Trends in Ed Tech

-


“Teachers will continue to be challenged to use education technology to make learning engaging and design lessons with content that is much more relevant to the students they serve” (2021, Valenzuela)



Get your game on: Social Emotional Learning gets Gamification with new tech


What is Gamification?

The Gamification Theory in Education proposes that students learn best when they are having fun, and that by designing educational materials that turn routine, often boring subjects into a fun activity leads to greater engagement and long-term learning (2021, Valenzuela).  Such materials use a variety of features found in games: avatars, narrations, journeys, earning points, among others. Video gaming is a great platform in which to utilize this theory. “Because of the addictive features of video games that intrigue children (and adults) and get them hooked, it’s only natural that we see similar engagement results when these game-based elements are applied to learning materials” (True Education Partnerships, 2021). By harnessing the appeal of gaming, teachers can potentially engage students in whole new levels, where the students take the lead.


Learn more about Gamification Theory in Education from a leading designer:

<<<<Click here>>>>


Today's students are digital natives: it is the only reality they have ever known. The old-fashioned learning implements such as textbooks, worksheets, and lectures, don't speak to their level. It's time to use technology to bring the classroom into their world. “Teachers will continue to be challenged to use education technology to make learning engaging and design lessons with content that is much more relevant to the students they serve” (2021, Valenzuela)


                                                                        (Image source 13)


Trends in Ed Tech

This week, I explored ISTE's Hottest Topics in Edtech in 2021, and I selected the Social Emotional Learning trend. I work as a paraprofessional at Lockport Township Academy, the alternative school program for LTHS District 205, and our students need a lot of SEL scaffolding. While researching various options, I found Classcraft (classcraft.com), a truly unique and exciting program. Classcraft is a behavior management system that incorporates Social Emotional Learning, among other benefits. Please enjoy my presentation:


                                                                        (Image source 11)


Want to Know More About Classcraft?


Learn more about Classcraft with this YouTube presentation:

(Image source 12)


More Resources

  1. Teachers' Essential Guide to Social Emotional Learning in the Digital Life
  2. Fostering Social Emotional Learning Through (SEL) Through Technology
  3. YOUmedia Chicago (click here for website) or (here for YouTube video)
  4. Using Digital Tools to Promote Social Emotional Learning
  5. The Right Fit: SEL and Technology


References

True Education Partnerships (2021, September 6) Gamification in education: what is it and how can you use it. Trueeducationpartnerships.com. https://www.trueeducationpartnerships.com/schools/gamification-in-education/

Valenzuela, J. (2021, April30) Three Ways Teachers Can Integrate SEL Into Online Learning. iste.org. https://www.iste.org/explore/learning-during-covid-19 -1/3-ways-teachers-can-integrate-SEL-into-online-learning

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mapping My Digital Space

-
Image
  (Image source 14) " Every few days, it seems, I add a new app, bookmark a new website, or follow a new twitter user. " Discovering a New World on My Digital Space: Mapping a Path for Success Why is it Important? We're living and working in a new paradigm. One where old ways of doing thing--and teaching things--is supplanted by technology that is constantly evolving. Technology, especially the World Wide Web, have become the biggest resource teachers have. As David White says, "Now that the Internet has been in widespread use in educational establishments for around 15 years, it has clearly become the source of information chosen first by seekers, regardless of age" (White, n.d.). With all these changes, it is especially important to take the time to review the technology we are using. In addition, teachers must teach and model the value of technology in school. The myth of the "digital native vs digital immigrant" leads us to assume that teachers can...
Read more

Accessible Learning

-
Image
  “Freedom that’s only alloted to a few is really not freedom.” Accessibility for a Digital World Think accessibility is only about wheelchairs and ramps? Think again. In this new virtual world we spend so much of our time online. From the apps we use on our cell phones to the World Wide Web, our daily lives need to be plugged in. Yet, how we plug in has its limits: we view web pages stocked full of images organized in a fashion that requires the use of a mouse.  But not everyone is capable of seeing the screen or manipulating a mouse. So, we need to rethink accessibility. As Katie Novak of Cult of Pedagogy says, “When we design the same learning pathways for all learners, we might tell ourselves we are being fair, but in fact, single pathways are exclusionary.” (Novak, 2021). The need for accessibility is substantial: 61 million Americans have a disability that impacts major life activities (Zumprano, n.d.).  Marie Raney says "The web is about information accessibility. ...
Read more

Looking Back

-
Image
“ Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go So make the best of this test, and don't ask why It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time It's something unpredictable But in the end is right I hope you had the time of your life” ⸺Green Day (Image source: giphy.com) Looking Back; Moving Forward As our journey through EDU 776 comes to a close, I thought I'd take a look back and reflect upon this very busy time. This class has been somewhat of an eye-opener: when I was in school, technology was a Speak and Spell and Apple II. Technology was not a part of our curriculum. However, today's students live in a different world. Generation Z'rs have grown up as digital natives. They use technology everyday to manage their lives. Generation Alpha will experience a full immersion in technology. They will expect, and only be able to learn, with a technology-rich classroom. (Image source: amazon.com) Some of th...
Read more