Gamification in itself has been around forever. As one article said it "predates historical records." So, it's not a fad in that sense. Monopoly can be considered gamification and video games in the realm of education have been around since Oregon Trail in the 70's.
I think the new wave of gamification is a great way to engage learners and keep them working hard, even if it's just to get extra badges for random goals that are set by the teacher. It is a slippery slope, however, to not get obsessed with them. I think gamification needs to be a supplement to a teacher's normal curriculum. I have observed in real classrooms that the students can go to the game websites when they are finished with their work early. While other students are still writing an essay, for example, a student who is finished can work quietly on an educational game instead of talking or disrupting the class.
There are a lot of uses and positives for gamification, but education should not be restricted to playing video games. They should be used when necessary to differentiate instruction. Maybe even a Jeopardy! style game to finish up a unit or chapter.
I found this blog to be interesting: gamification is dead
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Youtubes, Google Plus
YouTube is great for a lot of reasons, the least of which is certainly not that it's free. YouTube is a place where you can go to watch a music video you forgot about, learn how to fix your washer/dryer by watching a tutorial, or watch horrible mishaps as they happen to people that aren't you or your loved ones. Anything is possible with YouTube as long as there is a camera or microphone around. I wish it was more popular when I was making all those short films in college that I don't have anymore. We could have just loaded them on to there instead of reusing the same MiniDV tapes.
Google Plus I am still getting used to, but I see a lot of positives from it. I especially like the whole "Circles" business. You can completely separate different groups of people you know. You can keep one side professional and make professional posts and then have another group of friends you can post anything to without worrying about repercussions. Facebook, for instance, doesn't have that kind of stealthiness. Once you've posted it, it's out there for everyone to see.
Content curation is something that would take me some time to get used to. At this point in my life I don't really have much use for it, except perhaps to organize links to recipes. Generally I like to print those out for use in the kitchen, however. In the future when I (knock on wood) have a job as a teacher, I could see the benefits of it for both the teacher and the students. All of those sites are completely different but generally are used to organize information in various ways to simplify life for everyone.
Google Plus I am still getting used to, but I see a lot of positives from it. I especially like the whole "Circles" business. You can completely separate different groups of people you know. You can keep one side professional and make professional posts and then have another group of friends you can post anything to without worrying about repercussions. Facebook, for instance, doesn't have that kind of stealthiness. Once you've posted it, it's out there for everyone to see.
Content curation is something that would take me some time to get used to. At this point in my life I don't really have much use for it, except perhaps to organize links to recipes. Generally I like to print those out for use in the kitchen, however. In the future when I (knock on wood) have a job as a teacher, I could see the benefits of it for both the teacher and the students. All of those sites are completely different but generally are used to organize information in various ways to simplify life for everyone.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
iPads and QR codes
Dear School Administrator,
Every school wants to give its students the best education possible. Whether it be hiring the most qualified, effective teachers or keeping class sizes manageable, everything we do is for the children. Technology is one of those things that fits into our efforts and iPads are a very important tool in the education of our students.
iPads are mobile. For years schools have been trying to get more and more computers and computer labs, but you have to interrupt and move the class to go to where the computers are. With iPads, you get the ability to have the students simply bring them to their desks to do their work. Once they get there, the possibilities are endless.
Students can take their quizzes and tests on an iPad right at their desk and get their results instantly, saving precious time in the classroom teacher's life from grading papers. The scores can be automatically collected and documented. Once done taking the test, students can then feel free to go to any number of learning apps on the iPad instead of sitting at their desk bored and unproductive waiting until the bell rings or everyone else is finished their test. They can also use the iPads to scan QR codes around the room to make a quiz or activity more fun and differentiated for those students who have a need to get up and out of their seats from time to time.
I think with all the positives of iPads, its a no-brainer to bring them to our school. We don't have to get one for every student, but just get enough that teachers can sign out an iPad cart when they have a lesson that fits the mold.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Phil Bidlack
Every school wants to give its students the best education possible. Whether it be hiring the most qualified, effective teachers or keeping class sizes manageable, everything we do is for the children. Technology is one of those things that fits into our efforts and iPads are a very important tool in the education of our students.
iPads are mobile. For years schools have been trying to get more and more computers and computer labs, but you have to interrupt and move the class to go to where the computers are. With iPads, you get the ability to have the students simply bring them to their desks to do their work. Once they get there, the possibilities are endless.
Students can take their quizzes and tests on an iPad right at their desk and get their results instantly, saving precious time in the classroom teacher's life from grading papers. The scores can be automatically collected and documented. Once done taking the test, students can then feel free to go to any number of learning apps on the iPad instead of sitting at their desk bored and unproductive waiting until the bell rings or everyone else is finished their test. They can also use the iPads to scan QR codes around the room to make a quiz or activity more fun and differentiated for those students who have a need to get up and out of their seats from time to time.
I think with all the positives of iPads, its a no-brainer to bring them to our school. We don't have to get one for every student, but just get enough that teachers can sign out an iPad cart when they have a lesson that fits the mold.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Phil Bidlack
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