Videogames and Education (II part)

For the second part of this series, I would like to explain more about how to use video games at the school. So, teachers, you can use strategy games to develop high level skills on your students.

First of all, you have to choose a game, but before that, you must PLAY a game. And this is important because you can't teach, what you don't know. So, once you have chosen any game and played already, then you can continue. (It is a personal opinion, but I like the game "The Age of the Empires", because apart from just playing, you can learn about history or create your own scenario).

Then, you have to determine which are going to be the skills you are going to develop in your students, in relation with the game, and your own contents (Ex.: Finding vocabulary, choosing some options, exploring, socializing, problem resolutions, creating examples through sentences in English, etc.)

After that, you have to plan what you are going to do in class: the activities you will choose to do, the resources, type of evaluation, and the time you will use.

I have thought in this 4 activities:

1. Students must describe who and how was William Wallace (character of the game "The Age of the Empires), using adjectives and then, creating simple sentences with the verb "To Be". Also, completion activities with simple tenses. (It will be 20% of the final mark and it must be done in 2 hours)
2. Students must play on the game in the "learning campaign". They must win at least the first 4 campaigns and the teacher will give a paper with the Imperative form content. So students must find examples on the game. Finally, they get vocabulary from the "Technology Tree", which is one of the options of the game, in which you can learn more about the civilizations you are playing with. (It will be 30% of the final mark and it must be done in 3 hours)
3. Students get information about the Future tense, and they must create sentences in English with the vocabulary they found previously. So they will express a strategy they will use, telling the steps they will take to win the last level. (It will be 30% of the final mark and it must be done in 3 hours)
4. Then, they must finish by completing a paper about the "Celts" civilization, and then they will evaluate themselves. (It will be 20% of the final mark, and it must be done in 2 hours)

This is just an example to use strategy games at the school. And it is designed for teachers of English as a second language. But of course, you can adapt it, and it will work so well with teachers of history, teachers of art, teachers of maths, etc.

In the last part of this series, I will explain why it is important to use or, at least, to consider in using video games with your students, so nobody will think that you are just losing time in playing. (Which is really not true)

A classroom idea: "Verbs Windmill" (Last Part, the best part)

Well, the day came, and the students had to create their own version of the Verbs windmill, and let me tell you what happened.
First.. the problem of the materials. Not all the students came with their materials, and until the last time, they are trying to get some last resources. This brings the problem that some are asking permission to get what they need even on classes. I don't like this, but ok, I had to let them go for it. Second, the use of time. The time is valuable, and some are not using it wisely.
But among all, the balance is positive. They students got interested in this project, and they were trying to give their best to have a nice product. And the good part is when they make up new ideas and they are trying to improvise when they have problems with one part of the project. And this is what I like the best, their creativity. Because in here it is when they are free to imagine and create new things.
Let me show you some pictures of the projects.

I teach "Y", but they evaluate me "Z". I am a teacher, what do you want from me?

One of the problems we can find on education, is at the moment of evaluating. Evaluation is not the ending, but part of the process. And as such, it must be considered in the beginning of the process of planning. Having a clear goal, we can settle clear objectives and activities to get it, and therefore, a realistic process to evaluate the achievement. Although, we know that to create an objective tool of evaluation is not easy, we already know that it must be connected so well with the main goal and the teaching and learning process. As teachers, we have dealt with this problem.

But what happens if it is our work, the one being evaluated?

There is still a big gap between what we are supposed to teach, and the way how the Government is evaluating our work. We are supposed to teach the students how to talk and speak in English. How and when to use a specific kind of grammar and expressions in English. In other words, what they want from me, is that I help the students to face normal and common conversational situation. But look, most of the tests (including SIMCE* and TOEIC Bridge for SIMCE of English) evaluate grammar and sentence formation; and Listening comprenhension. But there is no oral expression.

And even more, the school has too many responsibilities, that among all of those, it is the fact that we must form good people for the society. Students must have all the good values (responsibility, honesty, punctuality, creativity, good manners, good citizen, etc.) But is there a test to evaluate that? No. All the tests just try to evaluate knowledge and some skills, but there is no evaluation for values.

We already know what we have to teach, or at least, try to develop in our students. But I think, if there is no clarity in what they want from us, as teachers, there won't be clarity in what is the product we are going to obtain. They want us to just teach content? or they want us to raise excellent and good people? Maybe both? Then we must be evaluated according to those standards and goals.

What do you think?

*SIMCE (System to measure the quality of the education)

Videogames and Education (I part)

This is the first of three parts of the series "Videogames and Education". Have you noticed that you have a hard time trying that your students pay attention in your class, even for 15 minutes? And have you noticed that, magically, your students can stay hours and hours paying attention to a computer or a tv, playing videogames, and enjoying that time so much?

Well, this is truth that every teacher might have noticed. And this must call your attention, because there is something on the videogames that is producing that awesome effect of attracting the attention of your students for a long time. Because, even if they have to play the same level hundreds of time, they never get bored of trying and trying. Why they don't do that on the school too???

Nowadays, there must be hundreds of educational games on the market. And you might have considered in using a couple of them already. But, probably you must be afraid of them. It is a common belief that videogames don't get along with the school. Why? Because there are some teachers who still think that videogames are just a waste of time and that they don't teach anything, but violence.

Let me tell you that that belief is totally wrong. It is true that most of the games are not suitable for children, but you still have educational games.

Ok, but let me ask you something else. Do you think that your students really go running to their homes just to play "educational games"? Probably the answer is no, and it is because they actually don't like educational games. They are boring and it is like having a teacher at home. Students don't like that for sure.

But the good thing is that you don't need to use that kind of games to work with the students, and here it is where Strategy Games can help you a lot.

Last year, I had the chance to take an e-learning course called "videogames and education", mainly because I like videogames, and if I had to learn something, I would rather prefer to learn something I like. I will share with you some tips that will help you to work with videogames at the school.

Every subject has its own contents, strategies, methodologies and steps. But all subects share the same goal: developing skills on the students. I already mentioned that educational games are boring because they highlight contents only, ( I am not saying "don't use them, but if you do, probably you won't get want you want), while strategy games are really "motivating and addictive because, you need long time to finish one level, and it means you have to think and be wise to know which is the best step you must take.

Strategy games help the students to improve their skills in socializing, taking important decisions, gathering information and choosing the best, finding information on social networks, working as teams, among other high level skills that you might wish your students have.

I will be talking more about this in the second part of this series. Meanwhile check this video I found on internet, and you can comment your thoughts.

Source: youtube.com ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cX7bI5vkQA )

Power Teaching: an effective method of teaching

Three years ago, I was searching for information about management, on internet. And I found something called "Power Teaching". It seemed to be a method of teaching and classroom management all in one. But, even if it seemed to be interesting and fun, I thought "this is just for children".

By now, you must be wondering what it is "power teaching". Well, it is a simple and really effective way to teach (no matter what subject) and to solve some problems related with bad behaviour.

I won't explain in detail, because you can check the Official Page, but in simple words, Power teaching is this:

The classroom becomes a fun and interesting place for students to learn and participate in every activity. As a teacher, you will teach a "scoreboard", in which the students will get positive or negative points (it will depend on you what score you will give, so you can control that). After that, you will teach the famous "Teach-Ok", in which you will give the chance to the students to teach their partners what they have learnt. (It is a really great way for them to express in their own words their knowledge, and in addition, they are strenghtening the contents).

Have you had problems trying to call the attention of every one of your students? How much time do you take to have all of your students ready to hear you and in silence? Probably minutes, right? Well, with power teaching, you just need 2 seconds. Just say "Class", and all your students will say "Yes", (and in silence, they will pay attention to you). And if you want to really be sure they are going to hear you, just say "Hands and Eyes", and they will do it.

This is just the beginning of this amazing way to have all your students working, interested and paying attention to your classes.

Ok, until now, it seems like "where is the camera?", because you can't believe it is so amazing. Well, let me tell you that it is really that way. It really works, and so much. And after three years, you must be thinking if I am still using Power teaching. Well, the answer is No, and I will tell you why.

This classroom management method is really excellent, even for higschool students, and I tell you it works because I tried it by myself. But after a time, students started getting a bit tired. Although the method is not boring at all, and actually it has already taken into account that the year is so long to continue doing the same activities, and for that reason, it has a lot of activities more; it is time consuming, and it needs a lot of previous preparation (I am not saying you have to know so much, no. But you need to be really prepared to work with this method).

For me it worked so well one semester, but then I noticed I had to do something new. But look, even after 3 years, I still have a student that every time he sees me, he says "Class", and I always reply "Yes".

Source: youtube.com (www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1kxpBPtqyI)

Cmaptools: Creating a concept map in the classroom

Cmaptools is not a new tool actually, it has been used since long time already by teachers who have understood that one of the best ways to summarize complex contents, is by using concept maps. And this is what Cmaptools does best.

Cmaptools is a program that allows the user to create concept maps. But not just that. You have the chance to change the fonts, the color, the lines, the charts, adding icons, connecting with other documents or internet links.

But, in which way can this be used at school? Well, many teachers use this tool to create a summary of the contents seen during the class. But one of my coworkers use concept maps to encourage the students to highlight the main concepts seen in the class. So, it is a good way that students re-study and explain in their own words, what they understood. And it is easy and attractive because students can innovate in the style of the concept map.

Cmaptools is a free program that you can use for your classes. (I have heard that some teachers are using concept maps to evaluate the knowledge of the students). You can check this video in order to know how to create concept maps, or check this other video to know how to add some resources to your presentation.

Once you have created your map, you can choose the way you want to store it. If you want as an image or as a web page, among other options. So, don't lose the chance to check this program, and you will see the potential of Cmaptools. But I am sure it will be a good tool for your students.

Here is one map I created with Cmaptools to teach the kind of sentences in English.