CHAPTERS 7 & 8

7  Exploring Problem Solving with Software, Apps, and Games

* HIGHER-ORDER AND LOWER-ORDER THINKING  *

“...games that promote higher-order thinking should include most of the following elements:

·      Complex storylines with open-ended activities for game players to complete

·      Meaningful, age-appropriate characters who become learning companions for game players

·      Real-world settings that include complex puzzles that must be solved during game play

·      Opportunities for game players to interact with virtual characters as they play the game

·      Opportunities for replaying the game with different possible outcomes

·      Interesting and engaging graphics and the capacity for game players to zoom in and out of different game spaces” (Maloy, Verock-O’Loughlin, Edwards, & Woolf, 2013, p. 163).

Similar to how Bloom’s Taxonomy is used to create questions of different orders of thinking, games can be categorized as those that promote higher-order thinking or lower-order thinking based on their content.  In Bloom’s taxonomy, recalling information is lower-order thinking question, whereas creating is a higher-order thinking question.  Likewise, games promote higher-order thinking by enabling players to think creatively and critically as they encounter new and challenging experiences every time they play the game (Maloy et al., 2013, p. 163).  The different elements listed above really called out to me as they reminded me of my experience in making my WebQuest.  I wanted my WebQuest to have a game-like feel to it, so that my students would feel as if they were playing an educational video game while completing each task.  In order to accomplish this, I created mathematical word problems with a scenario to go with each, using storylines, opportunities for game players to interact with virtual characters, opportunities for replaying the game with different possible outcomes based on the clients they chose, and interesting and engaging graphics to accompany each storyline.  Although my WebQuest pales in comparison to a higher-order thinking game, I am happy with learning about the elements I could integrate into my WebQuest to turn it into such a game.

* INQUIRY LEARNING USING INTELLIGENT TUTORING SYSTEMS  *

“Intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) are powerful new software programs that promote inquiry learning through computer responses to student actions.  As students answer questions, the computer records their responses and makes predictions about what users know and do not know” (Maloy et al., 2013, p. 176).

            From the point of view of a learner, I believe that intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) are awesome and can greatly improve student learning.  Just the other day, I used an app on my phone called Memrise to brush up on my Japanese vocabulary, and I observed how a flower would bloom for each term I answered correctly on multiple occasions.  Therefore, with repetition and multiple exposures to the Japanese vocabulary, and me spelling out the words, clicking on the correct word, or clicking on the correct term spoken orally, the app was able to keep track of which words I was able to successfully learn and would take out a term I mastered each time a flower bloomed for the term.  I find that software containing this feature can definitely aid learners in a way tailored to that particular learner, similar to how a tutor would tailor lessons based on the specific student. 

            From the point of view as a teacher, I also fully support ITS being used with my students.  In classes I have observed, many ELLs took turns in having independent time at the computer during the ELA block to play an educational game.  Once the students put on their headphones and signed in, they would continue where they last left off and play games focused on math skills or English skills.  After completing a game, the results would be forwarded to the teacher.  I am not exactly sure if the computer game software had the ITS function, but if it did, the computer games would be a great asset to use in my future classroom to provide students with the practice they need in the specific skills they struggle in.

8  Communicating and Collaborating with Social Media

* INTEGRATING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS INTO YOUR TEACHING *

“There are several ways to use electronic communications and social media in inside- and outside-the-classroom professional work:

·      Teaching beyond the school day

·      Engaging students

·      Sharing information with families

·      Building learning communities

·      Publishing student work

·      Energizing student writing” (Maloy et al., 2013, p. 189).

To become a 21st century teacher, it is important to use technology not only to communicate with others, but also to extend learning into the digital world.  For instance, families would love to hear about their children’s work, and some parents would love to know about the assignments, grading policies, and homework their children are involved in.  Furthermore, students would be greatly motivated to complete their work if they know it would be published for a large audience to view.  Classroom newspapers published online with student work could be shared with students in other classes, and with family members at home.

*   STRATEGIES FOR MODERATING ONLINE DISCUSSIONS  *

Strategies for moderating online discussions include the following: focusing on issues in which students find meaningful; stressing the significance of active, thoughtful participation; stressing rapid feedback; establishing clear rules students must follow for online conduct; responding in a direct yet tactful manner; and creating an online reading response form in which students use (Maloy et al., 2013, p. 201-203).

            I was always wondering about how to create an environment in which students could share their thoughts in a digital way safely.  When I came upon strategies for moderating online discussions, I immediately marked the pages in the textbook because I knew that I would refer to these strategies in the future for when I integrate online discussions into my curriculum.  First and foremost, rules should be set for students in conducting their behavior online.  Furthermore, other strategies that are important pertain to creating an engaging and relatable topic for online discussion, and immediate and effective feedback from both the teacher and peers.  I am already used to participating in online discussions on Blackboard as a student, but I know that as a teacher, online discussions would be taken to the next level, as I have to put in a lot of effort to act as a moderator for the online discussion to be a success.

***FOOD FOR THOUGHT...***

1)    Based on the six elements the textbook mentions games should have to be considered a higher-order thinking game, do you feel confident in evaluating games you would consider using in your classroom?  Why or why not?

2)    Would you use intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) in your classroom?  If you would like to, how would you integrate them into your class?

3)    How would you incorporate electronic communications into your teaching?

4)    If you were to open up an online discussion for your class, what would the topic be on, and what question would the students have to answer?

Work Cited

Maloy, R., Verock-O’Loughlin, R., A. Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (n.d.). Transforming

          learning with new technologies (2nd ed.). Pearson