I love this site! My students have really enjoyed exploring the various gaming options. Yes, it is educational but in a fun way. It certainly gains the attention of 3rd graders with spring fever! There's a little bit for everyone from art and music to reading and comprehension. You can let your students explore the various options or be specific. My students love to choose Professor Garfield on free choice day. I think that says it all.
http://www.professorgarfield.org/pgf_home.html
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Thinkfinity
Thinkfinity is a technology tool that I recently discovered. As a 3rd grade teacher, there are many different ways that I could incorporate technology from this site into my curriculum. They provide links to interactive games and activities that the students would love to explore. I especially like the online tools such as essay map and letter generator that take the students through a step by step process in creating essays and maps. Third graders are eager learners especially when technology is a part of the learning process. I believe the opportunity to use these tools will generate a higher level of performance from my students that I would get by using paper and pencil activities.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Module 4-2 Digital Literacy
Today, I read two pieces on digital literacy that I believe are relative to both teaching and parenting. As a digital immigrant, I am constantly amazed as I watch my two sons navigate technology when using their cell phones, laptops, and video games. Academically, my sons are different. My 19 year-old college student has always been a talented student, earning an academic scholarship to Purdue. My 14 year-old son is an average student that we have to “stay on top of” and push to keep an A – B average. (If he receives a C – we get his cell phone until the grade improves to a B). We do this because he is capable, just not always willing. I point this out because both boys are avid video game players. My husband and I are not. I would much rather see them reading a book and my husband would much rather see them outside playing ball, etc. We have never valued video games as an educational tool. According to the articles, most adults 40 and over feel the same way. Owen Edwards, in The Games People Play, states that video games are considered by many to be the next big thing in education and that both teachers and parents need to come to terms with it.
Marc Prensky, in Shaping Tech for the Classroom states, “But resisting today's digital technology will be truly lethal to our children's education. They live in an incredibly fast-moving world significantly different than the one we grew up in.” I agree. I have to wonder if our younger son would be more motivated at school if there were more opportunities for him to engage in technology in the classroom. As educators, we’re not reaching all of our students with traditional teaching methods. While there will always be high performing students who push themselves to succeed, what about those we’re not reaching? How could technology help us reach today’s digital natives in ways that we’re not reaching through traditional curriculum? Prensky also comments on today’s educators by implying that many see adding digital technology as generally disruptive to what schools and teachers do, and the pressure of high-stakes tests on exacerbates this problem. I do see this in my school system. We are incorporating technology, but only as an added tool. The majority of students’ time is spent on paper, pencil, and textbook activities. Prensky calls for a total revamping of today’s educational system. “For the digital age, we need new curricula, new organization, new architecture, new teaching, new student assessments, new parental connections, new administration procedures, and many other elements.”
Owen Edwards does point out that there needs to be some significant thought into the designing of video games for educational purposes. “I'm sure there may be much to be gained by using games, if those games are carefully crafted. After all, many students today are veteran gamers. But who will be making the decisions about which games teach, and which games merely seem to teach? In other words, can teachers teach game designers how to teach?” Should game designing and technology be required courses in undergraduate teaching courses? Could educational game designing be a new field of technology that will generate curriculum and high-stakes tests? Only time will tell, but as a parent and teacher, I feel waves of change are heading my way. I think I’ll go play XBOX with the boys.
Marc Prensky, in Shaping Tech for the Classroom states, “But resisting today's digital technology will be truly lethal to our children's education. They live in an incredibly fast-moving world significantly different than the one we grew up in.” I agree. I have to wonder if our younger son would be more motivated at school if there were more opportunities for him to engage in technology in the classroom. As educators, we’re not reaching all of our students with traditional teaching methods. While there will always be high performing students who push themselves to succeed, what about those we’re not reaching? How could technology help us reach today’s digital natives in ways that we’re not reaching through traditional curriculum? Prensky also comments on today’s educators by implying that many see adding digital technology as generally disruptive to what schools and teachers do, and the pressure of high-stakes tests on exacerbates this problem. I do see this in my school system. We are incorporating technology, but only as an added tool. The majority of students’ time is spent on paper, pencil, and textbook activities. Prensky calls for a total revamping of today’s educational system. “For the digital age, we need new curricula, new organization, new architecture, new teaching, new student assessments, new parental connections, new administration procedures, and many other elements.”
Owen Edwards does point out that there needs to be some significant thought into the designing of video games for educational purposes. “I'm sure there may be much to be gained by using games, if those games are carefully crafted. After all, many students today are veteran gamers. But who will be making the decisions about which games teach, and which games merely seem to teach? In other words, can teachers teach game designers how to teach?” Should game designing and technology be required courses in undergraduate teaching courses? Could educational game designing be a new field of technology that will generate curriculum and high-stakes tests? Only time will tell, but as a parent and teacher, I feel waves of change are heading my way. I think I’ll go play XBOX with the boys.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Pay Attention
This video is very captivating. The following quote spoke to me as a teacher. "I'm not attention deficit - I'm just not listening." It made me think about my own group of 3rd graders and how difficult it is at times to get them to stay on task when we're doing classwork. I then thought about the times when we're in the computer lab or we have the laptops in our class. Not one time, can I recall any of my students not being on task. In fact, they are usually so engrossed in what they're doing that the time usually goes by way too quickly and another class is standing at the door waiting to use the lab or laptops. Why hadn't I made this connection before? Even my students that are ADHD are totally engrossed during lab time. This speaks to me. It tells me that I need to find ways to incorporate technology into our everyday curriculum. The first step is proving the need for more laptops and/or labs to our school administrators. Possibly, this video will speak to them as it has to me.
Edutopia
I found the video on Dana, a nine year old girl, inspiring. I teach eight and nine year olds and they continually amaze me with their technological know-how. Dana and my students are digital natives and this video shows how important it is to use technology when teaching this age group. Dana has a personal website which made me wonder if any of my own students have a website. I've never asked them. Dana's teacher points out that allowing her students to use technology enables them to be creative learners. My goal after viewing this video is to never skip computer lab again because we are too busy! I need to find more opportunities to use the lab and laptops and show the importance of technology to my superiors. This video would be a good start.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Teacher Tube
Today I visited Teacher Tube and found some great videos for my class. I embedded a volcano video and added it to my blog. My 3rd graders are currently studying volcanoes and this video will be a certain hit.
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