Article Review 3

Toward Technology Integration in the Schools:

Why it isn't happening

by John Bauer and Jeffrey Kenton

I thought I'd try something different and focus on the actual application of technology in the classrooms, rather than the various technology available. The reason for this is that there can be a million and one technology uses available to teachers and students; however, if that technology is not used then it does not really matter if it is available or not. This article by Bauer and Kenton called out to me because of its title, it seemed straight and to the point. After further reading I found that it is indeed very well organized and does not beat around the bush. 

To summarize, the authors conducted a type of experiment with 30 "technology savvy" teachers from various grades to see why technology was not being utilized in classrooms. One of the first concerns was consistency in the use of technology in the classroom. There was a consensus in that sometimes teachers did not have the time to integrate technology in the way they wanted to and thus, opted to not use it at all. The second concern, and in my opinion the most pressing one, was that the teachers lacked the skills and motivation necessary to use technology efficiently in the classroom. Using Powerpoint or Word repeatedly because it is the only software a teacher knows may seem like technology is being used, but it is not. Successfully utilizing technology in the classroom means that it has a purpose, it is engaging the student, and it used in conjunction with good pedagogy. Having a Presentation behind you while you talk is simply not effective. The authors touch on how school districts can better prepare their teachers to be open to learning and trying new technology in the classroom. 

The article continues on how it is important for teachers to feel like they have support while they transition to learning new technology. I found this part important and very helpful because I have struggled in the past with technology and felt like Google was just not enough. I can see how spending hours of research only to find that you have not made any progress can be defeating, and thus the teacher may just give up in trying something new. Making a list of concerns, questions, and suggestions that can be shared with other more experienced teachers can be a good way to encourage those who are hesitant to implement technology in their classroom to keep trying. 

Several charts of data are included in the article to show the various responses from the 30 teachers being surveyed. Anything from the teachers skepticism, to the available computers to students ratio was included. Overall I think the article is very informative and brings to light that it is not as easy at it sounds sometimes to just say that technology must be integrated in the classrooms. There are many factors to consider and this article does a good job in sharing a few and how we can go about fixing them.

References:

• Bauer, J., & Kenton, J. (2005). Toward technology integration in the schools: Why it isn't happening. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 13(4), 519.

Final Technology Integration Project

Technology Integration Project

Lesson Plan: 

Multi-media presentation: 

Article Review 2

Gamification and Game-Based Learning

           The article I chose to review is written by Dimitros N. Karagiorgas and Shari Niemann titled "Gamification and Game-Based Learning". To summarize, the article talks about the importance of gamification and game-based learning to the educational and professional sectors. It emphasizes how 17% of the world's population plays games for entertainment and as such would be more open to playing a game for training or educational purposes. Having a person train or learn using a game can take the pressure off of completing said task because the information is presented in a fun way. Although, the authors do touch over 'serious gaming' which is not all fun and games but rather a serious way of learning/showcasing information, such as in professions like the medical field. In the end, the conclusion is that gratification and game-based learning is a positive and motivational approach which can bring together a diverse population for the purpose of learning and/or training. 

         Overall I liked the article. The layout of the article was clean and organized. There labels or subsections throughout which made the article easy to navigate. The authors also made it a point of reiterating what each subsection had been about before touching on a new point. 

        Throughout the article the authors do a great job in defining and describing each new process being introduced, rather than assuming that the audience has a background knowledge in Gamification. I liked that because there were terms and acronyms, such as MMORPG (massive multiplayer online role-playing games), that I had no previous experience with and would have been lost in reading an article which assumed I did. Even the term Gamification, while possibly self-explanatory, was defined early on so as not to confuse the reader.  

        I also enjoyed the various examples provided for each of the gaming categories. For the business sector there was the campaigning approach that Jimmy Choo had in 2010 where they set forth a type of scavenger hunt for its London customers.  In education, it touches on the medical field and how surgeons can take part of a game-based learning app which puts their skills to the test; teachers can then assess how well they are doing, and how their skills rate. Also in education, there is the site Icura in which students can learn about various cultures by immersing themselves in Ancient Babylon, for example, and learning about their language and customs. However, the example that I was most interested in was how to use Gamification in learning a foreign language, since I am a Spanish teacher. The article touched on how it can be easier to learn the target language if one uses game-based learning, because it almost forces its users to use one target language to communicate in the game. There are other interfaces such as DuoLingo which provide a great and fun way for students to practice the target language. There were a lot of great examples throughout the article and you can tell that it was well researched. 

        In conclusion, I recommend this article for anyone looking at delving into the Gamification or Game-Based Learning field. It is an easy read full of great examples and great information. 


Resources:

• Karagiorgas, D. N., & Niemann, S. (2017). Gamification and game-based learning. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 45(4), 499-519. 10.1177/0047239516665105

   
 
     

Personal Teaching Statement

       My personal teaching statement seems to change in some way with every class I take. A good thing, in my opinion, as it means I am constantly changing or evolving. It is also good for me to recognize these changes as I imagine my students undergo them as well. It is for that reason that a cognitive learning theory appeals to me the most, because I believe that we are ever changing and thus, we must consider how our mental processing works. I am forever fascinated at looking into how a brain is a sort of computer that we must get to know and decode in order for learning to take place. How do we acquire knowledge? How do we process it? How do we organize information? The how's seem an endless stream of questions and I must admit, I love it. 
        Thus, I approach teaching in a similar manner. How will I portray the information I need my students to learn in a way that they will actually master it? I realize that much like computers, students are all different and the way they learn is unique to them. It is a challenge, I am aware, to teach 25 students the same information and have all of them learn it in the same manner; thus, I do not plan to teach that way. The content will be the same, of course, but implementing different approaches that best suit each student is my goal. Although I believe that each student learns differently, that does not mean I expect different quality of work from each of them. My students are expected to give it their all because I hold each of them accountable to a certain level of expectation, one which I know they can achieve. Not understanding the material and not giving it your all are two different things. 
        In summation, my belief regarding teaching is that we must expect the most out of our students while recognizing that they are individuals and as such, their best should not be compared to others.  

It is hard to be a teacher, but it is the most rewarding job.