Class 22: PowerPoint Game (5)

You need have your three questions ready for today's class.

Part I Bloom's Taxonomy

As you continue working on your PowerPoint games -- it is important to focus on the instructional value of your game -- and value is added through good questions. What makes a good question?

Bloom's Taxonomy is an easy way to learn more about various levels of questioning. Even young children can use Bloom's Taxonomy to improve their work.Here's a video of a class of children who use it to design literature units. After the presentation, you are going to take your three questions "up a level" on Bloom's Taxonomy. Use these improved questions as a model for all 25 questions to be included in your game. Don't forget that you can checkout textbooks from the Curriculum Materials Center in rm 207 for more ideas for questions (just make sure you're not plagiarizing!) Continue working on your game outside of class (it is due Monday,March 5)-- you have a handout on scanning in gameboards if you choose to draw yours by hand. As you work -- review student samples and the PowerPoint Games Project Rubric to ensure that you are meeting the expectations of the assignment.

Part II Prepare for iMovie project

We will start iMovie on next Monday, so we need to get you into 5 groups of 4 today. Please write down your group members' names on the sheet I gave.

You need to get one person go to the OIT to reserve a digital video camera for the coming Monday, March 5 to take the video for your iMovie project. Your group should meet at least once during Monday March 5 - Friday March 9 to discuss your project and take the video.

By the coming Friday March 9, before the class, you need have your video footage ready to be edited.

For this Friday, we will have the peer review for PowerPoint Game project, so please

• Bring your PowerPoint game draft and some snack that you like to share with the class;
  
• You will write feedback in just a few words for each classmates;
• You will vote for "the Best Game Designer";
  
• A small price will be given for the winner!
  

Class 21: PowerPoint Game (4)

By now you should have a story idea and you should have selected the standards you'll be addressing with your game. Make sure that you are not creating a game that will review multiple standards. Your game should be designed to introduce content or to provide practice for student understanding. If your game is designed around basic factual recall -- think of another game!



Part I: Action Button


Today we are going to talk about making action buttons and question slides. Action buttons are easier than they seem. Being slow and methodical makes it easier to create action buttons that direct the user to the correct feedback.

Here are some links that will review what we learned in class today:

Creating question slides
Creating the headquarters to access your question slides


Part II: Game Board

There are two ways to make the game board. One is to use your hand, the other is to use computer to draw a game board. If you choose to use your hand, you will need to scan your game board. The instruction will give it to you on Wednesday. If you want to draw the game board with computer, you can draw it in PowerPoint (one letter size) or your can draw it in Fireworks (as large as you want). This is your option to learn to use Firework to draw the board.

There are two parts of your game that ensure students will want to use it for learning: the story and the level of questions. You want to make sure that you have an engaging story - and you also want to make sure that your game is the right level of challenge. Factual level questions are too easy (and boring) regardless of the grade level you are targeting. We'll spend time in class on Wednesday working on your game design and learning how to write good questions.

For Wednesday's class:
1. Continue customizing the game template
2. Write your game directions
3. Finish the basic slides: objectives, game pieces, copyright notice, credits, etc.
4. Write 3 questions to use in your game (on scratch paper) and bring to class.

Class 20: PowerPoint Game (3)

Turn in your learning puzzle sheet before the class starting.

Today you should bring your story for the PowerPoint Game to the class. Then we will have each of you share your story with others. You can either choose to use PowerPoint to facilitate your presentation or not. Everyone will just have 2 minutes since our class is a 50-minute session. So please be aware of the time. And if you are going to use the PowerPoint slide, please limit it to no more than 5 slides.

After the class, you need to go on plan on your PowerPoint game: Think about the game direction, preparation, materials. And you need to focus on the subject area and grade level that you decided at the beginning of this semester. The textbooks you checked out from the Aderhold library would be a good resource to get ideas and questions used in the game.

If you have any questions, please ask me either in the classroom or by email.

Class 19: PowerPoint Game (2)

I will first make a review with our first "formal" project: the productivity tools project.

What factors make a game fun?
Write down your answers on the index card and share with your neighbours.

We will go through the project description and begin to download the template. Most of the technical skills you need to create the game were acquired when you created the seating chart for Productivity Tool Project. Using the drawing toolbar in PowerPoint will allow you to customize your game template.

Story time for Power Point Game
It's time to get started on our second project - PowerPoint Game. In the learning puzzle chart, fill out the curriculum standard section with curriculum standard(s) that you are going to address in your PowerPoint Game. In the story section, come up a story for your game.

For Friday:

• Turn in your learning puzzle chart
• Start write game story, direction.
  

Class 18: PowerPoint Game 1

Part I. Submit Inspiration/Kidspiration project
Before class starts today, please e-mail me the hyperlink of your Productivity Tool project to maggiehu.china AT gmail.com with subject as productivity tool_yourname.

Part II. Introduction to PowerPoint Game
Technology allows educators to respond to various learning theories - from behaviorism to constructionism.
Resources

• Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructionvism
• Constructionvism & Constructionism
  

Today we'll talk about PowerPoint games: what they are and how they help students construct their own knowledge by building the artifacts while learning-- constructionism.
What were your favorite games? What characteristics made them your favorite? What experience do you have with instructional games? Are the characteristics of your favorite games found in most instructional games? How can PowerPoint be used to create an instructional game for your subject area?
It's important to know a little bit of background on the PowerPoint games project before we begin. Dr. Lloyd Rieber - a professor in my department - wrote a paper on this very topic. Many EDIT 2000 students have created their own games and more and more K-12 classrooms are using PowerPoint games as a way to address contentstandards through constructionism.
You'll want to view some sample games from the Homemade PowerPoint Games website and from student sample and student examples from last summer. After viewing several, you'll want to get started on your game. You'll need to look over the project assignment and use learning puzzle chart to organize the content that you are going to present with PowerPoint Game.

For Wednesday:
In the learning puzzle chart, fill out the curriculum standard section with curriculum standard(s) that you are going to address in your PowerPoint Game. In the story section, come up a story for your game. On Wednesday and Friday' class, each one of you will have four minutes presentation on your story and the curriculum standards. You can create a short PowerPoint slide or use Microsoft Word to provide visual cues for your classmates.

Class 17: Review on Inspiration and Kidspiration

Productivity tool project due today, before the class start.
********************************************************************************
Hello dear class, it was very nice to see there were so many people (10) sit in the classroom on the Valentine's day!
Do you know if we Chinese also have a Valentine's day? Yes, it is Qixi, on each July 7th (which is in a Lunar calendar). And it was said that there are two lovers living in the heaven. But they have been cursed and cannot meet each other except the July 7th. That day they will meet on a bridge over the Milky way.

This Sunday is another Chinese traditional holiday, which is also the biggest one: the Chinese New Year. This holiday is very important for all Chinese people. It usually last 15 days in the past, from the new year eve, until the First Full Moon day. During this holiday, people visit relatives, friends. There are traditional food for this holiday and many traditional etiquettes. People set off fireworks and do lion dance or dragon dance.

We also have 12 different Birth year animals for each year. They are: mouse, bull, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, chicken, dog and pig. 2007 in Lunar would be the year of pig. I was born in a year of horse. What year were you born in?

Today we are going to review some good examples from other classes for Inspiration and Kidspiration.

Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4

By looking at these examples, I want you understand that the project requirement for Inspiratin and Kidspiration is to use their unique functions to engage your future students in the activities. They cannot be just a static "diagram" or "worksheet". You should use at least two or more special functions only from them, such as links, hyperlinks, outlines, Super group , and sound.

After talking about the Inspiration/Kidspiration project, you will have the time left to work on your project by yourself.

This project will due on next monday, Feb 19th before the class begin.

For next week:
We start the project of PowerPoint game. I will first introduce the project a little bit, and give several small lessons on how to make action buttons, etc. Then you will work individually to get the project done.

Class 15: Kidspiration

Today we'll learn how to create an activity in Kidspiration and look at some additional examples of project ideas. Here are some more ideas from the Inspiration website. You will have the remainder of class to work on your project.

Your Inspiration/Kidspiration project is due Monday, February 19 at the beginning of class. You should bring a printed copy of each activity and each teacher information sheet.

For your Teacher Information Sheet the Technology Integration Standard addressed is:
"Uses brainstorming/webbing software in planning, organizing, and prewriting. " This is from the Technology Integration Standards on the Georgia Learning Connections website. Your content standards should come from the Georgia Performance Standards.

For Wednesday:
Wednesday is an optional day. It is for you to continue working on your assignments of either productivity tools or Inspiration & Kidspiration. You can choose either to come our classroom or work at home or your dorm. But don't forget to read this blogsite to know what the class will talk about for Friday.

Class 14: Visual Learning and Inspiration

Your understanding of learning theory and technology integration is really starting to come together. You are learning that technology is not used in K-12 classrooms just to make learning more fun. Technology tools can be used in conjunction with good teaching strategies to address various learning styles and student needs.

What does it mean to be a visual learner? What is visual learning? What does this look like in a classroom?

Where does visual learning fit with the curriculum standards you looked at before today's class? Are there specific standards that require visual learning activities? What key words in the standards indicate this?

One of the resources students and teachers can use to assist in visual learning is Inspiration, or the preK-5 version called Kidspiration. Both tools allow students to see a concept and its connecting themes and ideas. During today's class, you'll become more familiar with the program and look at examples of how this tool can be used to develop learning activities.

During next Tuesday's class you'll learn more about designing learning activities and the specifics of your visual learning project.


FOR Monday:
1. Download the trial version of Inspiration and/or Kidspiration.

Class 13: Productivity Tools - the last day

By now you are familiar with locating and customizing templates to create newsletters, hall passes, business cards, etc. You have also used PowerPoint to create a seating chart and Excel to create a pictograph and an attendance/grade book record.

Your remaining tasks for the Productivity Tools Project are to create a worksheet and write a reflection on using productivity tools in teaching and learning.

PART ONE: FINDING A WORKSHEET

To find a worksheet to customize, there are two useful websites: Discovery School Teaching Tools and Education World. Another interesting place to find a "worksheet" is at Vicki Blackwell's website. Just make sure that you select a worksheet that can be used for your subject area/grade level. Don't just print out a worksheet that you find - make sure to customize it.

PART TWO: WRITING YOUR REFLECTION

The final portion of your assignment (worth 30% of your grade) is the reflection. Here's an example of what your reflection/webpage should look like.

Here's how you go about doing it:

Go to your portfolio: http://pages.google.com and login. Open the page you created for productivity tools. On this page, include links to each of your productivity tools objects (saved as pdf files - I'll show you how to do this in class today). Give an explanation for each of your artifacts, what you learned in the development of the artifact, and how it could be used in a classroom. You'll also want to include a few screenshots of your different objects (I'll show you how to do this in class on Thursday).

Then, on the same webpage, explain in detail the types of activities students can do using productivity tools. Your discussion and specific descriptions should focus on activities at a LoTi level of 2 or greater. Make sure to publish the page when you are finished.

The easiest way to go about completing this portion of the assignment is to first talk in general about the products you created - what you learned while creating them and how they could be used by a teacher in your subject area. Then, locate 3 or 4 lesson plans that use the productivity tools and discuss them in detail. The focus of this portion of the reflection is on the ways students can use the tools at a LoTi level of 2 or higher.

There are two good places to go to find sample lessons that use productivity tools:

1. Georgia Learning Connections (select your grade level, select "technology integration" for the subject. Select "Lesson Plans" for the resources. Click the "Search QCC" button. Then click the "Productivity" link)

2.Microsoft Lesson Plans

Remember that lower grade levels may use tools like Graph Club (for spreadsheets/graphing) and KidPix (for multimedia presentations) instead of Excel and PowerPoint - but you can use these as examples for your reflection.

Don't forget that all of this goes onto your productivity tools webpage with links to the objects you created.

This assignment is due on Feb 16, which will be next Friday. However, anyone who submit your works on next Monday, Feb 12, will get 3 extra credits. :)

For Friday:
We will talk about Inspiration and Kidspiration.

Class 12: Productivity Tools (3) - Create Newsletter/Brochure, Calender, Certificate ,Hall pass, Attendance sheet and Grade sheet

There are many objects to complete and details to remember. I will help you step by step. Please don't hesitate to ask me any questions regarding the project. Today we will be mainly working on two programs: Microsoft Word and Excel. I will give you a mini-lesson on that. For those of you who have good computer skills for this project, you can go ahead and work on your project. One thing I would like to bring your attention is the nine objects should address your chosen grade level and subject area.

Resources

• Templates for PC from Microsoft
• Templates for Mac from Microsoft
  

Some samples:
Brochure
Calendar
Certificate
Hall Pass
Attendance
Grade

For Wednesday:

• Continue working on :
  
• Worksheet
  
• Business card/Student name tag
• Upload your projects to your web portfolio
• Write reflection for your projects

Class 11: Productivity Tools (4)

When I got up yesterday , I first checked my email. Then, I was surprised to find that the campus would be closed! I was very happy... How nice to have an extra day-off ！

Today we will continue work on seating charts, pictograph, and grade book.

Resource
http://www.teacherhelp.org/back_to_school.htm

When you are working, you need to think about the purpose and effects in your future teaching career. You need write reflections on your projects after you finish them.

The following is how to write your reflection.

WRITING YOUR REFLECTION

The final portion of your assignment (worth 30% of your grade) is the reflection. Here's an example of what your reflection/ webpage should look like.

Here's how you go about doing it:

First you need create a page for productivity tools on your Google page creator. After creating the page, add links to each of your productivity tools objects (saved as pdf files - I'll show you how to do this next Monday). Give an explanation for each of your artifacts, what you learned in the development of the artifact, and how it could be used in a classroom. You'll also want to include a few screenshots of your different objects (I'll show you how to do this in class on Thursday).

Then, on the same webpage, explain in detail the types of activities students can do using productivity tools. Your discussion and specific descriptions should focus on activities at a LoTi level of 2 or greater. Make sure to publish the page when you are finished.

The easiest way to go about completing this portion of the assignment is to first talk in general about the products you created - what you learned while creating them and how they could be used by a teacher in your subject area. Then, locate 3 or 4 lesson plans that use the productivity tools and discuss them in detail. The focus of this portion of the reflection is on the ways students can use the tools at a LoTi level of 2 or higher.

There are two good places to go to find sample lessons that use productivity tools:

1. Georgia Learning Connections (select your grade level, select "technology integration" for the subject. Click the "Search QCC button". Then click the "Productivity" link)

2.Microsoft Lesson Plans

Remember that lower grade levels may use tools like Graph Club (for spreadsheets/graphing) and KidPix (for multimedia presentations) instead of Excel and PowerPoint - but you can use these as examples for your reflection.

Don't forget that all of this goes onto your productivity tools webpage with links to the objects you created.