Of Mice and Middle Years…

In my literature review I developed for a Master’s class at the University of Saskatchewan I discussed gaming as a valuable learning tool for all students, but especially for those with exceptional needs such as those with Aspberger’s Syndrome. Although Mr Prensky’s presentation was part of my research, at that time I was hesitant to use his work as a primary resource since at the time I could find any of his papers in peer reviewed publications. However his message about our students (although I may argue a gender bias may need to be discussed) holds true; gaming is a prevalent and effective means of student learning. Students engage gaming and are rewarded instantly for their efforts. Opportunities arise for student to “redo” a level to search for information/ aritifacts, often through semiotic reasoning. (How many of our students would like to redo a test?) In order to become more effective gamers, student’s not only engage each other face to face, but also research multiple web pages, discussion boards, type thousands of words of text within game chat (if provided), IM, and (wait for it) reads those huge manuals that accompany some of the more “prestigious” games. I will not go into further detail, but research into gaming is certainly growing and students are pouring hundreds of hours into this technology. In the context of our discussions of “the social web”, try an online game either on the computer (Warcraft, Runescape, Second Life) our the Xbox 360, PS3 online communities. True social networking. In my opinion, effective learning that we as educators need to discuss and incorporate into our teaching.

As you may or may not read from the participant directory, I have been involved in education for all of 18 years. As I have commented (or ranted) in the past, I have heard numerous educators comment the following… “Will this “tool” enhance student learning to the degree that it is worth the time and effort to change from current teaching methodologies and practices?” This has always been a deterrent to school change, since there are many educators that quickly develop a comfort zone in their instructional methodologies. I believe this occurs because of the demands placed upon teachers in this new school environment that has arisen in the past number of years… we are educators, social workers, psychologists and in many cases, extended family. The added stress of exploring alternate methods or complimentary methods of instruction, especially in sometimes unfamiliar “technological” territory, is not easily accepted. Concrete examples, such as “A day in the life..” as Darren presented, goes a long way to invite teachers to stray out of that comfort zone. However, I must admit that his work adds for may educators an already heavy burden of th stresses mentioned earlier in this post, planning, marking, extra curricular, etc. that a teacher encounters in his or her day to day life. The variety of technologies certainly require a significant cost in terms of time for personal and external P.D.

I believe that Darren’s integration of technologies as tools for instruction has complimented and enhanced the learning experiences for his student. Interactive technologies such as blogs has certainly enhanced learning in such areas as metacognition and alternate means of communication to network with students and the instructor in their personal learning and problems/challenges that they face.
What surprised me the most was not only his direct involvement in the classroom, but also the fact that he is incorporating tools such as blogs not in the humanities/social sciences/ but in areas including mathematics.

I have always been asked, “When you receive (I hope) your Masters (in educational communications and technology), what will you do? Consulting? Business? I always answered (and honestly, quite sheepishly), “As far as I know, teach.” I was sheepish because I think people expect that my education would take me away from students to “loftier” goals. My goal has, and remains, to teach. I have no idea what the future may bring, or the opportunities that my educational experience(s) may open, but I think that a look into Darren’s professional life represents my loftier goal, to be a more effective and engaging educator. Thank you Darren for an excellent presentation.

For those of you Douglas Adam’s fans, remember the answer is 42.
I am experimenting with Mindmap42 as a tool to organize and expand my learning and hopefully with others in this course. The real power is in collaboration. I can see some fantastic potential for us as participants to add information through pictures/video/blog comments, etc. in a much more efficient manner from both the course content and extended personal learning… Frankly with all the information /presenters we will encounter, I thought this might help clear (in my case) the fog…..
If you’re interested, let me know and I’ll throw your name to collaborate!

I have to credit Angie for her comment on playground antics that has lead to my pause to rethink my stand on the safety concerns of the Social Web. I must admit that as I read your posts I balked at the comments many of you made that education of stakeholders is paramount to the Netnanny mentality that our school districts impose. Then Angie had to go ahead and make the following comment…”In my mind I just continued to reflect on how educators tend to deal with issues in similar fashion time and time again. For example, a child has behavioural issues on the playground. Often, this child will be taken off the playground and has to sit at the office for all recesses for a set amount of time. If we don’t like the action our reaction is to take something away…this will not remedy the situation…How many of us take the time to educate ourselves about why the child is having issues on the playground?”
I am a behavioural teacher. I advocate exactly what Angie has stated again and again with the children in my class and others throughout the school. Deal with the problem. Educate. Angie correlates the same observations to technology, and my chin hits the keyboard.
Constructivist implications of blogging… What a powerful learning tool. Thank you Angie. I still have many reservations, but you have made an excellent point.

Tonight’s conversation in EC&I 831 has sparked memories of many conversations I have had with educators, administrators, university professors and parents on the “Social Web” in terms of it’s very real possibility of abuse, especially in terms of bullying. In Saskatchewan, all schools have been decreed to put in policies to deal with bullying in all it’s forms. In our division, bullying, in it’s “cyber” form, will be dealt with at the school level even if it occurs outside the school environment. Many would argue that education, modelling, etc. would better serve our students than a “Net Nanny” mentality. I wonder.
The problem is that it takes cases of such as, Columbine, Taber or incidents of suicide in Saskatchewan to strike fear into the hearts of school boards throughout our province and beyond. Cyber bullying, can be argued, is one of the worst kinds of bullying. As I stated in our discussion, those seeking power (bullying) find it in anonymity. How do we respond to this incidents? What about the stakeholders?

I remember a time when new schools had swing sets. Now it’s too much of a liability.
In a school environment, has e-mail, blogs, IM, etc. become, or becoming, the swingsets of a new age? Do we need technological “helmets” for everyone?

I was very surprised by the amount of feedback from my post about the garbage in the blogosphere. Interestingly enough, I guess that comment has to be qualified….the blogs I encountered were more “diaries” of personal lives/ experiences or reflections on events that I had little or no interest in, or of questionable source or validity. Yes, I found that to be, in my view, this one man’s garbage( or another man/woman’s treasure?)

So I post the question. What is a “worthy blog”? Experience of the writer in an area? Academic credentials? I understand from my readings and viewings to date that the “news” of the world has been taken from the hands of “elite” and placed into the hands of the populace….. I wonder how Plato would react to blogs in his vision of Utopia?

Wikipedia is in the middle of a similar controversy. One example can be found in a Techspot which I believe hatched the opposing camps of those who would like to leave wikipedia open to all to edit vs those who would like to have a chosen view maintain wikipedia…. I think by the very premise that there is a group in wikipedia that is “chagrined” is a topic unto itself.

I have wandered around this site often. More like I slowed down, dropped the window, and marvelled at the dust on the windowsills…. I was more curious how long it would be still around considering I had added nothing to it’s content for a loooong period of time. Lots of reasons for that……I read blogs all the time. Most are complete garbage. Also, I had nothing to say. Nothing I wanted to share with the world. Now I join this course and a blog is a requirement. So I am back to the beginning. I don’t think in the beginning I understood what effective blogging entails. I am curious where that journey will lead me…