Task:
After watching Gabe Zichermann’s speech, and reading the articles by Begona Gros and Lee & Hammer, what do you feel that you are already doing to create a gaming environment for your students? How have these industry professionals supported what you are doing, and what do you think, after learning from them, you need to further explore and/or implement, to make gaming more successful in your classroom?
Journal Entry:
I love how Gabe Zichermann explained that children are not less smart today it is just that they are smart in a different way. In our technology rich society we need to tap into our students ability to use gaming and manipulate technology for authentic learning. It honestly made me wonder if my daughter's obsession with minecraft isn't so bad after all! She is developing critical problem solving skills that she can apply to the real world.
In my classroom I use gamification with digital content that gives assessments and teaches curriculum and I use it as a motivator for student behavior. I use LEXIA and Freckle to teach content standards and assess students. Both of these websites allow students to win awards for their achievements and move on to new levels when they have finished a set of skills. Students are highly motivated to do well on the activities because they want to move to another level. In both of these activities students can fail and try again several times. I believe gamification is important because it builds a students confidence to try a concept without the high stakes of failing in front of other students. I have noticed students also learning how to complete a task instead of starting and stopping because trophies are only awarded if a concept is completed.
I use gamification in my behavior management system because students can get "coins" for following classroom directions and "purchase" items from the treasure chest or jobs in the classroom. Some jobs and items cost more than others so students need to "play the game of following the directions" in order to get their choice items. A downfall of gamification could be students reliance on extrinsic motivation but serotonin from the brain is closely related with rewards and if students make the connection at an early age then they will be more successful with following the directions.
I have always used some type of gamification without realizing all of the benefit in the classroom. In the future I plan to be more intentional with how I use certain apps and games to build on academic skills and social/emotional skills. I need to be careful that using the games doesn't turn into a forced experience and students are still authentically learning and using their technology skills make connections with academic and the real world.
References:
- The Future of Creativity and Innovation is Gamification, Gabe Zichermann
TEDxTalks. (2014, February 25). The future of creativity and innovation is gamification: Gabe Zichermann at TEDxVilnius. Retrieved August 10, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZvRw71Slew&t=6s - Gamification in Education: What, How, and Why Bother, Lee & HammerLee, J. (n.d.). Gamification in education: What, how, why bother? Retrieved August 10, 2017, from https://www.academia.edu/570970/Gamification_in_Education_What_How_Why_Bother
- Digital Games in Education: The Design of Game-Based Learning Environments, Begona GrosGros, B. (n.d). Digital games in education: The design of game-based learning environments. Retrieved August 10, 2017, from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9403/b205dbc60967483fcdc7e5ae834aa9e2a712.pdf
- An Elusive Definition: “Gamification for Learning” by Karl Kapp.