A Reflection of Chapters 7-9 in QQCE format
Chapter 7 -Knowing, Making, and Playing
Quote: "Riddles and epiphanies. Through play, the process of learning is no longer smooth and progressive. Instead, there is a gap between the knowledge one is given and the desired end result. The gap is apt to widen in a state of constant flux, where stable paths and linear progression are no longer viable, thus making play particularly valuable in our ever-changing world." I chose this quote because this is where I started to link up play as more than just a good engagement tool. This is the start of my epiphany for this chapter.
Connection: Michael Wesch! This reminds me of Michael Wesch's TEDX talk about being "knowledge-able" as opposed to just being knowledgeable. This directly relates to Thomas and Brown's knowing material vs being able to play with material.
Epiphany: Play is not just a way to get students to memorize the material in a fun way. Play is a way to get their minds working creatively with the material and being able to apply that new knowledge, to change and challenge it as well.
Question: How do I construct good games and play type situations for my students? Can I do this?
Thomas, Douglas; Seely Brown, John (2011-03-12). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change (Kindle Locations 1381-1384). CreateSpace. Kindle Edition.
HANGING OUT, MESSING AROUND, AND GEEKING OUT
"Geeking out provides an experiential, embodied sense of learning within a rich social context of peer interaction, feedback, and knowledge construction enabled by a technological infrastructure that promotes “intense, autonomous, interest driven” learning."
I chose this quote because it is the culmination of the chapter and the progression of the culture of learning.
Epiphany: This chapter actually made me think that this organization will be applicable to teaching the actual culture of science. I can see the breakdown of teaching a year of biology with this progression in mind. Hanging out would be my students getting to know each other and developing a community of learners. They would be socially developing trust within the group and figuring out what their strengths were. Hanging out would include getting familiar with academic language and getting comfortable with the scientific thought process. My students would start stretching their thoughts into questions and inquiry. Messing around would be the labs and experiments. his would be the content building and starting to understand the bigger picture of science. My students would be getting comfortable with lab equipment and the tools in the classroom. Geeking out would be the Interest Driven learning where students chose their final projects and use everything they learned throughout the year to continue their learning on a chosen topic.
Question:This question comes immediately to me...What would a rubric or checklist look like for a final project?Would I have the time to individually guide students throughout their interest projects or would I resort to a cookie cutter list of criteria that needed to be covered? That would be the game or play part right, the parameters or rules to which the students had to stay within in order to play the game?
Connection: The obvious connection would be our checklist for the tech class in the education program for which I am writing this very blog for. The goal is mastery through competency based performances.
Thomas, Douglas; Seely Brown, John (2011-03-12). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change (Kindle Locations 1480-1481). CreateSpace. Kindle Edition.
Quote: "...play fuses the two elements of learning that we have been talking about: the information network and the petri dish (or bounded environment of experimentation). That fusion is what we call the new culture of learning." I chose this quote because it brings together the entire book. It defines the new culture of learning as play. This quote goes on to describe play as having two main elements that contribute to this new culture of learning.
Connection: I remember my absolute favorite thing in school was in sixth grade. We were studying Ancient Egyptians. Our whole class was covered in Egyptian art and homemade sarcophagi and my teacher had this game. I don't remember all the rules to the game but the goal was to decipher a hieroglyphic message. You had to complete certain tasks and puzzles to get the clues for your message. It was the best thing ever! I have looked and looked for that game to play with my kids and have yet to find it. Ancient Egyptians are a favorite topic of mine still after more than 20 years later. That teacher is what made me want to be a teacher, so to bring it full circle and excite my students in gaming would be extremely fulfilling.
Question: I keep coming to the same question...am I able to DO this in my classroom. Am I smart enough to genuinely and effectively build gaming into my class.
Epiphany: My epiphany is another quote, "We believe that, instead of posing questions to find answers, it is essential to use answers to find increasingly better questions." The end point isn't the knowledge. In fact, there should be no end point if one is to truly be a life-long learner. The culmination of one question is the beginning of the next.
Thomas, Douglas; Seely Brown, John (2011-03-12). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change (Kindle Locations 1686-1687). CreateSpace. Kindle Edition.