Educators constantly try to find new and innovative ways of reaching children. We tend to develop educational methods and procedures based on prior research and popular trends related to the field. Students are often expected to mold to the curriculum, where it would be more beneficial for the curriculum to be modified to the needs and comforts of our children.
In recent years, progression has been made by utilizing one of the most influential means of entertainment, interactive video games. Companies are now developing games that are directly related to popular children’s stories. With popularity constantly rising in the gaming industry, it only makes sense to use the success as a means of reaching more students.
Many of the games created with educational interest, require children to fallow a story line and answer questions that directly apply to the story (character development, setting, plot, ect.). Many will argue that simply playing such a game will make students rely less on the written word. Through professional development and staff meetings, districts should be able to find a way to utilize such programs. It would be smart to have students read a story from its original text and then use the program to reinforce/review the material.
As we continue to move forward in a technological era it is important for students to work with programs that improve on their digital literacy. It is not only imperative that students learn subjects up to the most recent educational standards, but they must also be familiar with the most modern forms of technology.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/06/books/06games.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
4 comments:
Ahhh... a blog about gaming and learning. In todays world the average student spends 10's of hours a week on video games.
Technologic educators must be saying to themselves, "anything in which a child spends that much time on is worth tapping into(especially in a gaming market where games range from $50-$70 a pop).
There now exsist a large array of interactive video games for all ages, grades, and content. They can be utilized in both the home and school alike, with todays technology even on a phone.
This discussion reminds me of a research paper that I did for my Psychology of Learning class last year, titled "How Educational Technology Affects Learning." One of my favorite quotes that I found was in an article about using video games and simulations as teaching tools. In the final line of the article, Len Annetta (2006) said "The ubiquity of technology has encroached on information acquisition from anywhere at any time, making it essential that we engage students by any means necessary in this new, virtual way of teaching, and, ultimately, this new way of learning."
I just thought that Annetta's comment tied in nicely with what both of you were saying.
Great discussion here.
I do believe that certian technologies can help teach reading, but so can the good tried and true method of sitting and reading face-to-face with a student. It depends on your objectives and resources.
Thanks for your comments!
I think it was good how you pointed out that the video game type learning could be used a long with a more traditional method of learning. I feel like the two complement eachother well and could really build off of eachother.
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