Learning log Week 3

Week 3

Learning Log

Out class

Reading skill

Should Kids Play Games in the Classroom?

                                                

On June 22, 2013

Andrew K. Miller //Nov. 12, 2012 // 8:00 AM

Week 3On June 22, 2013

Andrew K. Miller //Nov. 12, 2012 // 8:00 AM

              Our students are playing video games, whether we like it or not. In the United States, there are 183 million active gamers – people who play games for an average of 13 hours a week, according to Jane McGonigal in her book “Reality Is Broken.” Rather than viewing this as a waste of time, some educators are seeing this as an opportunity and are using games in the classroom.There is something about games that engages us, but how can teachers use them to teach important concepts? The answer is game based learning.            

          Why Games? - Games provide a learning environment that is often starkly different than the traditional learning environment. When you play a game, you have the opportunity to try and fail. In the classroom, students are often punished for practice, as it affects their grade. If you lose a game, you have the opportunity to try again.        

         Games also provide a “situated learning” environment. In the classroom, content is often disconnected from a relevant context. In a game, you learn content to perform tasks. Whether the game demands learning math content or social studies content, you are engaged because you are invested in winning.    Games also focus on critical thinking and solving complex problems. Instead of “drill and practice,” a good game demands that you use factual information to solve a complex problem.

     Here are two examples of how teachers are implementing game based learning:

         Games as Direct Lessons - iCivics uses educational games to teach a civics curriculum. Teachers are also using it to teach reading and argumentative writing, crucial foci in the Common Core Standards. In the game “Argument Wars,” players must evaluate arguments and evidence from a variety of court cases such as Brown v. Board of Education and Miranda v. Arizona.            

           Each case is a separate game, and the player takes on the role of a lawyer representing one side of the case. Students must identify the main idea of the argument they represent and choose the best supporting statements to satisfy the judge. They must also fend off the arguments of their opponent to win the case. The game is designed to be educational as well as fun. Teachers assess students through a written component, such as a traditional essay or persuasive letter to the Supreme Court. “Argument Wars” also tracks students’ answers and scores to give teachers more information on their progress.Games as Secondary Lessons        

          - Another popular game in the classroom is the puzzle game Portal, in which players have to create portals between two flat planes. The game was not designed to be educational, but teachers are creating contexts for students to learn science content while playing.                 

                For example, they can use Portal to help teach concepts like mass and velocity. After a traditional lesson on the topic, students are instructed to send cubes colliding in midair within the game environment. They can experiment with different speeds and collect data on the results. Teachers have students collaborate on different scenarios in the game to predict what will happen. The game provides an engaging and safe space to experiment and learn before applying the knowledge in an exam. These are just two samples of how teachers are implementing game based learning. Some teachers are using more low-tech games, and some teachers are even turning their classrooms into games where students play every day. We have a unique opportunity now to use game based learning in the classroom as a way to encourage students to learn AND play.

Sammarize:

                  More and more children like to play games, including game online. Moreover, our students are playing video games on Internet. Also, most of parents don’t agree with this because they think students who play video games don’t interest in learning. In the United States, there are 183 million active gamers playing for an average 13 hours per a week, according to a topic “Reality Is Broken” in a book of Jane McGonigal. Some teachers see this as a good opportunity to use games in classroom rather than a view as waste of time. The teacher can look for suitable games to use in the classroom to motivate the students to understand what they are interesting easily. There are many reasons that the teacher provides playing games to teaching such as providing situated learning environment than the traditional learning environment and focusing on critical thinking and solving complex problems. According to this passage, there are two examples how to achieve in games-based learning for using in real classroom, including teaching games as direct and secondary lessons.   

        Firstly, there is teaching focused on game-based learning as direct lesson. For example, some teachers apply games to teach skinning or skimming reading, argumentative or critical writing and grammatical structures. In this game named “Argument Wars,” the students have to evaluate arguments and find evidence from a variety of court cases such as Brown v. Board of Education and Miranda v. Arizona. In case are separate game, and some students act as a lawyer who represent one side of this case. Students must identify the main idea of the argument and choose the best supporting statements to respond in the judge. They must also fend off the arguments of their opponent to win the case. The teachers evaluate students on written assignments, such as a formal essay or persuasive letter to the Supreme Court. “Argument Wars” also tracks students’ answers and scores to give teachers more information on their progress. According to this teaching, game allows the students practice about law lesson connected with the real situation. Secondly, the teacher allows game teaching in learning as secondary lesson. Another game using in the classroom is the puzzle game, in which students have to create doors between two flat planes. The teachers can create contexts for students to learn science content such as mass and velocity. After that, the teacher guides them to send cubes touching in mid-air. They can test different speeds and select data with the results. Teachers want students collaborate on different situation in the game to expect what will happen. The game provides an interesting and safe place to experiment and learn before applying the knowledge in the other lesson.

Principles of effective teaching are application real materials in which the students more need and interest. In addition, using game teaching for children both increases cooperation and competition in the classroom.  

               Two samples of refer to how teachers use game based learning effectively. Some teachers are   usually low-tech games or the traditional teaching. Some teachers even change kinds of game in which students play in the classroom every day. In my opinion, I agree with allowing opportunity to apply game based learning in the classroom to encourage students to learn happily and they can spend valuably time.

Reference: 
 http://www.educationnation.com/index.cfm?objectid=9EC27B06-2C69-11E2-A3EB000C296BA163&aka=0

                        
           Should Kids Play Games in the Classroom?

            Week 3  Andrew K. Miller //Nov. 12, 2012 // 8:00 AM

Vocabularies	Pronunciation	Meaning
waste (v)	/weɪst/	ของเสีย to use more of sth than is necessary or useful Ex:  We got straight down to business without wasting time on small talk.
statements(n)	/steɪtmənt/	แถลงการณ์ something that you say or write that gives information or an opinion Ex:  Your statement is misleading.
engaged(adj)	/ɪnˈɡeɪdʒd /	ที่กำลังยุ่งอยู่กับ  busy doing sth Ex: They are engaged in talks with the Irish government.      They were engaged in conversation.

Week 3
In class

Learning Log

The two days are June 17th and 18th, 2013. Today, I learn about 6 methods for teaching English. They are different methods and focus different things. It’s depending on using method and situation for using in the classroom.

The first day, there are six methods for learning. The first method, task base learning is focus by task. Student must learn the content and make understand by themselves. They present the task from learning for example role-play “Student must understand about story and present correctly. After present, teacher must summaries for students.” This method is linking to 3P. There are present practice and production. The second method, project base learning is focus students because it uses teaching for outclass and student must do homework. Teacher just advice the project for student. After that, student make project by themselves and present next time.”Teacher Anirut say that content base and task base are relating to the project base learning”. The third method, listening teaching is listening teaching is listening for understanding with acting. Teacher Anirut say that if you were teacher, you will “How to teach listening?”. The forth method, speaking teaching use the easy language interest topic and teacher who an English moniter. The fifth method, reading teaching is understand the content before teaching. This method use the process that pre reading, while reading and post reading. The last method writing teaching is relating the translation because it uses “Contractive Analysis”. Teacher must control the student of writing.

          The next day, I learn 4 methods such as pronunciation teaching, teaching English using I.C.T, (CLT) and culture teaching.

         The first method, pronunciation teaching is focus pronunciation and linking the phonetic. This method is using a rubber for stretching syllable. The second method, teaching English using I.C.T. is motivating about learning of student. It presents pictures, sound and student can practice from authentic material. Student can learn by blog from another blog’s person, youtube , digital. The third method, communicative language teaching is from Europe and it’s specific teaching in Europe. For Thailand, it must bring it for applying this method. There are five steps for teaching; warm-up, presentation, practice, produce and wrap-up”Aj. “Anirut say inductive learning is giving the example before into lesson but deductive learning is giving the content before giving the example. Approach = content base learning(CBL), Task base learning(TBL), Project base learning(PBL), communicative language teaching (CLT), and Content and language in inter grated learning (CLIL). Moreover, I learn a word; paradigm is new thinking and doing. Teacher should use this method.

In conclude, from 2 days, I learn 10 methods for teaching. There are the different focus but it’s depending on bring of teacher for applying. Some method may technology for teaching. In my opinion, I like every methods but I should make understand again because it isn’t clearly. I think that “I can bring “communicative language teachings (CLT) for my teaching because it uses five steps for writing lesson plan and I can teach follow by step correctly.” 

Learning Contract (Week 3)

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Day	Time	Week 3
Monday	10.24	Reading skill
Wednesday	11.00	Learning Log