My E- Learning Blog

Found  a great blog caled the Learning circuit blog where the author has put together a selection of questions that teachers from around the world have asked. Some questions that were address were;

1. “Are computer games inherently counter-cultural?”

Blogger: “To the digital generation, computer games are very much a component of the culture. (Except that ‘computer games’ are so last week… the console is where gaming, and a lot of social networking, is really hapening, because it is cheaper and a lot more powerful)”.

2. “Are some computer games bad for children?”

Blogger: “Yes. So are some TV shows. And some diet sodas. And some fast food. And some urban air. And some popular music. And some education policies”.

3. “Do computer games herald a revolution in education?”

“Maybe, but not necessarily in the direct sense of teaching-through-gaming. I think we can learn a lot from games about the motivation to learn, about structuring tests & rewards, and about using interactive media seductively”.

Perhaps it would be suitable for all teachers to list some questions that are tugging away at them, to get down to the core issues why or what is stopping them from using gamming and asimilations in their classrooms.

Some clear fears that teachers may have; are games and assimilations valid for classroom instruction? How do we assess these ICT activities? How much extra IT training will i need to teach/ help the class? How do I know which games to use in the classroom….

If every teacher would be able to clearly list their core issues, they in retrospect would become proactive in changing their minds on how they view ICT in the classroom.

I have just come across this resource site called the PInk Flamingo’s  Resource List, there I found some interested blogs on the ideas of Digital Games for Learning that the author has collected.

The site states that;

“Promoting fun is the number one objective for learning digital game-based learning”.

All quotes and blogs that the author has commented on is reflective of his objective on promoting fun for digital learning.

I recommend that you take the time to read each blog as there is a fast amount of information on how we can influence our classrooms.

Picture from www.farsipraise.net

LISTEN sari6308.mp3

This was my first experience using PODCASTING with GarageBand.
I found GarageBand to be a little difficult at first as there were so many tabs, that I wasn’t sure where to go to to set it up. Luckily we were given an introduction mannual for us to discover the wonders of GarageBand.
I can already see what a valuable teaching tool Podcasting could be in my future classrooms, and that I will definitely endeavour to use it as a teaching and learning tool.