From Innovative Teaching Methods through Social Media to Game Based Learning (GBL)

The educational system in place today must keep up with the ever changing world. Technology has made the world to radically change without notice. It is technology that has been driving much of the changes that we observe today. With the internet connectivity and the other technologies many researches can be done in just a matter of seconds and it is using this approaches that the teacher should among others use the strategy of teaching around the wheel involving multiple modalities throughout the digital lesson in an effort to present content using the students' preferred approach; Provide the necessary skills so that they can use skills effortlessly and accurately etc.

Among others is the use of social media as a tool for learning which has been evidenced in the recent years to have gone beyond to the extent of being used as a learning resource.  Although social media comes with its rule of the game e.g., learners want to have a say; dialoguing; getting connected with others, getting engaged in similar activities etc. Integrating social media in the class will therefore involve doing the following to ensure smooth integration (i) improve communication by allowing students to easily message teachers and other students with questions; (ii) make a Facebook page for my class where i can schedule events, post notes and remind students of assignments due dates; (iii) post supplementary materials like links to articles and videos so students can continue learning even when class is over.

While GBL can be superior to traditional classroom learning in that it fosters creativity and training the learners to be great innovators. However, GBL is easily surpassed by traditional classroom learning due to its cost where each learner needs to have access to computers or other gaming devices. Where the game is easy to access and easy to play, psychologists believe that playing such games make the children feel happier and may improve their (learner’s) moods, promote relaxation and ward off anxiety. That in this case the learners develop emotional resilience which they can rely on in their daily lives. Playing games hence becomes more important than creating games.

GBL can easily be integrated into innovative teaching by (i) embedding the instructional game into the curriculum; (ii) including instructional support. Instructional support helps learners understand how to use the game; (iii) ensuring game objectives align with curriculum objectives etc.

Ciao!

GBL and 21st Century Skills

In what ways do games address curriculum standards?

GBL can be superior to traditional classroom learning in that it fosters creativity and training the learners to be great innovators. However, GBL is easily surpassed by traditional classroom learning due to its cost where each learner needs to have access to computers or other gaming devices.

In what ways do they address 21st Century skills?

GBL addresses the 21st Century skills in the following ways:

(i)           By ways of thinking. Creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making and learning

(ii)          By ways of working which involves Communication and collaboration

(iii)         By providing tools for working. ICT and information literacy

(iv)         By developing skills for living in the world. Citizenship, life and career, and personal and social responsibility

Would you include games under the umbrella of knowledge-building activities?

I wouldn’t jump into including GBL into the curriculum simply because its initial cost and the technically involved like using the Kahoot for the first time isn’t so friendly and may cost a lot of time.

Is it more important for learners to play games or create games?

Where the game is easy to access and easy to play, psychologists believe that playing such games make the children feel happier and may improve their (learner’s) moods, promote relaxation and ward off anxiety. That in this case the learners develop emotional resilience which they can rely on in their daily lives. Playing games hence becomes more important than creating games.

How can digital games be incorporated into your subject/grade?

Such integration is possible by:

(i)           embedding the instructional game into the curriculum and this is normally done by introducing the students to the game and learning objectives; the teacher tells the learners what they will be learning by playing the game and after the game is played, the teacher debriefs the learners on what they learned. This process ensures that learning occurs from playing the game.

(ii)          including instructional support. Instructional support helps learners understand how to use the game; increases the instruction effectiveness of the gaming experience by allowing them to focus on the instructional information rather than the requirements of the game.

(iii)         ensuring game objectives align with curriculum objectives. That the more closely aligned curriculum goals and game goals, the more the learning outcomes of the game will match the desired learning outcomes of the student.

Ciao!

Social Media-A Communication Tool For Learning

Over the recent past, social media has truly gained a lot of popularity more specially amongst the youth who have used it to influence, direct, instruct, command, control, coordinate, recreate, recognize fellow peers in implementing, participating and organizing some activity that gives them social gratification. This popularity of social media has now gone beyond to the extent of being used as a learning resource. To communicate effectively in the social media world means understanding the new rules of the game e.g., learners want to: (i) have a say; (ii) have meaningful dialogue; (iii) be engaged and involved in the process; (iv) interact with others; (v) be listened to; (vi) communication to be genuine and relevant; (vii) connect with others engaged in similar activities etc.

The potentials of social media go to change the traditional classroom in the following ways:

(i)           it changes how teachers and students communicate

(ii)          it enhances peer collaboration

(iii)         it helps students follow current events

(iv)         it teaches the learners appropriate online behavior

(v)          it keeps their (learners) minds working, even during leisure time

Integrating social media in the class isn’t just a walk over. However, I will do the following to ensure integration:

(i)           improve communication by allowing students to easily message teachers and other students with questions.

(ii)          make a Facebook page for my class where i can schedule events, post notes and remind students of assignments due dates.

(iii)         post supplementary materials like links to articles and videos so students can continue learning even when class is over.

(iv)         create a feed for my classroom so that I can tweet about upcoming assignments, events and class news.

(v)          connect with other classroom, teachers and parents to increase communication and build community.

(vi)         follow up with other educator’s tweets to keep up with latest teaching trends, get ideas and support one another.

(vii)        record my lessons and post on YouTube so students can review them whenever they want.

Ciao!

Classroom Collaboration

In Collaborative learning learners team up in small groups to create a meaningful project e.g learners can collaborate on internet with another on a shared assignment. In this case learners are able to share their strength and uncover their weakness such that they are engaged actively in different activities that certainly can improve their understanding of the concepts or subjects. However, collaborative learning is more than just working in a group, as group work alone does not guarantee cooperative learning.

A very popular cooperative learning that is commonly used is the jigsaw, where each student is required to research one section of the material and then explain it to the other members of the group. Jigsaw II is also similar to the original jigsaw I in which case, members of the group are assigned separate pieces of the topic. But in this second version, individuals from different groups that have the same piece then become their own temporary group, in order to help each other become experts on that particular topic. Once they have become experts, they split up and go back to their original group.

The commonly used collaborative technology tools at this level include Google docs, social media, SMS etc. The collaborative approach will work in my class room in the following ways:

1.    Using the One-on-One method where learners have plenty of time to relate to each other for example a student X who is known to struggle with math is paired with student Y who does better in math. These two are expected to work together. Y will tutor X when he falters. In this case, both students bring strengths to the table and will learn from each other as they work together.

2.    Using the Small Group approach where students will be teamed up for simple task, quick learning activity such as playing a game or creating a chart. Working with smaller groups allows zooming in the instruction, and the learners are able to listen to and learn from each other more easily.

Ciao!