Experiencing Priceless Info in Technology (wk 11)

            In experimenting with technologies, the ten principles stated on page 54 -55 of “Meaningful Learning With Technologies” all seem important and significant. Narrowing them down to just three is somewhat difficult to do. However, the identity principle is a given when playing games. (1. Identity Principle - Learning involves taking on and playing with identities in such a way that the learner has real choices (in developing the virtual identity) and plenty of opportunity to think about developing relationships with and adopting new identities and old ones. Another exciting aspect of games is the idea of psychosocial moratorium, which is what gives games such popularity. (2. Psychosocial Moratorium Principle – Learners can take risks in a space where real-world consequences are lowered. This would mean that there are no true consequences for living out fantasies in games, for no real harm would appear to be done in reality. The third principle I would choose to be most important is practicing. (3. Practice Principle – Learners get lots of practice in a context where the practice is not boring. Students/learners tend to spend lots of time on task. 

            I suppose the most advantageous principle mentioned above would be the “Practice Principle,” as far as dealing with the schoolroom aspect of games. As an English educator, a teacher could offer her/his students particular fun stories. These would be made up of sentences, for example, in which contained blanks. Words or punctuation “signs” could drift from the top of the page to fill in the blanks. A child could aim at the words and punctuations that did NOT belong, blasting them away, in order for the grammarically correct word/mark to fill the designated blank. By practicing in this manner a student could better remember how to use verbs, nouns, etc., and punctuation in a fun way that would be very desirable and memorable to learn. Another game to incorporate could be two persons having a conversation. One might be using poor grammar. When certain words are stated in a sentence, the student could choose a correct word for their person to audibly say, exchanging for the incorrect word. In this way the student would be able to correctly phrase a sentence.

            The farther along that I go in this class, the more I learn and the more excited that I am that technology is available to use in the classroom. I’d like to share a short story as an example of how technology in the classroom is helping me, personally. Back when I attended high-school there was very little foreign language required in order to graduate. I am presently enrolled in a classroom where the students are much younger than I, and most have previously had two years of Spanish in high-school. I have been having a very difficult time with Spanish. I recently attended my first tutoring class with a local Spanish high-school teacher. She had made a power-point in which she was utilizing in order to teach her students certain verbs. She showed this power-point to me. The power-point explained, in very simple ways, the use of these verbs. What a blessing it was to observe this particular lesson. I think that power-point presentation will be invaluable in helping me receive a much needed good mark on my next test in Spanish. Wish me luck!

           

Meaningful Learning With Technology. pp 29, 30. David Johnassen. Copyright 2008, 2003, 1999 by Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. Pearson Prentice Hall.