Sunday, September 23, 2012
Ideas for Game
When I play online educational games, I usually think of games that are structured in question and answer formats or quiz-type formats. Utilizing the hidden format is a concept I hadn't entertained as an educational format. I have since changed my opinion about using the hidden format for educational games. I think the Animals at Risk, for example, was quite educational and entertaining at the same time.
Blog About It
- What does it mean to have a 'single story' about a place or community? A single story about a place or community is the stereotype a story is told or perceived about a place or community.
- Describe a single story you have heard told about your community. What is missing from that story? How could people learn more about that community? A single story I have heard about my community is the barefoot and pregnant reference. What is missing in this story is the story are all those individuals who are hardworking individuals working in the mines, hauling coal in coal trucks, teaching, government (city and state) workers, those in the fast food industry, and hospital employees.
- Describe a single story you have heard about another community. How did you learn that story? How could you find out more about that community? I have heard similar single stories as depicted in the video shown before this segment. Fictional stories are oftentimes depicting native African citizens living in primitive lifestyles. I could learn more about this culture by researching the Internet.
- How could a game let players experience many stories about a place or community? A game could create the essence of a community by depicting the place or community in a real life light.
Play to Learn
- Name of the game: Animals at Risk
- What were you looking for? I was looking for animals that may be at risk from becoming extinct.
- Was the game fun to play? Explain why. Yes, the game was fun because found it to be challenging looking for the hidden animals.
- How does the designer reward you and keep you playing? The designer rewards you with a winning screen.
- What does this game teach you? The game teaches you about animals that may become extinct.
- How does it use hidden objects to teach you? The objects are hidden in the forestry scene.
- What age group would find this educational? I would think primary to secondary education fields would find this educational.
- How would you make this game better? Clicking on the object did not always work. I would use a wider object area to increase the likelihood of clicking it correctly.
Globaloria
has a new look since I was last on it! I'm glad to be back! The 8th
grade students I have for 2012 are a brilliant bunch! I am excited and delighted to have them in my
class! We have had fun learning about
what it takes to be a good team member.
I look forward to seeing wonderful games from this hardworking, terrific group of 8th graders!! -- Mrs. Garrett
Sunday, September 12, 2010
September 2010
What changes our school has undertaken this 2010! Our principal has moved to the central office to become an assistant superintendent; our assistant principal has moved into the principal-ship here at Sandy River Middle School; and our initial Globaloria teacher has moved on to an assistant principal-ship at our feeder high school!!! These are all great things happening for our school district.
Globaloria is off to a great start this year. Mr. Lester and I thoughtfully placed the 8th grade students into teams at the onset of the school year. The 8th grade Globaloria students are made up of talented, respectful, and hard-working students. I'm pleased with their ability to work with their partners, and have a good time at the same time.
When I walked into the classroom last Friday and stopped by everyone's computer to discuss their progress, I was impressed by the enthusiasm of game ideas. Some teams already have game plans and emphatically pitched their ideas to me. I loved it! I noticed we have a few students who are a bit behind in the logistics of their course assignments, e.g. the linking of blogs and team names. New Globaloria students were paired up with an experienced Globaloria student, so I think a simple reminder for the experienced students to pull the inexperienced student to our target timeline will resolve this issue.
Look out for great games coming out of this Globaloria class in 2011!! They're ready to roll!
Globaloria is off to a great start this year. Mr. Lester and I thoughtfully placed the 8th grade students into teams at the onset of the school year. The 8th grade Globaloria students are made up of talented, respectful, and hard-working students. I'm pleased with their ability to work with their partners, and have a good time at the same time.
When I walked into the classroom last Friday and stopped by everyone's computer to discuss their progress, I was impressed by the enthusiasm of game ideas. Some teams already have game plans and emphatically pitched their ideas to me. I loved it! I noticed we have a few students who are a bit behind in the logistics of their course assignments, e.g. the linking of blogs and team names. New Globaloria students were paired up with an experienced Globaloria student, so I think a simple reminder for the experienced students to pull the inexperienced student to our target timeline will resolve this issue.
Look out for great games coming out of this Globaloria class in 2011!! They're ready to roll!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
It's already April??
Time is flying. Is April really here already? When I listened to Maitreyi talk during today's webinar about the schedule for final presentations at the different schools, it made me reflect to August when all this started for me. I remember sitting with Inga in CPD in Charleston trying to make out the course timeline for the year, and not knowing what the heck I was doing. Denise sat beside us (thank you! Denise), and showed us how it was done. Wow! Inga and I have come a long way since then. Inga has lead us well, and here we are ending April and planning our final presentation.
We have had a busy week in Globaloria. Tuesday was our presentation to the Board of Education. The students were enlightening and entertaining before the Board. They explained blogging, wiki-ing, and their games. I filmed the presentation, and Inga posted it on our wiki. It was a very successful meeting. The following day I had a visit from the State EETT (Enhancing Education Through Technology) grant coordinator. I took her around to the different classrooms demonstrating our technology use throughout the school. I was so happy she was present during our Globaloria periods! She asked poignant questions, including what CSOs we were covering. She informed us that there was discussion about Globaloria in their office, and she had questions from other members of the State department. She walked around to each group's laptop, at which time students proudly showed her their game progress. She was impressed. Then we had a repeat when, on the following day, which was today, we had a visit from the grant monitor. I had to manipulate a little with the time in order to get her in at the time Globaloria started today. I had already given her the school's technology tour, stalled, and watched the clock for Glob to start up, then brought her in. I knew it would wow her ... and it did. The kids were great, again.
We have had a busy week in Globaloria. Tuesday was our presentation to the Board of Education. The students were enlightening and entertaining before the Board. They explained blogging, wiki-ing, and their games. I filmed the presentation, and Inga posted it on our wiki. It was a very successful meeting. The following day I had a visit from the State EETT (Enhancing Education Through Technology) grant coordinator. I took her around to the different classrooms demonstrating our technology use throughout the school. I was so happy she was present during our Globaloria periods! She asked poignant questions, including what CSOs we were covering. She informed us that there was discussion about Globaloria in their office, and she had questions from other members of the State department. She walked around to each group's laptop, at which time students proudly showed her their game progress. She was impressed. Then we had a repeat when, on the following day, which was today, we had a visit from the grant monitor. I had to manipulate a little with the time in order to get her in at the time Globaloria started today. I had already given her the school's technology tour, stalled, and watched the clock for Glob to start up, then brought her in. I knew it would wow her ... and it did. The kids were great, again.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
The Blogging Experience
Last Thursday I had to speak in front of about 40 people about the afterschool program I am currently participating in. I'm standing in front of my laptop that is projected on a large screen, pointing out the various projects we are accomplishing in our afterschool. I'm just rambling on and on. Then the moderator asks, "Could you explain what the term blogging means?"
So in that split second from her asking that question to my response, my mind is racing and turning gears from an audience that is familiar with blogging to an audience that is unfamiliar. Wow. It took me by surprise; although, I know that it shouldn't have surprised me. After all, I'm pretty new at this too.
The first time I blogged was last August in the Globaloria workshop. But then again, when Globaloria introduced it to me, I felt it was one of those tools that the world was already involved in, and I needed to get up to speed. In my Globaloria audience, I feel I'm often running to catch up just to keep up (blogging, learning Flash, wiki-ing). I am a learner in Globaloria; every day is a new application to learn and apply. But in another audience (as I found), I was a leader in this new application. Being a person of knowledge about blogging (at that very moment) stunned me.
So, being a bit of a perfectionist at heart, as well as a life-long learner, I decided to tackle the world of blogging, understand it to the best of my ability, and be prepared if I was ever asked again in front of an audience, "What is blogging?" At 7:00 a.m. on this Sunday morning, armed with my Google site, I sat exploring blogging. I explored by searching blogs from every subject that came to mind. I learned about peoples' opinions on movie reviews to companies' stand on political issues.
Then I turned to education. I clicked into Fred's blog titled Hacking Education. He intrigued me because he talks about "we need to completely reinvent the way we educate ..." Then he started talking about games in education, and I immediately thought about Globaloria. He writes: "In fact, I think games can play a big role in a new better form of education. The first time I really thought about this was when I read my friend Steven Johnson's book Everything Bad Is Good For You. Steven points out that game play is teaching our children skills they could never get in school. Another friend, Bing Gordon, formerly Chief Creative Officer of Electronic Arts, points out that math geeks, economists, and statisticians used to get their first taste of math as kids reading baseball cards, they now get it playing Madden Football. And the amount of math they can get to is at least an order of magnitude more challenging." I'm thinking: if math geeks, economists, and statisticians got their first taste of math reading baseball cards, can you imagine what our Globaloria students will rise to accomplish.
As I've written before, I'm often grateful to Globaloria for challenging me personally and professionally. But today, in reading Fred's blog, he has reminded me that Globaloria is lifting our students to a much higher level of learning than we could ever imagine. They are not just playing the games, but they are creating the games! I think our 14 year-olds in the Globaloria classroom would blow Fred away! We're not just talking about it. We are living, breathing, and providing our students 21st century learning in our Globaloria classroom.
So in that split second from her asking that question to my response, my mind is racing and turning gears from an audience that is familiar with blogging to an audience that is unfamiliar. Wow. It took me by surprise; although, I know that it shouldn't have surprised me. After all, I'm pretty new at this too.
The first time I blogged was last August in the Globaloria workshop. But then again, when Globaloria introduced it to me, I felt it was one of those tools that the world was already involved in, and I needed to get up to speed. In my Globaloria audience, I feel I'm often running to catch up just to keep up (blogging, learning Flash, wiki-ing). I am a learner in Globaloria; every day is a new application to learn and apply. But in another audience (as I found), I was a leader in this new application. Being a person of knowledge about blogging (at that very moment) stunned me.
So, being a bit of a perfectionist at heart, as well as a life-long learner, I decided to tackle the world of blogging, understand it to the best of my ability, and be prepared if I was ever asked again in front of an audience, "What is blogging?" At 7:00 a.m. on this Sunday morning, armed with my Google site, I sat exploring blogging. I explored by searching blogs from every subject that came to mind. I learned about peoples' opinions on movie reviews to companies' stand on political issues.
Then I turned to education. I clicked into Fred's blog titled Hacking Education. He intrigued me because he talks about "we need to completely reinvent the way we educate ..." Then he started talking about games in education, and I immediately thought about Globaloria. He writes: "In fact, I think games can play a big role in a new better form of education. The first time I really thought about this was when I read my friend Steven Johnson's book Everything Bad Is Good For You. Steven points out that game play is teaching our children skills they could never get in school. Another friend, Bing Gordon, formerly Chief Creative Officer of Electronic Arts, points out that math geeks, economists, and statisticians used to get their first taste of math as kids reading baseball cards, they now get it playing Madden Football. And the amount of math they can get to is at least an order of magnitude more challenging." I'm thinking: if math geeks, economists, and statisticians got their first taste of math reading baseball cards, can you imagine what our Globaloria students will rise to accomplish.
As I've written before, I'm often grateful to Globaloria for challenging me personally and professionally. But today, in reading Fred's blog, he has reminded me that Globaloria is lifting our students to a much higher level of learning than we could ever imagine. They are not just playing the games, but they are creating the games! I think our 14 year-olds in the Globaloria classroom would blow Fred away! We're not just talking about it. We are living, breathing, and providing our students 21st century learning in our Globaloria classroom.
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