics classroom that will turn our learning environment into something resembles more of a game. The intent is that it can spark some competition and boost motivation for all students to work to achieve at higher levels. This concept of gamifying the classroom is an intriguing one, and I am very curious to see how this will affect my students.
I chose the topic of circuits and the web-based platform of 3D GameLab (powered by Rezzly) to implement this physics classroom game. Rezzly did a nice job of explaining the basics - and requiring you to complete specific "quests" before you as a teacher can even begin to form your own groups/quests/rewards. When I did run across some issues, the help that was available online provided easy to find answers with great explanations. Getting started with this gaming platform was relatively painless. The most difficult part was deciding on point totals for the ranks to make them attainable. Adding in quests and rewards was a quick, user friendly process.
My thought process on the development of the game can be found in a document here. If you would like to check out the game, feel free to take a look and log in to 3D GameLab by using the fake student account I have created for this purpose. The Gamer Tag is PhysicsStudent and the password is student. Although I have not yet tried this out with my students (since this is a topic that we will start toward the beginning of 2nd semester), I am confident that a gaming platform will help those students that tend to underachieve. Those students can have a tendency to wait to complete assignments and hand in work, but gaming and displaying a leaderboard can show them exactly what is possible and provide them with a way of measuring how productively they are using their time compared to some of their classmates.
I can't wait to actually test this game out with my students... I will blog about the effect of gaming on the AP Physics classroom in February. Until then, Happy Holidays!!
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Thursday, November 5, 2015
5 Things I Have Learned Playing Games
My adventures over the past week or so playing a game as part of my homework has taught me several things.
1. I don't like to lose. I mean I really don't like to lose. I won't say that I have lost at this game (Kingdom Rush), but I definitely did not experience success right away. After that first night of playing - and having trouble killing off whatever goblins or trolls were coming at me - I started the next day complaining about the game. It ends up that it was mostly just because I was not able to "level up" as easily as I would have liked.
2. I don't ask for help easily. (I suppose this one shouldn't come as a big surprise to me given how I tend to take on too much and then run around like crazy trying to do it all instead of asking someone else to do something to help out.) I am a bit stubborn and assume that I can figure it out on my own instead of seeking out assistance.
3. When I do ask for help, I prefer my help to be in the form of face-to-face interactions. I was willing to talk about where I was getting stuck in the game with a few of my students during some free time in class, and they were able to get me going in the right direction pretty quickly.
4. I can get totally absorbed in a game without too much difficulty. Once I started experiencing success in moving from one level to the next, I found myself playing far more than I had anticipated at one sitting. It was a challenge, and I was bound and determined that I was going to make it to the next level. This caused me to occasionally ignore my kids or my spouse at home... but I snapped out of it and turned my attention back to where it needed to be before too long.
5. I am a gamer after all. In reference to my previous post, I guess I can consider myself a "gamer" now. I enjoyed the challenge of the game. I looked forward to conquering a new level. I learned what tools were available for me that I needed to pay attention to in order to help me succeed - the information contained within the game itself and the advice I received from others playing the game. I entered "the zone" and found myself losing track of time while working on a particular level.
These five lessons were important realizations for me personally, but the most valuable lessons learned are how this will apply to what I do in the classroom, and this impact on the classroom exists whether I use aspects of gaming or not.
As my interest in the game changed based on my success or lack thereof in the game, I realized that my students' interest in what they are asked to do in the classroom varies depending in part on how successful they are at accomplishing their given tasks. If what they are doing is too difficult and they are not provided with the proper support, they may give up easily and lose interest. If it is perceived as too simple, then the challenge no longer exists and they may also lose interest.
When a student encounters difficulty or a setback in what they are trying to accomplish, a decision is made regarding how they respond. Will they persevere and think that they should be able to do this without additional help? Or will they ask for assistance very quickly? If they ask for assistance, will this be in a face-to-face interaction or will they prefer electronic means (like online help sites, texting a friend, twitter, etc.)? My job as a teacher needs to include helping students know when to persevere and when to ask for help as well as informing them of how to find quality resources for receiving help.
Some of the key aspects of gaming could provide a boost to my classroom setting. I'm not sure yet how to implement some of these ideas, but I would love to have "levels" for achievement that students are trying to attain. Badges for their various accomplishments could be motivating, also. Being given multiple opportunities to succeed at a given level is yet another aspect of games that I firmly believe will help motivate students since they know that failing once does not mean it is the end of their story. There is still something to learn and there is still an opportunity to learn it.
Although I am not sure how this gaming process will start, I look forward to the creative process of trying to implement some aspects of gaming. I'll keep you posted...
1. I don't like to lose. I mean I really don't like to lose. I won't say that I have lost at this game (Kingdom Rush), but I definitely did not experience success right away. After that first night of playing - and having trouble killing off whatever goblins or trolls were coming at me - I started the next day complaining about the game. It ends up that it was mostly just because I was not able to "level up" as easily as I would have liked.
2. I don't ask for help easily. (I suppose this one shouldn't come as a big surprise to me given how I tend to take on too much and then run around like crazy trying to do it all instead of asking someone else to do something to help out.) I am a bit stubborn and assume that I can figure it out on my own instead of seeking out assistance.
3. When I do ask for help, I prefer my help to be in the form of face-to-face interactions. I was willing to talk about where I was getting stuck in the game with a few of my students during some free time in class, and they were able to get me going in the right direction pretty quickly.
4. I can get totally absorbed in a game without too much difficulty. Once I started experiencing success in moving from one level to the next, I found myself playing far more than I had anticipated at one sitting. It was a challenge, and I was bound and determined that I was going to make it to the next level. This caused me to occasionally ignore my kids or my spouse at home... but I snapped out of it and turned my attention back to where it needed to be before too long.
5. I am a gamer after all. In reference to my previous post, I guess I can consider myself a "gamer" now. I enjoyed the challenge of the game. I looked forward to conquering a new level. I learned what tools were available for me that I needed to pay attention to in order to help me succeed - the information contained within the game itself and the advice I received from others playing the game. I entered "the zone" and found myself losing track of time while working on a particular level.
These five lessons were important realizations for me personally, but the most valuable lessons learned are how this will apply to what I do in the classroom, and this impact on the classroom exists whether I use aspects of gaming or not.
As my interest in the game changed based on my success or lack thereof in the game, I realized that my students' interest in what they are asked to do in the classroom varies depending in part on how successful they are at accomplishing their given tasks. If what they are doing is too difficult and they are not provided with the proper support, they may give up easily and lose interest. If it is perceived as too simple, then the challenge no longer exists and they may also lose interest.
When a student encounters difficulty or a setback in what they are trying to accomplish, a decision is made regarding how they respond. Will they persevere and think that they should be able to do this without additional help? Or will they ask for assistance very quickly? If they ask for assistance, will this be in a face-to-face interaction or will they prefer electronic means (like online help sites, texting a friend, twitter, etc.)? My job as a teacher needs to include helping students know when to persevere and when to ask for help as well as informing them of how to find quality resources for receiving help.
Some of the key aspects of gaming could provide a boost to my classroom setting. I'm not sure yet how to implement some of these ideas, but I would love to have "levels" for achievement that students are trying to attain. Badges for their various accomplishments could be motivating, also. Being given multiple opportunities to succeed at a given level is yet another aspect of games that I firmly believe will help motivate students since they know that failing once does not mean it is the end of their story. There is still something to learn and there is still an opportunity to learn it.
Although I am not sure how this gaming process will start, I look forward to the creative process of trying to implement some aspects of gaming. I'll keep you posted...
Monday, November 2, 2015
The Game of Life
I am NOT a gamer.
A "gamer" is supposed to be a teenage boy that spends countless hours playing video games - often involving guns, violence, war, etc. - at the expense of doing homework (or even attending school perhaps), spending time with friends except those that are also playing the same game online, and participating in any sort of athletic or outdoor activity. Isn't that a perfect description of a gamer?
Evidently my stereotypical view of a "gamer" is off. Gamers are jusr as often female as they are male, and adults do their fair share of gaming. Participating in these games does not mean that one is sacrificing everything meaningful in their lives to play.
Anyway...I am still not a gamer.
Then I watched this video. And this video. Maybe I am a gamer... I am a sucker for the rewards I get when I go shopping (Fuel Saver perks at Hy-Vee, Kohl's Cash, School Cents at the mall - the list goes on and on). I just got a FitBit, and I regularly check how many steps I have taken for the day to see how close I am to reaching my goal. I get excited when my wrist buzzes to tell me about a new badge I have earned for the number of stairs I climbed today or the total miles I have walked. I check Facebook far too often in the hopes of seeing lots of "likes" or "comments" on a post that I made.
It seems that I thrive on many of the principles that have made games so successful in the real world, but I don't play the online games. I am not a gamer, am I?? I am beginning to doubt the certainty with which I started this blog post. Maybe everyone is actually a gamer, deep down inside...
If the ideas of gaming awaken this kind of motivation in me for things as trivial as shopping, imaginary badges, and social media recognition, why am I not embracing this idea with students in my classes? Probably because I am not sure how I should go about using this.
As I start my adventure of playing a new-to-me game of Kingdom Rush, stay tuned. I am curious to see how I react to this world of games. I am curious to see how I react to setbacks and uncertainty about how to make it past a level. Will I look for cheats online like my kids sometimes do? Will I give up in frustration? Will I ask others for help? I am curious to see how quickly I get "sucked in" to the game. I am curious to see how this process can be applicable to my classroom.
Let the games begin.
A "gamer" is supposed to be a teenage boy that spends countless hours playing video games - often involving guns, violence, war, etc. - at the expense of doing homework (or even attending school perhaps), spending time with friends except those that are also playing the same game online, and participating in any sort of athletic or outdoor activity. Isn't that a perfect description of a gamer?
Evidently my stereotypical view of a "gamer" is off. Gamers are jusr as often female as they are male, and adults do their fair share of gaming. Participating in these games does not mean that one is sacrificing everything meaningful in their lives to play.
Anyway...I am still not a gamer.
Then I watched this video. And this video. Maybe I am a gamer... I am a sucker for the rewards I get when I go shopping (Fuel Saver perks at Hy-Vee, Kohl's Cash, School Cents at the mall - the list goes on and on). I just got a FitBit, and I regularly check how many steps I have taken for the day to see how close I am to reaching my goal. I get excited when my wrist buzzes to tell me about a new badge I have earned for the number of stairs I climbed today or the total miles I have walked. I check Facebook far too often in the hopes of seeing lots of "likes" or "comments" on a post that I made.
It seems that I thrive on many of the principles that have made games so successful in the real world, but I don't play the online games. I am not a gamer, am I?? I am beginning to doubt the certainty with which I started this blog post. Maybe everyone is actually a gamer, deep down inside...
If the ideas of gaming awaken this kind of motivation in me for things as trivial as shopping, imaginary badges, and social media recognition, why am I not embracing this idea with students in my classes? Probably because I am not sure how I should go about using this.
As I start my adventure of playing a new-to-me game of Kingdom Rush, stay tuned. I am curious to see how I react to this world of games. I am curious to see how I react to setbacks and uncertainty about how to make it past a level. Will I look for cheats online like my kids sometimes do? Will I give up in frustration? Will I ask others for help? I am curious to see how quickly I get "sucked in" to the game. I am curious to see how this process can be applicable to my classroom.
Let the games begin.
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Menus and App Smashing
App smashing...
It sounds like fun, doesn't it? Actually, I thought it sounded really intimidating at first because I had it set in my mind that app smashing meant combining a couple of apps together to form one new app. That sounded like something WAY beyond my technology skill level! Then I figured out that it is really just utilizing several different apps to make one final product. Still requires some skill and patience to figure out how the parts can fit together, but totally manageable for me.
The assignment for our Using Digital and Social Media in Education (DSM) class was to experiment with app smashing in a way that would be applicable to our classrooms. I threw around several ideas, but eventually landed on our project for the food unit in the General Chemistry class that I teach.
The final project for this unit has students researching a typical dinner from a different culture and then analyzing the nutrition data from that meal and comparing it to a typical American meal. (At this point, we have already spent a substantial amount of time discussing the chemistry of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins as well as learning what a Calorie is and having each student analyze their own diet over a three day period.)
The end product for their effort is to make a sample menu from a "restaurant" that features the dinner items that they selected and determined nutrition facts for. Students will also present their information to the class so that we can discuss as a class some of the differences in various ethnic menus. If students would like some extra credit, they can also bring in a sample of food that they made for the class to sample during their presentation.
I decided to try my hand at app smashing with this project because most students are already using technology to look up menu ideas and nutrition facts, and many will also find images to use in their menus. This seemed to me like a perfect opportunity to eliminate the paper part of things and allow students to show some additional creativity.
My process for my menu was:
1. Find images using Google that can be shared
2. Combine images using Pic Collage
3. Save the image from Pic Collage for further use
4. Upload the image to Skitch to add labels (names of food, prices, etc.)
5. Save the image from Skitch/Evernote for further use
6. Upload the image to ThingLink
7. Add content to image - I added links to the nutrition facts for each individual menu item as well as some additional information (a video with mariachi music, a link to an article about the health of different types of ethnic cuisine, and a link to an article about Mexican eating habits).
The final product looks like this:
It can be found at the following link.
I can see many other possibilities with this project. Students could record some videos of them actually making the food, post it to YouTube, and include it as a link on their menu. Students could use Jing to record themselves discussing the results of their comparisons of American cuisine with their chosen ethnic cuisine. Students could make a podcast of an interview with either someone they know from their chosen culture or with a restaurant owner and provide a link to that on their menu.
What possibilities do you see to use it in your classroom?
**I'm already trying to figure out if this is something that I want to implement with my AP Physics classes as a way to show what they know. I might try having them upload their handwritten work (or use some app on an iPad to write out - and then save - their work...) and then use ThingLink to provide annotations that will explain why they did what they did.
It sounds like fun, doesn't it? Actually, I thought it sounded really intimidating at first because I had it set in my mind that app smashing meant combining a couple of apps together to form one new app. That sounded like something WAY beyond my technology skill level! Then I figured out that it is really just utilizing several different apps to make one final product. Still requires some skill and patience to figure out how the parts can fit together, but totally manageable for me.
The assignment for our Using Digital and Social Media in Education (DSM) class was to experiment with app smashing in a way that would be applicable to our classrooms. I threw around several ideas, but eventually landed on our project for the food unit in the General Chemistry class that I teach.
The final project for this unit has students researching a typical dinner from a different culture and then analyzing the nutrition data from that meal and comparing it to a typical American meal. (At this point, we have already spent a substantial amount of time discussing the chemistry of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins as well as learning what a Calorie is and having each student analyze their own diet over a three day period.)
The end product for their effort is to make a sample menu from a "restaurant" that features the dinner items that they selected and determined nutrition facts for. Students will also present their information to the class so that we can discuss as a class some of the differences in various ethnic menus. If students would like some extra credit, they can also bring in a sample of food that they made for the class to sample during their presentation.
I decided to try my hand at app smashing with this project because most students are already using technology to look up menu ideas and nutrition facts, and many will also find images to use in their menus. This seemed to me like a perfect opportunity to eliminate the paper part of things and allow students to show some additional creativity.
My process for my menu was:
1. Find images using Google that can be shared
2. Combine images using Pic Collage
3. Save the image from Pic Collage for further use
4. Upload the image to Skitch to add labels (names of food, prices, etc.)
5. Save the image from Skitch/Evernote for further use
6. Upload the image to ThingLink
7. Add content to image - I added links to the nutrition facts for each individual menu item as well as some additional information (a video with mariachi music, a link to an article about the health of different types of ethnic cuisine, and a link to an article about Mexican eating habits).
The final product looks like this:
It can be found at the following link.
I can see many other possibilities with this project. Students could record some videos of them actually making the food, post it to YouTube, and include it as a link on their menu. Students could use Jing to record themselves discussing the results of their comparisons of American cuisine with their chosen ethnic cuisine. Students could make a podcast of an interview with either someone they know from their chosen culture or with a restaurant owner and provide a link to that on their menu.
What possibilities do you see to use it in your classroom?
**I'm already trying to figure out if this is something that I want to implement with my AP Physics classes as a way to show what they know. I might try having them upload their handwritten work (or use some app on an iPad to write out - and then save - their work...) and then use ThingLink to provide annotations that will explain why they did what they did.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Survey on Social Media
The Digital and Social Media class offered at UNI this fall has the students going outside of their typical comfort zones and trying out new technology as well as new ways (for some of us) to share what we are doing.
Group 5 (comprised of four high school teachers) created a survey to determine social media use among our classmates. We were hoping to gather information about types of social media used and frequency of use.
Our summary document can be found here.
We also have a short video summarizing our results.
Thanks to all who participated in our brief survey!
Kelsea, Lorena, Sarah, and Karla
Group 5 (comprised of four high school teachers) created a survey to determine social media use among our classmates. We were hoping to gather information about types of social media used and frequency of use.
Our summary document can be found here.
We also have a short video summarizing our results.
Thanks to all who participated in our brief survey!
Kelsea, Lorena, Sarah, and Karla
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
The Grading Blues
Just before the start of a new school year I have the same sort of conversation (most often with myself but occasionally involving a colleague or two) regarding grades, homework, tests and retakes, standards based grading, accuracy of homework vs. completion of homework,... The list of topics that I continue to wrestle with goes on and on.
As I try to figure out how I want to modify my current grading practices, I find myself researching these topics online. Reading about different viewpoints on how to implement standards based grading has provided me with some wonderful ideas for how to successfully make a switch, but it still makes me nervous.
Here are a few of the resources that I have looked into:
The Spirit of SBG by Frank Noschese - one of the first resources that I looked at that has really provided much food for thought in my journey to switch how I communicate information about student learning
Standards Based Grading: 5, 6, 8, 10 by Kelly O'Shea - another favorite blogger that gives great advice on implementing SBG, including student reactions to her methods
Implementation Challenges of Standards Based Grading by Jasmine Kullar - I think the name pretty much says it all...
Always Formative by Jason Buell - offers a lot of practical information on implementing standards based grading
As my struggle continues, I get closer and closer to making wholesale changes to my grading practices. Now I just need to get over this fear of change...
As I try to figure out how I want to modify my current grading practices, I find myself researching these topics online. Reading about different viewpoints on how to implement standards based grading has provided me with some wonderful ideas for how to successfully make a switch, but it still makes me nervous.
Here are a few of the resources that I have looked into:
The Spirit of SBG by Frank Noschese - one of the first resources that I looked at that has really provided much food for thought in my journey to switch how I communicate information about student learning
Standards Based Grading: 5, 6, 8, 10 by Kelly O'Shea - another favorite blogger that gives great advice on implementing SBG, including student reactions to her methods
Implementation Challenges of Standards Based Grading by Jasmine Kullar - I think the name pretty much says it all...
Always Formative by Jason Buell - offers a lot of practical information on implementing standards based grading
As my struggle continues, I get closer and closer to making wholesale changes to my grading practices. Now I just need to get over this fear of change...
Social Media - What is it?
Social media. What does it mean?
If you ask a student this question, their response may mention apps and sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and many others that seem to get added all the time. (As adults start catching on to the teenage social environment, it seems that the students shift their focus so us "meddling adults" won't be paying as much attention to what they are posting... See this post for a teen's take on several different forms of social media.) Students will likely consider social media from a purely viewpoint and may not consider its use for any sort of educational purpose.
If you ask a parent, their response may be similar to their teen, but the big difference is most likely that they are not fully aware of all of the sites that their child uses on a regular basis (and may not realize the sheer magnitude of posts that get made daily by some students).
If you ask a teacher what social media means, the responses can vary greatly. The teachers that are hesitant with technology may view social media as purely social. The tech savvy educators, however, can open one's eyes up to a whole new world. The traditional view of social media as the networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can be blown wide open by implementing assignments and activities within these sites and integrating a plethora of other sites as well. The options for teaching and learning are limitless.
How does a teacher decide how to implement technology and social media in their classroom? The best way to get ideas is by reading blogs. Like so many other aspects in education, there are experts out there somewhere that are willing to share what they have tried, what has worked for them, what has not worked for them, and what advice they would give to help another teacher. Blogs, tweetchats, Pinterest boards, and Facebook groups (see this post for ideas on using Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest) are a great place to start when trying to implement social media in your classroom. And the very best part about it is that once you start digging around to find the great ideas, your mind starts brainstorming what you could try!
The uses of social media will provide opportunities for teachers to network with others, to display information for students and parents to view, and to allow students to showcase their work and their knowledge on a particular subject. I am only just beginning my journey in using social media in my classroom, but I am excited to try out some new ideas, particularly for assessing student understanding.
As much as I am excited, I must admit I am also more than a little bit nervous. I don't want to just jump in and require students to use a particular site for the sake of using technology. There need to be guidelines in place (there are several articles and blogs that already exist outlining some of these), and I need to seriously consider the reasons why I am asking the students to make a tweet, create a Pinterest board, or post a video on YouTube. As is mentioned in Social Media for Educators by Tanya Joosten, teachers need to consider what the pedagogical need is and how a particular form of social media will help to meet that need. There should be some aspect of teaching, learning, or assessing students that is improved through this use in order to consider implementing it.
So much to consider. So many opportunities to learn from others and try something new.
Let the fun begin!
If you ask a student this question, their response may mention apps and sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and many others that seem to get added all the time. (As adults start catching on to the teenage social environment, it seems that the students shift their focus so us "meddling adults" won't be paying as much attention to what they are posting... See this post for a teen's take on several different forms of social media.) Students will likely consider social media from a purely viewpoint and may not consider its use for any sort of educational purpose.
If you ask a parent, their response may be similar to their teen, but the big difference is most likely that they are not fully aware of all of the sites that their child uses on a regular basis (and may not realize the sheer magnitude of posts that get made daily by some students).
If you ask a teacher what social media means, the responses can vary greatly. The teachers that are hesitant with technology may view social media as purely social. The tech savvy educators, however, can open one's eyes up to a whole new world. The traditional view of social media as the networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can be blown wide open by implementing assignments and activities within these sites and integrating a plethora of other sites as well. The options for teaching and learning are limitless.
How does a teacher decide how to implement technology and social media in their classroom? The best way to get ideas is by reading blogs. Like so many other aspects in education, there are experts out there somewhere that are willing to share what they have tried, what has worked for them, what has not worked for them, and what advice they would give to help another teacher. Blogs, tweetchats, Pinterest boards, and Facebook groups (see this post for ideas on using Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest) are a great place to start when trying to implement social media in your classroom. And the very best part about it is that once you start digging around to find the great ideas, your mind starts brainstorming what you could try!
The uses of social media will provide opportunities for teachers to network with others, to display information for students and parents to view, and to allow students to showcase their work and their knowledge on a particular subject. I am only just beginning my journey in using social media in my classroom, but I am excited to try out some new ideas, particularly for assessing student understanding.
As much as I am excited, I must admit I am also more than a little bit nervous. I don't want to just jump in and require students to use a particular site for the sake of using technology. There need to be guidelines in place (there are several articles and blogs that already exist outlining some of these), and I need to seriously consider the reasons why I am asking the students to make a tweet, create a Pinterest board, or post a video on YouTube. As is mentioned in Social Media for Educators by Tanya Joosten, teachers need to consider what the pedagogical need is and how a particular form of social media will help to meet that need. There should be some aspect of teaching, learning, or assessing students that is improved through this use in order to consider implementing it.
So much to consider. So many opportunities to learn from others and try something new.
Let the fun begin!
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