EDUC 6305 Advanced Educ.Tech. Self-Portrait Activity #15

Using Piccassohead  to create a self-portrait was relaxing, fun and a time to just be "yourself".

This activity enabled the learner to personalize the activity using digital resources and tools.  While creating my self-portrait, I kept my learning styles in mind.  Hence, the number of eyes to display my need for visual learning.  The extra large lips to verify the need for speaking, or some say, excessive talking.  I chose the double-image above the head of the main drawing to indicate that I like to view things from many different angles or points of view.  Did you notice only one ear?  I prefer to not learn by listening  to lectures or videos.  

My extra large feet are indicative of always be "on the run".  My need for moving around and being active is an important part of my overall personality.  Here is a link to a learning style inventory if you are interested in finding your learning style(s):  Vark    

Allowing students to use piccassohead would be a great "getting to know you activity", or to illustrate characters from a story/book. 

Using the piccassohead website was user-friendly.  However, I did have to start over once or twice because of not being able to edit a "part" of the picture after moving on to another section.  

NETS-T:  Teachers implementing piccassohead are promoting an environment of creativity and innovative thinking.  
 1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity (a) promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness   2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments (a) customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources

EDUC 6305 Advanced Educ.Tech. Revisit Resume Activity 14

My Resume Score 

Completing this activity was interesting and thought provoking. Creating a resume isn't something that I've had to do in a very long time.  My age, education and number of years in the workforce forced me to make decisions about my resume's content.  Using a google template was extremely helpful in the process.  As noted by my blog page title, The Changing Tides, it's symbolic for what is happening in my life.  My future employment goals are changing, so creating this resume was very beneficial.   According to Rezscore, I should not have mentioned references available upon request, and I should have listed or accounted for my years of employment.  Since we used a google doc, editing the resume will be simple and quick.

NETS-T:   Teachers creating a resume in google docs, demonstrates knowledge of current technology.
Model Digital-Age Work and Learning (a) demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations

EDUC 6305 Advanced Educ.Tech. Snipping Tool Activity #13

A snip of Google+

I first be acquainted with the Snipping Tool last semester.  After teaching my 2201 students to use this tool, I found myself showing everyone, including my mother and brother how to use the tool.  It's quick, easy and efficient.  The reason that I chose to snip google+ is that I'm hoping to use the google feature in my classroom and to demonstrate to public school teachers the features and uses for this tool in their classrooms.  Presently, I'm enrolled in Educ 6814, Game Design, and we are playing Gardens of Time (a google+ game) as a class and applying the good learning principles of gaming.  Additionally, using the google+ hangout is a thought for future conferencing with teachers throughout the state of WV.

NETS-T:   Using the snipping tool allows teachers to assign students the "freedom" of creativity, to make students work personal and provide a tool that students will be able to use in relevant ways.
 Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments  (a) design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity (c) customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies and abilities using digital tools and resources

EDUC 6814 Gardens of Time Blog # 1

Creating an Embodied Empathy for a Complex System:  Gardens of Time is an adventure game that allows the player to establish a character that must figure out the rules, set and reach goals, and use critical thinking skills to achieve the scores necessary to advance to the next level.

Action and Goal Directed Preparations for, and Simulations of, Embodied Experience: Gardens of Time allows the player to take action to plan and construct a garden with various structures, plants, etc… Since I’ve experienced walking through gardens, landscaping at home, and playing similar games in the past, I’m able to use this skill to construct a garden and plan to earn points in the game to obtain new landscape features.  I understand that to successfully complete my garden, I need to build my reputation in the game by adding neighbors, and scoring points to expand my garden.

Distributed Intelligence via the Creation of Smart tools:  The Gardens of Time virtual characters, such as LuLu is a guide (smart tool) that leads the way for the real-world players.  Visiting LuLu’s garden and clicking on her character allows LuLu to display text to guide the real-world player in understanding the rules of the game.

Cross-Functional Affiliation:  The players in Garden of Time are “neighbors” working together, sharing gifts, hints, visiting gardens and helping players in “trouble”.  This type of integrating and sharing is working as a team around the same goal.  Networking in this way, allows players to understand that if you share, then you will probably receive something in return.  So, in this particular game you aren’t creating barriers, but opening your “garden” to everyone.

Open-Ended:  Goals and Projects that Meld the Personal and Social: As a character in Gardens of Time, you decide what you want to accomplish based on your desires.  For example, garden landscaping, how many stars you want achieve, what you want to buy or sell, number of gifts you’d like to send, and the number of neighbors you desire.  Also, you have the choice to move up to certain levels with actually achieving all the stars, so as the player, it’s your desire whether to keep playing a level or move on when it is available.  I feel ownership of the game, due to establishing my identity in the game and participating.  

Since beginning this game and trying to correlate good learning principles to gaming, I’ve realized that the more I think about and apply these principles in each and every game I play, I will be more adept in identifying games for good learning.

EDUC 6814 DEJ #1 Why are Video Games Good for Learning?

Quotes:
"What makes video games good for learning has little or nothing to do directly with the fact that they are games.  Furthermore, the video games that are most interesting for learning are not just any video games.  Different types of games can have different effects."
"Video games are good for learning because, among other reasons, they have the
following features:
1.   They can create an embodied empathy for a complex system
2.    They are action-and-goal-directed preparations for, and simulations of,
embodied experience
3.   They involve distributed intelligence via the creation of smart tools
4.   They create opportunities for cross-functional affiliation
5.   They allow meaning to be situated
6.  They can be open-ended, allowing for goals and projects that meld the
personal and the social"
" The cutting edge of games and learning is not in
video game technology—although great graphics are wonderful and technical
improvements are important.  The cutting edge is realizing the potential of games for
learning by building good games into good learning systems in and out of classrooms and
by building the good learning principles in good games into learning in and out of school
whether or not a video game is present."


Reference:
Gee, J. P., & Morgridge, T. (n.d.). Why Are Video Games Good For Learning?. In http://www.academiccolab.org. Retrieved January 25, 2012, from http://www.academiccolab.org/resources/documents/MacArthur.pdf



Response:
A new view on games... As a teacher, I've witnessed the motivation and sincere interest when I tell my students, "we are playing a game in science today".  The mere mention of the word "game", I thought, meant students are interested, therefore good learning will take place.  So, the operative words are; good for learning.  After reading this article, I've concluded that well-designed games are imperative for good learning.  To think about learning principles in games, and using the same learning principles in other curricula is a new connection for me.  Since reading the article, I've had conversations with colleagues about the types of games that we think are beneficial to our students.  The theme of these conversations centered around the idea that we normally choose trivia, memorization, recall, list and define types of games.  Games that focus on learning content mainly on the lowest level of Bloom's.  Hopefully, throughout this course I will be able to design, implement, and recognize games with the learning principles for good learning.



Additional Resource:

Serious Games: Incorporating Video Games into the Classroom

"Today’s schoolchildren bear the label Generation N or the Net Generation because they have grown up in a networked world where technology is not a novelty but normal in everyday life. Current research suggests Net Gen students are more likely to engage in online games than to interact with other students or the instructor when in face-to-face learning environments.¹ The K–12 arena in particular—often lacking the technology that students expect in the classroom—has faced an uphill battle to engage these students.Technological advances in the new millennium may evoke disquiet among administrators and teachers taxed with understanding how to harness new capabilities and merge them with sound pedagogy. To understand how gaming might bridge the gap between student interest and how lessons are taught, graduate students in science education at North Carolina State University (NCSU) took an online course that incorporated role-playing games."

Annetta, L. A., Murray, M. R., Laird, S. G., Bohr, S. C., & Park, J. C. (2006). Serious Games: Incorporating Video Games in the Classroom. Educause Quarterly, 29(3). Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/SeriousGamesIncorporatingVideo/157412

EDUC 6305 Advanced Educ.Tech. Google Docs-Resume Activity #12

The new found knowledge that I obtained in creating  Mary Jo Swiger's Resume  using Google Docs; viewing various free templates.

The advantages of using cloud computing with Google:

• Accessible to a wide audience
• Continuous editing/updating capabilities
• Collaboration and comments
• No need for flashdrives, can access link from various devices
• Prospective employer ease of access, send link to innumerable prospective employers

NETS-T:  Model Digital-Age Work and Learning -Teachers that communicate relevant information and ideas effectively are modeling the role of a 21st Century teacher.  Using Google docs as  part of a curriculum allows students to collaborate, participate in a social networking setting, and receive feedback in a variety of formats.

EDUC 6305 Advanced Educ.Tech. Emotional Intelligence Activity #11

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence is being able to examine your emotions, others' emotions and use this examination of understanding to assist in decision-making and taking action.  I believe that EI is not immutable and can change due to several factors; age, exposure to a variety of social situations, the beliefs/values of your parents/guardians, guidance that you receive from your "circle" of friends, and your perception of the role-models in your life.

"Schools always have had a mission of socializing our children or preparing them for life. And that preparation is a very broad spectrum. It includes being competent in math and language, but if it doesn't also teach kids how to manage themselves better, how to handle their rocky emotions, how to handle other people, how to cooperate, how to get along, how to learn given the perils that kids face today, it's as though we cared more that kids could manage their checkbooks than that they'd be alive next week. We no longer can ignore this range of learning."

Daniel Goleman; A View on Emotional Intelligence. (2001, February 22). Edutopia.

Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence

"Teachers are the crucial models for kids in this domain. And that the teachers teach it by their being, by how they handle it when two kids are having a fight, how they notice that one kid is being left out and make sure that he's included, by how they tune into the social dynamics that between kids looms so large in kids' lives. So many kids in elementary school are troubled by issues such as, "the other kids won't play with me," "my favorite friend likes this other kid," and so on. And teachers can do very, very much by showing that, yes, this is important, and that we can think about it in a lot of ways, that we can expand our emotional-social repertoire of understanding and reaction and that children can learn this from them just by observing them. Just by taking their prompting, and their small urgings. Huge lessons are taught in very subtle ways."

"Daniel Goleman; A View on Emotional Intelligence. (2001, February 22). Edutopia.
Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence

I disagree that EQ is" more" important than IQ.  I believe that there should be a balance between cognitive and social ability.  As a teacher, we should be preparing our students to be 21st century global citizens.  Our students will need to be able to manage occupations that require social networking, cooperative learning, and team work. However, educators are forced to emphasize understanding content for high stakes testing, which I believe leads to laying aside social skills.  The path that we are on in educating our students is precarious.  I'm truly concerned that educators are choosing to not recognize body language, facial expressions, and emotional statements of our students.  Is this a common statement that we are hearing in our schools?   " I don't have time to worry about what is going on at home with that kid, I only worry about if he understands my class."   As teachers, we have to understand each student's EQ.  Teaching our students to collaborate is vital for success in the real-world.  Helping our students cope, take on specific roles, recognize that others are developing an emotional intelligence are crucial for social success.  Hence, an awareness of EQ by the teacher and students will assist in developing a productive learning environment.

NETS-T:  Teachers that will participate in an EQ survey and recognize the role of EQ in the learning environment are contributing to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession.

I

EDUC 6305 Advanced Educ.Tech. Locus of Control Activity #10

What is Locus of Control?

Locus of Control Survey

To begin with, it seems that Locus of Control has a direct impact on student/teacher relationships.  Teachers tend to focus on learning styles of students, but how often do we examine or predict success based on Locus of Control?  Teachers administering a Locus of Control survey to students would have data that is beneficial to teacher and student.  Data that shows an external locus of control should be a flag to the teacher and lead to conversations with the student to gain a better understanding of why the student feels a learned helplessness.  Guidance should be given to the student about how best to deal with the current classroom setting, online or face-to-face.   On the other hand, students with an Internal Locus of Control with an optimistic outlook should be supported by the teacher.  This support would include helping the student maintain a level of optimism and self-control.  Students with a very strong Internal Locus of Control could easily represent narcissism and need guidance as well.

As a student, not only interpreting the results of a Locus of Control survey, but “what” to do with the results in an online/face-to-face classroom setting  would seem to be directly correlated to achievement.

My Locus of Control Score:  17  (Internal Locus Control)

The Locus of Control survey questions that I struggled with were the questions that made reference to fairness in grading and studying for tests.   Reflecting on my personal experiences, being a teacher, and witnessing my son’s experience made the questions about fairness in grading and studying for tests difficult to answer.   It’s quite possible that since this survey is a “snapshot” of what is happening now, my answers to the above mentioned questions were indicative of “in the moment feelings”.

Qualifiers that seemed to be present were:  Age, Gender, Occupation

This score seems to be valid at this point in my life.  I would find it intriguing to have taken this survey at a much younger age.

According to NETS-T, teachers engage in professional growth and leadership.  Requiring students to complete the Locus of Control survey would show teachers evaluating and reflecting on research, and making effective use of a digital tool.

EDUC 6305 Advanced Educational Technology Introductory Post

Greetings!   My name is Mary Jo Swiger and I'm a 5th Grade teacher in Marion County, WV.  I've been teaching for 18 years and have teaching experience in grades 1, 3, 5, and 6.  Currently, I'm working at Fairmont State University as a Professional Development School Coordinator and teaching Instructional Technology.  My "at the moment" goal is to complete a Masters in Digital Media and New Literacies.

EDUC 6814: Game Design and Learning (Introductory Post)

 I was born in Fairmont, WV and reside in Fairview, WV. Currently, I am working at Fairmont State University as a Professional Development Coordinator and teaching an Instructional Technology course for the 2011 - 2012 school year.  I'm employed by the Marion County Board of Education as a fifth grade teacher at Fairview Middle School. 

 Not only do I want to learn the technology skills to create games, I want to understand the role that games play in students learning content.

 I enjoy games on my ipad and android phone.  Games such as, words with friends, scrabble, monopoly and yes, Angry Birds!  My sixteen year old often "ropes" me into a few Wii and Wii Fit games and xbox games.  ( I'm partial to Mario Kart.)  When our son was 3- 5 years old, my husband and I really got involved with playstation games (frogger, pacman, bugs life, to name a few).  We've tried to explain to our 16 year old what it was like to play "pong" in the late 1970's.   I'm extremely competitive and really enjoy all kinds of games.  We still play many board and card games as a family, along with video games.  

   My position on kids and video games is one that expects a balance.  For example, I understand my son's fixation and need to complete levels in various games, because of his competitive nature (I don't want to be a hypocrite). But I expect him to participate in some social activities, read books (online is fine with me), and have conversations with others (and during these conversations he often quotes football, basketball and golf statistics that he learned from his games).   

On the other hand, it's hard to ignore the stories that elementary and middle school students share; staying up all night playing games (falling asleep in class), refusing to complete minimal homework assignments because their entire evening is consumed with video games...it's these types of stories that fuel the fires of conversation around the "lunchroom" table, about "what's wrong with today's youth".   

 I've chosen the article Video Games Don't Cause Children to be Violent  because the opposite is often stated in the media, by parents and teachers. 

List three major world events that happen during the year you were born:  (1965)

1.  1965 Voting Rights Act:  The Voting Rights Act, guaranteeing African Americans the right to vote becomes law.

2.  Lyndon B. Johnson announces his program to create Medicare and to expand his war on poverty.

3.  Mandated health warnings appeared on cigarette packages, and smoking became a no, no.

Welcome 2201 Students!