Prototype Synthesis
SumDog in Five Minutes or Less
Gamification
I have so many thoughts going on about gamification. Mostly negative thoughts. First off let me tell you I am not a gamer. I never did Nintendo, Atari, or Pong as a kid and I really wasn't that keen on pinball either. I found Gabe Zichermann's TED talk to be a bit frightening. There is a lot I want to know about Gabe. Mainly, does he have kids? I don't think he does or he would have a different perspective on gaming-as-a-way-of-life. He seemed to believe that all kids were gamers. He says the world is just too "freakin" slow for our children to appreciate. He said he doesn't think that kids will ever sit down with a good book and just read. He believes that kids can multitask, but John Medina's Brain Rules research concluded that multitasking is a myth and that the brain can only do one task at a time. He also talks about dopamine. Dopamine is a key issue in the debate over whether video games are appropriate for learning or if they are addictive and detrimental. Dopamine is important. It is an important chemical in our brain that makes us do the things we do, a reward. I don't want a classroom of reward seekers that need me to be fast paced and always trying to find that hook that will keep everyone going, going, going. Sounds like a scary sci-fi novel. I continually have to reinforce with my own children, and my son in particular, that video games are just a piece of your life puzzle. Each day there should be social time, quiet reading time, exercise, gaming, family meals. Video games cannot be your whole life but it is okay for them to be part of your life. Gabe glibbly states that he has played x number of hours of games and look at him he has a good job in the video game industry. But, that is not reality. Most kids are consumers and will always be. I'm a skeptic on this. Gabe is not a good gamification ambassador. He needs to include some balance. Another question for Gabe. When is the last time you read a good book?
Using PowToon
Making a video to "flip" my classroom. MOLLUSCS
Piktochart/Infographic for my Capstone Project
https://magic.piktochart.com/output/12614929-daily-four
Revamped Piktochart/Infographic
https://magic.piktochart.com/output/12614031-should-i-post
Piktochart
Here is a link to a piktochart I created. I adapted the information from a common poster found in many classrrooms.
https://magic.piktochart.com/output/12070977-think
3 specific examples on how you might make learning digital citizenship personal for your students
Before I get to my three examples I must give some background. I teach 2nd grade. Until this class I have never talked to or thought it necessary to talk to my students about digital citizenship. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that until recently computers have not played much of a role in my classroom. When ipads started to make their way into my classroom they did so on a shared basis. There were a lot of logistics (retrieving the ipads from the cart in another room, plugging them in (or not) and locating useful apps). As my school continued to ease into the 21st century we recieved more ipads (1 to 1) and two programs for students to use (Leixa Core 5 for language arts skill practice and Dreambox for math skill practice). To use the two programs one only had to touch an icon and therefore never interact with the internet. My district continued on it's journey hiring a company to "manage" the ipads. This company ended up deleting everything and succeeded in making the ipads unusable. We called them paperweights. My 2nd grade team was quite capable in managing the ipads and until that decision we were cruising along quite nicely. So to sum up my first reason - no computer use, no need for the digital citizenship talk.
The second reason has to do with the age of my students. I prefer to handle digital citizenship on a case by case basis. A classroom is an amalgum of so many personalities. Many students are very innocent while others are worldly. Some are super honest while others are sneaky. I don't want to put ideas in their head. Sounds crazy, I know, to keep information away from students. But, many of my students would never contemplate using someone else's login information. I don't want to plant that seed.
I do appreciate one instructor's take on digital citizenship for her kindergarten students. She spoke about clean hands and I think that is appropriate for my students.
As I write this I guess what I consider norms actually fall under the heading of digital citizenship. My norms really have to do the device itself. My norms include: return the device and headphones
The second reason has to do with the age of my students. I prefer to handle digital citizenship on a case by case basis. A classroom is an amalgum of so many personalities. Many students are very innocent while others are worldly. Some are super honest while others are sneaky. I don't want to put ideas in their head. Sounds crazy, I know, to keep information away from students. But, many of my students would never contemplate using someone else's login information. I don't want to plant that seed.
I do appreciate one instructor's take on digital citizenship for her kindergarten students. She spoke about clean hands and I think that is appropriate for my students.
As I write this I guess what I consider norms actually fall under the heading of digital citizenship. My norms really have to do the device itself. My norms include: return the device and headphones
What do you want your students to do?
What are your students required to do (CCCSS, PBL etc.)?
What types of activities & tools will help achieve this ~ what do you need to add to your toolkit?
Your Ed Tech Tool Kit
What tools do you currently use?
What tools do your students currently use?
What are the barriers to using this technology?
Ed Tech Tool Kit. My classroom has a document camera and projector, laptop, and a class set of ipads. On the ipads are two programs purchased by the district - Lexia Core 5 (language arts practice) and Dreambox (math practice). Students are required to use Lexia at least one hour per week in order to collect relevant data on each student's progress. I break this up into three 20 minute blocks throughout the week. Dreambox has no recommendation and I generally use it once a week. I am currently piloting WriteReader which is a book making app. I am also piloting Storia which is Scholastic's e-reader app. I have chosen some free math apps on the ipads which I use in association with the appropriate math chapter.
I just composed answers to all those questions and somehow lost it. I'm done.
I just composed answers to all those questions and somehow lost it. I'm done.
Timeline
3/14 Make personal Storia account
3/16 Manage my account by restricting the books placed in the account
3/17 Listen/Read some of the below level readers
3/21 Try all the features associated with the below level readers.
3/22 Conference with one of my below level readers about Storia use
3/23 Make a plan for my below level reader and place books into his account
Monitor closely comprehension quizzes for my below level reader
3/14 Make personal Storia account
3/16 Manage my account by restricting the books placed in the account
3/17 Listen/Read some of the below level readers
3/21 Try all the features associated with the below level readers.
3/22 Conference with one of my below level readers about Storia use
3/23 Make a plan for my below level reader and place books into his account
Monitor closely comprehension quizzes for my below level reader
Personal Learning Plan (link)
My Classroom Website
http://notfortechsake.weebly.com/
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