EDLD 5364 - Week 5 Reflection

Several of the readings and videos emphasized the concept of using games in education.  “Video games put you into worlds where you have to solve problems. A video game is just an assessment” (Gee, 2009).  I am an experienced 20 plus year educator, however I have always embraced gaming.  I have recognized the problem solving skills, reading comprehension, vocabulary building adeptness that comes from games.   The thought that many of my digital immigrant colleagues cannot embrace this concept is frustrating.  Education is power and that is how I continue to encourage all technology with reluctant educators and even parents.  Many parents I feel think that education wasn’t “fun” for them so why should it be “fun” now.  A huge impact on educators comes from the new generation of teachers who are digital natives.  These educators “get it”.  It is through their technology integration and successful student achievement that will encourage and have a great impact on older digital immigrant teachers who have not fully embraced gaming and other technology integration.

Pitler (2007) discussed the connection between student effort and their academic success.  This text made me see the importance of helping students realize how to apply more effort to their work.  Pitler (2007) readings included an Effort Rubric and other ways to help students recognize how to improve their effort in academics.  This impressed me with that we should be giving them examples of how to do this and allow them to be engaged and a part of their progress in improving their effort.  The formats are visual and allow students personal ownership in the academic success. 

Today’s students have a wide open door of technology opportunities.  Technology makes it easier for students to show what they have learned along with allowing teachers to set expectations and grade these students product with flexibility and ease.  It is vital that this type of authentic assessment be given immediate feedback by the teacher to the student.  There are a wide variety of Web 2.0 tools out there and many are free.  It is our responsibility as educational technology leaders to continue learning and allowing our students to share their technology tools with us as we guide them in the educational process preparing them for the workforce of the 21^st century. 

Edutopia.org(nd). Big thinkers: James Paul Gee in grading with games. Retrieved on Oct. 5, 2009 from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-james-gee-video.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 156-157.