Game-Based Learning: Where to Start

Below is a playlist that I have created on mentormob to help with what can seem to be a daunting task to take on if you are unfamiliar with video games, in general. Many teachers are skeptical to incorporating video games into their curriculum. This playlist features videos and articles that will convince you that, if done in the correct way, game-based learning can truly benefit our students. I also feel like the engagement of our students will immediately be improved because they are so into the games! While there is not a video game for EVERY lesson, I would suggest researching the games available and incorporating them so that our students can learn practical life lessons they will need in the future! Enjoy!

Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!

What Websites Would We Want?

There are so many resources on the web to aid to the inclusion of technology in the classroom, it is sometimes difficult to discern what is best to use for which lessons. In this day in age, it is imperative that we incorporate technology tools into lessons so that students can go beyond the textbooks and get to creating and applying what they are learning. We need to ensure that our lessons are impactful and that we are utilizing what little time we truly have with our students. The technology that we choose to use in class has to fit the needs of our students and the curriculum, or it is not going to work as well as it should. There are so many web applications available, but my focus was on elementary art, because that is what I teach every day!  While creating a resource for my classroom on some of the best web 2.0 tools for art, I had certain criteria that had to be met in order to be included. The criteria were either pass or fail. If it doesn’t pass all three areas, it has no place in my curriculum. Simple as that! My three questions that I asked myself when evaluating tools were:

1.    Does it relate to art standards, creating art, evaluating and researching art history, or editing creations?

As an art teacher, the focus on art discovery, creation, and history is the main aspect of my lessons. Any technology that I infuse into my teaching has to be able to fit with the curriculum of my classes and enhance the lesson.

2.     Is it going to be easy and useful for students to use in grades K-6 for artistic purposes?

There are many tools that are applicable for art, but they may not all be easily grasped by young students in elementary school. The tools must have simple steps and be easily explained to students.

3.   Does it allow my students to create and edit in a way that they are unable to do otherwise or allow them to explore art in a personal and meaningful way?

We have books and DVDs on artists and the students should be able to explore art on their own and connect to artwork that they may not see otherwise. I also want my students to utilize the unique tools available for creating or editing artwork that is either not possible or not easily done in class by hands on production.  

In the following resource, I have included web tools that will be useful for sharing, creating, editing, and interactive art history exploration. Each icon is directly linked to the source for easy access and use!

Sharing Tools:

Prezi

Prezi is a web based presentation tool that utilizes a single canvas, as opposed to slides. It allows the user to zoom in on specific areas of the canvas and create a “path” for presenting. Students can create a prezi on any topic and share with others.

Google Docs

GoogleDocs allows the user to create and share documents, presentations, spreadsheets, drawings, tables, etc. It allows the user to import links and other items as well as share or embed the creation to allow collaboration. Students can share any document or presentation they make with the teacher and other students in order to collaborate and share.

Creating and Editing Tools:

Animoto

Animoto is a web application that allows the user to upload photos and videos and then create a presentation with music. The program analyzes the photos and videos and creates the presentation so that it is in rhythm with the music selected. It looks somewhat like a movie trailer when finished. It also allows the user to share the presentation when complete. It would be a great tool for students to use to make a presentation about a core experience trip they took.

Blabberize

Blabberize is a fun web application that lets the user upload a picture, then select a “mouth” for the photo. It lets you edit the size and shape of the mouth so that it fits the picture. You then can record a message. You could have students read a story, tell about an artist or author, analyze a piece of art, or any other type of lesson or presentation you are working on in class.

FotoFlexer

FotoFlexer is a website that is stellar for editing images and photos. The user can upload a photo or picture and then add filters or effects. The user can also decorate, distort, animate, and many other changes. We use this in art class for pop art, as there is a pop art effect that creates a Warhol type picture.

Wordle

Wordle is a tool that allows the user to generate a “word cloud” from text that is provided by the user or from a blog or website with an RSS feed. The “word cloud” that is created makes words that appear more frequently larger in the cloud. You can edit fonts, layouts, and color schemes.Wordle can be used by students to create a "word cloud" from books and stories from class, their own writing, or many other projects.

Tagxedo

Tagxedo is similar to Wordle, but it also allows the user to type in a word to search and it will create a “word cloud.” It allows the user to edit the shape, colors, layout, etc. Tagxedo would also allow the user to add the cloud created to products for purchase. Students could use this in the same way as Wordle.

Spell with flickr

Spell with flickr lets you type in words and then it searches flickr for photos of each letter typed. The user can continue to click each letter until the composition is as desired and then it can be embedded or shared. It is a really neat application for art purposes.

Scribbler

Scribbler allows the user to draw a simple picture and then when finished, hit scribble and it “sketches” what the artist drew. You can edit the colors and line thickness and then hit stop when it has reached the desired work of art. The artist can then take a screenshot of the artwork and save and share.

Storyboard Generator

This is a neat web application that lets a student either use a script that is already done or use their own script they write to create a storyboard to go with it. It allows the user to choose camera shots and camera movements to go along with the script. It is a neat beginners look at movie making and the art factors that go into it.

Storybird

Storybird allows the user to create a story and add their own illustrations or use artwork that is available on the site. It really lets students see the process for writing and publishing a book, but with the ease of doing it online.

Interactive Art History Tools:

Artsology

Artsology has many games and interactive investigations that explore art history and many other aspects of art. Students could spend hours on this site and not get bored, and they would be learning about art history without even realizing it.

Art In The Picture

This is a really cool site because students can explore art by choosing from lists by last name, art movement, country, or century. They can also choose the most popular artists or most popular paintings. A great place for students to explore art on their own.

NGA kids

The National Gallery of Art for kids website is great because it has some really neat interactive art exploration/creation applications for students to use. They use these on my activboard and their netbooks when they complete work in art class. The site also has many other links for resources.

MoMA Destination Modern Art

This is an interactive application that students can explore at their own pace and they lead the learning. A great introduction to modern art and very appropriate for even kindergarteners!

Google Art Project

Google Art Project is a really need application that allows the user to digitally visit and explore seventeen different art galleries. Students can control where they are “looking” and also view the artwork from the museums individually. My favorite part of this application is that it allows the user to zoom in drastically on the artwork and it shows so much detail that is important for exploration. The visual of van Gogh’s brushstrokes are difficult to describe without being able to show students in detail exactly how he painted! Fantastic!

21st Century Learning: Delaware Elementary Style

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. The pictures in the video below show the students at Delaware Elementary at their finest! They are working with technology, doing hands-on projects, and collaborating with others. 21st century skills are so widespread that students have to be using multiple skills during every lesson and all of the projects on which they are working. I believe that classes today still need to have a balance of human interaction and group learning, hands on production, and technology use. Our students need to know the technology that they will have to use when they have jobs in the future and we need to prepare them for this, but they will also need to know how to work with people and that should be part of our teaching, as well. 21st Century learning is truly a comprehensive process that requires numerous types of teaching and collaboration such as those shown in this video. Enjoy!

Has Technology Redefined Learning?

While there are still many classrooms that shun the use of technology in school, I feel like learning happens outside of the classroom so much that it would be crazy to say that technology hasn't redefined how we learn. You can turn on the TV and see a website for every product advertised and this means the information is, most literally, a click away. At the grocery store, you can see many people on Pinterest or All Recipes on their smart phone gathering items for new recipes found online! Shopping centers and products everywhere now have QR Codes that can be used to gather instant information directly on your phone. So, has technology redefined learning? You bet. 


So many schools are now truly using technology as one of the main aspects of their teaching! In all classrooms today, the interaction with both the teachers and other students in the class is so important. The nice part of having technology in a classroom is that the social interaction can go way beyond the walls of the school. Alan November discusses shifting control from the teacher to the students and how important, yet difficult, that can be. Students have plenty that they are interested in learning about, we just have to listen. There are so many tools that we can allow and teach our students to use on the web. All you really need to do is search for Web 2.0 tools and you will find a plethora of websites that can be a great addition for your lessons and the students' learning. Technology tools like Type With Me and Skype are great ways to help them connect to others around the globe that are interested in the same subject. Just this week I used Type With Me for a group note taking experience for my graduate class! It is especially cool to look at the time lapse of the note taking between all four of us. We all had different Aha! points from reading and watching the same material and it allowed me to look at the material and see ideas that I may have missed, otherwise. 


Check it out!

I am an art teacher and anyone can tell you that usually the best part of art class for the students is the process of actually creating artworks! I couldn't agree more. I do utilize my smart board in the art room to allow for better demonstrations. I also use the size of the smart board to my advantage in the study of art history. It allows me to show artwork in a way that it makes a big impact on all my students. Art is very visual and kinesthetic and the smart board allows me to show techniques on a large scale so that my students understand the process better. One of the websites that I use with students often is the National Gallery of Art Kids site as well as the Museum of Modern Art's Destination Modern Art interactive website. The students love to use the interactive options on both of these websites on their netbooks or the white board. We also have iPads that we can use to explore the Museum of Modern Art MOMA apps. Even though we do use technology in the art room, I still feel like the hands on human aspect of creating is the most important part of my lessons. I think that classes still need to have a balance of human interaction, hands on creating, and technology use. Our students need to know the technology that they will have to use when they have jobs in the future and we need to prepare them for this, but they will also need to know how to work with people and that should be part of our teaching, as well.

How to Bridge the Digital Divide

The digital divide has shifted from being having access to technology and the web versus those who do not, to how people are connecting to the internet. While many people used to have no access to the internet in any form, many people now have access through smart phones. This is better than nothing, but it is absolutely not the same as having access through a broadband Wi-Fi connection.  Job applications, submitting resumes, and other necessary tasks can usually only be accessed through computer access. Students that do not have access at home to technology and the internet, for fun or practical purposes, will likely not have the technological literacy that is necessary to function in the digital world. It is our job, as teachers in today’s society, to teach them how to utilize the resources available at the moment. While many schools are still lacking in the technology that would enable the teachers to instruct on the many uses, slowly but surely, we are getting there. Unfortunately, the new digital divide is still leaving some schools behind as new technological resources are developed daily. It seems as though there may always be some sort of digital divide as products and software evolves. My hope is that it will become more common in ALL schools and that the children in schools now will learn how to make the most of the amazing resources available.

As teachers, we need to keep in mind that students need to use technology for more than just a reward. We need them to see the internet and technology as a resource that can be used to learn, not just to play. We also need to ensure that the students are taught how to use netbooks or iPads so that the navigation does not slow them down on researching topics and working on projects. At Delaware, we do not have textbooks. We use netbooks, iPod touches, and iPads as our textbooks. It is imperative that our students know the basic commands of each technology so that they are not bogged down with how to save their work and tasks such as that. As a staff, we have been committed to creating meaningful and practical lessons that are standards based and employ real life situations. We have grade level PLC (professional learning community) meetings to plan and discuss what is needed for grade levels. We also do vertical alignment so that our students know that the expectations of them in class are not going to change year after year. We have seen much success with the programs and reform we are implementing at our school. Not only does having the technology available make planning our lessons fun, it makes them engaging lessons for our students. Using technology at our school is not an infrequent occurrence, but a daily requirement. Our students can make a Prezi (prezi.com) in an instant, as well as many other web applications, and can teach me tons in just one class period when it comes to the digital world. We allow the students to create and contribute to the digital world and they LOVE it. When you think of the jobs that our students are likely to be doing when they graduate both high school and college, technology knowledge is an absolute MUST! The best way to learn and to have it become second nature is to dive right in.

Our collaborative VoiceThread on "Bridging the Digital Divide"

Reaching the 21st Century Learner

Reflecting on “Reaching the 21^st Century Learner,” I definitely think that technology has had a profound effect on the processes that we all take to learn in this digital age. Our world is one of instant gratification and information is, most literally, at our fingertips. So many adults, and even kids, have smart phones that if a question is raised, many instantly go to the internet and find an answer quickly and efficiently. We have a certain amount of reliance on the ease of access to so many resources for information that is sometimes good and others not so great. We should not become so dependent on technology that we lose our creativity and innate knowledge.

I would like to believe that most educational environments are becoming more in tune with the way a 21^st Century learner works. At my school alone, we now have class sets of netbooks, iPads, iPod touches, and Promethean Boards in all rooms. Our students have come to expect that they have the latest and greatest to learn from and they are sometimes the best teachers in the digital worlds.  If students are so interested in the technology of tomorrow, we need to have it accessible for them in order to motivate their learning.  Many people believe that in order to learn the lessons necessary, you must take notes, you must have textbooks, and you must take tests. I am seeing a completely different learning environment at the school where I teach and it is so exciting, for both students and teachers, every day.

I really feel like the terms digital native and digital immigrant are really not as opposite as some would like to believe.  It is truly all about having an open mind and a positive attitude. The majority of my students do not have computers at home and technology in every moment of their lives because their families cannot afford it. However, they are so open to learning about it, they are instantly successful. You will never hear them say, “I can’t,” when working with the technology at our school. They are so persistent and I feel like the adults that are “scared” of technology and would be considered a digital immigrant should take a page from my students’ books. 

I really enjoyed the video interviews, in total, on the PBS: Digital Nation-Life on the Virtual Frontier website. These were very informational and gave great insight into where our students are coming from in the digital world of today. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/

Additionally, I think my best, favorite, and most informative resources on the subject are the students that I work with daily.  They are ever changing and are so open minded about the world we live in.  I learn as much from them every day as I teach them. They are a great motivation and inspiration for learning much about the digital nation.

Digital Natives
by: rldoty