What is Gamification? 

Gamification is a differentiated experience built on Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, which means learning happens best when the instruction is one step beyond our reach. Using this theory and our learner’s love of gaming, students can learn in an engaging and fun way! 

I found this great graphic attached from Michael Wu, PhD that I think does a nice job of comparing and contrasting how gamification is different than video games used purely for entertainment. Gamification is all about moving students forward using our learners’ natural inclination for competition to incentivize learning new educational concepts. In gamification for education, tasks are structured toward a goal. Students receive immediate feedback and virtual badges, coins etc…as they move toward their goal. Once they master the concept, students are able to level up and embark on mastering a new concept. 

Currently, the idea of gamification has yet to fully launch in NVUSD. I do believe as PBL implementation moves forward and teachers have access to more technology, gamification will become more widely explored and utilized. Maybe this will be a future 21st Century career we are preparing our students for, hence why implementing 21st century teaching and learning is so important to the future success of our digital native students. 

I love the idea of the flipped classroom, but we would need to be sure that all students have equity and access.  Some families value education and would provide a safe place to watch videos or do assignments prior to class.  Other homes have unstable environments where there would not be consistent access to a suitable learning environment.  I think that a lab on the school campus would need to be available so students could receive direct instruction or watch background videos etc… via the computer.  They could then travel to class where the teacher could facilitate the collaborative problem-solving process, address individual questions and concerns, and step in to help the students retain their focus if the problem seems too large.

I have seen the Challenge Based classroom work well.  My son attended an IB school for three years and challenged-based projects were introduced at an early age.  Challenge-based learning allows a personal connection and inspires students to help make the world a better place.  It empowers students of any age to be an agent of change.  I think anytime we offer students choice and empower them to engage in a process of learning that focuses on helping others we are modeling important life-long skills.

At the elementary level it is important to note that in K-3 students are learning to read and often are not ready to “’read to learn.”  I think this is important to remember as we integrate PBL, Flipped Classrooms, and Challenge Based Classrooms.  In Napa we are lucky to have System 44 and Read 180 to allow striving readers the ability to “crack the code” and learn to read fluently.  We will be adding in IReads next year which will support our K-2 students.  These technology based programs allow students to fill in reading gaps and fast track through concepts that they have already mastered.  I see this as an important layer of support as we start folding in Challenge Based or Project Based Learning.

These topics relate to my interest in building an effective toolkit of strategies for ALL learners.  These effective strategies could be embedded in the direct instruction portion of the flipped classroom.  It is exciting to think about the possibilities of where 21st teaching and learning will take us as educators.  The Flipped Classroom and the Challenge Based Classroom are exciting options to consider as we “think outside the box” about  ways to make the most of our time with students.

It is exciting to see how each of the speakers brings perspectives from their different fields to create a common understanding of creativity.  Malcolm Gladwell talks about the 10,000 hour rule and Mobley talks about how we do not learn to be creative, but rather become creative. 

I wonder if there could be a relationship between the two?

Mobley says that creativity is correlated with self-knowledge, requires taking a job that makes you feel uncomfortable, and requires treating the impossible as possible. Finally and most importantly, Mobley says, “Never quit.” Refusing to quit requires having faith in ourselves. Mobley says, “Transformation, like giving birth, is always a painful process.” 

Our first speaker, Sebastian Seung is modeling this in his quest for seeking to map and understand the human brain.  The task is daunting, seemingly impossible especially since the only connectome currently mapped is that of a worm.  But it is his persistence and yearning to understand our identity that drives him onward. Might he have the recipe Mobley discusses to make this dream a reality?

In a New Culture of Learning, Thomas and Brown speak about a culture that that responds to its surroundings organically. It not only adapts, it integrates change into its process as one of its environmental variables.  This tolerance for ambiguity will need to embraced as we don’t know what jobs or problems the 21st Century World will face.  So connecting Howard Gardner’s 5 minds of the future will be especially important as we prepare our youth for what lies ahead.  Gardner says that it is important to be disciplined, respectful, ethical, synthesizing, and creative.  He gives us ideas about how to build that character in our students.

Sir Ken Robinson challenges the way we are educating our children and encourages us to teach to the multiple intelligences of our students.  When we focus on our strengths it helps us to overcome our challenges.  When you connect that to Daniel Pink and his ideas about motivation, he shows that choice is one of the highest motivators.  He believes that autonomy, mastery, and purpose are what people yearn to have in their daily lives.

Put this all together and I can apply it to my own career.  Can creativity be taught?  I agree with Mobley.  I don’t think it can be taught in the traditional sense, but I do think that one can become creative.  I never thought of myself as a creative person.  There are many artists in my family so I always thought of creativity as being artistic.  It wasn’t until I was asked to become the GATE TOSA for the district that I found my creative side.  When I was asked to be the GATE TOSA it made me feel sick to my stomach.  I had negative feelings about GATE.  My expertise was working with English Learners at Title I schools.   I knew I loved teaching children, but was I really capable of teaching ALL children?  Was there one type of learner I preferred over another?  I had no formal GATE training and what was a TOSA anyway?  I was placed in a situation that was uncomfortable.  Families were unhappy and I had to figure out why.   I had to ask myself could I advocate for ALL learners.  When I reflected on my years of teaching, I realized that with or with-out GATE training it was all about moving students forward. Many said it was impossible to really adopt an All Means All model within our district.  It took the ability to look at our system in a new way and it took persistence to stick with it even when it was only .40 of my week.  But now we have a program called ALPS to be proud of in our district.  It looks at all of our learners and reinforces that we all need to keep moving forward academically and social- emotionally.  As Pink would say, “This work has given me a sense of purpose and autonomy.”  I am thankful for that!

http://www.shelfari.com/



Shelfari is a social cataloging website for books. Shelfari users build virtual bookshelves of the titles they own or have read, and can rate, review, tag, and discuss their books. Users can also create groups that other members may join, create discussions, and talk about books, or other topics. Recommendations can be sent to friends on the site for what books to read.

https://www.diigo.com/user/alpszone?msg=welcome

Diigo stands for “Digest of Internet Information, Groups and Other stuff.” It is a social bookmarking program that allows you to save your ‘favourites’ online, so that they can be accessible from any computer with an internet connection. However, Diigo does much more than this.

For more information, go to http://www.diigo.com/about , or dive right in and sign up. After reading the reasons here today, you will definitely be convinced of the productivity and time-saving power of this great online tool.

To understand the theories of technology Implementation in the classroom we reviewed several studies this week.  I used Wordle to help process the big ideas I gathered from our readings.  The quote, "Learning to Undo Thinking," was significant to me as it helped me think about the Five Phases of Changing Old Beliefs.  This is what we are currently embarking on in NVUSD.  If you look across our district you will find schools and teachers at different levels of implementation in the use of technology from Entry to Invention, but one thing is for sure, effective integration of technology and incorporating the 4 C's is where our district is headed.  It is exciting to see the pendulum swinging from a black and white world of multiple choice right and wrong to a sea of grey that incorporates student choice and inspires creativity.  I particularly enjoyed a P21 Framework for 21st Century Learning Video Spotlight, titled "Above and Beyond." 

https://thepartnershipfor21stcenturyskills238.eduvision.tv/default.aspx

The video illustrates what I hope for in the future of education.  School should be a place where we highlight the strengths of our team.  We should not value one type of intelligence over another, but rather appreciate the strengths we each bring to learning.  Through collaboration we can then make connections that makes our work more meaningful and relevant to all.

For my case study I chose Virtual Vacation Travel which incorporated active learning at the Transformation Level in Social Studies, grades 3-5.

A. The nature of this case was to inspire students to explore the world by embarking on a virtual vacation.
B. Students used the internet as a research tool incorporating Google Earth, Television, laptops, world globe and worksheets.  The culmination was to create a travel guide based on the areas visited through the virtual vacation.
C. I liked the activity for the most part, but after watching many other inspiring videos through this process, this felt a bit out of date.  We have learned so much and have many more technology resources to offer students.  
D.  I could use parts of this lesson, but would want to update a few areas with the use of an interactive white board if possible.
E.  Compared with other case studies I have watched, I would rate this a 3 out of 5.

Computer simulations are natural learning tools for a generation of video game players. More to this story. RELEASE DATE: 2/21/07

http://www.edutopia.org/computer-simulations-games-virtual-learning-video

A. The nature of this case study was to highlight a Tech Magnet School that focuses on helping students become designers of technology rather than just consumers.  
B. They found many kids that were failing social studies and science became "A" students when they were given opportunities to engage and learn through virtual field-trips and simulations.  This has been especially true for boys that often are labeled ADHD.  The school has students test games and simulations to give feedback to their creators.
C. I loved the idea of this type of magnet.  I have never seen one with this particular focus.
D. I have explored the use of virtual field-trips, but have not done much with simulations.  I think it would be fun to start using this in the classroom.
I rate this film experience 4 out of 5.

Using tech tools and games acquired through grants and his own resourcefulness, second-grade teacher Robert Pronovost tailors math instruction to match students' individual learning styles. For more articles and videos about integrating technology in the classroom, visit our Tech2Learn resource page. 
RELEASE DATE: 7/11/12
http://www.edutopia.org/tech-to-learn-differentiated-instruction-interactive-games-video

A. The nature of this case study is to show how technology-based games can be used to differentiate instruction in a second grade classroom.
B. Students receive direct instruction on how to identify key words in addition and subtraction story problems. Students then move on to an online program called Planet Turtle to practice identifying key words.  When they show 80% mastery they move on to Dreambox, another self-paced math program, that provides immediate feedback and allows all students to keep moving forward in math.  I was also impressed with his teacher table that was painted with whiteboard paint! Students could write steps to math problems right on the desk!.
C. I had never heard of Planet Turtle so I look forward to exploring this site.  I have seen Dreambox at Phillips Charter School and look forward to getting more familiar with that program too!
D. This lesson could be incorporated easily with access to technology.  I like how he had ideas of how to obtain more technology through grant writing and even shares these sites with us.
I rate this film experience 5 out of 5.

Educator Peter McIntosh helps his students to take ownership of their learning by using interactive subject-mastery tools like Khan Academy. For more articles and videos about integrating technology in the classroom, visit our Tech2Learn resource page. RELEASE DATE: 10/10/12

http://www.edutopia.org/tech-to-learn-blended-learning-video

A. The nature of the case explores how using Khan Academy can be especially effective with students that failed algebra in the past.
B. Using the "hint" function and having opportunities to ask peers and then engage with the teacher allows for multiple ways for students to interact with and learn new mathematical concepts.  The teacher's role is as facilitator.  The "coach" function of Khan Academy allows the teacher to see "who got it" and "who doesn't."  Historically students taking algebra for the second time have difficulty with engagement and the teacher is overwhelmed trying to get around to all students. The use of the computer, opportunities to work and learn from peers, the ability for students that are ready to keep moving forward, and the design of the Khan Academy looks like a highly motivating way to stay engaged and learn algebra!
C. I have used Khan Academy 1 on 1 with students at the elementary school level.  I appreciated seeing it used in a whole group high school setting.
D.This lesson can be used in the classroom right away! I was a person who had to take geometry 3 times.  I would have loved the opportunity to use Khan Academy as a kid.
I rate this film experience a 5 out of 5!