week 3

Games and ICT-

I know from my experiences in the classroom that games on the computer really engage children. When I was planning integrated studies and used simply interactive computer games I would start unsure if they would get into the game and enjoy it. I often have to remind myself they aren't to keep me entertained but the children. As often the children would want longer playing these interactive games no matter how simple they were.

I used a great resource on practicum for healthy eating that had interactive games. http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/kids/activities-main.asp

Children making games:

http://www.quia.com/

30 day trail available.

Students can create their own quiz. At the end of an inquiry unit the students could create a quiz as a form of assessment. Students could create a quiz on the class book they are reading, as a way to introduce and get to know each other at the start of the year, they could make this quiz basically on any topic.

Quizzes the students create will last one month, unless you actually pay for the program.

It is important to tell students not to focus on making it the best you can. Just get something down for a start, to learn how to use the program. Then they can go back and alter the answers and questions when they have mastered the program.

Quiz I made during workshop: http://www.quia.com/quiz/2514013.html

Hangman games:

An aspect I didn't even think about, that with hangman you need to be careful, as students from war torn countries may find these type images and ideas as disturbing. That is a major bonus on website as they use other images but game play is the same as normal hangman. They use other. other images like balloons and stars.

My Hangman game: http://www.quia.com/hm/668230.html

Rags to riches, is like who wants to be a millionaire?

Greg mentioned a great resource he used to have which was a who wants to be a millionaire PowerPoint that he often used. (Reminder to myself to try and find this on the net).

Surveys - sample activities on the website to show different types you can create.

Would I recommend using this resource?
Obviously to teach students how to use aspects of this site and how to enter the information they need, you would have to teach as a whole class, similar to how we were shown during the workshop. I believe once the students have been taught how to use the site, it could be something that students could do as small task within other learning perhaps as an extension activity.

The hangman game I like as this could work great with spelling words or unit specific vocabulary.

The only aspect of the site I do not like is that the quizzes only last one month. I will have to continue to search the Internet to hopefully find a site that allows quizzes to stay a little longer. As a teacher making a resource, you would have to copy and paste all your questions and answers into a word document for the use in another year.

Incorporating ICT and VELS domain Design, Creativity and Technology:

Design Briefs:

Greg mentioned he would run Design Brief activities once a week to encourage students to use their higher order thinking. Greg uses examples like the jumping frog exercise we did in the workshop as well as different Origami tasks.

I really like the idea of doing a design brief activity weekly. I found many of my students on my practicum (grade 5/6 students) could not easily use their own creativity to come up with an answer to a program. It was as if they were concern that they would get the wrong answer. This is why I really like the design brief idea, as there is no one answer. Students can create their own answer and justify their reasoning for this answer.

It is amazing that schools don't do more of this, as doing design briefs fits in perfectly with the Design, Creativity and Technology Domain. More examples of different design briefs are on the VELS website (http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/support/units/units.html#dct). The design briefs could easily be integrated into the unit of work the students are currently working on, or on a totally different topic of interest to engage the class. I hope as a teacher I make time to fit such activities in as they can be very engaging and help the student express their ideas, question the way things work and assist them with their evaluating skills. The hands on aspect of such activities are another major feature I like.

Jumping Frog Example:

Child had to use ALL resources.

Encourages higher order thinking, students must write down their design briefs and evaluate them.

There are no rules, its up to the children to decide how their frog will jump.

Encourage children to start using the right terms, use as part of a unit of work.

Extension activities: for children who finish early, you could have larger frogs and larger bits of cardboard, children can see if their idea transfer to a larger setting.

Our Frog:
Including ideas for the use of ICT's students could use to present their design briefs.

I believe by using cameras/flip cameras/video footage gives the students work more meaning and hopefully encourage students to put more effort into their work as they want to showcase their best possible design. Examples of work such as our frog jump would be hard to keep to refer to later in the school year, or show on an student eportfolio or show as examples to parents. Having students document their work on computers is a great way to keep evidence of work they have done and validate the activities they are doing.

Greg believes that children will improve with their analysis and evaluate sections of their design briefs the more they do it.

Include the following in a design brief:

Investigation/Design

Produce
Problem to be solved
Resources
Analyse/Evaluate