tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28432531748330548612024-02-02T08:13:19.493-08:00Media Mogulpinkfiregoddesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353974464415120493noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2843253174833054861.post-23810666915549242072010-06-21T20:46:00.000-07:002010-06-21T21:40:09.150-07:00Thinking about Technology Integration...<div><div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">As the course that inspired, instigated, and influenced this blog comes to an end, it is worth revisiting the Topic At Large -- that is, the integration of technology in Social Studies (or any other school "subject" for that matter). There are Big Questions of course: Can technology be integrated? Should technology be integrated? How? What kind of technology?<br /></span><div></div><div><br /><a href="http://cdn.content.compendiumblog.com/uploads/user/aa16664d-3263-4a6e-a0b8-6982f34ec2f9/2b44d2a3-40d9-482f-a014-08bbcb6abacd/Image/4dbd43a042f4a64a11334a5118e52e69.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 212px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 202px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://cdn.content.compendiumblog.com/uploads/user/aa16664d-3263-4a6e-a0b8-6982f34ec2f9/2b44d2a3-40d9-482f-a014-08bbcb6abacd/Image/4dbd43a042f4a64a11334a5118e52e69.jpg" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">As one who is relatively reluctant to embrace technology of many kinds without a Darn Good Reason, I am often cast as a Luddite by my teenage son, a self-described techno-geek (and proud of it too!!). This is slightly unfair, as I am fully computerized at work and at home, use my laptop daily, keyboard at 60+ wpm, own and use a Smartphone, an iPod Shuffle, and an iTouch. I have a Facebook account, text message fairly often, used a template program to design an educational website for the museum, Google like crazy, and am learning to write for a web-enabled Smartphone app. I even know what a web-enabled Smartphone app is!!! Surely that counts for something...?</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">But in the world of my techno-geek son and his equally techno-geek or at least techno-saavy and techno-connected friends and peers, I cannot compete. This is a fact - he and they have literally grown up on technology and all it can do, and they embrace the new and advanced and faster and smarter and more functional with aplomb. They will always be more advanced, more interested, and more ready-and-willing to dive into the deep end and swim for it. I would prefer to dip my toes in, maybe sit on the edge and just watch for a while. I suspect that there are many, many teachers out there who feel the way I do, and are completely unable to contemplate integrating technology in the classroom. Who wants to set themselves up as the Luddite teacher to a gaggle of techno-saavy teens who will not hesitate to gleefully point out and celebrate your shortcomings?</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 229px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 297px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/aba0350l.jpg" />This scenario certainly does not apply to all teachers, maybe not even to the majority of teachers, but this digital-divide reality, combined with the realities of educational today, can make technology and schools seem like an impossible combination. These realities include a society and its government that under-values and under-funds education; schools that lack technology resources altogether, or have such old or inadequate resources that they are virtually useless; a skills-driven, factory-mentality curriculum that relies on high-stakes testing; and a lack of technical knowledge and support at the school level, as addressed in my colleague's previous post. So much has to change, on so many levels. Schools need the best equipment, the top-tier support personnel, and the opportunity to re-envision and reconfigure the school as The Most Important Investment our society can make. Until that happens, we have to find ways to work with what we have, and maybe allow those techno-geek students to teach us sometimes. Will it be different in another generation, when the techno-saavy students of today are the techno-saavy teachers of tomorrow?</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">As technology becomes integrated into so much of daily life in so many places around the world, we must find a way to integrate that World into our schools. Perhaps then technology will have a chance to follow.</span></div></div></div></div>SGreaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01108826843671308157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2843253174833054861.post-46525325124818533612010-06-20T19:08:00.000-07:002010-06-20T19:45:10.701-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" >Technological Dependency in Schools</span>:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >Can It Happen?</span></span><br /></div></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4fpTGzWtY7jaoICbjDfmo68z9_DU9QFq_htQHqw73-qcVbJXyYAoXZTZUqX5tQWECIy2lV9Ri_MbXMaa6ZLGp9ObttpkLdWUKeqiPyYbORgW5SqNm6gJUKrgY108guTiAxeSsafSTw/s1600/Hal.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4fpTGzWtY7jaoICbjDfmo68z9_DU9QFq_htQHqw73-qcVbJXyYAoXZTZUqX5tQWECIy2lV9Ri_MbXMaa6ZLGp9ObttpkLdWUKeqiPyYbORgW5SqNm6gJUKrgY108guTiAxeSsafSTw/s320/Hal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485047716532426802" border="0" /></a>Being that this is my final blog posting I wanted to talk about technology and schools in general. At the exponential rate that technology is growing at, school administrators and teachers are going to face a situation where eventually those they teach are 100% technology dependent or close to it. Many teachers already have a love hate relationship with technology, but what happens when the time comes that they have no choice but to face their inner tech demon? Are schools capable of becoming completely technology dependent? I think the answer is yes, but it's going to take careful planning and strategizing to meet that eventuality with some form of success.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhd2byKrtyCbvHsA8KrxzZt20IwKJcY76kdm7bV0WlW4awMN1gqDuJrM14irRLzpECSLSN87qPLlmQ_Oy4_GYKSM9-xkx2TLBPjyOv1JpyHpbwIXmzm4XSyQGh0tK9d35TglWOvcCIzQ/s1600/no+access.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhd2byKrtyCbvHsA8KrxzZt20IwKJcY76kdm7bV0WlW4awMN1gqDuJrM14irRLzpECSLSN87qPLlmQ_Oy4_GYKSM9-xkx2TLBPjyOv1JpyHpbwIXmzm4XSyQGh0tK9d35TglWOvcCIzQ/s320/no+access.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485048012390497730" border="0" /></a><br />One main issue to overcome is simply the access to technology. Asides from funding, which in the future will not be much of an issue considering the economies of scale with respect to computers, one of the central issues is making computer access manageable. Access to technology is an important issue for teachers and students and so to make the best use of limited connections and equipment, schools can explore strategies for allocating computers (<a href="http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te200.htm">www.ncrel.org</a>). There are five strategies that can be used: <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/computer_allocation.html">Computer in Labs</a>, <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/computer_allocation.html">Mobile </a><a href="http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/computer_allocation.html">Computer Labs</a>, <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/computer_allocation.html">Incremental Roll-out</a> and <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/computer_allocation.html">School-Within-a-School</a>. Each one offers a different solution to an array of school limitations which would make access to technology much more manageable.<br /><br />Quite possibly the most important aspect of technology in schools, and one which I have recent memories of, is technical <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqM-FUutgahBXjiUXDsf-AiV3SujmkZqXHR_VyZQOcXimAcuVPEOorRGUgYqwM411ry1hzLX8NppMcDK_N4SbqOnWZeNtbGSpmcbPVpTFcrB_XaQP0mM7zY6O_sWxEbVHme83g93UgbA/s1600/goingcrazy.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 221px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqM-FUutgahBXjiUXDsf-AiV3SujmkZqXHR_VyZQOcXimAcuVPEOorRGUgYqwM411ry1hzLX8NppMcDK_N4SbqOnWZeNtbGSpmcbPVpTFcrB_XaQP0mM7zY6O_sWxEbVHme83g93UgbA/s320/goingcrazy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485048337468155522" border="0" /></a>support. Without continuous technical support, technology integration in the classroom will never be satisfactorily achieved (<a href="http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te200.htm">www.ncrel.org</a>). This is probably the biggest worry about switching to a technology dominant school set-up, the potential for total equipment failure. There is nothing that will steer teachers away from incorporating technology faster than equipment failure, complex software, and data loss. This is totally understandable because what the hell do you do if you encounter a technological problem and you have an entire class staring at you with nothing to do. That's why schools have to seriously look at their tech infrastructure and make any repairs and or upgrades prior to even contemplating full blown technological dependency. This is going to go hand-in-hand with just-in-time support. Teachers need immediate help when the technology fails, "if technical problems arise frequently and teachers have to wait hours, days, or weeks to get them resolved, they will abandon their efforts to incorporate technology" (<a href="http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te200.htm">www.ncrel.org</a>). That's why you have to have the tech staff available to respond on a moments notice. That way, there are no delays to getting the technology back up and running and teachers, as well as students, do not lose their faith, nor their minds.<br /><br />The use of technology in class has to provide meaningful and engaged learning. If it doesn't then what's the point? This is going to involve the teacher re-envisioning their pedagogical approach in a way that improves teaching and learning. There are several tools that school administrators and teachers can use to map effective use of technology so that students are challenged to new levels of thinking such as: <a href="http://www.ncrtec.org/capacity/profile/profwww.htm">Learning With Technology Profile Tool</a>, and <a href="http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS">National Educational</a> <a href="http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS">Technology Standards</a>. Both offer guidelines for implementing technology in schools as well as planning for technology-based activities in various grade levels (<a href="http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te200.htm">www.ncrel.org</a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQSjL4EDQ0mKV5QiXCltV6wevrjd_MqcC_06FPeAkU1wIBt03RSYbIRq7jHbblrUqLMFe3KJynjUmLSZRekQu48RY3Ux1ngqC3_jyOGoLldGfWXXMu7JOVXctqHGluQ0YRXto_N4AGA/s1600/thinker.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 232px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQSjL4EDQ0mKV5QiXCltV6wevrjd_MqcC_06FPeAkU1wIBt03RSYbIRq7jHbblrUqLMFe3KJynjUmLSZRekQu48RY3Ux1ngqC3_jyOGoLldGfWXXMu7JOVXctqHGluQ0YRXto_N4AGA/s320/thinker.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485049095032485186" border="0" /></a>).<br /><br />There is one last thing that has to be taken into consideration before schools can become technology dependent and this is the role of the teacher. Teachers have for centuries planned lesson plans and lectured their students. In order to gauge their grasp on relevant topics, they have quizzed and tested their student's in order to quantify their level of retention. With technology, the teachers role goes from lecturer to facilitator. At first this might create obstacles for the complete integration of technology within schools, mainly because teachers have always held authority over the class and this would seem to take some of that authority away. However, as students become more self-directed, teachers who are not accustomed to acting as facilitators or coaches may not understand how technology can be used as part of activities that are not teacher-related (<a href="http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te200.htm">www.ncrel.org</a>). This situation may be an excellent opportunity for the teacher not only to learn from the student but also to model being an information seeker, lifelong learner, and risk taker (<a href="http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te200.htm">www.ncrel.org</a>).<br /><br />So there is no doubt that a school can become completely technology dependent but it is going to take careful thinking, teacher participation and a re-envisioning of how students are taught. This could be a perfect scenario to utilize an <a href="http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/intro/whatisai.cfm">Appreciative Inquiry</a> process in order to map out all the concerns, fears, and potential pitfalls that a complete technological dependency move is bound to create, in order to create an effective strategy that will work.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Source</span><span style="font-style: italic;">: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te200.htm</span>Seb4130nyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711231114285031675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2843253174833054861.post-54509337203387926792010-06-19T13:16:00.000-07:002010-06-19T13:59:30.847-07:00Michelle Perz plays video games for you part 1.In the spirit of our workshop brethren, Danielle and Jonathan, I have decided to post a vlog showing a simulation of a surgery from a game called Trauma Team. In the game, there are six different characters which the player can choose: head surgeon, endoscopic surgeon, orthopedic surgeon, first response, diagnostician, and forensics investigator. In this case, I will be playing the head surgeon on the very first level so the controls are basic and my skill level is fairly beginner-ish as well. <div><br /></div><div>While I enjoy this game, I think there is some level of utility in its game play. For one, the anxiety level which is present in these surgeries makes for a realistic pressure-filled situation. If you can't stand the pressure in a video game which allows you the ability to fail, then medical school may not be for you. Games like this can also improve hand-eye coordination, balance, deduction skills, and memory. Therefore, without further ado, I give you part 1 of my video game playing skills. I will be posting a couple more of these in the next week or so.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwQKBJEx5GgPOTHhTlb3K90K4veC8D8fRL7KSI5F8Te7xqcP8ZVvVKJZb7O6m7LRq8vTWgf0CrhkVPG5hSnCQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>pinkfiregoddesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353974464415120493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2843253174833054861.post-10156824933571471022010-06-16T15:42:00.000-07:002010-06-16T15:43:03.391-07:00Library BlogMonroe County Library System: The teen blog<br />So, in my last post, I talked about the greatly expanded resources available digitally on the Monroe County Library website. This week, I look a little closer at one feature of the website: the teen section. Now, as previously discussed, teens and libraries don’t often mix. While there are certainly teens that use the library, those that really like going to the library are probably in the minority. This is reflected in the lack of interaction that takes place between libraries, and their potential teen patrons. In Monroe County, they are trying to reverse this trend.<br />One way in which the Monroe County Library system is trying to change this is by harnessing the (relatively) new popularity of blogs, and using them to their advantage. Unlike the rest of the county website, which consists of articles and resources, the teen site — find it at http://mclsteens.wordpress.com/ — is much more interactive. When you get to the Teen page, you encounter a format similar to many of the popular blogs that are popping up all over the web. Blog posts the length of short articles, with spaces for comments, are found in the center of the page, and various toolbars, links, and a calendar line the borders. The blog posts are a mix of items clearly relating to the library and its resources (“Chili Library’s Junior Friends Newsletter), and those that have little to do with libraries, but are supposed to be of interest to teens (“Youngest person to sail around the world”). In fact, most of the posts have very little to do with traditional library fare. “Book Lists,” “Books,” “Events,” “Music¬¬_& Videos,” and “News” are all sections of the page, and there are a lot of polls that bloggers can participate in. Finally, there are several sections at the top of the page that have links to other teen library pages, booklists, and even sites for homework help. <br />This webpage/blog is clearly a big step forward in trying to make libraries (and their websites) more teen friendly. The creators of the blog obviously realize that they are going to have to change their tactics if they wish to attract more teen interaction. Realizing that you aren’t simply going to “hook” teens by having them wander around the stacks, they have brought the library system into the mainstream and made it more 21st century compatible. This being said, it seems as if the webpage is not used as much as they would like. I didn’t see a single comment posted on the blog. Because blogs are meant to be interactive (notice the exciting banter on our page- (thanks Jonathan!), comments and reader participation is are pretty much essential. This clearly isn’t happening on the library blog, so I think this section of the site is a “work-in-progress” to say the least. It would be interesting to see if (or how) much teen input went into the development of the site. Also, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen any advertising for the site, so I’m not sure how many teens actually know about it. Hopefully the page can get some more activity on it, but I’m not sure the best way for them to achieve this goal. If you can think of anything that might work, post your thoughts in our comment section (slightly more used than the libraries!)…<br />Tom AndrewsTom11http://www.blogger.com/profile/13600701665932084648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2843253174833054861.post-34178294747784518702010-06-10T06:57:00.000-07:002010-06-10T14:02:20.184-07:00Strategies for Implementing Video Games in the Classroom<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCN4RJO35bsnj8g0BwXzHdbGojT2V-IuhV5Fc9BGbZjCd5uMIps-A7EQfE8OUoQM3rje-nGwZ-ROD3RaZ6Y5wyJpKEsAfB4oC9V5xVEIl-ExD3GNhJpNS-w29NcuKl_sKz4gvWhy94g/s1600/playing+video+game-saidaonline.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCN4RJO35bsnj8g0BwXzHdbGojT2V-IuhV5Fc9BGbZjCd5uMIps-A7EQfE8OUoQM3rje-nGwZ-ROD3RaZ6Y5wyJpKEsAfB4oC9V5xVEIl-ExD3GNhJpNS-w29NcuKl_sKz4gvWhy94g/s400/playing+video+game-saidaonline.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481154560612695618" border="0" /></a> The idea of using video games as part of a learning experience is something that is becoming ever more popular with educators today mainly because the amount of students who actually utilize video games outside of school life is pretty substantial. It also gives the educator the opportunity to present his/her material in a much more captivating way. Let's face it, how boring is it to have to constantly read pages of text to then answer questions, over and over? It's sucks! Video games put a spin on that "boring" approach and actually makes learning fun.<br /><br />However great it sounds one has to approach incorporating video games into the classroom with caution. There are many pitfalls with video games that can turn a great learning experience into a disaster and so it is essential that as an educator you do enough pre-planning and research as possible. For instance, one has to first realize that incorporating video games in a learning environment is not quick, easy, or inexpensive; that games are not a Panacea for Technology-Based Learning; that any game can/should be used for problem-solving and motivation. (Gikas, Eck)<br /><br />The reality is that incorporating games into the classroom can be difficult and so it becomes imperative that you do your homework prior to doing so. Games are not for all topics, learners, or environments. In addition to this video games in the class can only be successful if it has content integrated with the game.<br /><br />So how do you do this? Well, Joanne Gikas and Richard Van Eck, PH.D. from the University of Memphis have put together a great pdf entitled, " Guidelines for Planning and Implementing the Use of Commercial Games for Learning," which has a detailed approach to incorporating video games in the classroom as a learning tool.<br /><br />This pdf can be accessed at: <a href="http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/NLI0431.pdf">net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/NLI0431.pdf<br /></a><br />The great thing about the Gikas and Eck guidelines is that it really makes clear that implementing video games in the classroom is just not as easy as it sounds and that a lot of thoughtful thinking in to how one is going to incorporate lesson plan objectives alongside a video game is very much needed.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">God of War for Greek Mythology?</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWfa-4ef6XAdsgBM4ODQsaEgdNf8Jg0Dqdt1ZO7R6QHhdTNy_14QylDM7EGRqtGei5BmKKUe7p40-b9R1z1WXm5gFOa4vqdHgtnRUoEyafn1l8D-EMMxSNW3i1ZIZk4KpH2J4itwFaA/s1600/God_of_War_2_second.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 196px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWfa-4ef6XAdsgBM4ODQsaEgdNf8Jg0Dqdt1ZO7R6QHhdTNy_14QylDM7EGRqtGei5BmKKUe7p40-b9R1z1WXm5gFOa4vqdHgtnRUoEyafn1l8D-EMMxSNW3i1ZIZk4KpH2J4itwFaA/s320/God_of_War_2_second.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481200507734884546" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;"> OR</span></span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search"><span class="f"><cite><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Age of Empire's, Civilization for History?<br /><br /></span></span></cite></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXyM_tu_U4Mymjt-pJll0PXO5M3gt7FFBxpFpgvFRc6WohoMViPoMc2wn71m1lvcv1LK5yOm3ExghWcdb_N7T0PzGwg9iLJPUSIcLEvB65qbw8zHlkf7I5Hp4Y4a_0so7Uvezz-X1Kkg/s1600/11842137134.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXyM_tu_U4Mymjt-pJll0PXO5M3gt7FFBxpFpgvFRc6WohoMViPoMc2wn71m1lvcv1LK5yOm3ExghWcdb_N7T0PzGwg9iLJPUSIcLEvB65qbw8zHlkf7I5Hp4Y4a_0so7Uvezz-X1Kkg/s320/11842137134.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481201576016462866" border="0" /></a><br /> <br /><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search"><span class="f"><cite><span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Which one to use? How to use? Will it work?</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /></cite></span></span></span>Seb4130nyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711231114285031675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2843253174833054861.post-60416938940093969892010-06-09T15:22:00.000-07:002010-06-09T15:52:00.572-07:00Virtual Field Trips in the Social Studies Classroom: Real Opportunity or Red Herring? Part 2<span style="font-size:85%;">As we discussed last time, the appeal and intention of virtual field trips is to afford students the opportunity for an out-of-school, immersive, curriculum-extending experience, without the expense of busses and lost classroom time. Sounds great, doesn’t? And <strong>Great</strong> it can be, but as we will see, it does take a bit more than a mouse and a screen to fill the bill.<br /><br />Stoddard (2009; Figure 1, p. 417) describes the requirements for a truly enriching, authentic learning experience, whether the field trip is an actual or virtual one. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Clear objectives for the field trip<br /></strong>In order to get permission for an actual field trip, many teachers are required to submit real, often substantive documentation of the trip’s academic value. These may include lesson plans, appropriate state curriculum standards, connections to subject areas, etc., all in addition to any paperwork for busing, arrangements for lunches or other classes that students will miss, collecting permission slips, and recruitment of chaperones. While we can gleefully claim that virtual field trips eliminate many of these cumbersome complications, the need for authentic academic value remains. Teachers need to clarify the purpose for the experience: what is the Golden Nugget, or the Big Idea, that students should gain from this trip, and what specific activities will get them to that goal?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Logical connections to and timing for the curriculum</strong><br />A big part of the objectives for the field trip experience should enhance and extend the curriculum. The timing for the trip will both depend upon and influence the objectives and their connections. Is the field trip a warm-up activity, setting the stage and getting students excited about an aspect of the curriculum? Or is it a culminating activity, winding up the students’ learning with a form of hands-on, brains-on application of their knowledge? Or the field trip experience may come in the middle of the students’ studies, both using their prior knowledge and building new knowledge through experience? </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Student and teacher interactions with “experts’ as part of the field trip (substantive conversation)</strong><br />As with any extension activity, the “extension” may occur on the part of the teacher, as well as the students. Be they re-enactors in character as at historical sites like Colonial Williamsburg (or a more close-to-home example, Genesee Country Museum), docents or other guides at museums or zoos, or pre-assembled materials like the World Religion exploratory kits recently introduced at the MAG, teachers and students should be able to count on authentic give-and-take with experts. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Instruction is inquiry or problem based in order to engage students in higher order thinking</strong><br />The knowledge give-and-take on a field trip experience can challenge students to higher order thinking and authentic learning. Bloom’s Taxonomy includes skills such as classify, solve, demonstrate, articulate, analyze, explain, illustrate, prioritize, speculate, validate, predict, assess, and justify in its highest levels of critical thinking. Authentic learning occurs when students have the opportunity for the hands-on, brains-on experience that requires them to tap into their own knowledge, the knowledge of others, and to synthesize it all in a problem-solving or exploratory inquiry.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Field trip site provides guidelines or materials for teachers</strong><br />The teacher interaction with site experts may come in the form of preparatory materials for classroom use. Often these materials include various goals and objectives available from a site visit, pre- and post-visit materials that introduce or synthesize student experiences, and scaffolding questions and guidance for teachers to customize the experience for their students based on curriculum needs, local connections, and grade level.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Media or artifacts (online or objects) used to enhance the curriculum</strong><br />More and more field trip sites are embracing the multi-modal learning experience, enhancing their actual and virtual field trips with a variety of sensory opportunities and interactions. These serve to engage students (and teachers!) on many levels, address different abilities, and make cross-curricular connections. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Teachers engage students in work to prepare for and debrief field trip – </strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>to work towards deeper knowledge<br /></strong>As described above, many sites offer pre- and post-visit materials. Use of these materials to prepare students for their visit – ranging from simple “museum manners” to introductory “what we might see there” images to open-ended questions that address issues or aspects of the visit’s subject – can have highly beneficial effects on student learning. Docents at the MAG have consistently remarked on the differences between student tour groups that have participated in the pre-tour materials available for teachers, and those that have not. Prepared students arrive excited to see “familiar” objects, are able to readily describe and explain what they see using enhanced vocabulary, make more frequent connections to their school studies, and are more willing and able to engage the docent in analysis and inquiry, the give-and-take with experts that makes the experience more authentic for all.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Teachers collaborate with field trip site personnel to enhance student learning</strong><br />While the site experts are indeed “experts,” the knowledge and experience of the classroom teacher is invaluable. An individual teacher’s class will undoubtedly benefit from the teacher’s work with and consultation with the site educators or other experts, but the benefit does not end there. All visitors, school and otherwise, reap the harvest of such collaboration. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Reference:<br /></strong>Stoddard, J. (2009). Toward a virtual field trip model for the social studies. <em>Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9</em>(4), 412-438. Retrieved from </span><a href="http://www.citejournal.org/vol9/iss4/socialstudies/article1.cfm"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.citejournal.org/vol9/iss4/socialstudies/article1.cfm</span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Critical and Creative Thinking - Bloom's Taxonomy. Accessed at </span><a href="http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic69.htm"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic69.htm</span></a>SGreaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01108826843671308157noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2843253174833054861.post-51530567016286997572010-06-04T16:40:00.000-07:002010-06-04T17:29:57.394-07:00Games that improve social skills? Surely, you jest!So, while I wrangle with the techno gods to let me upload my vlog, I'm going to talk a little about how games can help improve social skills. I know what you're thinking...centaurs? But, the answer is that, yes, games serve more of a purpose than for fat, balding guys with carpal tunnel to escape to day in and day out. Wait a second, you say. Why should improving social skills be construed as good or even necessary? Well, for some individuals, social skills are not second-nature. Individuals with autism spectrum disorders, for example, often struggle with social cues and interactions which typically developing people take for granted. Counselors in both academic and non-academic settings work with individuals with autism to help improve recognition of these cues, but what about games? What can they do?<br /><div><div><div><br /></div><div>Online games like World of Warcraft and even first-person shooter games that have online functions may serve as a medium for social interaction. Unfortunately, the text-based comment functions do little to increase knowledge of how people should interact on a daily basis, especially when the act of decoding the online text might be difficult in and of itself. Even utilizing the team-speak function isn't wholly useful if you aren't comfortable with interaction anyway. What if, however, you have a game that tests you on your ability to form social links?</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>Well, in Persona 4, the main character cannot advance the game unless they form a variety of social links.</div><div><br /></div></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioVfkTpv2ogyq5emmdwcXYMJl8cDbc8zK1_fR_T8aPgpaWrk6KOiS8teZRlbXMnDvnSYLnxt7RwOYoU4ctVoNR68s4PE3X93SYBRgCQeK38EqJW1HzY-lB_gzfJ3C_wa1Nvu7-WgnWQN0/s1600/378994_full.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioVfkTpv2ogyq5emmdwcXYMJl8cDbc8zK1_fR_T8aPgpaWrk6KOiS8teZRlbXMnDvnSYLnxt7RwOYoU4ctVoNR68s4PE3X93SYBRgCQeK38EqJW1HzY-lB_gzfJ3C_wa1Nvu7-WgnWQN0/s320/378994_full.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479075382252779682" /></a><br /><div>This screenshot shows the details of the main character's new relationship with Chie Satonaka. In order to get to the point of being in a relationship, the main character (whom I named Fumiko Obu) needs to hang out with Chie several times in order to rank up and become gradually more intimate. Of course, the beauty of this game is that you can refuse to hang out with people when they ask you and just go home and go to bed, but that doesn't really improve social skills or the quality of the game. In fact, if you don't level up your relationships with friends or girlfriends, then the battles become exponentially harder. </div><div> </div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXiFzRYtvD1f-jOzBarcaxk9Onyd4XgvLMKledWetSpw8C9a6vjHiOUMyTdQBAaKEZ9uuHNOhsJp-Tc_RpvjEWMstYgVCBbLJpMyNnW2yjJvdbcEmEC57b4lUnnlldu02cLjWHIXD6KQ/s1600/379000_full.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXiFzRYtvD1f-jOzBarcaxk9Onyd4XgvLMKledWetSpw8C9a6vjHiOUMyTdQBAaKEZ9uuHNOhsJp-Tc_RpvjEWMstYgVCBbLJpMyNnW2yjJvdbcEmEC57b4lUnnlldu02cLjWHIXD6KQ/s320/379000_full.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479078060834276178" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This screenshot shows how the weather affects gameplay. You cannot hang out with friends on rainy days so it is best to level up social links on sunny days. Rainy days are reserved for working jobs which can also help your personality profile.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5gRwaqa6J0EZAVSpdqTlkJ2UV-pyM5k12RB6LLkRUIYCn9tI-eZWaS-OndOAqGpdsdNmIY_FuSutfJdScd8p-XTQ35JGwG5lPGSkbtVCQD4nsOSBtzUJJ4YV-eXZjWd3FZZ4iaVzPO0/s1600/379012_full.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5gRwaqa6J0EZAVSpdqTlkJ2UV-pyM5k12RB6LLkRUIYCn9tI-eZWaS-OndOAqGpdsdNmIY_FuSutfJdScd8p-XTQ35JGwG5lPGSkbtVCQD4nsOSBtzUJJ4YV-eXZjWd3FZZ4iaVzPO0/s320/379012_full.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479078573765964322" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Then, of course, there is the school aspect of the game. During gameplay, players are actually tested on lectures which are given in class. If you get the highest score in the school, then you are rewarded through a series of social link boosts. In this world, being the smartest gets you some serious street cred. </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbR7vll1_hcyKTdBJaymExttFG-S4HoN3yWsqfRYBd3y5XrriPFeF-LWF_cP1Ch-BPmQA2rh6H2qsvVuNmv1VHpHaenAP54ZdiwL8aeYTWjsifVO1lXG-SMkJAjoWnwh6uz3HjH5shYzs/s1600/shin-megami-tensei-persona-4-20081209041447588_640w.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbR7vll1_hcyKTdBJaymExttFG-S4HoN3yWsqfRYBd3y5XrriPFeF-LWF_cP1Ch-BPmQA2rh6H2qsvVuNmv1VHpHaenAP54ZdiwL8aeYTWjsifVO1lXG-SMkJAjoWnwh6uz3HjH5shYzs/s320/shin-megami-tensei-persona-4-20081209041447588_640w.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479079320866764226" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 224px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbR7vll1_hcyKTdBJaymExttFG-S4HoN3yWsqfRYBd3y5XrriPFeF-LWF_cP1Ch-BPmQA2rh6H2qsvVuNmv1VHpHaenAP54ZdiwL8aeYTWjsifVO1lXG-SMkJAjoWnwh6uz3HjH5shYzs/s1600/shin-megami-tensei-persona-4-20081209041447588_640w.jpg"></a>This screenshot shows you the personality traits you must level up. In order to qualify for some jobs, your understanding, knowledge, or diligence may be required to be at a certain level. In order to level these qualities up, the character must join a social activity like band, drama club, or a sport. Being persistent with these social activities will help you gain higher levels of personality. </div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, this is just a cursory examination of the game and its functions. There are many other aspects which test the player's ability to form links within the game. While this may be a large leap to make, I think that seeing the benefits of improved social links in a virtual setting may also help in a real-life setting as well. In part two, I will reinforce that notion with some more information.<br /><br /></div>pinkfiregoddesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353974464415120493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2843253174833054861.post-57191067271008215182010-06-02T11:57:00.000-07:002010-06-02T11:57:00.537-07:00Digital Library- Part 1<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CUR_PUB%7E1.UR%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="Edit-Time-Data" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CUR_PUB%7E1.UR%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_editdata.mso"><!--[if !mso]> <style> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} </style> <![endif]--><link 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gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapedefaults ext="edit" spidmax="2050"> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout ext="edit"> <o:idmap ext="edit" data="1"> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; font-family: arial;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 200%;font-size:12pt;" >The 21<sup>st</sup> Century Library: Fruits of the Digital Tree.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; font-family: arial;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" spt="75" preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"> </v:formulas> <v:path extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" connecttype="rect"> <o:lock ext="edit" aspectratio="t"> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_0" spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="seymour library.jpg" style="'position:absolute;margin-left:369.65pt;" wrapcoords="-332 0 -332 21340 21589 21340 21589 0 -332 0"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\UR_PUB~1.UR\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg" title="seymour library"> <w:wrap type="tight"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/UR_PUB%7E1.UR/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.jpg" alt="seymour library.jpg" shapes="Picture_x0020_0" width="130" align="left" height="83" hspace="12" /><!--[endif]--><b style=""><span style="line-height: 200%;font-size:12pt;" ><span style=""> </span></span></b><span style="line-height: 200%;font-size:12pt;" >Growing up in Small Town USA, I have early memories of going to the local library and combing through the books, magazines, and even cassette tapes, trying to find adventures to take with me.<span style=""> </span>The library was housed in an old Victorian building that added an ambiance<span style="color:red;"> </span>of mystery and authenticity to the experience, at least from the perspective of an elementary school-aged kid. <span style=""> </span>As I grew older, I still loved books, but libraries didn’t hold nearly the same power and mystique for me as in my younger years.<span style=""> </span>For most of my friends, whatever hold libraries may have had was lost by the time they entered high school, never to be seen again during their teens.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-size:12pt;" ><span style=""> </span>Now, as I begin my professional journey as a teacher, I find myself torn between my understanding of the benefits that libraries have to offer for students of all ages, and the reality that most teens are not very interested in going to the library.<span style=""> </span>In addition, school libraries often have limited resources, while community/town libraries are often at too great a distance from the school to be of real use during the school day.<span style=""> </span>So how can educators incorporate meaningful use of library resources, while keeping students interested in what they are doing?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-size:12pt;" ><span style=""> </span>The answer to this question came to me during my student-teaching placement at School Without Walls-Foundations Academy (SWWFA).<span style=""> </span>SWWFA is a small school within the Rochester School District that tries to maximize the use of community resources throughout the school year.<span style=""> </span>Because of this, the school’s library is actually the Rochester Central Library, on South Avenue.<span style=""> </span>While this is the physical location of the library, I learned from librarians at the teen center (thanks Zandi!) that the county library system also has a virtual location.<span style=""> </span>Another thing I learned from my student teaching experience is that most of my students would rather jump on the computer for information than peruse the stacks for that same content.<span style=""> </span>The solution to the above problem emerges: have students go digital in their use of library resources.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-size:12pt;" ><span style=""> </span>The Monroe County library page (</span><a href="http://www3.libraryweb.org/home2.aspx"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-size:12pt;" >http://www3.libraryweb.org/home2.aspx</span></a><span style="line-height: 200%;font-size:12pt;" >) has more than just the catalog and hours.<span style=""> </span>The website is much, much more extensive than I realized even a few months ago.<span style=""> </span>Stuck at home with no way to get to the library?<span style=""> </span>Users can find a Download section, with audio and e-books, as well as podcasts.<span style=""> </span>Want to investigate local history?<span style=""> </span>No problem- the library has pictures, both old and new<u>,</u> of the life, events, and landmarks of both city and county.<span style=""> </span>Resource guides help students and teachers alike navigate the website and the web at-large.<span style=""> </span>Want to have your students read primary documents?<span style=""> </span>Among a variety of newspapers, students could look at an article from the Rochester Daily Democrat detailing Lincoln’s assassination: (</span><a href="http://www.libraryweb.org/%7Edigitized/newspapers/rochester_daily_democrat/vol.30no.336.pdf"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-size:12pt;" >http://www.libraryweb.org/~digitized/newspapers/</span></a><span style="line-height: 200%;font-size:12pt;" > ).<span style=""> </span>Want to have your students (or children) research their genealogy?<span style=""> </span>The website has podcasts, databases, FAQ’s, and other resources.<span style=""> </span>There is even a separate section just for teachers.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-size:12pt;" ><span style=""> </span>Needless to say, this is not the library of my youth.<span style=""> </span>No worries, that library is still there, and if I want or need to peruse the stacks for a good adventure, I can still do so.<span style=""> </span>But now, many of the same resources available at the physical library, and a whole bunch that aren’t, can be accessed on-line.<span style=""> </span>For the student that wants no part of a library, but will happily jump on-line, this may be the best of both worlds.<span style=""> </span>My next post will concentrate specifically on the teen section of the library website, which is set up as a blog for teens and librarians to co-construct.<span style=""> </span>Between now and then, if you can’t get to the physical library for your needs, (<i style="">either</i> try the digital library <i style="">or</i><span style="color:red;"> </span>go to the digital library) - you may be surprised by what you find!<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";font-size:12pt;" ><span style="font-family: arial;">Tom Andrews</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> Tom11http://www.blogger.com/profile/13600701665932084648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2843253174833054861.post-90442807201626896792010-05-27T12:13:00.000-07:002010-05-27T12:43:39.212-07:00Video Games<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQT0ujQIMImmF3-27aeoh-xaLl0z4Cs2U-g61RCdaHglzFoUXzVztkmPxj2NxbheIn81I7KAoc2yT-2c80Ot17Y2zyyBl6MXvTxgulSeHzbJM7vbMTpqoZHq8U-f_SYsfBDIxvgQwroA/s1600/kids-playing-video-games.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQT0ujQIMImmF3-27aeoh-xaLl0z4Cs2U-g61RCdaHglzFoUXzVztkmPxj2NxbheIn81I7KAoc2yT-2c80Ot17Y2zyyBl6MXvTxgulSeHzbJM7vbMTpqoZHq8U-f_SYsfBDIxvgQwroA/s400/kids-playing-video-games.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476035975147064178" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: courier new;font-family:georgia;font-size:180%;" >Video Games as an Educational Tool</span><br /><br /></div> The idea of using video games as a learning tool has been around for a while. The military, which includes the air force and both marines and army, utilize video game simulations to train with such as America’s Army (<a href="http://www.americasarmy.com/aa3.php"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">http://www.americasarmy.com/aa3.php</span></span></a>). Police forces across the United States also use video game simulation for training purposes. The question is whether or not video games can be used for educational purposes for the industries main target market, children and teens and the answer is yes!<br /><br /> As technology becomes more and more a necessity in every day life, the idea of incorporating it within education programs is becoming more of a reality. Both teachers and parents are becoming familiar with the benefits available to students who use video games (<a href="http://www.adultlearn.com/video-games-education.html"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">http://www.adultlearn.com/video-games-education.html</span></span></a>). Now let’s be clear here for a moment, when speaking of video games we most certainly are not speaking about games which incorporate violence such as the popular Call of Duty series or the Grand Theft Auto series and which have no educative purpose, what we are referring to are games that take a specific learning topic or objective and offer a virtual way of mastering said topic. The idea of such video games is that the student will hopefully learn but not realize they are doing so.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgq0xbffZGIKs212gb86pPHRplGEzMXWxDHV7iJQplhIndKlpXZ1pARwiO4WPbuckcrTnWb4cYaouq1bymsMDyTivU8q9fvcqMKCF_0xfTJG88Hntot7X5tcgDMJBNITvow0K_HbI2Q/s1600/remission-box.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 93px; height: 131px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgq0xbffZGIKs212gb86pPHRplGEzMXWxDHV7iJQplhIndKlpXZ1pARwiO4WPbuckcrTnWb4cYaouq1bymsMDyTivU8q9fvcqMKCF_0xfTJG88Hntot7X5tcgDMJBNITvow0K_HbI2Q/s400/remission-box.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476036349524232450" border="0" /></a>Examples of such educative video games are Re-Mission, which features Lead Roxxi, your gutsy and fully armed nanobot, who through challenging missions and rapid-fire assaults searches and destroys malignant cancer cells wherever they may hide (<a href="http://www.re-mission.net/site/game/index.php">http://www.re-mission.net/site/game/index.php</a>)<br /><br />Another game, The River City Project, offers an interactive simulation for middle grades science students to learn scientific inquiry and 21st century skills<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinEIp5bgu6sapMSCfX3nxuGXsQemNSG7YkFd0jDk7zUGIS-d8CsxIN9265EMyCp2riT2NnVWQxqbPV1jkOwMM4rJ1rqb8SQy8_RTtxYIZrSb3-DGZsrwPemuimUC4aYZuuySBpHZq9Lw/s1600/river+city.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 106px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinEIp5bgu6sapMSCfX3nxuGXsQemNSG7YkFd0jDk7zUGIS-d8CsxIN9265EMyCp2riT2NnVWQxqbPV1jkOwMM4rJ1rqb8SQy8_RTtxYIZrSb3-DGZsrwPemuimUC4aYZuuySBpHZq9Lw/s400/river+city.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476036653985063202" border="0" /></a> (<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://muve.gse.harvard.edu/muvees2003/index.html">http://muve.gse.harvard.edu</a><a href="http://muve.gse.harvard.edu/muvees2003/index.html">/muvees2003/index.html</a></span></span>). The idea of the game is that students would travel back in time to the 19th century, with their 21st century skills and technology, to problem solve many health related issues that societies faced during that century. A kind of detective game, students would find clues that would hint at causes of illnesses, form and test hypotheses, develop experiments to test their hypotheses, and make recommendations based on that data (<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://muve.gse.harvard.edu/muvees2003/index.html">http://muve.gse.harvard.edu</a><a href="http://muve.gse.harvard.edu/muvees2003/index.html">/muvees2003/index.html</a></span></span>).<br /><br /> The great thing about such games is that students can go home and complete certain missions and then report back to school on what they learned. In addition to this video games can be used in-class to further enhance a lecture. With the interface of such educational games being so simple, both teacher and student would be able to quickly navigate through the medium and therefore the learning curve that exists with most video games used on the XBOX 360 or PS3 game consoles would virtually be non-existent. The availability of such educational based video games is becoming a lucrative business, which for instructors means a wide variety of games for a multitude of topics be it math, social studies, science, foreign language etc. <br /><br />Below is a list of other educational video games:<br /><br /><a href="http://funschool.kaboose.com/">Fun School Games</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/ecoquest-the-search-for-cetus">EcoQuest</a><br /><a href="http://www.scholastic.com/parents/play/games/"><br />Scholastic Games</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.americasarmy.com/">America’s Army</a><br /><br /><a href="http://atlantis.crlt.indiana.edu/">Quest Atlantis</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.fas.org/immuneattack/">Immune Attack</a><br /><br /> In future posts we will look at techniques for instructors on how to best incorporate video games within the classroom and as take home homework.Seb4130nyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711231114285031675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2843253174833054861.post-27994827027532152342010-05-26T08:01:00.000-07:002010-05-26T08:07:41.611-07:00Virtual Field Trips in the Social Studies Classroom: Real Opportunity or Red Herring? (Part 1)<div><font face="verdana" size="2">The school field trip has become a rarity, if not a complete impossibility, for many teachers and their students in this era of budget slashing. The Memorial Art Gallery (where I am an educator) and most other cultural institutions in the region, and indeed in the nation, have experienced a serious drop in numbers of teachers bringing their students for school visits. It is a loss for all parties involved, on many different levels: the students miss out on a multi-modal, horizon-broadening, informal learning experience at a unique cultural connection in their own community; the teachers lose the chance to extend the basic curriculum with a hands-on, minds-on, real world experience; the institution loses fees which affects funding of general operations as well as educational program development, and misses the chance to connect with young people who might become future supporters and lifelong learners. </font></div><font face="verdana">
<br /><div><br /><font size="2">In order to combat these circumstances, many institutions are developing ways to reach out to schools and teachers in the classroom. While some of these outreach materials are in the form of physical supplements (books, lesson plans, posters, artifact kits, etc.), the seemingly ubiquitous presence of the internet offers unique and powerful ways to deliver multimedia, interactive, immersive experiences. These experiences, called Virtual Field Trips (VFT) come in the form of videoed tours of places, interviews or lectures by on-the-spot experts, animated or still images with text and/or voiceovers, layered links of deeper or tangential information. For the technologically well-equipped school and well-trained teacher, the VFT appears to offer a less expensive, highly customizable option for replacing the old fashioned field trip. Additionally, the VFT incorporates technology into the classroom practice, thereby addressing another of today’s required curriculum standards.</font></div>
<br /><div><font size="2"><br />There are many sites with listings of potentially enriching VFTs. A Google search of Virtual Field Trip yields a State of Utah educational site (</font></font><a href="http://www.uen.org/tours/"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://www.uen.org/tours/</font></a><font face="verdana" size="2">), the Tramline company website which developed a do-it-yourself software package called TourMaker for designing one’s own VFT (</font><a href="http://www.field-trips.org/"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://www.field-trips.org/</font></a><font face="verdana" size="2"> ), and TechTrekkers (</font><a href="http://www.techtrekers.com/virtualft.htm"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://www.techtrekers.com/virtualft.htm</font></a><font face="verdana" size="2">), among others, all offering extensive listings and links to various VFTs produced by cultural institutions, school groups, libraries, and other entities. All you need is a mouse and a screen, and you’re off on a virtual adventure! But what is the objective of this field trip? What will students gain from the experience? Is the cool digital image of a far-away place an educational experience in itself? What about deeper questioning, critical thinking, and other high level skills? Do the VFTs themselves offer such skills, or is the teacher responsible for developing lessons based on offered digital content? </font></div><font face="verdana">
<br /><div><br /><font size="2">In my next posting I will address some of these questions, exploring the opportunities for and obstacles to authentic learning afforded by VFTs. In the meantime, I offer to you a sample of some of the more celebrated VFT sites, discussed and recommended in various educational publications.<br /><br /><br />Some VFT links to explore – </font></div>
<br /><div><br /><font size="2"><strong>American History:<br /></strong>Colonial Williamsburg’s Electronic Field Trip - </font></font><a href="http://www.history.org/history/teaching/pscufs/"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://www.history.org/history/teaching/pscufs/</font></a><font size="2"><br /></font><font face="verdana"><br /><font size="2">Deliberating in a Democracy - </font></font><a href="http://www.deliberating.org/"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://www.deliberating.org</font></a><font size="2"><br /></font><font face="verdana"><br /><font size="2">Fort Ticonderoga - </font></font><a href="http://www.fort-ticonderoga.org/"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://www.fort-ticonderoga.org</font></a><font size="2"><br /></font><font face="verdana"><br /><font size="2">Historic Jamestowne - </font></font><a href="http://historicjamestowne.org/"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://historicjamestowne.org</font></a><font face="verdana" size="2"><br /><br />Plimoth Plantation - </font><a href="http://www.plimoth.org/"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://www.plimoth.org</font></a><font size="2"><br /></font><font face="verdana"><br /><font size="2">Pathways to Freedom - </font></font><a href="http://pathways.thinkport.org/following/"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://pathways.thinkport.org/following/</font></a><font size="2"><br /></font><font face="verdana"><br /><font size="2">Quest Atlantis - </font></font><a href="http://atlantis.crlt.indiana.edu/"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://atlantis.crlt.indiana.edu/</font></a><font size="2"><br /></font><font face="verdana"><br /><br /><font size="2"><strong>World History:</strong><br />BBC History, Virtual Tours - </font></font><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/virtual_tours/"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/virtual_tours/</font></a><font size="2"><br /></font><font face="verdana"><br /><font size="2">Nova Online: Pyramids, The Inside Story - </font></font><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/pyramid/"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/pyramid/</font></a><font size="2"><br /></font><font face="verdana"><br /><font size="2">Roman Open Air Museum Hechingen-Stein - </font></font><a href="http://www.villa-rustica.de/tour/toure.html"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://www.villa-rustica.de/tour/toure.html</font></a><font size="2"><br /></font><font face="verdana"><br /><font size="2">Pompeii: Unraveling Ancient Mysteries - </font></font><a href="http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/pompeii/index.html"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/pompeii/index.html</font></a><font size="2"><br /></font><font face="verdana"><br /><br /><font size="2"><strong>General Categories:</strong><br />eFieldTrips: several selections, mainly science, some SS; requires registration for access –<br /></font></font><a href="http://www.efieldtrips.org/Schedules/searchResults.cfm?searchType=all"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://www.efieldtrips.org/Schedules/searchResults.cfm?searchType=all</font></a><font size="2"><br /></font><font face="verdana"><br /><font size="2">Tramline - </font></font><a href="http://www.field-trips.org/trips.htm"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://www.field-trips.org/trips.htm</font></a><font size="2"><br /></font><font face="verdana"><br /><font size="2">Museums with “virtual” exhibits or tours - </font></font><a href="http://www.virtualfreesites.com/museums.museums.html"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://www.virtualfreesites.com/museums.museums.html</font></a><font size="2"><br /></font><font face="verdana" size="2">Beware: many links are inactive!<br /><br />Scholastic Internet Field Trips: </font><a href="http://teacher.scholastic.com/fieldtrp/socstu.htm"><font face="verdana" size="2">http://teacher.scholastic.com/fieldtrp/socstu.htm</font></a><font size="2"><br /></font></div>SGreaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01108826843671308157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2843253174833054861.post-83031126969644825112010-05-25T07:44:00.000-07:002010-05-25T07:45:44.206-07:00Introduction!<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Greetings fellow bloggers and followers! Since this is the start of a new blog, it is our intention to give a rationale as to why our blog is focused on implementing digital media, including video games, film, websites, etc. into the classroom.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">1. We are awesome: This fact is irrefutable and suggestions as to otherwise will not be tolerated. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2. As a mixed group of both technology skeptics and enthusiasts (Collins & Halverson, 2009), we feel it necessary to provide a forum to discuss both the potential pitfalls and benefits of using technology in the classroom through our individual blog posts.</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">3. The media listed above are multi-billion dollar industries which account for the majority of our students’ spent free time. Therefore, instead of falling prey to the familiar “[games] are entertaining and motivating. School can’t compete with that” (Gee, 2004) argument, we are attempting to explore the ways around that thinking; eg., what are the obstacles in implementing video games, film etc. and how can we overcome them? </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">4. Perhaps most practically, this blog will serve as a means to confront our own thinking about this topic and, hopefully, will allow a growth of individual knowledge unprecedented in the blogosphere. Side note: it will also allow us to use words like blogosphere without getting beaten up.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">With that said, get your seats in the upright position and your tray tables up because learning will soon be inevitable! </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">References: </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Collins, A. & Halverson, R. (2009). <i>Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology: the Digital Revolution and Schooling in America</i>. New York: Teachers College Press.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Gee, J. (2004). <i>Situated Language and Learning: A Critique of Traditional Schooling (Literacies). </i>New York: Routledge. </span></p>pinkfiregoddesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16353974464415120493noreply@blogger.com0