In preparation for teaching in the future, I have learned a variety of strategies for seeking out resources and networking with people in the field of education, which I have already found to be extremely beneficial in some of my courses and my work with the Michigan Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (MI GEAR UP), a pre-college program, at Michigan State University. I believe these resources and relationships will only enhance the quality of my lessons and my ability to teach efficiently and effectively in a classroom someday. Even though I have learned a great deal up to this point and have accumulated a large collection of resources, there are still so many online learning tools and programs that I have yet to discover, which is actually really exciting! In this blog post, I have focused on discussing some of the ways in which technology can be utilized to enhance the learning experience for students. I have also shared some important goals and expectations I have set for myself, in order to develop and enhance my ability to teach technology-integrated lessons in the future.
EduTopia: Learning by Video Game Design
As I was browsing the eduTopia website in search of videos about technology integration and/or how various forms of technology can be utilized to enhance the learning experience for students, I came across a video called "Learning STEM Skills by Designing Video Games" and it caught my attention right away! The description of the video provided by eduTopia is listed as follows: "Texas 10-year-old Rhys uses Gamestar Mechanic to program and create worlds to play in, learning valuable skills in science, technology, engineering, and math along the way." The reason I have decided to share this description is because I was intrigued by the idea that a 10-year-old boy was able to utilize technology to create a video game, which are so popular among society today. I was very interested in knowing more about the Gamestar Mechanic software and learning about some of the features available that appeal to a younger demographic.
In the video, Rhys talks about how he really likes the opportunity to explore and learn on his own, which he is able to experience through Gamestar Mechanic. He explained how he receives feedback from the Gamestar Mechanic community and how this feedback challenges him to improve the ways in which he goes about designing his games, which he finds very encouraging and motivating. As he creates games, he constantly adapts his approach because of the feedback he receives either from the Gamestar Mechanic community or from the game itself through trial and error. In this way, he actually is able to experience first-hand what an engineer does every day because engineering is all about creating models and adapting them to fit new criteria, as new things are learned about the object of design. It challenges and encourages him to develop his understanding of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) concepts. | Gamestar Mechanic |
As a person who enjoys playing video games and interactive learning programs myself, I can imagine how Gamestar Mechanic would appeal to many people who either enjoy playing video games or creating things through imagination. When I was in middle school and high school, I used to play a computer game, which didn’t allow me to create the entire world or video game from scratch, but it did allow me to create my own style houses and communities. I always enjoyed creating things, so this game was a good outlet for some of my energy and it allowed me to embrace my interests, while also learning how to adapt my ideas to incorporate such things as the topography (layout or structure) of the landscape, area of specific structures of a house compared to the area of the land available on a given plot, or other factors that people have to consider in reality when designing and building things. The game allowed me to learn about a variety of life skills and some of the important concepts of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM), similar to the experiences Rhys mentioned in his video presentation on eduTopia. However, the game I played and the experiences I had were still very limited compared to those Rhys has had with using the Gamestar Mechanic online program, simply because there have been significant advances in these forms of technology since I was in middle school and high school.
Looking ahead, I believe Gamestar Mechanic has the potential to be a very useful resource in promoting student learning by encouraging their critical thinking skills and creativity; however, there is still a lot I need to learn about the program before I am able to efficiently and effectively integrate it into my lesson plans. In the video example I shared previously, 10-year-old Rhys was able to utilize Gamestar Mechanic at home to build on his understanding of the STEAM concepts he has already learned in school or to provide a way for him to learn new concepts in the STEAM fields of study, which he can then apply to his learning in school. Rhys didn't emphasize the classroom environment in the video, but rather his own personal experiences using the technology to increase his understanding of a variety of concepts and to advocate for his own success as a learner.
Looking ahead, I believe Gamestar Mechanic has the potential to be a very useful resource in promoting student learning by encouraging their critical thinking skills and creativity; however, there is still a lot I need to learn about the program before I am able to efficiently and effectively integrate it into my lesson plans. In the video example I shared previously, 10-year-old Rhys was able to utilize Gamestar Mechanic at home to build on his understanding of the STEAM concepts he has already learned in school or to provide a way for him to learn new concepts in the STEAM fields of study, which he can then apply to his learning in school. Rhys didn't emphasize the classroom environment in the video, but rather his own personal experiences using the technology to increase his understanding of a variety of concepts and to advocate for his own success as a learner.
Prepare for Greatness: Goals & Expectations
In order to gain a better understanding of the Gamestar Mechanic online learning program and the ways in which it can be integrated into my lesson plans in the future, I have created a list of goals and expectations for myself, which are listed below.
Short Term Goals:
| Long-Term Expectations:
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Challenge Accepted
There are so many different educational institutions in the United States and an even greater variety of approaches to teaching, as well as the dynamics within each individual school, which makes it almost impossible to predict exactly what I will encounter in my future classroom; however, there are some general trends that can be used as examples and to help me prepare for those experiences in the future. One thing I can almost count on for sure in any of the schools I could potentially end up working at, is that there will most likely be limited funding available for "extra stuff" like a variety of technologies. It will be beneficial to my future career and professional experience to research multiple resources available, such as grants or charitable organizations, which are geared towards donating to schools or funding the arts and technology programs. Another thing to consider is that many of the students, parents/guardians, and families in urban school districts do not have nearly as much access to technology at home. It will be necessary and beneficial to take this into consideration in planning lessons. It will also be important to identify a variety of ways I can accommodate the needs of students, parents/guardians, and their families, in order to increase their ability to access the same information as my other students and create an equal opportunity environment in my classroom.
In order to meet the individual needs of each of my students and to allow them to develop their skills by experiencing the full range of challenges and benefits of the Gamestar Mechanic program, I believe the individual use of iPads or computers for the students to use would be the most ideal scenario for implementing this particular online learning tool in my lesson plans. I realize this is a pretty lofty goal, but I also am willing to accept the challenge and identify the necessary resources available to secure additional funding for this project. I can already imagine a number of different math lessons involving measurements, as well as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, in which I could incorporate the use of the Gamestar Mechanic program by requiring students to create games that visually represent some of the previously mentioned mathematics concepts. Students would be given the opportunity to engage in this interactive program to create an original design, which incorporates a specific objective or parameter, and then submit their design for review. This is just one idea that will need to develop over time and be tweaked continuously as I learn more about the features of the program, but I am excited to see where this journey takes me and what I am able to produce along the way!
In order to meet the individual needs of each of my students and to allow them to develop their skills by experiencing the full range of challenges and benefits of the Gamestar Mechanic program, I believe the individual use of iPads or computers for the students to use would be the most ideal scenario for implementing this particular online learning tool in my lesson plans. I realize this is a pretty lofty goal, but I also am willing to accept the challenge and identify the necessary resources available to secure additional funding for this project. I can already imagine a number of different math lessons involving measurements, as well as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, in which I could incorporate the use of the Gamestar Mechanic program by requiring students to create games that visually represent some of the previously mentioned mathematics concepts. Students would be given the opportunity to engage in this interactive program to create an original design, which incorporates a specific objective or parameter, and then submit their design for review. This is just one idea that will need to develop over time and be tweaked continuously as I learn more about the features of the program, but I am excited to see where this journey takes me and what I am able to produce along the way!