Monday, February 7, 2011
virtual worlds
This week I reviewed the section on virtual worlds. I see it as a benefit to incorporate gaming technology into the classroom. All people, kids and adults, have a technology literacy that did not exist in the late eighties (sorry if you were not born yet). We have come so far in the tech world, i would think a majority of us could not go without a computer for long. I also know because of the technology literacy we possess we learn computer based information much faster. I think many people want to incorporate gaming technology in schools but are afraid of the disadvantages like cost, or the myth that because it is about content it is boring. I don't see what the big deal is now, I went to school in the eighties and early nineties and we had educational games and I'm sure the topic was not debated. I remember playing games like Oregon Trail, which is still played in classrooms today. This game taught me how hard it was for people to move west and the incredibly amount of planning that was needed to make the trip. I am all for adding gaming technology and virtual world learning in the classroom. It shouldd not be the only source of learning, but should be implemented as a support tool. Just imagine teaching the Civil War and having a virtual world that places you in the midst of battle to gain a sense of what soldiers went through. You could also be a senator in the 1850's debating the same issues the government did then. I feel this would be a fantastic way to get kids to see what happened in those times. Done right, I believe we have to add this tool to our arsenal as educators.
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I think one of the reasons people may be hesitant to incorporate technology into classrooms may be that some people feel like we rely on technology too much. As you said, a lot of us are unable to go without a computer for a day. I do like the idea of incorporating games into the classroom. I agree that they should be supplemental. As long as the students understand the main purpose and what they should be learning from the game I believe it is okay.
ReplyDeleteGames definitely have the potential to be enormous assets to teachers. As you said, I still remember Oregon Trail on a 5.25 floppy disc. What a great game! Games like this are education, provide better understanding of the topic, and get students motivated for learning.
ReplyDeleteNow that I have said that, I will go on to say that in the world of today, we must be careful with games. So many of the games that exist today are violent and have no educational value. Nevertheless, there are games that do and gaming should be a part of the classroom.
I agree completely, Oregon trail used to be such a great way to see into the way life was when technology was still not highly developed. Now there are math and science games and even reading and writing games. It can take a boring topic, and turn it into a fun activity that students will be engaged and involved in. Now that technology is so much better then it was, I see no reason why educational games or game like activities should be excluded from the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI observed a class a couple of months ago where the teacher taught anatomy through the use of a video game; it was great! Kids were lapping up the information. I too remember being particularly psyched when I knew it was time to play the Oregon Trail. It would be interesting to see what kind of classroom video games are out there right now. Actually, I just googled the new Oregon Trail and it looks waaay different. Anyway, I agree that using these types of games could be used as a teaching tool to complement a variety of other practices.
ReplyDeleteI also chose to write my blog entry on virtual worlds because it was not something that I knew too much about. After looking through the videos and information provided by PBS, I still am not sure how I feel. I sort of see both sides of the argument. I know that many schools do not adapt a virtual world teaching method because it involves collaborative learning and many schools view collaborative learning as cheating or a possible way to cheat. I think that this is silly. I believe that learning collaboratively if implemented correctly is a wonderful learning tool. What I fear is something that you mentioned in the beginning of your blog entry...that many us cannot go long without computers. It is my fear that since we are already so reliant on computers and the virtual worlds they provide, can bringing them into classrooms too make for introverted and antisocial students? This, too, is an argument that can go both ways. I think that trial and error is the only way to truly know if virtual worlds will be a good learning tool!
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone that the Oregon Trail had a great educational value. I remember playing that game for hours. I did not feel like it was homework or that it was boring. It taught me how hard travel was with scarce resources. I read an article a few days ago that there is a new Oregon Trail being released soon as a Facebook game. I also remember learning about anatomy through another game (for Windows 95) called “3D Body”. Additionally, I learned about dinosaurs from "3-D Dinosaur" also for Windows 95. We played "Mathblaster" in the elementary schools computer lab. These were all great educational games. They made learning fun and interactive. This has great potential if gets implemented in school today.
ReplyDeleteI think a concern about using virtual worlds in the classroom could be that students might not "come back to reality" so to speak. I know this sounds extreme but in today's world it seems as though many young people live more in virtual worlds than this one. I think incorporating virtual worlds into the classroom is a great way to learn and motivate students to pay attention. I think it is important however, to be aware of how blurry the line between fantasy and reality can be.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post. A lot of things that we learn or have learned in our classrooms in the past would have been better and stuck in our brains more if there was a visual or more engaging supplement, as a video game would be, to the information that we are learning. Something like a video game in a classroom would be better than just reading or writing or listening in a classroom because it would reach out to that student that just can't learn in a traditional way.
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