NECC-Day 1

Educational Transformation That Works by Sonny Magana

The bulk of this presentation covered the need and value of using technology for education. Sonny Magana referenced some research that was done with a group of about 200 educators and their students. Mr. Magana said that during the study they found that the more educators and learners use technology the more they get out of what they were learning. However he warned that there is a point of diminishing returns where overuse of the technology actually causes student performance to drop. Mr. Magana proposes a "Sweet Spot" for the use of technology. He says that if you have:
1. experienced teachers
2. teachers that have used technology in and for education for at least 2 years
3. teachers that use technology in the classroom for instruction about 75% of the time
=you will see a 30% increase in the academic achievement of the students.

Mr. Magana also said that good research leads to better questions and better questions lead to better education and better learning. As educators we must find out what our students need and how to reach them. The only way for that to happen is to ask questions and to make changes in strategies and programs based on the answers you receive. Sonny Magana said that meaningful learning comes from knowledge construction not knowledge transmission. What all of this comes down to is finding the correct balance of technology and traditional teaching techniques in order to create the utmost learning environment.

prometheanplanet.com _____________________________________________________________________________________ Chalk House: A 3D Game for Building Middle School Literacy

Chalk House is an online 3D game that teachers can use to encourage, support, and improve reading skills, literacy and comprehension in secondary learners. We know that many students already spend an enormous amount of time gaming every week. I would venture a guess that secondary students would choose to "game" instead of do their homework. How great would it be if educators could grab a hold of that passion/drive in their students and channel that energy into learning? Can teachers use video game play to enhance the learning of the students? Better yet, if students are going to play games anyway wouldn't it be great if the teachers could track the progress and learning of the students as they play educational games?

Chalk House is a ready made tool that educators can use to facilitate reading and comprehension. It is a 3D game that requires students to read and understand information presented in the game and then act on the information to advance and succeed. Chalk House incorporates aspects from other popular online games that the student gamers would recognize. Chalk House tracks and reports the progress of the students and then reports the progress to the teacher. The students will need to take notes on real paper and complete writing assignments in order to advance from one point in the game to the next. This Chalk House 3D environment is a safe and secure area for students to learn, play, and work. If you are wondering how to justify this type of classroom activity, wonder no more. Chalk House is correlated to the NETS-S, ISTE, and MCREL standards. Students will receive feedback on their writing according to rubrics and they will take quizes and tests throughout the game play. Is it possible to use online game play as a tool in the classroom to encourage and facilitate learning? I say it is. There are many games out in the online world that require the participants to read and comprehend directions in order to be successful. Stay tuned for more information about games that can be used in your classroom instruction.

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