If You Can't Beat 'Em...Join 'Em.

I have emphasized previously that children (of all ages) are quite involved in the technological world. During some of my reading this week for my technology in Education course, I learned about the potential good and bad of the use of cell phones in schools. On one hand, since many students have them, they serve as a great tool in an emergency; however, the downside is since many of these new cellular devices(smartphones) have access to the internet, students may be tempted to cheat. Cell phones hold the promise of benefits that may outweigh the flaws, such as using SMS in order to have in class polls and conduct quick and efficient assessments of student learning. This got me thinking about other technologies that seem to come as a blessing and a curse in the lives of children and teens…video games.

I recently became very interested in video games and information regarding how many children and teens play them. I read an article posted on the Fox New Webpage, found here. One of the most interesting statistics stated in the entire article was that of the sample of 1,102 kids age 12-17, 97% played video games. When you really think about it though, it makes sense. Games include things like First Person Shooters (aka the ‘violent’ ones), casual ones like Guitar Hero, games played on handheld devices like the Nintendo DS and even the cell phone applications like Angry Birds that have become oh-so-popular. While the study mentioned only discussed kids in the preteen and teenage group, I know for a fact that there are many kids under 12 that play video games. Who hasn’t seen a seven year old clutching their handheld device like it was their life support? In other words, while having the numbers to back it up is great, the evidence is there. Kids play video games. And I have a confession; I love video games as well. I’ve played Pokémon, Mario Bros, Angry Birds and even yes, the ones involving shooting like Halo (aliens) and Left 4 Dead (a zombie one). But we all know the bad side of gaming. The arguments against playing not just violent games, but any games, are numerous and have been made often. Childhood obesity and bullying and things of that nature. But guess what; kids still like to play them. So the question I ask myself is… why? What draws them into the game and holds their attention when sometimes, a book can’t even manage the same task? So as a self-proclaimed gamer, I decided to ask myself why I like playing video games.


For me, video games go beyond the simple task of entertainment. They give me a sense of achievement when I accomplish tasks within the games. For example, after spending try after try attempting to knock those dastardly green pigs off their smug wooden, ice and stone perches, finally being able to solve the puzzle gives me a sense of pride. I also like the fact that before the achievement, there is a challenge, which makes the achievement that much sweeter. (See statement about angry birds for example) I also mentioned I enjoyed First Person Shooters (FPS for short), but not because I’m a war lover who’s thirsty for blood. It’s more of a social thing, and many of these games provide opportunities for you to play with friends. Additionally, FPS are objective based meaning small goals are set in order to reach the final goal (completing the game). A lot of these games also provide rewards like virtual badge, points, upgrades, new things to use and so on, giving the player a sense of joy in their achievement, even though many of them know that the points are essentially meaningless. I like casual games like the Sims and Guitar Hero because they allow for things like practice and learning from one’s mistakes. For example, in the Sims if you accidentally set your Sims’ house on fire by putting a couch near a fireplace, you realize your mistake and take that knowledge with you when you continue on. There is no penalty or punishment because it is all reversible (as long as you remembered to save). In guitar hero you decide to play your favorite song and are hit in the face with a guitar solo that seems far to impossible for your slow fingers, but if you mess up, you can practice. Finally, in many of these games you are given the choice to differentiate your gaming experience by choosing a hard, medium or easy/beginner level. I like this because I am better at some types of games, than I am at others and this allows me to enjoy them all.


So wait..

Challenge

Sense of Achievement

Objectives

Socializing

Rewards

Learning from Mistakes

Differentiation

Sound familiar? They should. These are all things that seem to be evident (in varying levels) in schools. Most of the time we only see objectives and rewards with attempts at using things such as challenge, objectives, and differentiation. But what does this all mean? I am by no means saying we should teach our games using solely video games themselves, or saying that we should discourage video game use by children entirely. What I am implying is that we, as educators, should take a look at the technologies that kids use, such as video games, and use what makes them so appealing to our advantage. Instead of focusing on just the main objective (aka beating the game), put emphasis on the challenge, achievement and even the socializing. Kids need to be able to work with one another, because they will be expected to do so in “real life”. When kids know they have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes with no harsh repercussions they may be more likely to do it in the first place. Also, by understanding that kids don’t fall into one level for all subjects (just like many don’t have the same ability level in particular video games), their education needs to be differentiated accordingly. I guess this is just something to think about as parents, educators and adults in general and help us remember that kids are usually good at telling us what they like, and we should pay attention.

If you can't beat 'em...

Join 'em.

YouTube: Not Just For Cat Videos

"Mom, what happened to the cursor?”
“Google VY Canis Majoris, Patrick.”
“Click that next video, Sean.”
"Let's make a video."

These are just a few snippets of phrases that have been uttered, without prompt, by my nearly seven year old brothers. (Note: some of the things they said were when they were four and five.) Ever since my brothers could talk they’ve been immersed in two distinct languages: English and the Digital Language.

The video above is one that my brothers made, unbenknownst to me, on my Apple MacBook. Imagine my surprise finding this on Photo Booth. They were either four or five. Though the content is typical of a five year old being silly, the fact that they are able to not only open, but use the program, without aid. The incredible thing is that most kids of this generation have the digital literacy! Imagine what kids born 5 years from now will be able to do?!

When they were four they were drawn to the computer, curious about all the possibilities that existed at their fingertips. And what does a four year old do when he finds something he likes and wants to know more about? Well aside from getting peanut butter everywhere, these two boys ask questions… lots of them. After learning the name of the “little arrow” on the screen, then began to experiment with what exactly the little guy to do. The explorations escalated and when they were five, nearly six, their fascination with space collided with the wonders of technology. One day, when I finished listening to an onslaught of their questions, I decided to show them, rather than tell them the answer to “what would happen if two galaxies crashed into each other” (they actually asked me this, no joke.) So using my oh-so-fabulous technology skills… I went on YouTube and looked for a video that I had seen when taking an astronomy class, and lo and behold, using a varied combination of search terms, I found it. My brothers were mesmerized, and decided to play the video again, and again, and again. After watching the video more times than anyone would deem necessary, the two rascals made a discovery. They could click on links to related videos. Before I knew it they were talking excitedly. “Sean, Sean click the one about the supermassive black holes!” My brothers at the age of six, had become YouTubers; however, instead of using it for non-educational purposes (aka endless amounts of funny cat videos..) they were using it to answer questions and even generate more questions in their minds. They were learning, and not only that they were learning to love learning.



I know that was a very long story that seemed to have no point, but I swear, there was one: YouTube and other media hosting sites are a wonderful tool that, if used properly, can really benefit students. In some of the reading we have done for this class, social media sites such as YouTube were discussed. I thought back to a unit I had implemented in a second grade classroom: Plants. In particularly I was teaching a lesson on fruit, and as I was coming up with a SMART board presentation to use as a supplement (NOTE: simply throwing information on a SMART board is not integrating technology), I couldn't think of a way to explain how fruit come from flowers, in a language that was appropriate for second graders. Instinctually I found myself typing in a search on Google, and was surprised to find a time-elapsed video of strawberries growing. It was perfect. It showed what words could not explain, and displayed images that would take a lot of time for students to view via an experiment of some kind. I think that was truly the moment I understood the impact that a tool such as the Internet could have on classrooms today. I have to remind myself that kids today have grown up with these tools and probably know how to use them; however, as a teacher it is my job to make sure they are used for good (not evil!) In my opinion, kids are natural problem solvers, and we need to give them the tools they need to explore, to build upon that innate ability. So, while my brothers are able to find out a lot on their own, it is my responsibility to guide them. This goes the same for me as my roll as an educator.


Children are not empty vessels, but they are, even more so now, critical thinking machines that have the potential to do things we haven't even imagined yet, crazy right?

Take the Leap

“Are we doing what is best for our students, or are we doing what is most convenient for us?”

Time. When we don’t need more of it, we have it in excess but when we couldn’t get enough, it seems to slip through our fingers. The essence of this very thought-provoking question is strongly linked with time. But shouldn’t 180 days of school be enough time to teach kids what they need to know and move on? Maybe, maybe not. So perhaps the issue isn’t how much time we have, it’s what we do with it.

The question asked on Dr. Scott McLeod's blog, listed at the top of this post, is not an easy one to answer, particularly because a simple yes or no won’t suffice. The way I decided to approach this loaded question was to divide it into two manageable parts that have relatively easy answers.

First I take a look at the initial portion of the question, “Are we doing what’s best for students?” Well, obviously defining what would be best for students is a good place to start. It is also something that I, as a hopeful educator fresh from an undergraduate education, can answer. It was established in McLeod’s video (found here), that children need critical thinking problem solving skills, rather than simple fact recall, in order to succeed in today’s world. Sadly, the way many people teach today, despite what they learned in college, is to cover information a mile wide, but only go an inch deep. Students are more likely to develop these more meaningful skills if the informational holes we dig go down deeper. In other words, students need relevant information covered in depth and in ways that make sense to them.

So that said, what’s best for us, the educators and adults of the world that the fate of the world depends on? (Okay, so maybe it’s not that dramatic, but the children are our future, so technically how we approach education affects our children and the paths they may take.) We are teaching in an age of accountability: how our students perform determines our outcomes as teachers. So thinking about this part of the question, in my opinion, what’s best for us as educators is students that do well on the various defining tests. Good scores? Yay for us. Bad scores? Uh oh. In these cutthroat circumstances it makes sense that teachers might throw all of their knowledge about student learning out the window just to make sure what’s tested is taught. But as educators we have a choice: teach to the test, or make what we teach prepare the students for the test as a result. But when thinking about convenience again and that ever so pressing issue of time, it is easier and therefore more convenient for teachers to teach to the test.

I may have babbled a bit in this open heart surgery that I performed on such a seemingly simple question, but my point comes down to this: as of now, as a whole, we are not doing what’s best for the children. However; just because we do what’s convenient for us does not necessarily mean we’re not going to be doing the best for our students. The two parts can overlap. Compromise is not only a wonderful idea, but it is also a plausible one. Ideally, the standardized tests of our societies would be rearranged to test what we wanted students to actually get out of their education (hint: that would be problem solving and critical thinking skills that are relevant to the lives of our students.) However in a world where education policies are determined by people who rarely have classroom experience other than their own education, it is best to think of an alternative. So if we can’t change the test, we change our approach. If we teach with “the test” in mind rather than to it, the students can gain those necessary critical thinking skills that allow them to be successful in life and on those dreaded tests. A win-win. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it doesn’t have to be difficult either. Educators have a wonderful resource: other teachers. Standards say that students need to have collaboration skills, but so do we. Every student is unique and by association every classroom is different. This implies that every teacher has diverse experiences in their classrooms. These multitudes of experiences include varying problems and solutions that teachers encounter. By sharing with the educational community what works and what doesn’t and why, teachers have a broader expanse of knowledge in which to help them with their curriculum development.

Very long story short: the only thing standing between us and our students getting what they need out of school, is our own desire to do what’s necessary. Don’t let doubt hold you back...

...take the leap.