Fallen Shapes

https://www.dropbox.com/s/c0x3g2x1gesi2w0/Game.pptx

Week 5

Using games in the classroom
When using games in the ELA classroom, reading is one of the most important skills a student will use when playing a game. Depending on the game for example, a reading game might require a student to read quickly to advance in the game.  Educators use games to expose students to vocabulary acquisition, reading comprehension, and reading for information.  In addition, having students involved in games allows them the creativity to create characters and delve further into the game’s plot and theme.  By taking on actual characters, they are acting out the story themselves, which is a literacy skill.  Teachers realize that having fun in the classroom is one of their greatest assets in motivating students.  Games add meaningful experiences that contribute relevance to student’s reading.

Philosophy on using games
I think games in the classroom are great.  I think all students need an escape from their daily life in school.  The same old routines day in day out even makes me as an educator bored.  My motto is “ if it’s boring to me then it’s boring to the students”. Today’s generation of students relates to graphics first, versus traditional information from textbooks.  Students learn more when they are actively engaged. Games make learning more entertaining and more accessible for today’s students.  Students used problem-based approaches to complete game goals.

Edmodo
Edmodo can engage students in relevant discussions about class readings.  It can be used as a tool to model grammatically correct writing and sentence structure.  Kids love Edmodo, but the parents also appreciate what Edmodo has to offer.   It features a calendar to keep up with due dates, parents don’t have to worry about a lost paper or their child leaving an assignment in school because they can download materials they need from home.  I am beginning to explore the quiz feature.  Students can post their own book trailers to their favorite books, and playing educational games.  The list of useful benefits to Edmodo and the possible way in which to engage students through technology are endless.

I love "Hanging with Friends" its a 21st century "Hang man" game.  Hanging with friends is a multi-player word game that can be played on mobile device or tablet.   Players take turns guessing words with either friends or random opponents.  Players who challenge opponents must create a word between four and eight letters long, using the letters provided to them.  The challenge is then sent to a player who must guess the word with a limited amount of guesses (based on how many letters were used to make the word).  The exchange of guesses continues until one player uses all five of their balloons and their player falls into a pit of lava.  Players are given a limited amount of lifelines  that can either restore guesses or reveal letters that may be part of the word.  Texting, visual graphics and audio are a huge part of the gaming element in this game.  You have to text your guesses to figure out the correct word.  The visual aspects of the game make the game even more appealing.  Your player is hanging from balloons over lava.  The background colors are vibrant.  There is background  audio that plays throughout game and when you lose and fall into the lava the sound effect changes.  

Grade level: 3rd 

Common core standards: 

Reading K-5

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from non-literal language

Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently

Instructional activities : 

In an effort to improve spelling, vocabulary, and critical thinking, students will learn how to effectively play "Hang with Friends" in the classroom.  Once students have been exposed to the rules of the game and practiced, they will work in pairs to incorporate technology in the ELA lesson by using the Hanging With Friends.  Students will use classroom iTouch devices, or their own personal device. 

Assessment:  

Students will be assessed through teacher observations and their ability to make and solve word puzzles.

Debriefing:

During debriefing students will compare scores with peers and have discussions on what they liked and disliked about game.  Students will have discussions with oppenents on what words they were able to solve and those that caused them to fall into lava.

What cognitive skills do this game help to cultivate ? 

Knowledge/ Comprehension/ Application

Analysis

Synthesis

What new literacies skills do this game help to cultivate ?

Reading/ Language/ Speaking/Collaboration

Assignment #1
The articles discuss the many ways new literacies can help teachers create 21st century learners.  Meshing technology into every aspect of the class can help students learn how to conduct research and use the internet responsibly.  New literacies can enhance student’s comprehension skills of text at the click of a button.  For example, if a student comes across a word in digital text that they cannot comprehend its possible for them to click on the word and retrieve the meaning.  When I was in school that wasn’t possible, you had to get a dictionary.  New literacies open the door for students to become tech savvy and comfortable using technology to boost their learning experiences.  Though “new literacies” show great promise, there are still many challenges to using new literacies in today’s public school classroom lack of technology and professional development.  Lack of these key components creates a huge barrier to introducing new literacies in today’s classroom.

Assignment #2
Which ideas from the video reflect what the ELA teachers you interviewed are currently doing to integrate technology with their literacy instruction?                                                            
Although the videos had great ideas, I didn’t see one that would reflect on what my school’s ELA teacher is practicing in her classroom.  The ELA teacher at my school only uses traditional literacies.  She doesn’t include technology into her lesson at all.

How can you help change their instructional practices to include the use of technology and the Internet in their literacy and content-area curriculum?                                                                    
I think I can help the ELA teacher in my school by giving her an idea on a great way to incorporate technology into the classroom.  The ELA teacher always complains about the lack of tech in the building but what if we had children to bring their own technology to school.  We could take a class survey of what type of technology students have access to at home.  For example, if its tablets then we could have students bring tablet to school with parent and administration permission.  Students could read short informational text on tablets during class and create a simple mind map on what they have learned from reading.  Students could work in pairs and share maps with peers.

What professional development and/or resources will they need in order to make these changes?
The ELA teacher would need support from administration and parents.  The ELA teacher would need access to school Wi-Fi password and a small stipend to purchase short informational text apps and mind mapping app.  The ELA teacher would also benefit from attending a few professional developments on different ways to use tablets in the classroom to support school curriculum and enhance student learning.

What ideas do you have for grouping students so they will have equal access to technology in the classroom?
Grouping the students wouldn’t be a big issue if all students bought in their own technology but in the event that a student didn’t have any technology to bring in, I would pair that student with another student according to reading level.  The students could take turns reading text and then have a small discussion about text before completing task.  Another way of grouping students would be to have rotations; maybe 3 groups would complete assignment on tablet one day while other groups complete a pencil and paper assignment.  Groups would rotate until all groups have had a chance to use technology.

Assignment #3
Grade level: 6th Grade

Topic: Pre-writing strategy

Standards addressed: L.4.2, L.4.3, RL.5.7

Learning outcomes: 
Students will learn how to prepare for writing a persuasive text through brainstorming arguments/ideas and also how to use a program designed to aid in brainstorming.  

Technologies needed: 
computer lab with Internet access                                                        
Timeline for implementation (how many classes needed): (2) 40min class periods                      

How can it be integrated and implemented in the lessons? 
Students are always struggling with organizing their ideas before writing an essay. If students can organize ideas, I believe they can produce great essays.  A mind-mapping tool like bubbl. us or mindomo would be a great pre-writing tool to help students organize key points from class readings.  This tool can be used to digitize the brainstorming process.  Students that learn visually could use this tool to see ideas and how they link up.  The tool could also possibly elevate student engagement in topic.

Assessment (on writing skills and technology skills): 
Students will be assessed through teacher observation, the ability to use mind-mapping tools and verbally recount information.

1. Reflection on your understanding of ELA instruction.

Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational texts
Incorporating informational text in the curriculum in the early years of school has the potential to increase student motivation, build important comprehension skills, and lay the groundwork for students to grow into confident, purposeful readers.  Students need a broad and rich knowledge base to recognize and understand the meaning of words and ideas they read throughout their years in school and beyond.

Reading and writing grounded in evidence from text
A significant percentage of tasks and questions are text dependent.  Standards strongly focus on students gathering evidence, knowledge, and insight from what they read and therefore require that a majority of the questions and tasks that students ask and respond to be based on the text under consideration. Text dependent questions require students to demonstrate that they not only can follow the details of what is stated but also are able to make valid claims about text.

Practice with complex text and its vocabulary
Vocabulary is critically important to readers who use the words they speak and hear to make sense of the words they see in print. Decoding without understanding what words mean is not reading meaningfully.  Vocabulary is critical to reading comprehension throughout the grades. A reader cannot comprehend what is read if he or she doesn’t know the meanings of most of the words. As children advance in reading, they encounter words that are not part of their oral vocabularies, which they need to learn in order to understand what they are reading.

2. Research one technology tool that can best assist in each of the FIVE components mentioned in Learning Task#1.

Bubbl.us is a web 2.0 tool that will enable users to create mind mapping and brainstorming diagrams online.  Bubbl.us can aid any student in organizing and generating ideas.  The tool incorporates multiple intelligences.  Students can use the tool to present ideas for research.  In addition, students could organize sources or notes for a paper or research article, in order to aid in the writing process and narrow the focus of selected topics.
Bubbl.us is a tool I think could definitely aid any student in the area of ELA instruction.  The great thing about a mind-map is that it shows you the relationships between separate entities in your thought process clearly.  It is in a form which you can review and comprehend easily, even if you're looking at someone else's map.  This tool could be a powerful alternative for conveying complex information.

3. Interview an ELA teacher to learn his/her challenge(s) in integrating technology in the teaching of ELA/Literacy

Interview with ELA teacher (6th-grade):
ELA teacher stated without adequate hardware, software, and internet access, it is difficult to truly integrate technology into her ELA classroom.  Another complaint from teacher was the school does not have appropriate amounts and suitable types of technology in locations where teachers and students can use them.   For example, even though the school has a computer lab, teachers do not have easy access to them if they needed to use them.  Teachers have to compete with other teachers for computer lab time.