The #Gamification of Education #Infographic

The Gamification of Education 

I wish I created the following Infographic, but regretfully I didn't.  Scanning through this infographic is a great gateway into the the concept of gamification.  To start, here are a couple gamification definitions to keep you in the loop:

1. "Gamification is the use of game thinking and game mechanics in non-game contexts to engage users in solving problems." Gabb Zichermann and Wikipedia 
2. "Gamification is the concept of applying game-design thinking to non-game applications to make them more fun and engaging."  Gamification Wiki

Everyone loves games!  I will say it again.  Everyone loves games, but they might not all like video games.  Games are just fun, and create pleasureful chemical reactions within our nervous systems.

Nevertheless, since I was a kid in the 80s, video games have been getting a bad rap.  Not until I read the book Reality is Broken by Jane McGonigal (TED Talk), did I feel proud to be a gamer. I've always had this in-the-closet mentality about my video game play--especially as a teacher. Teachers didn't ask in the teacher's lounge, and I didn't tell them.  However, rather than discredit video games' value or claim they are the reason behind unmotivated students, try to see the value in using existing video games or game elements in the classroom.  Heck, why not start to play video games yourself or better yet try to make your own basic video games through online platforms like: Scratch, GameStar Mechanic, or Spolder.

It's probably safe to assume that many teachers have used some type of game to promote learning.  The use of games for learning isn't really anything new and neither is video gaming in the classroom (i.e. Oregon Trail, Carmen Sandiego).  As a teacher, I have been gamifying (to a degree) non-game systems within the classroom for a while.  But, we haven't always been using the types of games near and dear to students' hearts.  For instance, Jeopardy PowerPoints created to review the concepts before a test are cool and all, but what student cares or even knows the Jeopardy theme anymore.  Most of the time, games within the classroom are arbitrary instances that are temporary solutions for engaging students.  I would like to see students engaged within a gamified learning system that occurs regularly.

The idea of using Game Elements, Game Design, and/or Games for Learning within the classroom, isn't a completely new concept, but has been intriguing me for the last two years.  I have always employed the use of games for learning, but I can always become a better classroom "game designer." If you want to join me in implementing game elements within the classroom, feel free to book a time with me to plan an on-going project.  If you aren't privileged to work with me on a regular basis (JJ), please comment with any Gamification ideas you have below.  Hopefully this infographic inspires some ideas for the classroom and/or makes you want to learn more about Games and Learning.

Two Questions  

1. How can we add game elements (especially from video games) into the classroom on a more regular basis?  
2. What other opportunities are there for gamifying classroom activities?  

 
Created by Knewton and Column Five Media

#2:00 EdTech Goals

Not too long ago, I was talking to my 18 year-old brother about developing an app (you know, just normal brother talk). Basically, my brother is a big time gamer, and I like bouncing ideas off him about game elements within eLearning projects or hypothetical game-based educational apps.

When I was walking out of his room, I saw the image above taped to his wall.  The post-it-note attached to the wall with electrical tape caught my attention.  I asked, "What's with 2:00?"  And after a few attempts to avoid answering my question, he eventually told me that is when he writes.  I think he was a little embarrassed to admit that he writes, and I wonder why.  Being a teacher, this absolutely made my day.

Of course, I had to probe deeper into this "2:00 thing," which could be the real reason he was hesitant on revealing what it was.  Eventually, he told me he had been writing a fantasy inspired by the video games (WOW and League of Legends) he plays and the books he reads.

We all need our 2:00 goals.  I sometimes have too many.  If you knew me on a personal level, you would know that I like to pose fabulous "I would like tos."  For instance, I would like to own my own a Coffee Truck, start-up an EdTech company, write a children's book, make animated short films, rebuild my dad's old motorcycle, write for comedies, and so on.  My problem is that I like to talk about these ideas more than act on them.

My latest 2:00 goal is to develop an educational game app for iOS.  I was thinking about using the MakeGamesWith.Us platform to get started, and then figure out how doable my idea is.  I tried a few things with Tree House when I had a free account, but I didn't force myself to sit down and learn.

Being a proponent for change in schools, especially with the use of EdTech, I hear the phrase, "I don't have time." But, it's a matter of making time.  Clearing out all of the unimportant and trivial tasks that fill our days is a must.  Make time!

Then, to ensure your goals are being met, go public with these goals and make sure people know what you are attempting to complete.  As I gear up to take a stab at app/game development, I will try to post my reflections occasionally.  I don't know if what I make will be educational at first, but I need to just try.  And if it is too difficult, I can maybe just hire and/or partner with an app developer, like the following cartoon suggests.

With New Year's resolutions knocking on our doors, people will be writing or talking about how to achieve their goals for 2014 over the next few weeks.  But regardless of the New Year Resolution bandwagon, making time for your goals is more important than making wild "I'd like to..." statements.

My 2:00 is about taking action and finishing my personal goals.  I need to start completing or at least making progress toward these goals.  That's why I am going to dedicate a specific time at least weekly to accomplish at least one of my goals.

What is your 2:00?

Conferencing with Students - Literacy and EdTech Collaborative

The Sarah Taylor and I recently held a session after school to demonstrate how to utilize web-based and application-based tools to improve data collection during student conferencing.  My "Tech Ideas" section was very basic, but provided ways to track information gleaned from student conferences.  Basically, I demonstrated how to use Evernote or Google to record anecdotal records from students.  If I was still in the classroom, I would most likely use my iPad or MacBook to track conference "noticings" using one of the Google apps.

With Google Forms, a basic conference form could be set up initially and your notes could be added for each student.  Then, when your notes are completed, the form can be submitted and the browser refreshed to fill out a blank form for the next student.  When the form is submitted, the data populates into a Google Sheet, which could then be accessed to search and sort through the data.    

Toward the end of the slideshow below, I included basic examples of what this could look like with Google products.  But, don't neglect to look through Sarah Taylor's slides on conferencing during Writer's Workshop.

Filtering Images by Usage Rights with Google

The following document demonstrates the steps needed to perform an Advanced Search with Google Images.  This might seem like more steps then you want to perform with your students, but setting up this expectation now will avoid future issues with stealing copyrighted images from a regular Google Images search.  These steps should provide you with the basic steps needed to perform an Advanced Search within Google Images.

Google Images - Advanced Search

Google Docs - Research Tool

Video Demonstration

The following video and animated GIF provide teachers with an overview of the Research Tool within Google Docs.  This isn't a new feature in Google Docs, but I wanted to share it because I noticed many classrooms have been collecting information from online sources.  It would definitely be easy for students to keep a notes page to collect information from the web and cite it with little effort using the Research Tool's cite button.  

Even if this tool isn't used to locate information, the Research Tool can be used to locate images for a class project.  For instance, because the Research Tool can also be accessed within Google Slides, students could locate images filtered by usage rights to be dragged into their presentations, while citing the online source simultaneously.  

The video below reviews some tips on using Google Docs during the information collection stage for any essay writing.  This tool makes a great argument for why your students should be using Google Docs on a more regular basis.  

  

Images to Demo the Google Research Tool