After reading Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works and being a social studies teacher, I was immediately drawn to the World War II multiplayer strategy game (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). A high school history teacher in Indiana uses this strategy game “to help his students better understand the political and economic causes and conditions that led to the war” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). In the past, I have tried to use a game similar to this. The game was called “Peace Keeper” and it helped students solve the situation behind the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. I am not able to use the “Peace Keeper” game because it costs too much for me to purchase and I have not been able to get my principal to purchase it for me. As a teacher, I am always looking for new technology to help my students create and learn. I believe gaming can work it way in the classroom and be that new technology.
Gaming can fit into the principles of the constructivist/constructionist learning theories in a few ways. Dr. Orey says that “All minds want to be in equilibration, which is the process of achieving balance between differences in external reality and one’s current beliefs and understandings” (Laureate Education, 2009). In this game students take a situation that is in “disequilibration” and need to put it in “equilibration” (Laureate Education, 2009). Letting students try to solve this problem and build a peaceful world is a very new way for learning history. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski (2007) say “Each student takes on the role of a country leader and makes policy decisions about diplomacy, economics, domestic, matters, and military actions to achieve that country’s goals” (p. 213). From this description, I get the idea that these students are building and running their own country. I see this game as the students building relationships with other countries to try to stop a world war. Dr. Orey says that constructivism “Focuses on getting kids to build stuff” (Laureate Education, 2009). In the game, students build a country and relationships with other countries to try to solve the problems of the world. With the combination of learning and students creating something, this game seems to be a great resource for the social studies classroom that correlates with the principles of the constructivist/constructionist learning theories.
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Constructivism or constructionism on Century 21 by Juan Delgado
ReplyDeleteI would like to post this information in your blog as a compliment of your thoughts
What is constructivism? A theory of knowledge stating that each individual actively constructs his/her own meaning.
What is constructionism? A theory of learning that states people learn best when they build an external artifact or something that can share with others.
The process of constructionism has four specific mechanism of learning as follow:
Assimilation: Assimilation occurs when external reality is made to fit when one’s current beliefs and understanding. (Scheme)
Accommodation: Accommodation occurs when one’s current believes and understanding (scheme) is altered to fit the external reality.
Equilibration: Is the process of achieving a balance between differences in external reality and one’s current beliefs and understanding. (Scheme).
Scheme: A Scheme is a representation of an n outline of a system or object.
All this mechanism are connected and balance during the learning process.
When a teacher plans a constructionist activity, students are engaged in learning and with the process of “building” using tools and technology.
Assimilation, accommodation, equilibration and scheme are definitely, mechanisms that we all apply when are trying to acquire new knowledge.
Constructionist activities should be include on teachers weekly activities in order to develop students skills about using technology and braking with the daily routine of using pencil and paper.
My thoughts about Constructionism:
I believe in constructionism and proof of that is my students have a mandatory assignment, every marking period; when they need to use technology. Foe example, I have my students construct a project-based or a problem-based, original and creative on a determine topic; the common ones are the projects that consist of creating a power point presentation or simply writing an essay. The time allows for each project can vary from 90 minutes to a week; and student gets involve with the mechanism of learning as: Assimilation, accommodation, equilibrium and scheme. The most productive are the project where students have not a strong scheme. For example, last week, one activity consisted of do research about common alloys; students have idea about stainless steels and brass these students were more confident searching because they have an idea about this alloys, but the reaction was different when students were ask to do research about pewter and amalgam because they have no scheme about them. During this activity students are engage creating something. At times is a real challenge for students to work with Power Point.
My thoughts about Constructivism:
Students are not too familiar with doing invention or analyzing experimental inquiry. This week students are finishing with a project based on problem based, they did choose a topic and need to apply the steps of Scientific Method and write an essay about it. A group student were interested in finding out about peer opinion regarding the use of “uniform” instead of regular “outfit” and the effect on learning. During this activity students are engage constructing they own meaning or knowledge about the situation... At times is a real challenge for students to do data analysis to show experimental results.
Juan Delgado.
Anthony,
ReplyDeleteLike yourself, I love the WWII game. As a history teacher, I feel it is very difficult to get students engaged in the events of our past. Though, this game gives the students the opportunity to expand their knowledge of actually events. In some ways it is like time traveling. :)
Anthony, I thought the WWII game was pretty neat too. I think that our students are having a harder time relating to the past events in our history. We have to work harder and find more ways to engage them into history. I think that martiansb3 hit on a good idea...time traveling. The more we can find applications, games, and interactive movies that take our students back...I think the more successful we will be. I would be completely broke if I were a history teacher because I absolutely love history. I would want to be dressing up all the time! I was telling Lauren the other day about how unappreciative of Martin Luther King some of my students were. We were watching a movie about Ruby Bridges, and the students not only had very little interest, but there were also students (some whom I definitely did not expect to be partaking in the misbehavior) who were laughing at the racist comments being made. Our students are definitely becomming less receptive to the events of our past. Hopefully as we gain more knowledge in these technology classes, we will learn more ways to engage our students.
ReplyDeleteTony -
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting way to to expose students to history! Solve a problem! I absolutely love it! In order to solve the problem, the students must find out how and why the problem exists, therefore requiring them to look at the history of both countries. This is a great way to teach history as well as brush up on problem - solving skills, a much needed skill in today's classroom as well as workplace. This problem-based learning will also allow the students to utilize collaborative skills, leadership skills, and following directions - all of which are 21st century skills that are becoming more and more important for students to have in the classroom, as well as carry to the workplace.
While we might be headed for a society where few paper and pencils are used, I don't think we are quite there yet. Each of my students has their own laptop, but I still find value in doing some things the old fashioned way. Yes, students need to be proficient on the computer and with the 21st century skills, but at this point in time they still need to know how to respond with paper and pencil. There are certain situations where they are required to be able to complete an application using a pen and paper, such as for a job application. I think there needs to be a good balance in the classroom between technology use and paper and pencil activities.
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