Andy+B



__//**Day 1 Morning**//__

What are your feelings about video games in general?

I love video games. I am a first-person shooter type gamer one-on-one--because I have such slow reaction times (Hey, I'm an old man!) that I can't play online against others. I require more strategy and planning to get through a game. I also enjoy strategy games, etc. I tend avoid video games lately because I have so many other things going on in my life--especially a four-year-old daughter who is just too much fun and a business that we are working desperately to make successful--though I will admit to the occasional download of a trial version of a game that doesn't require too much time to play.

What are your feelings about video games as learning tools?

I believe that video games have plenty of potential as learning tools. Since the days of Number Munchers and Oregon Trail, they have been a means of engaging students, reinforcing skills, and actually eliciting higher order thinking skills. The processing power has finally caught up with the programming skills. If they can get to the point of deprogramming Iraq vets by taking them through quasi-real-life experience with VR, then we can surely come up with means of making the computer simulation/game a useful and integral part of the educational repertoire.

__//**Day1 Lunch**//__ What brings you here/Why are you here?

I enjoy gaming and really believe that technology is underutilized as a tool. I enjoy trying new stuff, and this workshop sounds like a really fun way to get some ceu's. Putting the technology to really exciting, interactive use is very interesting to me. Oh, and the computer and money don't hurt at all.

What are you excited about?

I am excited about learning a new tool and especially excited about stretching the tool to see what its limits are. I'm excited about getting a really cool computer. I'm excited about staying up late one night and playing Half-Life 2. I beat Half-Life a few years back!

What are you concerned about?

Finding enough time to do this well!!!!!

__//**Day 1 Shut Down/Power Off**//__

Shoulda paid better attention to the email. I missed the part about relating the game to math/science curriculum. Completely blows my initial concept out of the water. Good thing there was too much to do to have to start game creation today. Gonna have to rethink the whole thing this evening. Hope there's not too much to do at the store! On the positive side, this has a lot of potential. I'm looking forward to the week. I might even get to sneak in a few minutes of Half-Life this evening. (Shhh, don't tell anybody.)

//__**Day 2 Morning**__//

How do you use technology in your classroom?

Interaction with the students includes using projector, computer, Interwrite SchoolPad to both do presentations on media concepts and to give students the opportunity to "do quizzes/play games" that reinforce some of the knowledge. I make use of word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, and the internet to present information. I create hyperlinked presentations that give the kids the chance to use the Interwrite SchoolPad to demonstrate understanding of concepts.

Administratively, I use the computer constantly: email, word processing, databases, spreadsheets, presentation software, internet, etc. to fulfill the various roles that I play at WLMS. I am in constant communication with staff, central office, etc. to help keep technology working, to make sure that SOPs are followed, etc.

__//**Day 2 Lunch**//__

How does the technology you currently use enhance your students' learning and your teaching? How do you know?

The technology enhances my teaching by allowing me to be more efficient in lesson creation and presentation since I can access more tools and use tools that can be shared by the whole class. It also allows me to access more tools more quickly to prepare presentations and to find new ideas for improving my lessons.

The technology enhances the students' learning through use of interactive tools that involve students more in the learning process. Since I will have a mini computer lab for instruction next year, it will allow me to try all sorts of new topics and activities, especially research.

I do not have a means of measuring the impact because my subject is not a measured subject and I have not felt the need to pretest them. As I expand the topics covered, I will probably institute more assessment tools.

__//**Day 2 Shutdown/Poweroff**//__

It's been arduous. I don't get really frustrated, but it is difficult when stuff ain't workin'. I think that a short user's manual would be a priority since there is such a variation in pacing and thus difficult to keep up sometimes--especially when the software crashed repeatedly. It still looks like fun, but it may take a while to get there.

//__**Day 3 Morning**__//

I tend to half-plan and half-wing-it in teaching. Because I only see each class on a bi-weekly basis, I have to be very flexible. I generally have a lesson with activities, but I have to assume that a lot of what I talked about will be gone. So I flip between hands on and lecture though all too often the lecture takes precedence because a) I only see the students every other week and b) I don't generally know all the kids' names, don't interact with them often enough to be as free to let go of the reins, and don't have the continuity to build quickly on the knowledge. I plan to work on that by undertaking more cooperation with classroom teachers.

//__**Day 3 Lunch**__//

Describe how your students learn best.

That's kinda hard to answer since we all learn differently. I tend to be a lecture person as I described above because that is my most favored learning style. Some do better with hands on, some with lecture, some with experimentation after explanation. So the answer to that question is, "It depends on the kid." You gotta give 'em a variety to make sure everyone gets something. I, as I said earlier, am a lecturer; but I try to mix in some hands on, some games, some active stuff that gets them reacting--if not always learning.

//__**Day 3 Shutdown/Poweroff**__//

It's still interesting, but there are some serious deficiencies in the program. Object placement is a hassle; it lacks a preview mode to see if effects are actually going to work; several actions/behaviors/effects don't seem to operate properly. I can see that some folks are going to get really frustrated. I am already beginning to scale back on plans because I can see that an overly complex world will call fora n investment in time and effort disporportionate to the reward at the moment. Perhaps future iterations of the software will make some of the world building activities more facile, but right now the limitations are really making it difficult to get too enthusiastic.

//__**Day 4 Morning**__//

What do you do well when connecting with your students?

I am a great believer in humor. Because I only see students on a rather spaced out basis, I tend to try to keep things light and enjoyable. I have a "snarky" sense of humor that I try to curb somewhat with middle schoolers because they sometimes do not follow the sometimes too "subtle" wit. When we're having fun and talking and being funny, we get things done while still keeping things light. The only issue is making sure that the "humor" doesn't get out of hand.

Do you have any concerns about connecting with your students?

Not especially. I have worked with all levels--from juvenile delinquents to gifted. I can trash talk and counsel so I have no great concerns about connecting. I feel like I can tell when I need to pass off issues to those more qualified so I don't worry too much about getting in too deep.

Better day, but still frustrating. I think I have mastered some of the basics of structures. I'll get more done this evening. It is more difficult than I expected, but I anticipate facility with familiarity.
 * //__Day 4 Shudown/Poweroff__//**

//__**Day 5 Morning**__//

How do you see this game as a tool for connecting with your students?

When I get it working well, I think that the students will really enjoy the program and will be a source for further discussion on the topic.

//__**Day 5 Lunch**__//

Who supports and who benefits from your participation in this workshop?

I hope that the students will benefit from the participation. I am benefiting in that I am learning new stuff, which I really enjoy. I assume that the county schools are supporting the endeavor. I believe that when the tool becomes more facile, the students will enjoy and support the work.

What other technology do wish you could use or have support for?

Support for random questions; support for multiple inputs in the same game so that we could have team play as well as possible use a classroom quiz system such as Quizdom.