Ashley+P

I think there are a lot of video games that are a lot of fun. For example, I can play Dance Dance Revolution for hours at a time. However, I think that a lot of kids spend entirely too much time playing video games, and many times these video games are not very age appropriate. For example, I have an eight year old cousin that plays a lot of Grand Theft Auto, and spends his time shooting cops, and picking up prostitutes.
 * __DAY ONE MORNING:__**
 * __What are your feelings about video games in general?__**

I like the idea of using video games as learning tools, and it seems to be a good way to relate to students, and to motivate them to learn. I have seen this for young children, who use the Leapfrog system, and do early reading and math skills. I have however not seen video games used as a learning tool after the primary grades, and I am interested in seeing more of that.
 * __What are your feelings about video games as learning tools?__**

As mentioned above, I am interested in seeing video games used as a learning tool in the middle grades.
 * __DAY ONE PRE-LUNCH:__**
 * __What brings you here?__**

__**What are you excited about?**__ I am excited to learn a little bit about the process of creating theses games, and also using the game with my students as a learning tool next school year.

__**What are you concerned about?**__ I am concerned about finding a way to incorporate my curriculum into the game I am making, in a way that is fun and beneficial to my students.


 * __DAY ONE AFTERNOON:Shut Down/Power Off__**

A lot of technical difficulty today, and waiting for things to download. It will be nice tomorrow to actually have things ready to go and get started experimenting with the program. I feel that I am a little unsure of how to take the curriculum goals that I feel my students need the most help with and create a story line, and ultimately a game. It will be nice (possibly tomorrow?) to see a finished product to have some idea of what I am working toward.


 * __DAY TWO MORNING: How do you use technology in your classroom?__**

I use technology in my classroom everyday. As a math teacher I spend a lot of time using calculators and overhead calculators to work out problems. I also have a projector and a smartboard in my room. I use the smartboard daily. The way I use technology most often in my room is with the internet text book. My students enjoy watching the lessons, and then doing practice problems up on the smartboard. I also occasionaly use assessments on the computer for my students.

I think that the technology that I use in my classroom helps my students to stay a lot more focused. When I am using the smartboard, and online textbooks, students are able to interact with the lessons. I can see that they are all engaged in what is going on. On days where we just use the textbook, fewer students are focused on what they are supposed to be doing.
 * __DAY TWO: PRE LUNCH: How does the technology you currently use enhance your students learning and your teaching? How do you know?__**

It was interesting to see all of the things that can be done with Virtuoso. Again, I didn't do much today because we had one computer at our table with the program running on it. I have started to get a better idea of what I want to do for my game, and I will continure to develop the idea, and think of more ideas. What we have been shown so far seems pretty easy to use, and I am excited to get started.
 * __DAY TWO AFTERNOON:Shut Down/Power Off__**

I teach 7th grade math. I try to teach using a variety of resources. Not only do we use the traditional textbook, along with traditonal worksheets, but we also do some inquiry in the classroom. I try to put my students in small groups to explore certain ideas and concepts, especially when teaching circumference, radius, volume, area, and perimeter. I use my smartboard/projector daily and let the students get up and interact and take part in the lessons.
 * __DAY THREE MORNING: Morning: Describe your teaching__**

My students learn best when they are engaged in whatever it is that they are learning. Usually, if I find a way to relate it to real life situations, and make it more relevant to them, they learn things a lot more easily.
 * __DAY THREE PRE LUNCH: Describe how your students learn best__**

__**Day Three Afternoon: Shut Down/Power Off**__ We learned today how to put in sound clips, as well as how to create quizzes in the game when you walk up to objects. Again, it was nice to see all of the things that can be done, and I am excited to have a computer that runs virtuoso to play around with some of the things we have learned and get started.


 * __Day Four Morning: What do you do well when connecting with your students?__** Being fairly young still, I find it easy to connect with my students. We watch many of the same shows, and listen to the same music, so we find many things to talk about. Having this relationship with them, I feel that it helps them to respect me, and care more about what I am trying to get them to learn.


 * __Do you have any concerns about connecting with your students?__** Occasionally I feel as is I connect TOO well with my students, and they can take things too far, or not settle down when it is time to settle down. Going into my second year of teaching, I am still working on finding the line between teacher and friend.

__**DAY FOUR PRE LUNCH: What interests you in video games as a form of teaching?**__ I am interested in ANY form of teaching that engages my students in what they are learning better than the traditional textbook, pencil, and paper. I feel that video games could be a good way to do this.

__**Day Four Afternoon: Shut Down/Power Off**__ We got our computer today, so I got to work with Virtuoso. It is fun, but sometimes frustrating to play with everything and see what can be done and what can't be done. I am still struggling a little bit with an idea for my game.


 * __Day Five Morning: How do you see this as a learning tool for your students?__** I think the games, used as learning tools can be very beneficial to students. Since most of my students really enjoy video games, using them in my classroom could really help get them engaged.

I am sure I will have support from my colleagues who are also working on the project, as well as the people who have been helping us out all week. I think that not only my students benefit from the project, but I also benefit and get the opportunity to add another thing to my list of ways to engage students in learning about math.
 * __Day Five Afternoon: Who supports and who benefits from your participation in this project?__**