This is the first among many, I'm sure, critical reflections after my amazing time at EdCampHamilton!
One session I went to was in gamification in education. I got so upset that I forgot the guiding question! The following is my attempt to add to the conversation, in however I can.
I have a cynical love/hate relationship with gaming, and gamification. My initial hesitation to embrace came about from a healthy suspicion that anyone pushing gamification usually had a product to push. Really, I believe that I am getting to a space where some of the most valuable educational resources are free. So I threw off gamification as the fad I was convinced it was.
Then, ironically, at a product-pitch, I came to really appreciate the ideas and motivations behind gamification. Gamers will spend hours persevering and problem solving, collaborating and working relentlessly towards a goal. In education, who wouldn't want that? Who wouldn't want a group of kids who are working their *sses off towards a goal!
Then, at the un-conference, I heard the story of a particular teacher who had gamified his entire room. Now, assignments are worth points - more depending on the difficulty. Students are rewarded badges and tokens for all sorts of things, such as attendance, etc. The cynic in me then jumped in full-force: Don't we cheapen the experience by disguising it? Why do we have to hide the learning behind codes and rewards? Why do we have to trick the students into learning by reducing our classroom environments to entertainment?
Ideally, I would love to be in a space where the learning is the true reward. I want students to engage in the learning much like they engage in their games. I want this motivation to learn to be a part of my classroom. The rewards should be the learning itself, not tokens and prizes. I see how appealing the tokens and badges are - as they are instant feedback and rewards to the student - so this suggests to me that I need to provide the same feedback and rewards for the learning.
So, all I need is just a fundamental shift in attitudes towards all things related to school. Passion and love of learning should be synonymous with school.
That's all.
M.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Guess what I'm thinking? It starts with a 'Q'...
I've been doing some thinking lately, and then unexpectedly given the gift of time. Now I'm going to attempt to put some of this thinking into the larger conversation.
I've been thinking about how we teach through our questions.
When I was doing my practicum placements I was given some great advice. It had to do with the questions I asked. I was challenged: was I leading the students to one right answer, or to a wide open conversation?
In my attempt to visualize this thinking, I keep coming up with the same image - the prism of light. I see the potential of questioning to come through two different possibilities. If the prism is the teacher, I can either break open the conversation into a million points of light - or I can take all the millions of points of light (as the amazing ideas of the students) and force it into one response - the one I was looking for.
I created my title with a purpose - because I have heard this in classes. I've heard teachers ask their students questions, very thin and narrow questions, and up goes all the hands. Then as the first few are chosen, the teacher dismisses these with the "clue" - it starts with a (any given letter). Then the hands go down, as the students start to run through all the possibilities of this magical word. Starts with an a? Apple? Aardvark? Antelope?? The thinking shifts so suddenly and fundamentally from the rich (well, maybe not so rich) conversation to an almost comedic run through of the alphabet!
There is so much possibility, and indeed, so much great research into questioning. But I also think this points to the teacher's position within the class. Back to the tired, but ever important: Sage on the Stage, or Guide on the Side? If we can't truly engage WITH our students, especially with our questions and prompts, then really, aren't we wasting this potential?
M.
I've been thinking about how we teach through our questions.
When I was doing my practicum placements I was given some great advice. It had to do with the questions I asked. I was challenged: was I leading the students to one right answer, or to a wide open conversation?
In my attempt to visualize this thinking, I keep coming up with the same image - the prism of light. I see the potential of questioning to come through two different possibilities. If the prism is the teacher, I can either break open the conversation into a million points of light - or I can take all the millions of points of light (as the amazing ideas of the students) and force it into one response - the one I was looking for.
I created my title with a purpose - because I have heard this in classes. I've heard teachers ask their students questions, very thin and narrow questions, and up goes all the hands. Then as the first few are chosen, the teacher dismisses these with the "clue" - it starts with a (any given letter). Then the hands go down, as the students start to run through all the possibilities of this magical word. Starts with an a? Apple? Aardvark? Antelope?? The thinking shifts so suddenly and fundamentally from the rich (well, maybe not so rich) conversation to an almost comedic run through of the alphabet!
There is so much possibility, and indeed, so much great research into questioning. But I also think this points to the teacher's position within the class. Back to the tired, but ever important: Sage on the Stage, or Guide on the Side? If we can't truly engage WITH our students, especially with our questions and prompts, then really, aren't we wasting this potential?
M.
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