Digital Blog Post E

Concepts to Reflect Upon: Chapter 7

Wordle - Create. (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2016, from http://www.wordle.net/create

1) Computer Games as Learning Resources- When I was in school there were not nearly as many computer resources available for us to use. Especially when it came to computer games. In middle school, I played a game on the computer called Fast Math, and it focused on multiplication tables. But that is really the only game I could tell you I played as a learning resource. I think it is so beneficial to the students now that have so many more games to chose from. They even have different types of games, action, puzzles, adventure, and many more. When I was in school, you took what you could get. I look forward to not only showing my students computer games, but also playing them with them and learning with them!

2) Gamification- I found this term to be very interesting. I had never heard of the word gamification until reading this chapter. The book defines gamification as the "application of game elements to non-gaming situations, often to motivate or influence behavior." This is more of a business term than and educational one, in my opinion, however I think I could apply if definition into a classroom. It says that businesses offer purchase rewards and points for winning and purchasing something. I could do the same in my classroom. I could reward the students for doing well on a test, or even on a game they were playing on class. I think it would be cool to reward the students for playing well on a learning website, because then it shows them that I appreciate their effort of trying to learn more by playing games.

3) Strategies for Using Games with Students-  I thought this was a super helpful section of the chapter. It offered great tips and suggestions for helping your students. My favorite two strategies were discussing games and their content, and playing games together. I think those are both so important because it lets the students know that you understand what they want to do. Students don't want to listen to a lecture all day. Students want to practice what they are learning and computer games are a great way to do that. By playing the games with your students it shows them that you want to have fun with them and that you care to learn and do what they are learning and doing. I think it could make the relationship between the student and the teacher stronger, as well as the class as a whole.

Resources:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Wordle - Create. (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2016, from http://www.wordle.net/create