Game based learning support post

We had a lot of fun on Saturday exploring all the facets of Game Based Learning, but as always, when you are having fun, you always run out of time! So this is the first thing that you have to bear in mind when planning a game-based lesson -make sure you allocate enough time for fun!!

Games is a great way to do revision seeing that it is almost the end of the school year. Research (goo.gl/1y34Ny) is showing us that playing educational games, as a way of learning, is incredibly effective! Games also provide a safe place to "loose" and act a a great motivator! The following 2 articles will inspire you to get going:

• What is GBL (Game-Based Learning)?
• GBL Checklist for educators

So what do you need to do to get the Game Based Learning Badge?? 

You need to create a lesson where you will use educational game(s)  for your learners to play and achieve your learning outcomes. The place to start is as always with: "What do I want my learners to learn?"  (your lesson outcomes). You can then go and investigate what educational apps and tools are available that can be used in your lesson to achieve the learning outcomes.

As our "lesson" session topic was "Copyright", we used a quiz to make sure that  all the learning is centred around that topic. Dividing the learners into groups, where each member has to research a section of the work, also resulted in every group member taking responsibility for their learning and contribution to the communal group's quiz knowledge.

You can make use of the Quiz slideshow template in your resource folder to create your own class quiz (goo.gl/gdtQCC ) by replacing the markers with your own questions and answers. You can use the online Quiz maker called Flipquiz (Flipquiz.me) to create your quiz as it keeps track of the teams, categories and scoring for your.

You can create flashcards and use the app Quizlet (see previous blogpost) to re-enforce the gaming topics and to create an automated drag and drop time based game! Remember, any quizlet, flipquiz or slideshow quiz you create for your students can count towards your Content creator badge as long as it is a "freestanding" learning object. In other words, it covers a curriculum subject topic that can be used by another teacher anywhere!

There are many gaming apps for almost any educational topic. As long as it support or extend your learning outcomes, you are welcome to use it.

Here are the criteria for getting your Game Based Learning Badge:

Remember to upload your lesson plan and your learner photos to our shared Google drive folder. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Maggie or leave a message below.

Using quizzes in the classroom

In today's session we looked at (and experienced)  how to use quizzes and games in the classroom. To create a quiz you can

• Use the slideshow template in your module 7 resource folder 
• Create one using Flipquiz.me
• Create flashcards and learnig games using the app Quizlet, which you can also embed in you blog!! 

Module 7- Game Based Learning

During this module we will investigate how we can use Game Based Learning and gamification to create a fun learning environment in our classrooms.


   

Mind mapping badge support

So what do you need to do to earn your Mind mapping badge?

Let's just look at the badge criteria and then  we will investigate some ideas:

App Evaluation badge support

The criteria for this app is as follows:



To earn this badge you will need to evaluate at least 10 apps for their educational value. You can use the apps:

• On your tablet
• On the app sheet
• Or any other app that you think have educational value. 

You can use the following google form to evaluate the apps (goo.gl/Fzy0U0) or use the word document template here (goo.gl/5VquEZ) and upload it to your Google drive online portfolio folder.

You have to answer the following questions regarding the app:

What can you do with  the app? Here you have to describe what the app can do. e.g. Toontastic 3D

With Toontastic 3D you can draw, animate, and narrate your own cartoons. It’s as easy as play. Just move your characters around onscreen, tell your story, and Toontastic records your voice and animations and stores it on your device as a 3D video. Toontastic is a powerful and playful way to create interstellar adventures, breaking news reports, video game designs, family photo albums, and anything else you might imagine!

Blooms taxonomy?
Delete the verbs that is not applicable and add verbs that you think is also relevant. 

• Remembering - Recognising, describing,  retrieving, naming, drawing, recording, animating
• Understanding - Interpreting, Summarising,  explaining, exemplifying, visualising
• Applying - telling, carrying out, using
• Analysing - Comparing, organising, structuring, integrating
• Evaluating - Checking, hypothesising, critiquing, judging, testing, Detecting
• Creating - designing, constructing, planning, producing, inventing, devising, making, recording

How can you use it in your subject/with your students? Be specific

• In mathematics I/the learners can use it to create "story sums" that have to be solved. 
• In English we can create stories from written text, breaking news reports. 
• In the IT class we can demonstrate video game designs. 
• We can create school photo albums. 
• It can be used as part of any storytelling strategy....

Can you use it offline or do you have to be connected?   (Delete whichever one is not applicable)

• Online: This means that my tablet have to be able to be connected to the internet before I can use it.  I have to sign in to be able to use the app and must therefore have internet connectivity. 
• Offline: The app can be used without any connectivity
• Both Online and Offline: I can use the app while offline and it will sync when online

Is it free? Yes / No / Lite

Yes : No restrictions- it works well and is a complete app (maybe it has adverts to support the app)
No: You have to pay a small annual or once off amount to use it
Lite: It is free to download but if you want the full version you have to pay or you can purchase in app purchases to get to some of the more advanced features.

Evaluate how the app support 21st century learning? (or will it just help me do what I have been doing in a new technological way)
Think of the app in terms of our 21st century skills:

• Collaboration: Does the app allows learners to collaborate on creating something? 
• Communication: Can you send messages/communicate using the app?
• Creativity : Can you create something new using the app?
• Critical thinking: Does the app allows deep thinking and problem solving? How
• Connectivity: Can you share what you have done seamlessly with others using the app?

Your rating for this app (1-5) ______   (1: poor  to 5 Excellent)
You will give 5 if it is a app that you would like to use regularly in your classroom/personally

You then need to go and complete the self-marking online app test here: testmoz.com/912025.
Just insert your name and click on Continue and so the short little test which should not take you longer than 2 minutes!

Module 5 : Mind mapping

Open and download the mind mapping module resources to your tablet as needed.