Gamification

What is gamification? 

This is a technique that utilizes games and game concepts to engage students in lessons and learning. 

• What are some important things to consider when using gamification in your classroom?

Some important things to consider when using gamification in the classroom are:

• Is your game age and level appropriate?
• Is this a game that the children need direct instruction from the teacher or can they figure it out by themselves?
• Does the program have a way for the teacher to see the progress the students are making as they go or do they have to rely on the student to report their progress?
• Is it something that they can use for specific lessons or just for general practice?

• What is the best example of gamification you've seen?

The best example of gamification that I have seen was the game played in class called Prodigy. I liked this game because it was teacher-backed and had ways for the teacher to have access to what the children were accomplishing throughout the game. I think the story line and the graphics would also be intriguing for a wide range of age groups and that is important because it keeps the child engaged. However, this is a game I'd let my students use when we had time for extra practice on math skills or during indoor recess because math is a subject that needs more attention with an instructor than to be self-taught or to be taught by an online program. 

• Do you think Gamification is good/bad or just a fad?

I think that gamification is a good resource because it is able to engage the students in different ways. I do not think that it is just "a fad" because technology is being used more and more in the classroom and gamification will evolve with the technology as it progresses. Along with that, children and adults are highly motivated by rewards and playing and "winning" these games is motivation to get through them and be engaged in what the program is teaching. 

How Students Learn

This week I will be discussing how students learn.

• How did you learn best as a student?
  

From my own experience, I learn best through hearing what is being taught. I have always responded well to verbal instruction and although lectures can get very boring, those are the settings in which I retain the most information. 
As a child, I liked the hear my instructions verbally and then be able to read them or have some sort of visual clue. This still holds true throughout my college education. Usually, while the professor talks I will follow along with notes or in the book. 

• How do you think this will affect you as a teacher?

As an educator, I do not think this will effect me tremendously. I understand that students learn in a multitude of ways. My goal is to be able to tailor lesson plans accordingly and plan them to best suit my students' needs, not my own. 

• Do you think humans need some type of reward as motivation or not?

I think that humans do need some type of reward as means for motivation. The reason why so many people are successful or strive to get good grades is for some type of reward, whether it is monetary compensation or recognition, motivation lies within the reward. How does the saying go- the end justifies the means? This is true for humans and will always have truth behind it. Our motivation derives from the ultimate outcome or reward.

Educational Technology

This week in class we have reviewed the past of educational technology and how it has evolved over time. Below are some questions that reflect the way that I feel about educational technology and then a basic outline of the path that technology has taken and how we have reached the point where are at this current moment.

Some questions that we were asked to think about this week are:

1. What are some of the hurdles that educational technology faces?
One hurdle that educational technology has faced over time is that because technology changes so fast, it is difficult to keep up with it which in turn makes it harder to use effectively in the classroom. Another hurdle is that some teachers or educators do not believe that the updated technology is useful and they get stuck in their ways. Lastly, schools that are in impoverished conditions may not be able to afford the technology that other schools have. 

2. What can teachers, in general, do about them?

Teachers can be proactive in learning about technology. Often times I see that students are showing teachers new ways of using old technology or how to properly operate newer devices. It should be the teachers responsibility to get specific training on these devices and be able to appropriately use them.

3.What is/will be your own personal way of handling these hurdles when you are teaching?

 As an educator, I hope to be up to date on the technology that I use in my class. I think it is important because students are surrounded by technology these days and they obviously respond to it well. I want to be able to provide an appropriate balance between using technology and not, but also to be able to effectively teach using both styles.