Chapter 7 provides multiples methods and tools teachers can use to engage their students in exploring real-world issues and having their students solve authentic problems. Also within this chapter it provides ways for the students to be creative and use their individual curiosities. I believe that these two subjects are very important for teachers to incorporate within the classroom. The students should be taught social and life issues that they will experience in the future.
Two ways the chapter had provided methods for the teacher to provide a real-life experience are Google Earth, and educational computer games. As we saw in class on Monday Google Earth allows the students to travel anywhere they would like to go. Within this certain place they can see the street view as if they are the person walking down the street. This app can be used to allow students to compare different towns, areas of the world, countries, and different styles within houses. It allows students to go to places that they wouldn't be able to go on a field trip.
One game that I remember playing that allowed me to learn and experience the life of a certain time period was Oregon Trail. The game teaches students about the realities of 19th century pioneer life on the Oregon Trail. The student assumes the role of a wagon leader guiding his or her party of settlers from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon's Willamette Valley on the Oregon Trail via a covered wagon in 1848. Along the trail the students have to overcome problems like sick family members and broken parts on their wagon. The goal of the game is to reach the end of the trail with all of the family members and animals traveling with them. I think a game like Oregon Trail teaches the students exactly how people had live within this time period and all social studies games should be created like this one to teach the students all the different time periods.
http://www.oregontrail.com/hmh/site/oregontrail/home
One method the chapter talks about the incorporating the students creativity is using Kid Pix. Kid Pix allows the students to draw and paint anything they want which engages their ability to express their ideas creatively. Teachers can have students can create flashcards of numbers (for the younger students) and paint anything they want that will help them learn say the numbers 1-10.
Questions
1. How would you incorporate a program like Kid Pix so your students can be expressing their creativity and be learning at the same time or is their other programs that you have used in the past and see that it has worked?
2. What are some games that you remember playing in school that you thought were fun but related to educational topics too?
Lisa Marie, I read your blog and started laughing as soon as I read about Oregon Trail. I remember playing Oregon Trail in elementary school. It was very informative. The game taught me about a specific period in history and survival during that time. There were many obstacles, such as the wheel or wagon breaking down. If the wheel or wagon took too long to be fixed, then someone on the wagon would normally die from the plague. Another game that I played in school was the building of cities similar to http://www.electrocity.co.nz. I don't recall the exact name, but I was the mayor of my own city. I had to build the infrastructure. The game was related to math, economics, and engineering. Lastly, I played a game in relation to the speed of typing. The words would appear on a cloud and the students had to type it in a specific amount of time or less. I thought the games I learned in elementary and middle school were educational for different purposes. I believe the games today are more advanced for the same purpose, but in different ways.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Question 2, I remember very clearly a game that I used to play called the Oregon Trail. It was a game in which you travelled as a family in a covered wagon out west, and it took place during the pioneer days. I remember that sometimes people you were traveling with would get illnesses and die, and you had to ford rivers with your horses. It actually taught me a lot about what the pioneers went through.
ReplyDeleteI can't recall any of the names of the games we played during computer lab. I remember it had to do with spelling words like making words out of letters given to you and adding/subtracting numbers in order to move to the next step. It was challenging but I remember having fun with it.
ReplyDeleteThis blog entry was GREAT! Regarding question 1 I believe I would for example if we were learning about cells in science, maybe have the class draw their own cell on the computer using kid pix in a creative way rather then just drawing one on their paper. Regarding to question 2 I most definitely remember playing the Oregon Trail, I don't know one student who didn't enjoy that. I also remember playing games mostly to improve my typing skills on the computer. Other than those I do not recall that much computer learning games were integrated into the curriculum.
ReplyDeletei haven't played oregon trail but it seems that it would be a great game to use in the classroom. to answer your first question i think kidpix is a great game to use for all diverse learners. especially students with disabilities. for math children can create math organizers such as graphs to help improve understanding. kidpix can help them explain what they want to share with other students. for literacy students can create their own stories emphasizing beginning, middle, end. students in first or 2nd grade can create illustrations and write sentences for each page.
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