Phew - I'm tired. I have a serious problem with "tinkering" - I like to explore programs like Scratch a lot, but I need to learn to say enough is enough. I'm pretty satisfied with it thought :) Here it is:
About Me Scratch Project
My inspiration was springtime.... I did it by tinkering a lot, and continually playing with what the program would let me do. For the sun I couldn't figure out how to get it to randomly move around the screen, so I looked back at how the shark was done in those scratch cards we did last week and figured it out. I got stuck on figuring out how to make things happen automatically, so I downloaded another About Me and figured out how to use the "broadcast" blocks that way - super helpful! I guess I'm most proud of figuring out how the broadcast blocks worked.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Double Entry Journal #5
Quote 1:
Response:
Because I teach such a broad spectrum of subjects with the same group of students over a 6 hour day, for 10 weeks, I could see how a game like this might be helpful for me. Each student has a lot of individual work, and a 20 minute gameplay break could help group discussion and cross learning. Some of my students are working toward their GED, and I could see how Civilization III could help facilitate discussions and deeper thinking in the areas of Science as well as Social Studies... the finding about the flood plain, for example, could help inform a discussion about the hydrological cycle. The citizens of the city getting sick could include a discussion about water-borne disease.
I liked that there was a reflective element to the gameplay of Civilization III. The students had to write an after game log about their experience. I think this might be a way to diffuse any conflicts the students might have with decisions about the game play that day. They would have an opportunity to explain why they thought something should have happened differently. I could tie this into a computer literacy activity as well, and have the student write there reflections as a blog.
I primarily teach workplace skills, and I could see how diplomacy might be linked to existing customer service and working productively lessons. However, this article made me think of how to use other games to get this across. Diner Dash, might be one such game, its a pretty quick (but addictive) game that could be a fun way to introduce some lessons.
Forgive me, my response has been mostly about how I could use this game in my classroom, but this reading has my head spinning with ideas. I could see how a 20 minute time slot for a game like this could help the goals of individual learners in my classroom.
Additional Resource:
I was looking for simulation games I could use to teach workplace skills, and after some digging I found a few that were offered online free. This is a link to three that I could possibly use in my classroom:
Interactive Job Interview Games
And, this is the one I played so I could get a handle on how it would work. Although its a bit wordy, I could see using it in a group setting because it shows the range of subtle ways one could answer interview questions.
Interview Game
References:
Lee, J. K., & Probert, J. (2010). Civilization iii and whole-class play in high school social studies. The Journal of Social Studies Research, 34(1), 1-28. Retrieved from http://newlitcollaborative.ning.com/page/research-publications
In this study, the teacher made connections between the game and curriculum-based content in U. S. history through combination of planned actions (e.g. Manifest Destiny and Imperialism) and more opportunistic actions (e.g. Pangaea and the concept of embassy). Such teaching requires a mix of foresight and a willingness to adapt. The teacher in this study was willing to look across the curriculum for opportunities to reinforce previous learning. He also took opportunities to make more specific connections to content being studied outside of the game. (Lee & Probert, 2010)
Response:
Because I teach such a broad spectrum of subjects with the same group of students over a 6 hour day, for 10 weeks, I could see how a game like this might be helpful for me. Each student has a lot of individual work, and a 20 minute gameplay break could help group discussion and cross learning. Some of my students are working toward their GED, and I could see how Civilization III could help facilitate discussions and deeper thinking in the areas of Science as well as Social Studies... the finding about the flood plain, for example, could help inform a discussion about the hydrological cycle. The citizens of the city getting sick could include a discussion about water-borne disease.
I liked that there was a reflective element to the gameplay of Civilization III. The students had to write an after game log about their experience. I think this might be a way to diffuse any conflicts the students might have with decisions about the game play that day. They would have an opportunity to explain why they thought something should have happened differently. I could tie this into a computer literacy activity as well, and have the student write there reflections as a blog.
I primarily teach workplace skills, and I could see how diplomacy might be linked to existing customer service and working productively lessons. However, this article made me think of how to use other games to get this across. Diner Dash, might be one such game, its a pretty quick (but addictive) game that could be a fun way to introduce some lessons.
Forgive me, my response has been mostly about how I could use this game in my classroom, but this reading has my head spinning with ideas. I could see how a 20 minute time slot for a game like this could help the goals of individual learners in my classroom.
Additional Resource:
I was looking for simulation games I could use to teach workplace skills, and after some digging I found a few that were offered online free. This is a link to three that I could possibly use in my classroom:
Interactive Job Interview Games
And, this is the one I played so I could get a handle on how it would work. Although its a bit wordy, I could see using it in a group setting because it shows the range of subtle ways one could answer interview questions.
Interview Game
References:
Lee, J. K., & Probert, J. (2010). Civilization iii and whole-class play in high school social studies. The Journal of Social Studies Research, 34(1), 1-28. Retrieved from http://newlitcollaborative.ning.com/page/research-publications
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Week 5 - Scratch Ideas
I found Scratch to be an easy to use and fun application! The tutorial was easy to follow and the scratch cards helped me understand what all the program could do.
Here are the projects I did:
Tutorial:
http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/vclay/3110812
Scratch Cards:
http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/vclay/3110762
Ideas for a scratch project: I just don't know yet. I'm looking forward to playing with this program and seeing what it could do before I decide what project to do.
http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/vclay/3110812
Scratch Cards:
http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/vclay/3110762
Ideas for a scratch project: I just don't know yet. I'm looking forward to playing with this program and seeing what it could do before I decide what project to do.
Double Entry Journal #4
Quote:
"When we let him choose the specific topic he would read about, however, he selected a grade 12 text and performed at independent level. In other words, when he got to choose what to read, he read four grades above his diagnosed reading level, not three grades below it"(Steinkuehler, 2010)
Response:
My initial response to this is Wow! Its an argument for allowing more choice and self selection in school based text and projects. However, the article does admit this is an ancedotal example, which immediately raises red flags for me. Although, I agree with the setiments of this article - that english class assignments tend to reflect "our" tastes, I do not believe that ancedotal evidence is the best way to make this point. I question what the larger results of this informal study were, and would like to read more of their findings. This article also did not make clear whether his interests resulted in a higher reading level. Julio chose a 12th grade text that interested him, but it did not make clear whether he was able to understand the complexity of the text.
Additional Resource:
Dad uses "Call of Duty" to teach son history, military ethics
This is just a short blog post that talks about how a Dad was a little hesitant to let his 13 year old play a "teen game" that was violent, so he compromised a bit. He and his son looked up the Geneva Convention and discussed the way to treat non-combatants and prisoners of war and his son agreed to play the game using those rules. I thought this was an interesting way for a father to deal with a violent game, and also use it as a learning opportunity.
References:
Steinkuehler, C. (2010). Video games and digital literacies. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(1), 61-63. doi: 10.1598/JAAL.54.1.7
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Scratch Game - Week Four
An example of a game I liked
Learn more about this project
I had a tough time finding games I liked on this website - it was hard to navigate but I think this one was pretty neat, although I would have liked there to be "more" to it. I'm not sure i would create something exactly like this but it gave me a good idea as to what might be possible. I think maybe a game could be created around the hydrological cycle and maybe what happens when something goes awry. I've also been somewhat inspired by my findings/readings in the double entry journal this week, and would maybe like to design something related to social or historical awareness.....
Learn more about this project
I had a tough time finding games I liked on this website - it was hard to navigate but I think this one was pretty neat, although I would have liked there to be "more" to it. I'm not sure i would create something exactly like this but it gave me a good idea as to what might be possible. I think maybe a game could be created around the hydrological cycle and maybe what happens when something goes awry. I've also been somewhat inspired by my findings/readings in the double entry journal this week, and would maybe like to design something related to social or historical awareness.....
Double Entry Journal #3- Week 4
Quote:
The evolving mission of QA is to support
children in developing their own sense of purpose as individuals, as members of their communities, and as knowledgeable citizens of the
world. Toward realizing this mission, the pro-
gram came to embrace seven social commitments and respective, abbreviated slogans that
underlie our design decisions:
1. Creative Expression-I Express Myself.
2. Diversity Affirmation-Everyone Matters.
3. Personal Agency-I Have Voice.
4. Social Responsibility-We Can Make a Difference.
1. Creative Expression-I Express Myself.
2. Diversity Affirmation-Everyone Matters.
3. Personal Agency-I Have Voice.
4. Social Responsibility-We Can Make a Difference.
5. Environmental Awareness-Think
Act Locally.
Globally,
6. Healthy Communities-Live, Love, Grow.
7. Compassionate Wisdom-Be Kind.
(Barab, Thomas, Dodge, Carteaux & Tuzun, 2005)
Response:
I really liked that this was a drive behind design decision making. I can understand why teachers responded to participating in this game because of these commitments. The article goes on to state "In fact, teachers remark that the most common reason they join QA is to be involved in a project that is connected to standards, that integrates technology, and that has meaningful social commitments" (Barab, Thomas, Dodge, Carteaux & Tuzun, 2005). I was also intrigued that this was an "evolving mission" which seems to imply that initially they weren't an important feature driving the design decisions.... that they must have sprang forth as a response to needing something (other than just academic excellence) to aspire to. I really admire the creators of this game to allow for an evolving mission, and for studying their "audience" before designing. The article states that they spent 2 years researching the trends that appealed to young people. Early in the article it states that it considers QA as an example of socially responsive design - and it addresses and collaborates with the community of learners who constitute its audience. I feel like one problem with educational software (and I am only mostly familiar with that which is available to the mass market) is that it seems to "dictate" what the consumer wants, vs. listening to the consumer.
Additional Resource:
Why Video Games Are Scoring Big for Social Good
This is an article that presents several (albeit brief) ways in which games are being developed for social good. I could see how the some of these games could be used in the classroom. I am particularly interested in the games that help describe and identify real-world problems, and could see this as a great way to study current events.
References:
Barab, S., Thomas, M., Dodge, T., Carteaux, R., & Tuzun, H. (2005). Making learing fun: Quest atlantis, a game without guns. Educational Technology Research and Development, 53(1), 86-107. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30220419
7. Compassionate Wisdom-Be Kind.
(Barab, Thomas, Dodge, Carteaux & Tuzun, 2005)
Response:
I really liked that this was a drive behind design decision making. I can understand why teachers responded to participating in this game because of these commitments. The article goes on to state "In fact, teachers remark that the most common reason they join QA is to be involved in a project that is connected to standards, that integrates technology, and that has meaningful social commitments" (Barab, Thomas, Dodge, Carteaux & Tuzun, 2005). I was also intrigued that this was an "evolving mission" which seems to imply that initially they weren't an important feature driving the design decisions.... that they must have sprang forth as a response to needing something (other than just academic excellence) to aspire to. I really admire the creators of this game to allow for an evolving mission, and for studying their "audience" before designing. The article states that they spent 2 years researching the trends that appealed to young people. Early in the article it states that it considers QA as an example of socially responsive design - and it addresses and collaborates with the community of learners who constitute its audience. I feel like one problem with educational software (and I am only mostly familiar with that which is available to the mass market) is that it seems to "dictate" what the consumer wants, vs. listening to the consumer.
Additional Resource:
Why Video Games Are Scoring Big for Social Good
This is an article that presents several (albeit brief) ways in which games are being developed for social good. I could see how the some of these games could be used in the classroom. I am particularly interested in the games that help describe and identify real-world problems, and could see this as a great way to study current events.
References:
Barab, S., Thomas, M., Dodge, T., Carteaux, R., & Tuzun, H. (2005). Making learing fun: Quest atlantis, a game without guns. Educational Technology Research and Development, 53(1), 86-107. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30220419
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Double Entry Journal #2 - Gardens of Times principles
These are the six principles of good games for learning that I believe Gardens of Times reflects:
Interaction: One way a player interacts with this game is by designing, building and improving the garden. The player, as they move up in the game unlocks new items to add to the garden. They also have to add certain items to the garden in order to meet goals.
Customization: Players have several options to customize this game. For one, a player could choose to focus on creating their garden, with game play (which are seek & find puzzles) kept to a minimum if they choose. Customization is also available in the form of choice in which type of puzzle they want to play. For instance, I did not like the "spot the difference" puzzles, so when given the mission to get 9 stars in chapter one, I choose not to play that puzzle again. Customization could also be gained through playing a more social game if the player wants - they could choose to visit their neighbors gardens, or receive and give gifts.
Agency: This is similiar to the customization, in which choice plays a big part in the gameplay. A player not only had control over the look of their garden, they also had control over which missions to do. Typically there were 3 missions to choose from - one of which moves forward in the game/puzzle play, one of which makes you collect more stars in the previous puzzles, and one of which asked you to add to your garden in one way or another.
Challenge and Consolidation: I think an example of this would be the puzzles themselves... that new items would be introduced to seek as well as old items, and you'd constantly always have to look further but it was satisfying at the same time. Another example of this is in Chapter One, I was getting very good at the seek & find puzzles, and then a "spot the difference" puzzle was given... it was similar because you were still looking for items in a lot of clutter but different because you weren't given the name of the items first.
Just in Time/On Demand: This happened as I progressed through the levels and new elements of the game were introduced... for instance, the "collections" element of the game wasn't introduced until I was in Chapter Two.
Pleasantly Frustrating: The puzzles worked this way - there was always a new item that you needed to find that you hadn't before - but then there were always items that you found time and again. And, in order to earn more stars you had to play the same puzzle over again, but there were always a nice mixture of old and new items to find. In fact, the only time I found myself frustrated in this game was when there was a definite glitch in the program - once "collections" were introduced, I was not able to move forward because it kept wanting to "update" my time machine and refresh my browser... but then, my game would be abandoned and I couldn't ever earn the star I needed.... not part of the game design though (frustrating because the game wasn't working the way it was designed and I was actually enjoying it - did anyone else find this problem?).
Interaction: One way a player interacts with this game is by designing, building and improving the garden. The player, as they move up in the game unlocks new items to add to the garden. They also have to add certain items to the garden in order to meet goals.
Customization: Players have several options to customize this game. For one, a player could choose to focus on creating their garden, with game play (which are seek & find puzzles) kept to a minimum if they choose. Customization is also available in the form of choice in which type of puzzle they want to play. For instance, I did not like the "spot the difference" puzzles, so when given the mission to get 9 stars in chapter one, I choose not to play that puzzle again. Customization could also be gained through playing a more social game if the player wants - they could choose to visit their neighbors gardens, or receive and give gifts.
Agency: This is similiar to the customization, in which choice plays a big part in the gameplay. A player not only had control over the look of their garden, they also had control over which missions to do. Typically there were 3 missions to choose from - one of which moves forward in the game/puzzle play, one of which makes you collect more stars in the previous puzzles, and one of which asked you to add to your garden in one way or another.
Challenge and Consolidation: I think an example of this would be the puzzles themselves... that new items would be introduced to seek as well as old items, and you'd constantly always have to look further but it was satisfying at the same time. Another example of this is in Chapter One, I was getting very good at the seek & find puzzles, and then a "spot the difference" puzzle was given... it was similar because you were still looking for items in a lot of clutter but different because you weren't given the name of the items first.
Just in Time/On Demand: This happened as I progressed through the levels and new elements of the game were introduced... for instance, the "collections" element of the game wasn't introduced until I was in Chapter Two.
Pleasantly Frustrating: The puzzles worked this way - there was always a new item that you needed to find that you hadn't before - but then there were always items that you found time and again. And, in order to earn more stars you had to play the same puzzle over again, but there were always a nice mixture of old and new items to find. In fact, the only time I found myself frustrated in this game was when there was a definite glitch in the program - once "collections" were introduced, I was not able to move forward because it kept wanting to "update" my time machine and refresh my browser... but then, my game would be abandoned and I couldn't ever earn the star I needed.... not part of the game design though (frustrating because the game wasn't working the way it was designed and I was actually enjoying it - did anyone else find this problem?).
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