Showing posts with label Ellen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ellen. Show all posts

Video Games: Are we using them properly?

Video Games 4 Kids | 1:48 PM | | 1 comments

Over the years many schools have tried to integrate technology into the classroom and the educational system.  In some places this has worked, and in others unfortunately not.  However, what if people are just buying the wrong software, misusing the technology?  Is it possible that we just have not found the proper game, or way, to integrate technology into our classrooms.  Maybe the misuse of technology has scared people from using it in their classroom again. In an article written by Jenn Shreve (2005), she stated:

Instead, school districts, eager to be perceived as plugged in and afraid of being penalized for low test scores, have bought into expensive drill-and-kill software -- the kind that costs a fortune and displays a silly animation of fireworks or cheering crowds for every five correct answers -- with only minimal improvements on test scores and scant evidence of long-term progress among students. Most administrators approach new game-software purchases with skepticism and a reluctance to spend money.

After reading this I realized that maybe schools are not using technology properly, and are therefore being turned off by the results that they are getting.  Our problem then is not the technology itself, but finding the proper technology and games to bring into the classroom.


This is a game that is talked about in Jenn Shreve's article.  A teacher uses this game to help his students in his Western Civ. after school program. In this video the student discusses what he has learned, or can learn from this game.

Website: Simschool
Now students are not the only ones who can learn through games.  This is a simulated classroom, designed to help future teachers gain classroom experience.

-Ellen

Some concepts are just too difficult

Video Games 4 Kids | 2:32 PM | | 0 comments

Some concepts in education are difficult for teachers to teach, as well as difficult for students to learn.  When I was in school I remember reading about some of these concepts and immediately thinking, what did I just read?  I found that when there was something interactive then it was easier for me to learn and understand the concept.  Some ideas are just too difficult to read or talk about, rather students would better understand them through play.  The video shows how teachers can use video games to assist them in teaching concepts that are difficult for the students to understand.  We may not need video games in all aspects of our teaching, but why not use them to teach a concept that we ourselves may have difficulty understanding.  In the video you will see the teachers using a website and activity center called JASON.  This website was created by the National Geographic and can contains different labs, activities, videos, and so much more.  Teachers can even register for free online and explore at home before bringing it into the classroom.

Video: Coaster Creator


Jason Site: Jason Science: Education through Exploration


-Ellen

Video Games: More than Educational Benefits

Video Games 4 Kids | 7:36 PM | | 2 comments

When people think of video games they often think that they are stupid.  Children spend hours wasting their time playing in these virtual worlds when they could be out in the real world running around, and interacting with people.  However, who are we to judge something that we might have loved when we were growing up.  Just because we did not have video games, and may not understand their appeal, does not mean that they can't be useful.  
It is blatantly obvious that video games are not going anywhere, so why are we not trying to embrace them instead of tearing them down and taking them away.  With technology today we might just find that teaching students through the use of video games may be more beneficial than in some traditional ways.  In his own blog Brent Hunsberger (2010) discusses the use of video games to help students learn about managing finances.  In all honesty money management is something that I myself never really learned in school.  I can say that I never really learned the benefits and harm of having a credit card, how to balance a check book, and so much more that is crucial to being out in the real world today.  With the economy and job market the way that it is, it is particularly important for children and young adults to know how to manage their money.  Too often young adults buy on impulse, and the appeal of a credit card comes naturally, especially when you do not fully understand how they work.
It is time that we embrace what we have, and use technology to teach children, especially in areas of importance (i.e. money matters).  In some Oregon schools teachers are trying to use technology in just this way.  Brent Hunsberger (2010) discusses the use of the game Celebrity Calamity to help teach students financial literacy.  In fact Hunsberger quotes in his blog, " In general, we learn by doing.  We learn by getting quick feedback about the choices we pick.  The actual process of playing the game is really the better way" (2010).  I myself tried out the Celebrity Calamity game and found myself lost in the game after just a few short minutes.  It was not only informative, but it was fun at the same time, and I realized that I was no longer going through the motions, but surprisingly I got really into the game too!
Of course technology does not always work for everyone, but us humans are no where near perfect ourselves.  In an article for the Seattle Times Ben Feller wrote, "Unlike humans, the games never lose patience.  And they are second nature to many kids" (2006).  Until I read that quote I never thought of teaching in that aspect.  With a video game the students have infinite chances to work on something (solve a problem, pass a level, etc.) without anyone else getting angry or upset.  As teachers we can not help the fact that we are humans, and that we can lose patience with our students if they are not understanding a concept.  Maybe with the motivation from teachers students may find video games to be much more effective, and they can learn at their own pace and ability. 
Video games are no longer just for kids, and just for play. However, it is obvious that children are the ones that use them most often.  If we take a look at the different video games that are out there in the world we can see how beneficial they might be to these students.  We should not discriminate against something that we have yet to try, or that we might just be afraid of.  If this is what students respond to, why are we forcing them to do something else.  Like the English proverb says, "If the mountain won't come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain."  Maybe it is time we stop fighting technology, and go to the mountain ourselves. Who knows, you may find it more beneficial than you expected. 





-Ellen



Nintendo Wii, Not Your Average Console

Video Games 4 Kids | 4:06 PM | | 0 comments

The Nintendo Wii has revolutionized how we play video games, and possibly how we teach in out classrooms.  Now video games can be more than just sitting on the couch.  With the Wii kids can actually get involved and be interactive with the game, even breaking a sweat.  In high school we actually used a Wii to play tennis when it was raining out side.  In an article for an online British news paper Beth Hale (2008) wrote that, "Teachers are using the best selling Nintendo Wii - an interactive wireless-based computer game - to get children involved in 'virtual' sport."  With Childhood obesity becoming a such an obvious problem, video games such as the Wii can not only hold the child's interest, but it can also get them moving.  But the Wii can be used for more than just Physical Education.  Michael Breslow (a seventh grade science teacher, and winner of the 2007 Vernier Technology Award) is using the Wii to help his students understand physics.  On the New Jersey Education Association website Breslow stated, "Using the Wii, I can establish relevance with the students and get them thinking about physics concepts in a new way."  Technology is here to stay, and it is important that we embrace it, especially if it can be so beneficial to us as teachers and our students. 

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