When I was young, my mother once accused me of having a long conversation with a chair that she felt she couldn't interrupt. It wasn't the first time I was caught having a conversation with an unclear audience, and tragically won't be my last. For my research project website, however, I want to make sure that I have made sure to think carefully about my audience. My original thoughts regarding this entire process were narrowly focused in on the impact of computer programming instruction on student's development of their critical thinking skills. This resulted in my focus on encouraging and empowering teachers to incorporate true computer science training in their classes. This was a clear and specific audience; I wanted to reach out to all teachers, not merely those tasked with teaching technology to their students in the computer lab. But like all journeys, the line on this one was far from straight, and I suddenly found myself turning my entire class into an elaborate game. In order to spark interest, enjoyment and make the class more creative, I took those everyday ordinary computer science lessons, and made them all part of a game in which students begin as candidates for a new space program, that takes them through training until they become astronauts exploring deep space. This shift, has made it easier for me to shift the topic and titles of my project in such way that ore educators might be draw in to consider this approach. I am hoping that this thoughtful approach to my school year will lead to students enjoying learning in much they same way they might enjoy playing a game. This is, of course, a work in progress. I also hope to make clear to educators the differences between a classroom that employs games (gamified) and a class that IS a game (gamificiaton). It might seem like a small distinction, but the planning and thought processes are quite divergent. My hope is to craft my website in such a way that a curious educator could just glance it in interest, but then almost immediately think, "Wait, this doesn't look to difficult." Yet, more than encouraging teachers to consider gamification, I would love to inspire educators to begin to see their classroom, as something that can shift, grow and change. It does not have to follow traditional rules or expectations any more than it has to have desks and seats in neat little rows. I would love for teachers to begin to look around the room and ask, "What if I changed everything?" It is an interesting idea and even more so, to see how shifting the "norms" of the classroom impacts students. As one of my young students told an administrator the other day, "It is like they are tricking you into learning things."
2 Comments
9/27/2017 05:58:38 pm
I love the way you want to improve the way people think about games. It's almost as if education should not be fun. I know your playful, easy to read way of changing teaching will be our future. The 20th century education will not work with the smart tech smart children of the future. They want modern engaging, personal learning. I'm able to teach hands on personal engaged artmaking but I have to grow also.
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james landis
9/27/2017 08:31:06 pm
Jen,
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AuthorJen has been teaching school for awhile now. She's learned some stuff, but she's got tons more to learn. Archives
October 2017
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