Over the years I have worked in a number of different educational settings and in each I have always been open to the idea of digital medias and their place in education. However, since beginning this journey I have learnt that it is not just about finding them a place in the curriculum but changing the whole approach to how I view education (Squire, 2005). So when I ask myself; what have I learned? Where to from here? How will I change my teaching practices to meet new pedagogies? I have to stop and realise that what needs the most change is me, and how I think.
Video games are an exciting media that offers many beneficial learning and social potentials for the classroom (Sanford & Madill 2007). Currently I have had video games available to students but am going about it the wrong way. For example the library has a Wii. Students are encouraged to use it, but, besides from free play and the odd lunchtime round-robin tournaments, there is little that the Wii is used for. At this stage there is no inclusion of it in teaching practices. I realise now that this really isn’t embracing the new technology or teaching in the 21st century. However, just by providing the game has caused a stir amongst staff, most of which believe video games do not belong in the library.
My thoughts on teaching have changed significantly since starting this course and I hope to start making some changes in both my thinking and practice. Although I agree with Squire (2005) that education needs a whole school focus on ‘...changing the cultures of our schools to be organized around learning (2005, p.5)’. This would include changing the whole structure of my school and at this stage is impossible. However I hope that with a few small steps things may begin to take change. To do this I have come up with a plan of action I intend to undertake in the next twelve months which hopefully frame the beginnings that will bring my teaching into the 21st century.
The two areas I intend to focus on are research and choice.
Research:
I intend to become current with new technologies and explore possible uses for them within the library. At the moment I spend several hours each week researching various print materials for our libraries but I would like to dedicate some of this time to researching popular medias, particularly video games. Williamson Shaffer, et al. states that ‘video games have the potential to change the landscape of education as we know it (2005, p.19). I agree with this and have become excited about their potential but I would also like to research more because I find them challenging. Challenging because I find them difficult to play and understand but also challenging because they of all digital medias, these challenge the way I think about teaching the most.
Choice:
I’m currently involved in a project that is looking at a new way for students to access information. Part of this is providing students with their own account that is attached to the website and links them, their subjects and assessment tasks with links to various information sources relevant to their individual learning. I would like to pursue this further into next year and look at some alternative materials that students can explore that we don't currently offer.
Williamson Shaffer, et al, (2005) discuss the potential for video games as spaces in which students can go to learn. From within these games they learn skills they can transfer to real life situations. The games get them thinking (Sanford & Madill 2007, Squire 2005, Williamson Shaffer, et al 2005). This is an exciting concept and I would like to explore this as an option as an information source for students.
The second area of choice I would like to explore is to provide choice for our students on how choose to present their learning. Links from the above mentioned school site to alternative mediums; blogs, film, animation, digital presentations and video game construction, for example.
I believe that we need to provide our students with a choice to learn through different medias (Sanford & Madill 2007, Squire 2005). Critical literacy skills are essential for our students to become information smart and lifelong learners (Sanford & Madill 2007). For our initial project to reflect these results we need the students to have a number of resources available to them.
Video games are an exciting media that offers many beneficial learning and social potentials for the classroom (Sanford & Madill 2007). Currently I have had video games available to students but am going about it the wrong way. For example the library has a Wii. Students are encouraged to use it, but, besides from free play and the odd lunchtime round-robin tournaments, there is little that the Wii is used for. At this stage there is no inclusion of it in teaching practices. I realise now that this really isn’t embracing the new technology or teaching in the 21st century. However, just by providing the game has caused a stir amongst staff, most of which believe video games do not belong in the library.
My thoughts on teaching have changed significantly since starting this course and I hope to start making some changes in both my thinking and practice. Although I agree with Squire (2005) that education needs a whole school focus on ‘...changing the cultures of our schools to be organized around learning (2005, p.5)’. This would include changing the whole structure of my school and at this stage is impossible. However I hope that with a few small steps things may begin to take change. To do this I have come up with a plan of action I intend to undertake in the next twelve months which hopefully frame the beginnings that will bring my teaching into the 21st century.
The two areas I intend to focus on are research and choice.
Research:
I intend to become current with new technologies and explore possible uses for them within the library. At the moment I spend several hours each week researching various print materials for our libraries but I would like to dedicate some of this time to researching popular medias, particularly video games. Williamson Shaffer, et al. states that ‘video games have the potential to change the landscape of education as we know it (2005, p.19). I agree with this and have become excited about their potential but I would also like to research more because I find them challenging. Challenging because I find them difficult to play and understand but also challenging because they of all digital medias, these challenge the way I think about teaching the most.
Choice:
I’m currently involved in a project that is looking at a new way for students to access information. Part of this is providing students with their own account that is attached to the website and links them, their subjects and assessment tasks with links to various information sources relevant to their individual learning. I would like to pursue this further into next year and look at some alternative materials that students can explore that we don't currently offer.
Williamson Shaffer, et al, (2005) discuss the potential for video games as spaces in which students can go to learn. From within these games they learn skills they can transfer to real life situations. The games get them thinking (Sanford & Madill 2007, Squire 2005, Williamson Shaffer, et al 2005). This is an exciting concept and I would like to explore this as an option as an information source for students.
The second area of choice I would like to explore is to provide choice for our students on how choose to present their learning. Links from the above mentioned school site to alternative mediums; blogs, film, animation, digital presentations and video game construction, for example.
I believe that we need to provide our students with a choice to learn through different medias (Sanford & Madill 2007, Squire 2005). Critical literacy skills are essential for our students to become information smart and lifelong learners (Sanford & Madill 2007). For our initial project to reflect these results we need the students to have a number of resources available to them.
I realise that I have a long journey ahead of me and a lot of research to do. Experience tells me that I won’t convince everyone straight away so that is why I believe for me to bring my teaching forward I need to be armed with good research and information and why I chose to look at change within me before the classroom.
No comments:
Post a Comment