Oops, I realized that I posted my comment for this reading in the first reading blog. Well, I wasn't quite finished with the reading when I wrote my blog and last night and now I am able to finish up. My concluding thoughts for this section are as follows: Pages 75 through 79 gave me great joy and hope. It was wonderful to have a concrete guideline with which to employ some of Matera's ideas. I also thought to myself, this would be an effective tool to use when writing a story. I guess that's what a game can truly be, a story that an individual is allowed to enter and add to, making it their own. It reminds me of that series that was popular not so long ago, the "Choose Your Own Adventure" series. The students found it exciting to choose their reaction to a situation and then experience the consequences that followed. I'm feeling a little more hopeful now that I've finished this section of the reading and am eager to learn more. Two areas of concern still remain and those are the time constraints involved, and also evaluation... grading.
I loved the section on resilience....fail stands for First Attempt In Learning. This is something that we are all trying to teach to our students. I like that Matera is making it a part of his teaching/ learning strategy.
I agree. We have used that acronym before in our room but never heard of S.A.I.L. How awesome! What also clicked was if we are going to say that "to "fail" is just your first attempt at learning than we can't give Ss a failing grade because it doesn't apply." However, with that said I think it is also based on knowing your students because a student can continueously say he is trying when he really isn't and expect not to get a failing grade based on his so called attempt. Does that make sense?
My question and maybe this is more personal than student centered but if perserverence is about hard work and resilience is adapting and overcoming at what point to do you say that didn't work I need to be done with it? Matera says we have to foster a comfort level of attempts that could lead you to 6,7,8 etc attempts. That is a lot of time.
UMM you know as well as I that no matter how many times I say, "I.AM.DONE." we are never really done, we just need space and time to figure out another way! It's tiring work.
I think the keys he talks about are indeed what we have been talking about. I agree that, "if we want to inspire kids to go above and beyond, we as teachers need to change the language of school." I love the idea of not just giving a grade or badge or other tangible instead listen about and hear their process, furthermore, congratulate them, find the brilliance and thank them for their courage. I love this because I often forget to do this. I tend to find where their work is weak and point it out. Yes, i lead with something positive but can always find one way to cut it down. I have to stop. They need ot know I am going to be honest, I will not throw out hollow praise but a willingness to try should not go unnoticed. If I want to change the language of school, I have an obligation to truly make my room safe to fail so they can learn, I need to create a space where their initiative is noticed and empathy seeps from the walls. No for how. I am NOT CREATIVE enough to do this!@!!!!! I'll start with getting to know my crew from the outset... I am fascinated by Bartle's theory and the gamer types! I think I identify most with the achievers but know plenty of killers, socializers and explorers. Ha I was right -- What Bartle says: You are 93% Achiever You are also: 60% Killer 40% Explorer 7% Socialiser
Wanna take the test? http://matthewbarr.co.uk/bartle
Ok, so all four game elements require CREATIVITY- I am screwed.
Adjusting my sails...Anyone else feel vulnerable, like coming up with a hokey theme is fodder for ridicule? I think I am going to choose to be vulnerable. that's my problem (ok ONE of my problems)-- I am afraid to be creative because then others can make fun of me! As I read through 75-79's questions I am starting to think it might be fun to develop at least one unit with a hokey story and theme...of course I have pushed the details to the side but the seed is firmly planted and beginning to germinate.
Thanks for posting the test...although it was difficult to answer since everything involved an online game and I know nothing about them. Here are my results..
You are 87% Explorer, 67% Socialiser, 33% Achiever, 13% Killer
I agree Amy I hate online games so I didn't know what the heck I was answering. Apparently I like to kill so watch out!!
You are 73% Achiever
What Bartle says:
♦ Achievers regard points-gathering and rising in levels as their main goal, and all is ultimately subserviant to this. Exploration is necessary only to find new sources of treasure, or improved ways of wringing points from it. Socialising is a relaxing method of discovering what other players know about the business of accumulating points, that their knowledge can be applied to the task of gaining riches. Killing is only necessary to eliminate rivals or people who get in the way, or to gain vast amounts of points (if points are awarded for killing other players). You are also:
Amy you and I received the same score. Remind me never to be your partner in an online game - we would be the first to be killed by Boslet and trampled by Angie.
I like the theme ideas in this section and that Matera is getting more specific. However, I would like some concrete examples. I am thinking about how I would use this with a literature study because it seems that theme, characters, setting, action (p 70-79) would be a perfect and easy fit, but I am just not seeing it, yet.
Were any of you able to come up with an example of how you would incorporate this into your curriculum? I am open to all ideas!
I am with you here Amy. I am not super creative at designing lessons/activities so when I read these books, I just want the concrete not the whys on how to incorporate these ideas into my curriculum. Authors seem to take the first 100 pages to convince the reader that their ideas are good ones, and by page 78 I drop the book.
Again, I am with you Ange and Amy. I am thinking this is going to be so much work to develop something that is interesting and engaging to the students. How can we do this on a smaller scale? Can we collaborate on designing an activity?
I am with you all. I am overwhelmed with the thought of this idea. It kind of goes against the idea of working harder than our students. I am sure once we have something in place it would go smoother but....
Oops, I realized that I posted my comment for this reading in the first reading blog. Well, I wasn't quite finished with the reading when I wrote my blog and last night and now I am able to finish up. My concluding thoughts for this section are as follows:
ReplyDeletePages 75 through 79 gave me great joy and hope. It was wonderful to have a concrete guideline with which to employ some of Matera's ideas. I also thought to myself, this would be an effective tool to use when writing a story. I guess that's what a game can truly be, a story that an individual is allowed to enter and add to, making it their own. It reminds me of that series that was popular not so long ago, the "Choose Your Own Adventure" series. The students found it exciting to choose their reaction to a situation and then experience the consequences that followed.
I'm feeling a little more hopeful now that I've finished this section of the reading and am eager to learn more. Two areas of concern still remain and those are the time constraints involved, and also evaluation... grading.
I loved the section on resilience....fail stands for First Attempt In Learning. This is something that we are all trying to teach to our students. I like that Matera is making it a part of his teaching/ learning strategy.
ReplyDeleteI agree. We have used that acronym before in our room but never heard of S.A.I.L. How awesome!
DeleteWhat also clicked was if we are going to say that "to "fail" is just your first attempt at learning than we can't give Ss a failing grade because it doesn't apply." However, with that said I think it is also based on knowing your students because a student can continueously say he is trying when he really isn't and expect not to get a failing grade based on his so called attempt. Does that make sense?
I agree, Kristen. What if we gave them no grade at all until they showed effort and growth?
DeleteI think the idea of creating a space where initiative can be taken, where ownership and agency are available means grades might take the backstage?
DeleteMy question and maybe this is more personal than student centered but if perserverence is about hard work and resilience is adapting and overcoming at what point to do you say that didn't work I need to be done with it? Matera says we have to foster a comfort level of attempts that could lead you to 6,7,8 etc attempts. That is a lot of time.
ReplyDeleteUMM you know as well as I that no matter how many times I say, "I.AM.DONE." we are never really done, we just need space and time to figure out another way! It's tiring work.
DeleteI think the keys he talks about are indeed what we have been talking about. I agree that, "if we want to inspire kids to go above and beyond, we as teachers need to change the language of school." I love the idea of not just giving a grade or badge or other tangible instead listen about and hear their process, furthermore, congratulate them, find the brilliance and thank them for their courage. I love this because I often forget to do this. I tend to find where their work is weak and point it out. Yes, i lead with something positive but can always find one way to cut it down. I have to stop. They need ot know I am going to be honest, I will not throw out hollow praise but a willingness to try should not go unnoticed. If I want to change the language of school, I have an obligation to truly make my room safe to fail so they can learn, I need to create a space where their initiative is noticed and empathy seeps from the walls. No for how. I am NOT CREATIVE enough to do this!@!!!!! I'll start with getting to know my crew from the outset...
ReplyDeleteI am fascinated by Bartle's theory and the gamer types! I think I identify most with the achievers but know plenty of killers, socializers and explorers. Ha I was right --
What Bartle says: You are 93% Achiever You are also: 60% Killer 40% Explorer 7% Socialiser
Wanna take the test? http://matthewbarr.co.uk/bartle
Ok, so all four game elements require CREATIVITY- I am screwed.
Adjusting my sails...Anyone else feel vulnerable, like coming up with a hokey theme is fodder for ridicule? I think I am going to choose to be vulnerable. that's my problem (ok ONE of my problems)-- I am afraid to be creative because then others can make fun of me!
As I read through 75-79's questions I am starting to think it might be fun to develop at least one unit with a hokey story and theme...of course I have pushed the details to the side but the seed is firmly planted and beginning to germinate.
Thanks for posting the test...although it was difficult to answer since everything involved an online game and I know nothing about them. Here are my results..
DeleteYou are 87% Explorer, 67% Socialiser, 33% Achiever, 13% Killer
I agree Amy I hate online games so I didn't know what the heck I was answering. Apparently I like to kill so watch out!!
DeleteYou are 73% Achiever
What Bartle says:
♦ Achievers regard points-gathering and rising in levels as their main goal, and all is ultimately subserviant to this. Exploration is necessary only to find new sources of treasure, or improved ways of wringing points from it. Socialising is a relaxing method of discovering what other players know about the business of accumulating points, that their knowledge can be applied to the task of gaining riches. Killing is only necessary to eliminate rivals or people who get in the way, or to gain vast amounts of points (if points are awarded for killing other players).
You are also:
53% Explorer
47% Killer
27% Socialiser
Amy you and I received the same score. Remind me never to be your partner in an online game - we would be the first to be killed by Boslet and trampled by Angie.
DeleteI like the theme ideas in this section and that Matera is getting more specific. However, I would like some concrete examples. I am thinking about how I would use this with a literature study because it seems that theme, characters, setting, action (p 70-79) would be a perfect and easy fit, but I am just not seeing it, yet.
ReplyDeleteWere any of you able to come up with an example of how you would incorporate this into your curriculum? I am open to all ideas!
I am with you here Amy. I am not super creative at designing lessons/activities so when I read these books, I just want the concrete not the whys on how to incorporate these ideas into my curriculum. Authors seem to take the first 100 pages to convince the reader that their ideas are good ones, and by page 78 I drop the book.
DeleteAgain, I am with you Ange and Amy. I am thinking this is going to be so much work to develop something that is interesting and engaging to the students. How can we do this on a smaller scale? Can we collaborate on designing an activity?
I am with you all. I am overwhelmed with the thought of this idea. It kind of goes against the idea of working harder than our students. I am sure once we have something in place it would go smoother but....
Delete