The first thing I see in this chapter are phrases like "fun failures" and "why failure makes us happy". These titles make me happy because I feel there is too much of a push on perfection and because of this students, young or old, are terrified of messing up because they don't want to look stupid. In games when we fail we try again happily, but why not in life. In a game there isn't any harmful consequences to be had if you fail but in life we but up too many consequences to where failure is not an option. If we fail, we learn of course from the mistakes but that shows us where to improve. Let us fail, and we will learn.
I love her point that games are a great place to practice flexible optimism. Let's face it you are not going to be happy all the time and things are going to look grim. In games, however, you seem to be pretty optimistic about your outcome in the game. So why do we not have that in real life? Because we tend to not look for those opportunities for success because of all the negative feedback all around us. Tune out the haters and play on.
Gamers are not loners. In games, or at least most of them, we have to depend on and trust one another in order to succeed. This is true in life. If you try to do everything on your own you will be bitter, angry and well a lone. Go through life building your "party" and gather the right tools because the journey is long but no one was meant to go at it alone and unprepared.
McGonigal used the phrase "just one more time" in this chapter. This is the attitude that is key in a failure is optional classroom. Just because you messed up doesn't mean that it's over. I know when I find myself using this phrase it usually means, let me play till I get it and not just one more time. Give your students second, third and even seventy-fifth chances, as long as they are getting back up and pushing forward.
Hope is huge in life which means it should also be just as big in the classroom. If students don't feel hopeful, they will give up. Why try, they might ask. As teacher's we must show them why they should try, give them reasons to go on. In games hope may be a 1-up mushroom in Mario, or a heart piece in Zelda. These things give us that bit of hope to make us go on because we feel as if we can do it. Give your students that same bit of hope.
Friday, June 5, 2015
Cedar Trees
This first thing that McGonigal talks about is "Gaming the system". This is were you use the system for your own personal gain. At first this can sound like a bad thing, or at least when I first read it the phrase sounded kind of harsh. However this is not the case because we have to adapt things in our favor in order to proceed in life. Now adapting things should not be confused with manipulating, which is unwilling control over something. We want to use what is available to us in order to do the best we can and as teachers we want students to learn how to do this.
McGonigal has four defining traits of a good game. The first of these traits is the prescence of a goal. In life when something become monotonous or boring we look to see what the purpose of this task really is. If we decide there is no reason to continue this work we drop it and move on. The same is true in life, if there is no goal insight we move on. Unfortunately this has been applied many many times in the world of education. Students see no point in learning these subjects so they drop it, or drop out, and move on. As teachers we need to show them that there is a reason, give them a goal to go towards.
Her second point is rules. No one that I know of likes all of the rules. Though no one that I know would say that there shouldn't be some kind of rules in place. Rules in a way limit us to the different methods of achieving a goal. This causes us to think and as McGonigal points out causes us to unleash creativity in order to find new ways to solve problems. Rules don't completely limit you they just cause you to think of new ways of doing what you need to in order to progress.
I know when I do work I like feedback. This is McGonigal's next point. Sometimes it seems that we want to know everything, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. We need feedback so that we know we are going down the right path and are making choices that are getting us to our goals. I have had times where I didn't recieve any feedback and I failed to learn from the mistakes that I made and it left me wondering how could I improve. For students, we as teacher's are that feedback. We have a responsibility to tell our students how well they are doing or where they need improvement.
No one likes a game if they are forced to play it. |Voluntary participation is the last trait of games that McGonigal talks about. Everyone, our students, goal in this is learning or becoming better learners as they continue through life. If you don't have the willingness of your students then they are not going to learn. Some students just need to have someone to re ensure then that this is not a scary journey and that they can do this.
When we set up our classrooms we must avoid unnecessary obstacles. McGonigal says that these obstacles tell the students or players that there is no way to succeed in the mission. This kind of negative attitude doesn't belong in the classroom. It should be a place where failure is possible but not the end of learning. Make sure that your students feel as if they can go on, whether this means staying at a certain place longer or coming up with new methods to help them journey forth.
Just the same way we get rid of the negative thoughts within the classroom we need to instead fill it with positive ones. Encourage your students, you may be the only person who believes in them and knows that they are capable of more than they realize. Be that guide in the game that never gives up on you even though you have died seven times and have been stuck on this one puzzle for a week now. Games can naturally provoke this positive attitude but you can be the one, the teacher, that kindles that small ember into the roaring fire that student can be.
Busywork is such a horrid thing that should have never been invented in the first place. I understand that it works for some but the vast majority that I have talked to have gained nothing from it. In games there is not busy work, everything feels important and gets you one step closer to your goal. I do believe that busywork can be re-purposed to have meaning but that is up to the teacher to decide what that means for their own class.
McGonigal loves the experience aspect of games. Letting students experience new things in a fun way gets their attention and draws them into a place in which they are hard pressed to leave. Figuring out how to draw them in is the only hard part because we know once they are there the rest will come naturally. Some students may never see a beach but in a game they can play on one. Giving students these experiences and see their face light up is one of the best feelings ever.
The last point in this chapter is about creative work. Games are scaffolded but in such a way that kids are almost instantly propelled to the creative level of thinking. I know when I play a game I miss the lower levels of thinking because they go by so fast and I am trying to figure out new things to create. Blooms is evident in games and this can be utilized in order to develop student learning. I say, use games in the classroom. Students learn and have fun, what's wrong with that?
McGonigal has four defining traits of a good game. The first of these traits is the prescence of a goal. In life when something become monotonous or boring we look to see what the purpose of this task really is. If we decide there is no reason to continue this work we drop it and move on. The same is true in life, if there is no goal insight we move on. Unfortunately this has been applied many many times in the world of education. Students see no point in learning these subjects so they drop it, or drop out, and move on. As teachers we need to show them that there is a reason, give them a goal to go towards.
Her second point is rules. No one that I know of likes all of the rules. Though no one that I know would say that there shouldn't be some kind of rules in place. Rules in a way limit us to the different methods of achieving a goal. This causes us to think and as McGonigal points out causes us to unleash creativity in order to find new ways to solve problems. Rules don't completely limit you they just cause you to think of new ways of doing what you need to in order to progress.
I know when I do work I like feedback. This is McGonigal's next point. Sometimes it seems that we want to know everything, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. We need feedback so that we know we are going down the right path and are making choices that are getting us to our goals. I have had times where I didn't recieve any feedback and I failed to learn from the mistakes that I made and it left me wondering how could I improve. For students, we as teacher's are that feedback. We have a responsibility to tell our students how well they are doing or where they need improvement.
No one likes a game if they are forced to play it. |Voluntary participation is the last trait of games that McGonigal talks about. Everyone, our students, goal in this is learning or becoming better learners as they continue through life. If you don't have the willingness of your students then they are not going to learn. Some students just need to have someone to re ensure then that this is not a scary journey and that they can do this.
When we set up our classrooms we must avoid unnecessary obstacles. McGonigal says that these obstacles tell the students or players that there is no way to succeed in the mission. This kind of negative attitude doesn't belong in the classroom. It should be a place where failure is possible but not the end of learning. Make sure that your students feel as if they can go on, whether this means staying at a certain place longer or coming up with new methods to help them journey forth.
Just the same way we get rid of the negative thoughts within the classroom we need to instead fill it with positive ones. Encourage your students, you may be the only person who believes in them and knows that they are capable of more than they realize. Be that guide in the game that never gives up on you even though you have died seven times and have been stuck on this one puzzle for a week now. Games can naturally provoke this positive attitude but you can be the one, the teacher, that kindles that small ember into the roaring fire that student can be.
Busywork is such a horrid thing that should have never been invented in the first place. I understand that it works for some but the vast majority that I have talked to have gained nothing from it. In games there is not busy work, everything feels important and gets you one step closer to your goal. I do believe that busywork can be re-purposed to have meaning but that is up to the teacher to decide what that means for their own class.
McGonigal loves the experience aspect of games. Letting students experience new things in a fun way gets their attention and draws them into a place in which they are hard pressed to leave. Figuring out how to draw them in is the only hard part because we know once they are there the rest will come naturally. Some students may never see a beach but in a game they can play on one. Giving students these experiences and see their face light up is one of the best feelings ever.
The last point in this chapter is about creative work. Games are scaffolded but in such a way that kids are almost instantly propelled to the creative level of thinking. I know when I play a game I miss the lower levels of thinking because they go by so fast and I am trying to figure out new things to create. Blooms is evident in games and this can be utilized in order to develop student learning. I say, use games in the classroom. Students learn and have fun, what's wrong with that?
Cherry Trees 5xp
I started playing chorewars and it seemed very simplistic, almost too simplistic. If you were to use this in your classroom then you would definitely have to explain it to those who don't play this kind of game. I have played games like this before so I came in prepared even though I have never played this game before.
As a fantasy game I completely approve of this site. Fantasy games just have a way of getting your imagination to go places that you never thought possible. It opens up our minds to new possibilities and makes it seem that the sky is the limit. Because this game is simplistic you have to fill in the blanks with whatever. This open to interpretation gameplay is wonderful for using your mind and this will transfer into real life as well.
In the game you have to make a party in order to go on any quests. At first this was annoying because I didn't have anyone to play with but this was good for two reasons. One it made me consider getting my friends to play and that way we have more to do together. It also made me consider that I could play with random people and increase my social circle by being put into a situation that makes me make new friends. Mcgonigal would definitely approve for this reason alone.
I can see this game building up a sense of leadership in a few students in each classroom. You have to take control of the party to decide what mission you are going to do. In doing this you have to consider your teams strengths and weaknesses. You must also give out the loot from the mission you complete so being fair is key here and teaching your students fairness at any age is a good idea.
As a literature teacher I can see using this in my classroom as a group project type activity. Letting everyone get on and create their characters but taking it a step further. Have the students create backstories for these characters and going into a full length story on how the classes characters interact with one another. I really like this site and can see myself using it in the future.
As a fantasy game I completely approve of this site. Fantasy games just have a way of getting your imagination to go places that you never thought possible. It opens up our minds to new possibilities and makes it seem that the sky is the limit. Because this game is simplistic you have to fill in the blanks with whatever. This open to interpretation gameplay is wonderful for using your mind and this will transfer into real life as well.
In the game you have to make a party in order to go on any quests. At first this was annoying because I didn't have anyone to play with but this was good for two reasons. One it made me consider getting my friends to play and that way we have more to do together. It also made me consider that I could play with random people and increase my social circle by being put into a situation that makes me make new friends. Mcgonigal would definitely approve for this reason alone.
I can see this game building up a sense of leadership in a few students in each classroom. You have to take control of the party to decide what mission you are going to do. In doing this you have to consider your teams strengths and weaknesses. You must also give out the loot from the mission you complete so being fair is key here and teaching your students fairness at any age is a good idea.
As a literature teacher I can see using this in my classroom as a group project type activity. Letting everyone get on and create their characters but taking it a step further. Have the students create backstories for these characters and going into a full length story on how the classes characters interact with one another. I really like this site and can see myself using it in the future.
Beech Grove
This game, Mancala, is very difficult to play. I see how it can be useful in math but man is it hard to pick up in the beginning. I have seen this game before be never knew how to play it. Looking on the wiki I saw that it has over 800 names and has been played all over the world in places like Syria.
This game is first an foremost a math game. You have to make sure you count where the pieces are going to end up so that you end up with the most pieces. This can teach counting and addition to those that struggle with these concepts. This would be a good sponge activity to play in almost any class but especially math.
It is also a strategy game. You have to plan out your moves based on what your opponent needs to get more stones that you. It will teach students to think critically in order to win. These types of games develop thinking in a way that most don't. You have to be a few steps ahead to really come out on top.
One of the biggest lessons that I learned on this game was patience. In order to plan your moves correctly you have to sit and think. This isn't a game like checkers where little thought goes into the moves. I didn't think on one of my moves and my opponent took like 30 pieces. It really makes you think and increases your thought process to allow you to do other tasks easier.
The last thing that I saw this game could teach would be sportsmanship. This game can get aggravating very fast. If you don't keep a level head you may get heated in the moment and do something you regret. I was finding myself frustrated because I could not win. This would be a good way to teach students that in all circumstances they should be a good sport about things.
This game is first an foremost a math game. You have to make sure you count where the pieces are going to end up so that you end up with the most pieces. This can teach counting and addition to those that struggle with these concepts. This would be a good sponge activity to play in almost any class but especially math.
It is also a strategy game. You have to plan out your moves based on what your opponent needs to get more stones that you. It will teach students to think critically in order to win. These types of games develop thinking in a way that most don't. You have to be a few steps ahead to really come out on top.
One of the biggest lessons that I learned on this game was patience. In order to plan your moves correctly you have to sit and think. This isn't a game like checkers where little thought goes into the moves. I didn't think on one of my moves and my opponent took like 30 pieces. It really makes you think and increases your thought process to allow you to do other tasks easier.
The last thing that I saw this game could teach would be sportsmanship. This game can get aggravating very fast. If you don't keep a level head you may get heated in the moment and do something you regret. I was finding myself frustrated because I could not win. This would be a good way to teach students that in all circumstances they should be a good sport about things.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Magnolia Trail part 3
This video was pretty great and Katie had a lot of great points that she made. Play is important was one of the first points she made that I completely agree with. Play is fun and observational. Students can learn from their surroundings, and when they play they can apply the concepts they learn in new ways that may not be able to in real life. Play is so important because they develop so many skills while playing that they normally wouldn't anywhere else.
It introduces students to so many different experiences that they may have missed due to circumstances beyond their control. This will introduce concepts to students they haven't known about and maybe even get them interested in certain subjects just because they played with this in a game. I feel that students should have a wide variety of experiences in the classroom because they all learn differently and games are a great way to do it and is fun as well.
Like McGonigal, Katie points out the social aspects of gaming. It teaches important lessons such as team building or collaboration. In the past teaching these things may have been pretty boring but with the use of games you can learn to trust people more while having fun. Even when I was on the Capstone retreat we did games to help build up our trust within our team. Playing games with others can really show you who they are or what they aspire to be which allows you to trust them.
Identity is a big thing in life, as well as the classroom. Students should learn who they are that way they can make decisions accordingly when it comes to their education. I understand that at younger ages they are not going to be able to figure exactly who they are but that doesn't mean we shouldn't give them a head start on the process. Games allow you to explore different characters and you get to act out games in ways you normally wouldn't in life. This allows children to safely test out different personalities to figure out which one they are.
There is so much pressure in society today to not fail. This is counter productive because some of the greatest learning in history came from failures. Students need to understand that if they fail that it isn't the end of the world. Games give them a safe and fun environment to fail gracefully.
We see that good learning happens in games, but as Katie points out it is hard to figure out exactly why. I have seen games help out many students but there isn't really a way to incorporate games into every aspect of teaching, or at least not in a way that would teach everything we are required to. If we could figure out a way to truly harness this phenomenon then I think we would be on the verge of the next big thing in education.
Parents want to know that their student is learning in school so if they hear that their student is playing games all day it might be hard for them to understand. Seeing the learnig values in games is difficult because they aren't immediate or in such huge leaps, or at least not usually, as regular instruction. Showing others how this can be utilized is one of the major steps that need to be taken in order for this movement to gain ground.
Should the instruction incorporate technology or not? This is a question that every educator has asked. The thing is seeing these two learning tools on completely different fields holds us back from really teaching to the fullest of our abilities. These are tools, as previously stated, and that's it. We can use computers just as well as we can use books. Use them both and allow students use the method they prefer.
When students start to create games you are giving them an opportunity to consider others. How is this going to affect my audience? This is the type of question the student must ask in order to produce something that is worth while. This gets students to that higher order thinking that teachers so desperately try to reach. We see that they can achieve this with games, so why not use them?
Games are scaffolded in order to have a flow of learning. In a game you can only get to places that your abilities or skills allow you to. You may not have the right equipment to reach a certain area on your map and there for must work your way toward that goal. This is a great way to build upon what students know. Set up learning like a game with quests, show them what they can attain after putting in the work to acquire the prize they so desperately seek. Show them that even if the quest looks difficult and it is going to take a while to get there that they can do it.
Eucalyptus Trees
This video was awesome because it targets more of the mental aspect of the students rather than just the student. Her quote " the brain cannot heal without positive emotion- McGonigal" is the direction I am heading in my research. When students feel positive about something they are doing then they will do the best at it.
She brings up her within video games anything is possible views again and I completely agree. In my games I feel powerful because I am playing this character that can do all of these amazing things that I normally can't do. However, McGonigal would say that we can do just as many amazing things in real life.
I really liked her idea of a secret identity to overcome an obstacle. She used it to help her cope with her head trauma but I can see this being applied in the classroom. If your students are having trouble in a subject give them the chance to make up a personality that doesn't. Like SuperDude doesn't have trouble in math and I am him right now. Give them that confidence in themselves and it's all it really takes.
Social Social Social, these are the things that McGonigal love about gaming. It's true, being a gamer can help you be social because it puts you into situation that you need to be social. In this situation you will make allies that are there to help you. Show your students they have these allies and allow them to find strength in them and have them help them out in tough situations. Learning isn't meant to be an individual thing, so don't let it be.
Her final quote was probably my favorite. "Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional-McGonigal". Your students are humans, they will feel pain. You are human, you will feel pain. This is where you need to be real and transparent with your students. Show them you can hurt like them and how you deal with it. Give your students a person they can rely on to help them, not only in you but their fellow students. Again we are all in this together, so let's act like it.
She brings up her within video games anything is possible views again and I completely agree. In my games I feel powerful because I am playing this character that can do all of these amazing things that I normally can't do. However, McGonigal would say that we can do just as many amazing things in real life.
I really liked her idea of a secret identity to overcome an obstacle. She used it to help her cope with her head trauma but I can see this being applied in the classroom. If your students are having trouble in a subject give them the chance to make up a personality that doesn't. Like SuperDude doesn't have trouble in math and I am him right now. Give them that confidence in themselves and it's all it really takes.
Social Social Social, these are the things that McGonigal love about gaming. It's true, being a gamer can help you be social because it puts you into situation that you need to be social. In this situation you will make allies that are there to help you. Show your students they have these allies and allow them to find strength in them and have them help them out in tough situations. Learning isn't meant to be an individual thing, so don't let it be.
Her final quote was probably my favorite. "Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional-McGonigal". Your students are humans, they will feel pain. You are human, you will feel pain. This is where you need to be real and transparent with your students. Show them you can hurt like them and how you deal with it. Give your students a person they can rely on to help them, not only in you but their fellow students. Again we are all in this together, so let's act like it.
Hidden Cottage
I have heard of Foursquare before but never really looked into it at all. The only thing I knew about it was that it involved where you were going and you had to "check-in". Then I learned that it notified those with the app where you were. This seems very helpful to organize getting together. I know with my friends it can be the most annoying thing to get everyone together. This seems like it takes out a few steps to help out.
Another fun feature is that it give you challenges and rewards. Nothing motivates like competition and I have seen this so many times within the classroom. Their biggest competitive feature is on called the "Mayor". If you have visited a place the most in your group then you become the mayor, or from what I can tell an expert of this place. I can see using this in a classroom that if someone does well in a subject they become the expert and they get more to do with that.
Foursquare is also a personal achievement record as pointed out by McGonigal. This app encourages you to go outside of your normal places and experience new places. I know for me this is more difficult than it should be due to my introverted nature but with the right incentive I will travel. Not to mention this app could show you places your friends are that you may not have know about and decide that you want to go. This is great because experience is the best teacher in life and if they can learn on their own in a fun way then this is a wonderful app to use.
One of McGonigal's favorite topics is the social aspect of this type of technology. Not only does this app get you into different places but those places will most likely have people you don't know. Using this app allows you to meet people you normally wouldn't which is great because those types of interactions really help people develop themselves. This is sort of one of the techniques I have seen in a classroom where you get to know the other students in your class that you normally wouldn't talk to. Forcing this kind of interaction honestly allows students to feel more comfortable in the class and with their learning.
Foursquare is a great conversation starter. If you are near someone and the see that you have been somewhere you have been that they either have as well or want to then a conversation starts. Also I am a big proponent of journaling and this is kind of a form of digital journaling. It keeps track of the places you have been and with that comes the memories that you have as well as different topics to talk about with other people. This is a great idea that I will most likely start using in my personal life.
Another fun feature is that it give you challenges and rewards. Nothing motivates like competition and I have seen this so many times within the classroom. Their biggest competitive feature is on called the "Mayor". If you have visited a place the most in your group then you become the mayor, or from what I can tell an expert of this place. I can see using this in a classroom that if someone does well in a subject they become the expert and they get more to do with that.
Foursquare is also a personal achievement record as pointed out by McGonigal. This app encourages you to go outside of your normal places and experience new places. I know for me this is more difficult than it should be due to my introverted nature but with the right incentive I will travel. Not to mention this app could show you places your friends are that you may not have know about and decide that you want to go. This is great because experience is the best teacher in life and if they can learn on their own in a fun way then this is a wonderful app to use.
One of McGonigal's favorite topics is the social aspect of this type of technology. Not only does this app get you into different places but those places will most likely have people you don't know. Using this app allows you to meet people you normally wouldn't which is great because those types of interactions really help people develop themselves. This is sort of one of the techniques I have seen in a classroom where you get to know the other students in your class that you normally wouldn't talk to. Forcing this kind of interaction honestly allows students to feel more comfortable in the class and with their learning.
Foursquare is a great conversation starter. If you are near someone and the see that you have been somewhere you have been that they either have as well or want to then a conversation starts. Also I am a big proponent of journaling and this is kind of a form of digital journaling. It keeps track of the places you have been and with that comes the memories that you have as well as different topics to talk about with other people. This is a great idea that I will most likely start using in my personal life.
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