Wii U Arrives

It has finally happened…what I said wouldn’t happen…what I was adamantly opposed to entering my house…yes…we bought a gaming system.  My house is now outfitted with a brand new Wii U system, complete with controllers for all four of us, the personal game pad, nunchuks, and 3 new games. The Works.

For those who know me, and those who have followed my blog, you know that I am not a gamer and have really battled with how to approach gaming with my kids so that it is a healthy part of their lives.  I have always been very concerned about IT taking over our home.  I have visualized my husband and children sitting in the basement with the blinds closed, eyes glassy from being fixated on the screen for hours, their social skills completely eroded with the lack of talking or contact, their muscles becoming atrophied from lack of exercise, all the while their brains turning into a pile of mush.

So how then, did this happen?  What changed my mind?  Part of it has been the passion that my 5-year old has for technology and gaming and his daily negotiating for a Wii.  The other factor has been what I have learned from my course of Digital Game Based Learning.  While working on the major assignments, my kids sat with me and played Where’s My Water and Minecraft (on the iPad) and showed me how they worked.  While my 4-year old figured out how to angle the water so that it flowed into the pipes for Swampy, and my 5-year old built a virtual castle, I was awed at the degree of problem-solving and critical thinking that was taking place; all while they were having so much fun.  I played with them and we talked and cuddled and had fun working through the games.  As my husband and kids saw my disdain for gaming beginning to wane, they capitalized on the opportunity and I caved. 

Three days with our Wii and my house has not turned into a dark cave.  My children have continued to play on their walkie-talkies while camping in the basement, super heroes have prowled the house looking for bad guys, we’ve played at the park, and our evening has still ended with a good book.  Sure, they’ve asked to play Wii  (many times) but we’re trying to balance the time with other kinds of play, and so far, they seem ok with that.  When they have been playing, we’ve been doing it as a family.  My youngest jumps up and down and cheers for everyone, while my oldest son encourages me and shows me how to play.  We have laughed, high-fived, cuddled and had fun, quality time together.  

Gamification of Reality Television

In a blog post by Greg Luterbach (February 1, 2013), he suggested that gamification has permeated many aspects of popular society including professional sports, consumer goods, entertainment and social relationships.  Since this infiltration of gamification was not as obvious to me, I decided to challenge myself to look for examples of gamification in aspects of society other than the context of formal education.  Within just a few days, I had recognized the presence of gamification in all of the domains that Michael had suggested; the sports channel TSN promoted an online challenge for viewers to predict the winning outcomes of hockey games (TSN Game Predictor Hockey Edition), Hasbro sponsored a contest where the public could help decide on a new playing piece, and a commercial was broadcast highlighting the tasks performed by the contestants on an upcoming episode of the Bachelor.

It was the latter example that really got me thinking about how gamification had changed the paradigm of prime-time television programming.  When Survivor made its debut in 2000 it immediately appealed to the public viewing audience as it featured regular Americans facing-off against one another in a variety of tasks towards the ultimate quest of being the Sole Survivor and the winner of a million dollars.  Since then a host of reality television shows have come to dominate the airwaves, including The Amazing Race, Fear Factor, American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With the Stars, America’s Got Talent, Wipe Out, Big Brother, The Bachelor, and The Bachelorette. 

While these programs are all games in their own right, there are many other social dynamics at play; finding love, co-habitating with a diverse group of people, following ones’ dreams to achieve stardom, overcoming personal fears, and participating in world-wide cultural practices.  The shows contain many of the elements of ‘good games’ such as separate tasks, increased difficulty with the progression of each level, collaborative play, feedback, reward and working toward the ultimate quest.  Each week the participants engage in a number of tasks, often working in a team, with the winner(s) receiving a reward.  The players receive feedback on their performance either from other participants or the host, or engage in self-reflection (often given as a monologue to the camera), discussing their strategies and identifying the consequences of their choices.  Players are eliminated until there is an ultimate winner at the end of the quest. Viewers are also involved in the game play of these reality shows.  For many shows there are Twitter feeds and Facebook groups, and the public is often involved in voting for their favourite players or participants.

While the participants in many of these shows may not view their experience as a player within a game, they are in fact, part of an ultimate example of gamification.   As I watch the Bachelor or Bachelorette (yes, I admit that I watch these shows) and hope that my favourite choice truly finds love (hokey, I know) I will not be able to sit back and enjoy them in the same way without analyzing the design of the game and how the participants engage in this ultimate gaming experience.   

My First Gaming Success

For the past three weeks, I have been reading many interesting articles, blogs, websites and discussion forums on topics associated with Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL), and I must admit that I have become quite intrigued by the potential that games have for teaching and learning.  What I thought was just an entertaining (for some) pastime that resulted in ‘mushy-brain’ after too many hours of screen-time, it seems that well-designed games offer the player an experience in which they can develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, the ability to self-assess their strengths and areas for improvement, and gain factual geographical, historical, political and social information.  With this new understanding, I have been motivated to delve deeper into the theory and literature around the topic of DGBL and to thoughtfully consider how this can impact my own teaching and learning practice (in my classroom and at home).

Of course, this means that I have to actually access and engage in playing games myself.   For me, however, this is where the challenge began.  I am a very logical, methodical and analytical person.  When I get a new appliance, product, or toy, I read the instructions.  When I learn a new skill, I refer to the text and diagrams, make notes and work through the process step-by-step.  If there is a tutorial, I am the person that actually watches it just to make sure that I haven’t missed anything that I might need to know.  I am good at researching information, considering various perspectives, making meaning, and applying what I have learned.  So in my initial foray into game-playing I became quickly frustrated as I realized that digital game-playing doesn’t naturally fit with my personal learning style.

The first game I decided to play was MineCraft, with the intention to use it to teach students about the concept of building communities.  Given that my four-year old son seems to easily navigate through this game on my iPad and his dad’s iPhone, I figured that it would be fairly easy for me to figure out.  Only five minutes in, however, I was already frustrated trying to build my community.  I was able to put blocks on the screen but I couldn’t move them around to construct my vision of a functional building.  When my son informed me that zombies come out and “attack you and eat you and kill you” when night falls, I wasn’t confident in the educational application of this game (or perhaps that should be the teacher) to teach Grade 2 students about communities. 

I decided to search for another game that might be more applicable for teaching about communities.  Through a search of iTunes, I found two Apps that looked like they might fit the bill.  The first one was called Pioneers.  Surely this would work for teaching about the historical settlement of communities in Canada.  Again, however, this was a bust.  There appeared to be quests like building a fire, constructing a bridge and harvesting crops, but there was nothing to guide me on how to accomplish any of these tasks.  The little man walked around on the screen and while I touched, resized and searched all over the screen, I just couldn’t figure out how to get him to go where I wanted him to go or to engage in the task that the game was prompting me to do.   I was almost in tears and when my husband came to help me out.  I just became more embarrassed and frustrated that I couldn’t seem to make sense of what was seemingly, a simple game.

I didn’t give up, however, and decided to give Cityville Hometown a try.  The premise of this game was immediately clear to me and I quickly learned how to navigate the game, using the tool bars and menus.  The characters in this game gave me suggestions regarding strategies and ‘next moves’ that provided me with the confidence that motivated me to continue play.  The logic of the game was revealed and I and actually began to start thinking about my choices in the game.  I even started to have fun.  I have since asked for the App to be loaded on the iPads at our school and am looking forward to introducing it to my Grade 2 class.  My first success with gaming!

The Journey Begins

I am not a gamer.  I enjoy playing board games, cards and physical games, but I have never quite understood the allure of the digital game.  As a kid, the dark dungeon-like mall arcade seemed to me to be a place that boys hung out, and bad girls hoping to hook-up with those boys (no offence intended to any of you who were in that arcade crowd). Not a place for me.  I occasionally tried out the Pac Man game at the local Mac’s store, but usually I was more content to just suck on my slurpee and wait for my friends. 

All that being said, I now am entering the world of gaming through my engagement in a Masters Course in Educational Technology.  It is not the technology part of the course that I approach with trepidation; in fact, this is my area of specialty and I am confident in my understanding how educational technology can and should be used to support and enhance the educational experience of students, teachers and parents.  Gaming, however, is somewhat outside of my comfort zone and has not been something that I have used beyond basic practice of concepts (i.e. math fact games, spelling games) with my students. Thoughtful consideration of serious games has not been included in the instructional design of my units and lessons.

So it is now, with excitement and optimism, that I begin my journey of learning about what gaming is and how I can use it within my classroom, amongst my colleagues, and within my own home.  I figured my blog would be the best place for me to reflect on and share my experiences, as I move into, and through, this great new world.

I often wonder what it is about gaming that holds such an attraction for so many people, young and old.  I realize that it is about play, and play is critical for brain development at any age, but when I have attempted to game, I have realized a sense of frustration at how the game works and what I should do rather than a sense of joy or fun in the play.  As Squire (2011) suggests, games often don’t reveal their true depth until a few hours into the gaming experience.  By this time, many non-gamers have already walked away from the game, thus not realizing its appeal. Perhaps this is the case for myself; if I stick around long enough to really get familiarized with the nuances of the game, maybe I will experience the ‘hook’ that keeps me coming back for more.

I did try out a couple of games that were suggested references for this week’s course work.  The first, Food Force, I quite liked because it was a definition word game and I like any kind of game that focuses on fact recall or language.  It was also a very basic entry game; it gives the word and the player clicks on a basic definition.  With my novice gaming skills, I was able to handle that.  The second game I tried, Darfur is Dying, involved choosing a character to forage for water before being captured by the militia.  I attempted this several times, but couldn’t figure out the location of the water well and just pressed buttons in every direction with no strategic plan on how to win the game (frustrating).  Each time I was captured, and then the character fell to a horrific demise.   This was not an entertaining game, but it certainly does provide the player with some knowledge about the conditions in Darfur; the ultimate point of the game.

When I was reading the first chapter of Squire (2011), I have to admit that his description of such games as Sim City, World of Warcraft and Pirates peaked my interest, as the player engages within the gaming environment, making choices to solve problems as he/she works towards a final goal.  I think I’ll look into these and see if perhaps they might be a fit for the inner gamer in me.

References

Darfur is Dying [Browser Game] (2006), USC Interactive Media (Developer),Game Site: http://www.darfurisdying.com

Food Force (2005) Harrison, M. (Designer)[Windows] Deepend & Playerthree (Developer), United Nations World Food Programme (Publisher), Game Site: http://www.food-force.com

Squire,  K.  (2011).  Video  Games  and  Learning.  NY:  Teachers  College  Press

Thanks for the Memories (and Tech Tips)

With this blog being my last entry for my current Educational Technology course, I would like to reflect on how technology has affected my personal learning experience.  Every week it has been a pleasure to engage in conversation and debate with my colleagues about technology and how it has affected how people learn and engage in society.  Many of our topics or guiding questions have been theoretical or hypothetical in nature, but have prompted me to question or confirm my paradigms regarding teaching and learning using technology.  Such questions as “Is the Internet a privilege or requirement?”, “How does participation in a collective impact learning?”, and “How do we as adults respond to change?”, promoted active dialogue about how technology has changed the face of learning in our society and how we, as educators, need to respond to the changing needs and desires of those we teach.  Many of our discussions have centered around the work by Thomas and Brown (2011), who suggest that there needs to a major shift in education in order to meet the demands of a “New Culture of Learning”.  Although I found that their notions of ‘play’, the ‘collective’ and constructing knowledge were all worthy of thoughtful consideration, I did find that their perspective seemed somewhat outdated.  They suggested that classrooms today are led by the all-knowing teacher with a focus on the transfer of knowledge and that there needs to be a transformation to allow students to be active participants in the creation and demonstration of their knowledge.  I would strongly agree, however, I would argue that this educational-makeover has been in the works for several years and that the teachers with whom I work, have been learning and redeveloping their practices to strive toward this new learning environment.  Many have not yet achieved this ultimate goal (I know I haven’t), but there is a definite and purposeful movement in our schools to create a learner focused and personalized atmosphere to empower the learners of the 21^st century to embrace the unlimited boundaries that our technological society has to offer.

In addition to the philosophical component of my learning, this class has introduced me to many new technologies that I can use in my personal learning path and in the work that I do with kids.  Blogging played a major role in this course as we had to follow and participate in established blogs as well as create our own.  Prior to the course, I didn’t understand the attraction of blogging for followers nor the purpose for the creator of the blog.  In fact, when I read the course outline and saw that we would be creating a blog, I was somewhat skeptical at the educational value of this aspect of technology in teaching and learning.  This was my biggest revelation, however, as blogging and following blogs became one of the most enjoyable aspects of this course.  I chose to follow three different inspirational and motivational blogs; The Happiness Project, Joel Osteen Ministries, and a blog by Robin Sharma.  I learned a lot about how blogs participate in a culture of learning and promote a sense of community for the followers.  I was (and continue to be) personally inspired and motivated by these blogs (particularly The Happiness Project) and have started checking out other blogs in areas of interest to me.  As for writing a blog, I like the freedom to express my thoughts in a more casual voice and look forward to reading my followers’ comments.  Through this process I have come to realize how blogging contributes to learning as it offers facts and opinions on a variety of lifestyle, political and educational topics.  It also offers anyone the opportunity to express their thoughts, and participate in open discourse within a community of members who may share common interests.

Another value of this course to my personal learning journey has been the application of various Web 2.0 technologies.  As a novice in the world of blogging, I had not previously used an online blogging tool.  With the assistance from a classmate, I set up my own blog using Blogger, a tool offered through Google Docs.  It was very user-friendly and my blog was up in no time.  My personal profile is limited and I haven’t posted a picture of myself, but I have a start.  I am quite certain that this will not be the end of my blogging endeavor as I realize I have a lot to say about a lot of different things (for those who know me this is not a surprise).  The other tools that I have really enjoyed using are Dropbox, Prezi and Symbaloo.  Dropbox allows the user to ‘drop’ files onto the Dropbox icon, on the user’s desktop, which are then copied into the cloud.  The user can then access these files from anywhere even without his/her personal computer because they are housed in the cloud.  If working in a group, the users will see, and can access, all of the files that have been dropped into the Dropbox.  This was a very convenient tool for our group project as it was a good way to share information without the hassle of emailing it back and forth or having to go online and login to a housing site (such as Google Docs).  This is definitely a tool I will use in the future.  Our group also used Prezi, an interactive presentation tool.  We were all able to access and edit the project online and presentation itself offered a different look and feel for the audience than a standard PowerPoint-type format.  The third tool that I now use on a daily basis is Symbaloo.  This is an online bookmarking tool to enable the user to access his/her bookmarks from anywhere on any computer.  More than that, however, it is a personal learning environment where I can sort and organize my online tools by colour and category for easy access.  Prior to using this tool, my bookmarks were a mess and I could only access them from the proprietary computer on which they were marked. 

I have enjoyed this course immensely and it has been a definite asset to my personal development regarding teaching and learning in the world of technology.  Thank-you to those of you who have made it so worthwhile.

References

Thomas, D. & Brown, J. S.(2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world     of constant change. Seattle, WA: Create Space.

A Balancing Act

It seems that the institution of Education is always undergoing change in an attempt to find that ‘thing’ that meets the needs of the diversity of students that we teach.  Veteran teachers have witnessed the debate between Phonics and Whole Language finally resulting in a plethora of programs and models based on a balanced approach between the two.   They have experienced pull-out programs for students with learning challenges and then had those students return to their classroom in the name of Inclusive Education.  They have altered (to various degrees) their practice to meet the learning and teaching ideals within the Generative Curriculum, Problem-Based Learning, and Inquiry Learning models, while at the same time school boards offer programs purporting a return to ‘traditional’ learning in our Traditional Learning Centres. 

As educators, many of us embrace these ‘new’ programs or models in the hopes of continually improving our practice to ultimately meet the needs of our students.  Due to the constant state of flux, however, there are many educators that may be hesitant and somewhat skeptical of a ‘new’ method, program or model until they identify positive results and determine it to have worth. 

The infusion of technology into teaching and learning has been one of those ‘new’ tools that has received mixed support.  Although technology is ever-present in our schools, the idea of using technology in the classroom has taken many years to take hold.  For over a decade, Information and Communication Technology has been part of the mandated Alberta curriculum, yet there are still some teachers in the system that struggle to teach using technology.  For many, it is the intimidation factor that technology presents, as teachers have limited knowledge of the various software, programs and applications that are available.  For others, it may be that they are reluctant to give up their ‘tried and true’ methods to try something with which they are less familiar and that doesn’t offer objective, measurable results. 

On the other hand, there are those teachers that jump at the chance to try every new technology that is offered.  They have replaced all pencil and paper activities with word processing and presentation software; they use a variety of collaboration and interactive online tools, and talk with their students, parents and colleagues through a multiplicity of online discussion mediums. 

Is one better than the other?  As a Master’s student in Educational Technology, I have invested much time and effort educating myself on the benefits of teaching and learning using technology.  I believe that technology truly has revolutionized education (and will continue to do so), but I also know that education is more about the tools that are used; it is how they are used.  Students positively respond to engaging opportunities to learn about their world.   We want them to ask good questions and be active participants in their learning, and then demonstrate that knowledge in a format that capitalizes on their personal skills and abilities.   Technology allows students to learn in this way.  In today’s world students can readily find the answers to their questions (many, many answers and perspectives in fact), they can work collaboratively with others using an array of Web 2.0 tools, and can present their findings using a wide range of software and applications.  At the same time, however, students may engage in conversation face-to-face with their classmates; they may find relevant information in a book, make connections to their learning outside in their community and may demonstrate their knowledge through an oral presentation or a simple poster. 

Technology in teaching and leaning isn’t going to go away; in fact, I would argue that it is the ‘thing’ that has come to dominate the way that we engage in learning with our students.  Whether by baby steps, or giant leaps, educators need to get on the wagon and embrace the many teaching and learning opportunities that are present with the use of technology.  I would suggest, however, that we need to be mindful that it isn’t the only way to engage students and we don’t need to replace all of the non-technological modes of learning that are effective for many learners.  Just like the debate between Phonics and Whole-Language, there is a balance to be found. 

Building Connections or Breaking Bonds?

I recently read an article in my Today’s Parent magazine entitled (Anti)social Media.  The premise of the article was that while social media sites like Facebook and Twitter help people stay connected with people online, it may be at the expense of spending time with the people in your own home.  I would argue that it isn’t just social networking sites that take our attention away from those in our immediate company, but rather any of the technology that we have at our fingertips to ‘stay connected’.  We’re using our laptops, iPads and Smartphones to converse, yet may be neglecting what (or who) is right under our nose. 

During breakfast with my three and four year old boys, I used to check my email on my phone.  I figured it didn’t really matter; they dawdled while they ate, we didn’t really engage in any ‘real’ conversation and I could get some work done before I went out the door.  Breakfast, however, started to become a bit of a gong show; juice spilled, half-eaten pieces of toast and two little boys arguing and fighting with each other.  I would get angry and frustrated, email wouldn’t get checked because I was now breaking up the morning version of WWE and cleaning up breakfast off the floor, and we would all walk out the door agitated.  I soon realized that the source of this contention was the fact that I was on my phone and not paying attention to my children.  They knew that when I was emailing, that my focus was not on them, and they didn’t like that.  Their misbehaviour, although negative attention, was their way of getting that focus back.  Once I had this revelation, I put down my phone and realized that, in fact, there was much more to breakfast than dawdling kids munching on their toast.  We started having ‘real’ conversations about what we were going to do that day and other ‘important’ things in the lives of little boys.  They started to help prepare their breakfast and clean up.   I wasn’t getting my email checked in the morning before work, but I was having an enjoyable time, sharing a meal with my children before we set off for our day.

I had similar experiences when I needed time to get some work done during the day (when I was at home on my days off) and took out my laptop.  If the boys wanted my attention, the misbehaviour began, everyone became frustrated and angry, and nothing was accomplished.  They saw the computer as a barrier between us and I think that even at such a young age they began to resent my time spent on my computer.  It could be argued, of course, that my children shouldn’t expect my full attention all of the time and that their negative behaviour shouldn’t be rewarded.  This is very true, but it’s also true that the computer can consume one’s time, and that a few minutes of work (“just give me a minute boys”) can turn into an hour (or two).  Kids don’t get this.  Now when I do need to spend some time on my computer to get work done (report cards) I explain to them what I need to do, make sure that they are occupied by something that they enjoy doing independently, and set myself a time limit to be on my computer.  Although this isn’t a full-proof method, they are starting to understand that mommy on the computer (or Smartphone) doesn’t have to mean that they won’t get my time.

On The Happiness Project blog, Gretchin Rubin has a quote with a short video “The days may be long, but the years are short”.   This video really hit home with me as it reminded me of the experiences that we have from just ‘living’.  Watching others and experiencing the world around us, Being Present, is not only rewarding but is really what life is all about.  The article in Today’s Parent also suggests that we “Be Present for Events” by putting our technology away for a short time to enjoy the event that is happening in our immediate presence.  That doesn’t mean getting rid of our technology which we all love and which does build connections to our friends and family, but to perhaps be mindful of the power it can have over us, and to remember to nurture the bonds that are only a hand-hold away.

References

Green, J.M. (2012). (Anti) social media.  Today’s Parent. 29(1). Pg 75-76