Book Builder: More Than One Way to Be Special

I wrote this book partially based on my own life experience.  When I entered first grade in Manhattan, I was the only boy in the entire elementary school who was Chinese.  I did not realize that until I moved to Queens in the middle of third grade.  Little did I know that my new neighborhood was very different.  On the first day of my new school, I shyly entered the classroom and I was surprised to see other Chinese boys like me.  Many would think a person in that new situation would feel very comfortable being surrounded by others who are alike. But, coming from a different experience, I wasn’t sure how to feel just like Hank in the story.  In essence, I substituted my racial difference with a uniquely-favorite color in the story so that young students will be able to relate.

The fourth grade teacher I shared this with thought the book was outstanding.  After a first draft, she reminded me that first and second graders, my intended audience, should be exposed to more challenging text than I had originally wrote.  So, I increased the length of some sentences and deliberately left some pages without an image.

Like me, ELA teachers can create their own books through Book Builder to incorporate any specific issues or learning objectives.  Depending on the grade level, it would be an engaging exercise to have students create their own story to enhance writing skills.  They can be creative and share a story based on their experience or hobbies.

I hope teachers can use my story to help their students understand there are more ways to feel special than just one.  This will help build their self-confidence and develop their character.  The book can also begin a discussion on the unique qualities we each have and how we should respect each other’s differences.

I hope you enjoy this book:   More Than One Way to Be Special

Week 7: Assignment 2: Applying Second Life and Multimodalities

While the open functionality of Second Life allows for virtual interaction, the fourth grade teacher I interviewed could not see an application for her 9 year old students.  She thought the platform had limited use for teaching an ELA lesson and felt the students would be disinterested with the lack of structure, control and manipulatives.   After brainstorming, we settled on one application that may meet ELA learning objectives while the students are engaged in Second Life.  Students, via their avatars, would engage in a treasure hunt to enhance a unit on new vocabulary words.  Prior to jumping into a Second Life virtual world, each student will be given specific and unique information like a definition, a synonym or antonym to a new vocabulary word, a sentence using a new vocabulary word, or a clue that will direct others to students who have the desired information.  Every student will be given the same set of five vocabulary words.  Their goal will be to enter a relevant Second Life scenario, collaborate with each other on finding the correct definition, synonym, antonym and sentence to each of the five new vocabulary words.   The students will have to use their knowledge and teamwork with fellow students to match all parts correctly.  This timed treasure hunt will be highly interactive, creative, fun, and, of course, educational.  The teacher can assess their understanding and performance when everyone returns to the real world classroom.  

While not as engaging as Second Life, the fourth grade teacher embraced the concepts of multimodality in teaching ELA.  The new program she (and every elementary school teacher in the district) includes a large amount of interactive SMART Board activities that help bring stories and nonfiction text alive through multimedia.  This includes expressive narration, highlighted words or phrases, detailed visuals with thoughtfully-selected contexts, and relevant sound effects to enhance understanding.  Not only do these different modes create a more effective learning environment, learners of different styles and preferences have access to information in various formats.   Additionally, the students have started weekly work on a Powerpoint presentation on what they are learning in fourth grade.  The teacher encourages them to using multimodality concepts to enhance their ongoing work. Students have already applied colors, different fonts and sizes, images and sounds to highlight and broaden the expression of what they have learned.  The students’ presentations will be presented to their parents in the Spring and will be a keepsake of their fourth grade school year.  

Here I am exploring a Second Life shopping mall.

Week 7: Article review

The article ‘Theories and Practices of Multimodal Education: The Instructional Dynamics of Picture Books and Primary Classrooms” was fascinating!  I learned about the nuances that are thoughtfully placed in picture books to convey meaning and generate emotion.  I’m not sure I ever paid so much attention to the contents of a picture book beyond just the text and the illustrations.  However, after reading this article and the case studies of the elementary school teachers utilizing multimodalities in their classrooms, I now am more aware of subtle but impactful changes like text font, color and size.  Like the example in the article, teachers can engage students by discovering such modes during a whole class reading of a book.  Students can then apply their new knowledge in their own expressive and illustrative writing to make their text come alive.   By being more aware of the cues provided in a picture book and understanding the cultural context which gives meaning to such modes, student comprehension can increase.  It is important for teachers to ensure students understand these multiple modes given the diversity of experience each student bring into the classroom.  For example, increasingly larger text in a picture book may indicate the character is shouting to some students but to others, this could indicate something different depending on how their culture or experiences shape their understanding.

The article “Using the ADDIE Model to Design Second Life Activities for Online Learners” reignites my interest in Second Life. In my previous corporate career, I had heard about large organizations like IBM utilize Second Life for various purposes.  I considered incorporating this platform to foster a culture of inclusion and respect for diversity particularly among new employees.  At that time, I was not impressed with the quality of interaction and the time it took to engage with other avatars.  After patiently with Second Life, I felt that videoconferencing and/or a conference call provided more value despite their own limitations.  Four years later however, internet speeds and bandwidths have risen considerably and I would guess users of a data-intensive application like Second Life would benefit. Given the relatively unstructured nature of Second Life, applying a methodical instructional design principle like ADDIE is necessary to tailor the platform for educational uses.  With the right design, implementation and evaluation, I can see how an effective learning environment can be designed using the collaborative and exploratory benefits of Second Life.

My Edmodo homepage

Week 6: Assignment 2-1 and 2-2

Assignment 2-1 Read the two articles Middle School Science Teachers’ Confidence and Pedagogical Practices of New Literacies and Using Social Networking Sites to Enhance Teaching and Learning in the Science Classroom and share your Reader Response thoughts on the blog.

These two articles summarize two different perspectives of how technology can be utilized in the classroom to teach science.  From a research perspective, the first article shares findings that identify and measure hurdles to implementing ICTs in the science classroom.  One such obstacle is the level of self-efficacy in the abilities with basic technology skills and with incorporating ICT in their curriculum.  The recent research indicates that while students have grown comfortable with such technology in their lifetimes, it seems that educators need more time and experience to hone their skills and develop the confidence to utilize ICT in their classrooms.  The other challenge found in the primary research reveals an equally daunting hurdle which is a lack of technology infrastructure.  About half of the 32 middle school science teachers had limited access to technology.  With such inconsistency in available technology, the application of ICT varied widely among the students on the observed classrooms.

The second article shows a smaller number of observations but some real world application that shows how social networking can be used effectively for learning and collaborating in science.  One example is the use of Edmodo in a photosynthesis class project where students were able to access teacher-provided resources, capture data, present findings in various multimedia formats and exchange feedback to each other.  The teacher is able to oversee the students’ interaction and guide their learning and observations.  Other examples demonstrate that students are highly engaged with the use of a social networking site like Edmodo.  Additionally, other sites like Google Docs help the learning process by providing a valuable collaborative tool with free programs for word processing, spreadsheet and presentation slide shows.

Both articles are critical for educators to learn how to incorporate today’s available technology in the science classroom.  While infrastructure limitations can inhibit possibilities, confidence in utilizing technology where available will surely grow with time. Effective utilization of existing resources show that today’s science classrooms can benefit greatly as student engagement is heightened with the incorporation of familiar technology. 

Assignment 2-2 Explore at least 5 Edmodo  functions and detail each function. Write a paragraph on how ELA teachers can use Edmodo to enhance their ELA instruction. 

Edmodo Planner is a convenient calendar that includes quizzes and reminders of future assignments.  The calendar can be shown in a weekly or monthly view.  From either view, you can click on an item and it launches from the calendar.

The Quiz function is easily customizable to create questions to assess student knowledge.  In little time, I created a four question, true/false quiz with a five minute time limit.  I was able to set a due date and assign it to specific people.

The Poll function can be useful as a quick check of student knowledge, opinion or preference.  I created a one question/three choice poll on a science unit to ignite student interest and measure their basic knowledge.

Assignments can be uploaded with a due date and sent to specific people.  In my sample, I just created a blank assignment to myself with a brief description and a due date.  I see the assignment on my home page with a button that appears to track how many have been turned in.

The Notes section is a handy memo function to set reminders or announcements for the user and students.  Others can reply to the note with one of their own.  This operates much like facebook where others can see a continuing conversation.

With a platform that appears much like facebook, Edmodo is quite intuitive for most of today’s digital learners.  Students will be able to jump right in and get engaged with a fairly smooth learning curve.  An ELA teacher can assign homework through Edmodo as well as spark conversation among students about their interpretations of a particular reading passage.  The teacher can also engage students with a poll on what a character may or should do next in a newly-created scenario.  This could be a fun activity as the students can get creative while the teacher can assess their understanding at the same time.  The functions of Edmodo allow an ELA teacher to further classroom discussion and allow students of different learning styles and preferences to participate from their homes.  Utilizing a social network platform to supplement instruction and assessment can be a valuable tool given the high level of student engagement, real time information and feedback, and flexible functionality of the resource.

Week 6: Assignment 1: Article Review: How Teens Do Research in the Digital World

How Teens Do Research in the Digital World

Purcell, Kristen; Rainie, Lee; Heaps, Alan; Buchanan, Judy; Friedrich, Linda; Jacklin, Amanda; Chen, Clara; Zickuhr, Kathryn

Pew Internet & American Life Project, November 1, 2012

http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED537513.pdf

This is a timely and relevant article that presents research on how adolescents are performing research in today’s increasingly digital world.  The primary research comprised of survey responses and focus groups of over 2,000 middle and high school teachers with the majority of respondents from the Advanced Placement and National Writing Project communities.  The diverse sampling of American educators provided some interesting results which were positive but also alarming.  Positively, 77% of teachers say today’s internet and digital search tools have had a mostly positive impact on their students’ research habits.  They also cite greater access to a broad and deep pool of information in a variety of formats including multimedia. 

However, teachers raise important changes that can be argued as concerning consequences of today’s technology.  Two thirds of respondents say that digital technologies distract students more than they help academically.  Specifically regarding research, teachers cite an overdependence on search engines relative to other sources like online databases, credible news sites, printed materials or reference librarians.  They also worry that many students are not taking the effort nor have the skill to judge the quality of online information.  Many teachers are now spending time to educate students how to assess the reliability of online information because students have displayed a tendency to accept such information without verifying its accuracy.  One respondent commented “Students cut and paste without reading or evaluating the information."

  

To help students perform better research beyond just “googling”, teachers are directing students to specific, credible online resources and requiring a variety of sources that includes online and offline.  While these efforts will enhance this generation’s research skills, one teacher remarked “Students generally think of ‘research’ as looking up a topic using the minimum number of resources required for the assignment and then paraphrasing (if they're not outright plagiarizing) what they say.”

Technology has definitely changed the way adolescents have approached research at a rapid pace.  A chief concern by the responding teachers is that today’s middle and high school students are not developing an adequate ability to think critically about the research findings they are getting with relative ease through a search engine.  With rapidly changing resources, needs and habits, today’s curriculum standards need to support the focus on critical thinking and problem solving skills throughout the education of this generation.  While students now have the benefit of accessing information on demand from virtually anywhere, they are missing out on learning critical research skills that had promoted lifelong problem solving skills.  One quote from this research that captures this disturbing trend states, “Students have become more lazy about research, relying on the first selection of sources, rather than digging deeper into subject matter.“

Week 5: Utilizing Games in the Classroom

With the availability of technology increasing at rapid rates, so is the ease of creating and using such technology for applications that can entertain, educate or both.   Today’s teachers have a seemingly endless list of choices in how they can implement new technology in their classrooms to engage students in a new topic, enhance instruction or assess student academic knowledge.   Games are just one way educators can bring technology to their instruction.  For example, simple computer games can help young students develop logical sequencing skills by having them organize pictures, numbers or words in a certain order.  One effective use of computer games can help students master English language arts (ELA) concepts like vocabulary terms, parts of speech and spelling.  Teachers can gain important data on each of their students as they play the games.  This real time information can help teachers perform quality assessments and guide their instruction.

As a future educator who is comfortable with technology, I look forward to incorporating games in my instruction with a particular focus on assessment.  Not only will students surely be engaged by using familiar technology, the use of information and communication technology (ICT) can be a critical component in measuring academic achievement as tomorrow’s young students are increasingly exposed to digital interactions.  From the perspective of students who have grown up in a home environment where ICT is commonly used to read, learn, communicate and transact, the use of computer-based games can be an effective measure of their academic knowledge.  While teachers should continue to assess students with a variety of methods including observation, discussion and traditional paper-based examinations, they can gain a more complete assessment of their students’ knowledge by differentiating their assessment like their instruction.  By utilizing games, teachers benefit from real time feedback which can guide their instruction.  The students’ performance will help teachers understand where more instruction is needed or which concepts need reinforcement.  More specific data will indicate which particular students need additional instruction or clarification.  With such immediate information, a teacher can address these instructional needs immediately.

Teachers can utilize numerous platforms like Gamestar Mechanic to develop games for use in their classrooms.  I found another platform which can be customized specifically to help students master ELA concepts and teachers assess student knowledge as a whole class or individually.  Openminds.io, recently acquired by Edmodo, offers an easy-to-use platform with several built-in games that utilizes ELA concepts that the teacher inputs.  For example, the teacher can manually input a current list of vocabulary words and their definitions.  Students can then play games where they match up words with their definition, select the correct word to complete a phrase or identify properly-spelled words.  As students play these simple and engaging games, their teacher can use real time data on how the students are performing relative to their mastery of the content.   Not only can this valuable data adjust the pace of instruction immediately, it should be added to other forms of assessment so the teacher can better determine the knowledge of the students.

See a video tutorial here on using OpenMinds:  http://screencast.com/t/jFaf489QrDv

Week 4, Assignment 3: Brief Tutorial using Jing

Here is my first tutorial created with Jing.  A brief tutorial on using SimCity 3000:

http://screencast.com/t/GKquaM1hRJdf

Week 4,Assignment 2: Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan:  Using SimCity in an ELA Curriculum

Subject area:  English Language Arts

Grade level:  Fourth – fifth grades

Time:  One 45 minute class period

Lesson objective:  Students will be able to identify decisions that are made to build a city and manage it operations, and consequences of making informed decisions using evidence and results from an interactive game.

Common Core State Standards/Learning Outcomes:

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

Description of Learning Tasks and Instructional Activities:

• Utilizing an already developed town in SimCity shown on the classroom SMART Board, explain the objective of the game as building a city and making smart decisions to grow it. 
• Give examples of decisions that will impact the economy, growth of the population and environment.
• Display and distribute a summary of decisions that will be made in class.
• Make decisions to grow and manage the city.
• From the paper text and onscreen game, students will:
• o   Define and comprehend new vocabulary terms and phrases.
• o   Identify clues within the text that help the reader make inferences.
• o   Cite evidence from the text to support answers.
• o   Follow directions to make informed decisions.
• o   Identify gaming elements that provide important information.
• o   Predict outcomes of decisions based on information.

Required resources:  Classroom computer, SMART Board, SimCity software

Assessment:  Pre-assessment:  Students will engage in a 30 second writing exercise identifying decisions that are made to build a city and manage it operations.

Post-assessment:  Students will engage in a 30 second writing exercise identifying decisions that are made to build a city and manage it operations.  Expectation for exemplary rubric score is double the output of the student’s pre-assessment demonstrating understanding of new concepts and vocabulary.

Debriefing

In order to ensure that students connect their gaming experiencing to real life situations, the teacher will lead them through a class discussion on the decisions they just made in the game and the results that followed.   Students will be asked to share some real world decisions they have seen in their neighborhood and identify some of the implications.  Some examples could be the opening of a new store, building of a park or the repair of a local street.  Students will then deepen the connection and call upon their creativity by writing one decision they would make and detail the associated potential consequences.  Through this instructional scaffolding, the students will link their gaming experience to thinking strategically and solving problems in other real world situations.

Cognitive Skills 

By playing a complex game like SimCity, students will develop numerous cognitive skills include processing information quickly and strategically, synthesizing visual information, formulating logical reasoning, solving problems, and maintaining attention to details.

New Literacies Skills

      Students playing SimCity develop 21^st century skills in processing information and communicating utilizing today’s technology.  Not only do students become proficient in information technology skills, they develop critical thinking skills to make informed decisions.  Students will also gain valuable experience in getting, evaluating and processing non-printed information through playing SimCity.  Such new literacies skills are critical as students are surrounded by an enhanced learning environment at school and at home.

Week 4, Assignment 1: SimCity

An outstanding game that is not only challenging but very educational and entertaining is SimCity.  I first played the game on a Super Nintendo game system in the early 1990s and spent countless hours making numerous decisions to build and grow a dynamic and thriving city.  Unlike many other games, this one has longer term objectives that require strategic thinking, critical decision making and creativity.  This game also requires skills in math, reading, logical reasoning and planning along with an understanding of how local government works.  With technological advances since the late 20^th century, SimCity has transformed with the technology.  My children started playing a computer-based version since age eight.  The premise of the game remains the same but the graphics have improved dramatically.

There are numerous gaming elements in SimCity that provide a rich educational experience.  While a child may not realize the valuable knowledge they are accumulating while playing SimCity, a review of these elements can show parents and educators that there is indeed substantial value in this game.

Text:  Unlike games geared towards a younger audience or those based on popular sports, SimCity requires a relatively large amount of reading to get started, progress and eventually succeed.  Reading skills are needed to read the instruction manual even if it’s just required the very first time a player starts SimCity.  The manual that came with my SuperNintendo version was by far the most comprehensive of any other game.  Its 85 page manual easily dwarfed the ten page versions that came with most other games.  In the manual are critical information and tips that encourages reading comprehension and identification of new vocabulary.  While playing SimCity, onscreen text provides valuable information as well that gives players critical status updates, transactions, advice and procedures.

Visual graphics:  As a player’s city grows, the ever-changing visual graphics elements are key to realizing the successes and challenges of the city.  For example, residential structures will start out small and undeveloped and over time may develop into large houses or even tall apartment buildings.  Conversely, previously thriving commercial buildings may fail leaving abandoned and decaying properties.  Or, a thriving city may result in heavy traffic conditions on particular roads resulting in undesired air pollution.  The visual graphics of SimCity will depict each of these scenarios which give the player important information so that he or she can synthesize and utilize problem-solving skills to take appropriate actions.

Audio:  While SimCity does not rely heavily on the audio element, it does play a role in learning content.  For example, sounds of fire trucks or emergency alarms indicate the need to make quick, critical decisions to limit damage and preserve developed properties.  The occasional cheers of the city’s population positively reinforce a player’s decisions that are deemed favorable by citizens.  Of course, a collective moan may indicate unpopular actions by the player which may encourage further thought and consideration.

Game goals:  While the goal is simply to build a successful city, the element that keeps SimCity players in front of their screens is the dynamic nature of what success of their cities looks like.  Since there is no specific end goal for this game, the player could continue playing to capture an elusive level of success.  It really is up to the individual player to set a goal for success otherwise he or she can continue to build and manage a city indefinitely.  With ever-changing and aging conditions, managing a city requires constant attention as time continues to progress.

Game rules:  The rules of SimCity can be relatively complex but are logical.  They are based on how a city planner would go about developing a town from the ground up and how a government leader would make decisions on how to maintain a healthy and growing economy.

The decisions a player makes to plan, construct, destroy, and manage a city’s operations and finance all have cascading consequences. For example, a thriving city that started with minimal infrastructure may require additional power supply, water pipes, roads and access to emergency services.  Decisions to add more revenue by increasing taxes may result in citizens leaving the city which may result in failing residential and commercial properties.

Players need to work creatively within the rules to achieve progress and success. While the rules don’t change during a game, the player will need to scrutinize offers from neighboring towns to make the best decisions.  For example, a player could receive an offer to accept garbage from a neighboring town in exchange for revenue to bolster the city’s economy.  Such decisions engage strategic thinking, decision making, and financial planning skills.

Scenario design:  SimCity has a scenario design embedded in curriculum-related content in which students can learn real world applications through simulating the decisions a city planner and a government leader make to build and manage a real city.  Players learn about planning, constructing, managing growth and decline, making smart financial decisions, reducing pollution and evaluating possibilities for long term success.  This experience complements numerous learning objectives in various subjects including reading, math, and social studies.  Most importantly, the gaming experience encourages students to develop strategic thinking and critical decision making skills based on limited data, dynamic conditions and continuous feedback.