Comments on: Blast from the Future http://future.teacherleaders.org/2010/07/blast-from-the-future/ Keepers of the Flame Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:55:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Laurie http://future.teacherleaders.org/2010/07/blast-from-the-future/comment-page-1/#comment-80 Laurie Fri, 09 Jul 2010 23:20:50 +0000 http://future.teacherleaders.org/?p=122#comment-80 John, This is just phenomenal, cutting edge, quality learning at its best. As we look at our students today, they come with multi-tasking and hands-on technology based strengths that we must address and respect as educators. I'm reminded of two units just this year in my inclusionary, co-taught science teammate's classroom. First was a team-based activity in which our 6th graders, many of whom are right-brained, and several of whom are also learning disabled, created balloon cars. They had to create prototypes, bring in materials from home, fashion cars powered by balloons, and race their classmates. It was so exciting for my colleague and I to have the role of facilitator as we watched students eagerly figure out why their cars weren't worked, and trouble-shoot accordingly. Later as we reviewed for finals, she created a game based on the reality show Survivor, called Survivor Science complete with tribes of kids doing review challenges, earning immunity necklaces, and rewards, all surrounding a year's worth of earth, physical and life science. How cool is it to WANT TO review for a final exam?! John,
This is just phenomenal, cutting edge, quality learning at its best. As we look at our students today, they come with multi-tasking and hands-on technology based strengths that we must address and respect as educators.

I’m reminded of two units just this year in my inclusionary, co-taught science teammate’s classroom. First was a team-based activity in which our 6th graders, many of whom are right-brained, and several of whom are also learning disabled, created balloon cars. They had to create prototypes, bring in materials from home, fashion cars powered by balloons, and race their classmates. It was so exciting for my colleague and I to have the role of facilitator as we watched students eagerly figure out why their cars weren’t worked, and trouble-shoot accordingly. Later as we reviewed for finals, she created a game based on the reality show Survivor, called Survivor Science complete with tribes of kids doing review challenges, earning immunity necklaces, and rewards, all surrounding a year’s worth of earth, physical and life science. How cool is it to WANT TO review for a final exam?!

]]> By: Susie http://future.teacherleaders.org/2010/07/blast-from-the-future/comment-page-1/#comment-79 Susie Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:22:01 +0000 http://future.teacherleaders.org/?p=122#comment-79 There's a librarian from upstate New York, Chris Harris, who I've heard a few times, and I follow his writings. ALA has even put together a nice gaming toolkit http://librarygamingtoolkit.org/index.html There are some great resources as you go across the top menu bar. I looked at the summer assignment for 6th grade at the Quest to Learn school-very interesting. Thanks for sharing this; I plan to investigate further. This is also the type of thing my local education foundation might award grants for; they like hands-on things. Then the next step is to incorporate the games more into the curriculum and collaborate with teachers. They will start to see some of these connections you so eloquently describe. There’s a librarian from upstate New York, Chris Harris, who I’ve heard a few times, and I follow his writings. ALA has even put together a nice gaming toolkit
http://librarygamingtoolkit.org/index.html
There are some great resources as you go across the top menu bar.

I looked at the summer assignment for 6th grade at the Quest to Learn school-very interesting. Thanks for sharing this; I plan to investigate further. This is also the type of thing my local education foundation might award grants for; they like hands-on things. Then the next step is to incorporate the games more into the curriculum and collaborate with teachers. They will start to see some of these connections you so eloquently describe.

]]> By: Jennifer http://future.teacherleaders.org/2010/07/blast-from-the-future/comment-page-1/#comment-78 Jennifer Fri, 09 Jul 2010 02:48:51 +0000 http://future.teacherleaders.org/?p=122#comment-78 John has plucked such a valuable lesson from Salen's amazing story. A classroom designed like a game is a great concept. Yet, if we aren't careful we may end up with one that functions like a Rubik's Cube. While the reforms I'm experiencing in my school in Alabama aren't close to Quest to Learn or Institute of Play, I do see amazing changes in students when you hand the learning reins to them. Project learning, when done well, is designed to foster student collaboration, problem-solving, and creativity. The trailblazing students at Quest to Learn and Institute of Play will demonstrate what we have been saying at TeacherSolutions 2030. A student centered learning environment will yield the results we want and they need. These schools are ones I plan to follow. (You can follow The Institute of Play on Twitter @instituteofplay) John has plucked such a valuable lesson from Salen’s amazing story. A classroom designed like a game is a great concept. Yet, if we aren’t careful we may end up with one that functions like a Rubik’s Cube. While the reforms I’m experiencing in my school in Alabama aren’t close to Quest to Learn or Institute of Play, I do see amazing changes in students when you hand the learning reins to them. Project learning, when done well, is designed to foster student collaboration, problem-solving, and creativity.

The trailblazing students at Quest to Learn and Institute of Play will demonstrate what we have been saying at TeacherSolutions 2030. A student centered learning environment will yield the results we want and they need. These schools are ones I plan to follow. (You can follow The Institute of Play on Twitter @instituteofplay)

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