I have never taken to video games so at the outset of OLTD 509, I was very skeptical as to whether gamification would be relevant to my teaching practice. But I like physical sports, board games and card games. In fact, I can get quite competitive while playing them, even to the point where I won't necessarily let a child win. That happened recently while playing Monopoly with my stepson. I won't get into Freudian explanations for father/son, father/step-son rivalries. I simply eliminated the 11 year-old from the game, and he didn't take it well. A week later, he legitimately beat us all in Clue, a game I enjoy much more than Monopoly - good for him. A friend of mine who designs card and board games says that, despite it's popularity, Monopoly is one of the most poorly designed games, because some players can lose very early on in the playing, while other players can continue playing for hours before a winner is decided. What do the eliminated players do in the meantime?
Certainly, this type of early elimination/eventual winner outcome would not work well for gamified learning. As an instructor, you'd want all the students to be engaged in the gamified learning for as long as the learning continues. I was surprised to discover during OLTD 509 how engaged I became in the gamified learning environment - surprised because the gamification was educational technology-based, which I previously associated with video games - a platform that I have not enjoyed ... yet. The 2014 K-12 Edition of the NMC Horizon Report describes how "effectively designed games can stimulate large gains in engagement, productivity, creativity, and authentic learning. " I notice that when my stepson plays video games, he is motivated by achieving levels. I found in OLTD 509 that I was motivated not by badges or levels, certainly by points, because I wanted to achieve at least 80% in the course (I'm a product of that paradigm), and I was motivated by the narrative. This aspect surprised me the most. Since, like most people, I love a good story, and because I'm an English teacher, too, a strong narrative can be the key to engaging me. Our OLTD 509 instructor, Avi Luxemburg, introduced the narrative in the first simultaneous session. From my perspective, it was a narrative that modelled metacognitive reflection on teaching practice, and that aspect has been the main take-away for me. During the six weeks of this course, I have reflected on my teaching to date and opportunities for future teaching practice more than I have in the past ten years. While the quality of the narrative is the motivating piece for me, the use of a gaming LMS is the most daunting aspect. I know that the preparation of the gamified LMS, sets the stage for personalized learning (also a highly motivating aspect), but I can see that using a LMS such as 3D GameLab requires learning the management system and then a tremendous amount of work setting up the gamified learning environment. At the beginning of OLTD 509, I was closed to the idea of gamification for my first year English courses because, first, I hadn't related the power of narrative to gamification, and I was overwhelmed whenever I thought of the possibility of setting up the LMS. The experience was similar for Lee Bessette, first year composition instructor and regular blogger on "Inside Higher Ed", but she has recently become more open to the idea as she reflected on how a gamified learning environment lines up with her philosophy of teaching and learning: "The challenges and problems students will be facing in college and beyond are open-ended and don’t have one right answer. Video games are much the same, educational or not. There are seemingly endless possibilities and variables, forcing players to improvise, strategize, and experiment. And, when you fail at a video game, your life doesn’t end and your financial aid isn’t revoked – you start again, with new lives and another chance to learn from your mistakes. These are all skills that I wish my students had more of" (Bessette, 2012). Bessette described a specific learning unit within which she and her students read a piece about contemporary life in rural Haiti and then followed that up with a video game that required the students to provide the necessary sustenance for a Haitian family of five. The game is largely text-based, so it does not require the quick-trigger reflexes of most video games in order to succeed, and, again, the strong narrative is motivating for the students. I think this example provides me with an opportunity to integrate gaming as deeper learning. I'll search out accessible games that are relevant to the topics I cover in my first year English courses and consider whether I can integrate them and whether they have captivating narratives and contribute to personalized learning. That I am even considering this possibility is an indication of the shift I've made during OLTD 509. While I am barely a novice in emerging pedagogies, I am no longer a confirmed Novi. Works Cited Games and Gamification - Time to Adopt: Two to Three Years. (2014). NMC Horizon Report: 2014 K-12 Edition. Retrieved from: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxvbHRkNTA5fGd4OjE4N2M2MGYwZmZmZjk3Mjc Bessette, L. (March 11, 2012). Now You See It: Gamification of FYC? Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from: https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/college-ready-writing/now-you-see-it-gamification-fyc
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In 2103, McGill's student online newspaper, The Port Arthur Herald, reported that three-quarters of Aboriginal internet users in Canada live in urban centres, but half of the country's Aboriginal population lives in rural and remote areas and many have insufficient internet connection.
Many of these communities still have dial-up as their connection, which limits their ability to visit web pages, send emails and download. The lack of high-speed connection contributes to a digital divide, between remote Aboriginal communities and urban Aboriginal internet users and with non-Aboriginal communities. Even in remote Aboriginal communities that have broadband connectivity, the cost of the service can be prohibitive. Internet service in Montreal in 2013 cost $30 per month. With NorthwestTel, which services the Northwest Territories, the cost is $180 per month in remote communities. 34% of urban Aboriginal people describe their computer skills as excellent, whereas 21% of rural Aboriginal people describe their skills as such. Digital literacy has become a basic skill for success in education and employment. Rural Aboriginal people are disadvantaged due to a lack of sufficient connectivity. The internet provider companies view remote Aboriginal communities as high-cost and low-profit, so government initiatives are required. This map shows the status of BC First Nations connectivity: http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1352223782819/1353504825398?p=bc In the last budget, the federal government budgeted $4 billion for infrastructure projects in Aboriginal communities, $1 billion being for educational infrastructure and connectivity. Due to physical isolation, many Aboriginal communities are already at a disadvantage. Opportunities to engage with the rest of Canada are limited without broadband. It's not just northern remote communities that have lacked broadband connectivity. Seven First Nations communities on Vancouver Island are only now receiving broadband. The Toquaht First Nation community of Macoah received broadband for its residents and industry in fall, 2016. Six other island communities will be connected by March. These villages lie within the region that my college, North Island College, serves. It means that students in these communities will now have much improved access to online learning opportunities. Anne Mack, Chief of the Toquaht First Nations recently stated: "High-speed Internet for the Toquaht Nation is of the utmost importance at this time in our history. We are building our community from the ground up and this is one more stepping stone to achieving our vision of bringing our people back home. We can now look at building homes, businesses and our government house. Kleko! to Pathways to Technology for their intuition and commitment to all First Nations in B.C.!" Works Cited First Nations community infrastructure. (2016). Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved from https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100010567/1100100010571 High Speed Internet Arrives for First Nations on Vancouver Island's West Coast. (September 23, 2016). Pathways to Technology. Retrieved from http://www.pathwaystotechnology.ca/news/high-speed-internet-arrives-for-first-nations-on-vancouver-island-s-west-coast Kim, S.M., Gilfillan, K., Saab-Brault, J., Trott, M. (April 17, 2013). Left Out of the Conversation: The Digital Divide and #IdleNoMore. The Port Arthur Herald. Retrieved from http://princearthurherald.com/en/news-2/left-out-of-the-conversation-the-digital-divide-and-idlenomore NMC Horizon Report's (2015, K-12 Edition) "Rise of STEAM Learning" states that STEM learning (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) has received growing emphasis in school systems because "these disciplines are widely viewed as the means to boost innovation and bolster national economies"; however, many leading educators support the rise of STEAM (A for "the arts") learning as a fuller response to the quest for innovation. STEAM education breaks down barriers between disciplines and integrates them in order to prepare students for real-world innovation that comes as the result of a wide variety of skill sets and knowledge. The STEAM movement aims to demonstrate how the arts, humanities and design relate to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Rather than this being a new philosophy of learning, I believe it is a renaissance. Early scientists were as committed to the arts and humanities as to science and mathematics. Consider the Golden Mean, aka the Golden Ratio, or Fibonacci or Leonardo da Vinci. Early biologists were often trained artists because they wanted to accurately document species - example, John James Auduban. We have seen this integration of arts and design with technology with many successful companies, too. Apple and Steve Jobs come to mind. Not long after the MacIntosh personal computer came out, Jobs talked about how he envisioned Apple would create artfully crafted technology: "When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood in the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through" (Steve Jobs as quoted by Cliff Kuang). NMC Horizon's "Rise of STEAM Learning" also identifies the film industry as an example of a successful industry that employs the integration of the arts with computer technology, machinery and precise cinematography calculations. I would say that another successful example is video gaming, which has evolved to the inclusion of complex narratives, fuller characters and highly detailed visual art. Because STEAM is a response to STEM, STEAM education leaders work at integrating the arts into STEM learning activities. I believe it's because these educators recognize, like Steve Jobs did, that the most successful, or revolutionary, innovations require the contribution of the creativity of the arts. Elementary school teachers have been using the STEAM philosophy forever. Since they often teach in thematic units, disciplines are integrated - art, language arts, science and technology, music are wrapped together in an interesting and creative package of learning opportunities that meet diverse learning needs. The NMC report also states that the conditions are better than ever for STEAM learning because of educational technology. Technology is the "connective tissue" to integrate the STEM and arts disciplines, such as 3D modelling and multimedia documenting of STEM learning projects. The article concludes that "Formal experience with the arts is proven to foster innovative thinking, adaptability, and other problem-solving skills that are essential for mastering STEM competencies. In other words, creativity is a precursor for students to understand, use, and apply technologies in new ways." Since I consider that the literature courses I teach as learning that's associated with the arts and that promotes divergent thinking and deeper learning and human interactions and problem-solving, I am grateful that the learning I've experienced in OLTD has given me more confidence to integrate the content with educational technology tools and experiences, consistent with the philosophy of STEAM. Works Cited Kuang, C. (July 11, 2011). The 6 Pillars of Steve Jobs's Design Philosophy. Co. Design. Retrieved from https://www.fastcodesign.com/1665375/the-6-pillars-of-steve-jobss-design-philosophy Rise of STEAM Learning. (2015). NMC Horizon Report: 2015 K-12 Edition. Retrieved from: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxvbHRkNTA5fGd4OjNhZjZlYThmMmZmMDAzZDc Photo credit: http://www.juevesfilosofico.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Picture-14-450x299.png Todd Finley's Social and Emotional Learning article, "Negativity Jammers - Ten techniques that help students control their emotions", published in Edutopia provides some useful strategies to help students avoid derailing their learning and the classroom experience for their peers and their teacher. They're strategies that a teacher can offer to students and help them practice. Beyond this, though, they're negativity jammers for anyone.
I have experienced few emotional outbursts by students in my college classes, although there is sometimes lively debate. However, anxiety seems to be a growing condition particularly in the past five years. In first year English classes, especially composition and literature, we often discuss topics that could be triggers for students. Last semester, I had a student, John - bright, creative, unconventional with his writing, expressing divergent ideas - whose sister had recently died from a fentanyl overdose, and he was estranged from the rest of his family. Early in the semester, his hurt and anger flared up in a group discussion. "Fuck your god," was all I heard before he got up and left the class. I de-briefed with the rest of the group and contacted John after class. Rather than discussing the college's student conduct policy with him, I talked with him in a way that seemed to allow him to discuss the emotions behind his outburst. He also explained that he was getting counselling therapy. I asked him if he had strategies to manage his emotions in class. He said that he had just begun to work on these and would continue to. He agreed to discuss his outburst with his group mates. This conversation contributed to trusting working relationship between me and John, and since there were no more incidents of this nature, I assumed he was using strategies to manage his emotions. While I would likely refer students to the college counsellor in the rare situation of this nature, Todd Finley offers strategies that I'd be comfortable suggesting to my students: 1. A neurolinguistic programming (NLP) "stop" when thoughts begin spiralling to negativity:
2. Prime students in your class by posting the following words in your classroom: focussed, engaged, determined, disciplined, confident, creative and successful. This one I'm going to try. This semester is the first time (might well be the only time) that I have all of my classes in the same room at the college. This week, I will print these words large and tape them around the room. 3. Diaphragmatic box breathing. To be used by a student in a moment when emotions rise, or before an exam:
5. Touch: Finley says touch such as hugs, high fives and fist bumps "builds trust, lowers stress and improves performance". He suggests that fist bumps would be appropriate in a school setting, but I will not be touching any of my students. 6. Finley uses Mihaly Ciskszentmihalyi's explanation of Flow, described as an "effortless, spontaneous feeling". Finley states that teaching adjustments can promote Flow. OLTD 509 instructor, Avi Luxemburg, describes how a teacher can create the conditions of just the right amount and type of challenge in order to promote Flow for students. I was well aware of Flow in the context of the arts and athletics, but I hadn't considered it thoroughly in the context of of my college teaching and learning until I first encountered Avi's use of it in education two years ago. 7. Emotional Goals: Ask students to right down one emotional goal, such as caring, and a plan to carry it out. e.g. "Tomorrow I will smile at my classmates and ask each a specific question about their lives." I'm not likely to use this one in my college English classes either. 8. Meditation chaining: Finley encourages meditation with his students. He notes that a daily meditation of at least 11 minutes "enhances positive emotions and decreases anxiety". He suggests that students use a calendar and strike off the days as they meditate, thereby creating an unbroken chain. The difficulty I see with this is that many, if not all, students will require coaching in meditation. One of my college colleagues did lead a meditation at the beginning of each of her English classes last year, She claimed that it enhanced the emotional atmosphere in the class, but I'd like to follow-up with her on details. 9. Loose intensity: Finley describes this as being relaxed but focussed. I have experienced this type of intensity in karate, but I would describe it as calmness and focus. Finley says that he holds impromptu contests in his class to see who appears to be most observant but at ease, with eyes alert but "shoulders, hands and jaw(s) loose." Again, this is an activity I'd be more likely to do with my karate kids than with my college students. 10. Bliss Break: The name of this strategy seems a bit misleading, but I see how students would likely enjoy it, and I'm going to try it. Finley suggests that you ask students to silently group themselves for an activity in collaborative groups according to eye colour. It means that students need to look closely into each other's eyes. Since no one is able to talk, it will lead to giggling and, therefore, good feelings. I wonder if any of my OLTD colleagues have tried any of these and/or whether they have other suggestions for "Negativity Jammers". Work Cited Finley, T. (January 25, 2017). Negativity Jammers. Edutopia. George Lucas Educational Foundation. Retrieved from: https://www.edutopia.org/article/negativity-jammers-todd-finley Andrew Marcinek, in his Edutopia piece "The Pathway to Digital Citizenship", asks the question, "So how do we integrate standards and skill sets that prepare our K-12 students for an interconnected, digital world that can often be incendiary and hurtful?" And, he claims, in many regards, we are too late. "Applications and the pace of technology have outpaced our ability, as parents and teachers, to keep up with what our students can access."
I could be wrong, but I believe that the young adults that I teach at the college likely had some digital citizenship guidance in their high school education, but not before that, since smartphone and social media usage has experienced the greatest growth in the past five years. Certainly, all of these students would have had citizenship and empathy-building modelling and activities and reinforcement at home and in school through elementary and middle school. And, we'd like to think that these behaviours are completely transferable to online citizenship, but I think that they are not quite. As it is so often observed, when you're online, behaving badly, you do not have to face the person you are disrespecting, bullying, or harassing - you do not have to look them in the eye. What I like about Marcinek's article is that he provides ways that teachers (and parents) can help elementary and middle school students transfer offline citizenship to the digital space, where "there should be no difference between how they act online and how they act offline." Their constructed online personality should reflect their real offline personality. Here are some strategies for elementary teachers to help students with digital citizenship: 1. Have students hand write letters to each other. It is transferable to email writing, of course, and it helps students to understand that online they will need to express their ideas clearly and use writing conventions. 2. Have each student (or small groups) make a creation - poem, visual art, a sentence - in a large format, like flipchart paper. Then, have students walk around and make comments on their classmates' works. They might need some coaching on commenting beforehand (my college students sometimes do), but it's a good way to practice constructive feedback and avoiding being hurtful. 3. Because you don't want your students to think of digital spaces as dark and menacing, but rather as places of great opportunities for growth, you teach them how to "construct and maintain a positive digital presence." By the time students enter middle school, Marcinek thinks they should be able to:
In my first-year composition and critical analysis course, I find, generally, that my students' research skills are not well developed and it's the minority that have experience with correctly citing sources. They generally appear comfortable with social media and have an understanding of consequences of bad behaviour, but they have little exposure to learning management systems. I am curious to learn from OLTD K-12 colleagues about how digital citizenship skills are being taught because, first, I have a daughter who will begin kindergarten in the fall, and because your students will become my students (well, if you're a kindergarten teacher, in truth, I'll likely be retired before your students reach me). Work Cited Marcineck, A. (November 16, 2013). The Path to Digital Citizenship. Edutopia. George Lucas Educational Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/the-path-to-digital-citizenship-andrew-marcinek |
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