Dave McDivitt

Well our game play sessions are now complete and I am in the process of debriefing my students and doing some assessments with them.  I certainly think that the excitement level of this years crop of students was possible an all time high.  I don’t know if they are hearing about the game now from other students in the building or not, some heard about the CBS story that aired a  year ago…..but whatever the reason I will take it. 

One of the things that has been going on in my classroom during this year is Professor Bill Watson from Purdue University has spent several days in my classroom observing, video taping, and interviewing kids that have played the game.  He also spent some time with me today asking me some questions.  I always love sessions like this because if makes me reflect a bit deeper than I think I normally would.  He asked me a lot of good questions but maybe the one that struck me the most was something to do with would kids learn from the game without the teacher.  Well the simple answer is yes.  They would certainly pick up some things with or without me in the room.  However, the better answer is they learn more with me in the room….or at least I like to think so.  I think the use of games in the classroom is only a portion of the puzzle that teachers need to assemble in order to attain best practices during the school year.  I like to think that me, the game, the student, and the material all play a vital role in the educational process.  The game does not, should not, or will ever replace the teacher in the room.  The art of teaching is not digital….it is human. 

I will share as much of the results as Professor Watson will allow on this blog.  Stay tuned through the summer for details on that.

It is hard to believe but this is my 4th year of using Making History from Muzzy Lane Software in my classroom.  We started playing the game yesterday and the excitement level of kids is the same as every other year…..very high.  More chatter about history class happens because of this game than anything else I do during the year.  Heck….our computer lab has windows that look out to the rest of the media center….and I had kids watching from the other side of the windows….salivating…..wanting to come in and play. 

Was the day smooth?  No, we had some tech issues early in the day to deal with.  I found a suitable solution so the second half of the day worked much better.  But that is the art of teaching….your plans are only as good as all the factors included in them….when one part breaks, is absent, or gets moved for a school convo…then the teacher has to mod his or her plans.  Is what I am doing this year ideal or best practices….no….but it is working so we are running with it.

I have blogged many times about the use of this game and said many good things about it and other games in the classroom.  However, what is discouraging about computer games in the classroom is how they have only increased slightly in the last four years.  I talk to people every month who have heard about what I do.  They like it.  They are interested.  And some even start using a game or two.  But why are teachers not using games and technology to teach?  Every teacher desk has a computer on it……most schools have a computer lab…some have multiple labs.  Kids homes have multiple computers in them.  We take attendance with the computer, lunch counts with the computer, make bus schedules and master class schedules with computers, we make airline reservations with computers, print off boarding passes with computers, make car rentals with the computer, shop on the internet, turn our lights on and off with a computer, run our HVAC with a computer……but we teach with a white board and a marker……..does that seem right???????????  Sorry about the rant but it just doesn’t seem right.  We live in a tech world….we produce factory model kids……I think we need to change…..quicker.

Friday afternoon at Oak Hill High School was a professional development afternoon.  So our students headed home around 12:30 and the teachers and administration stayed for an afternoon of what we hoped would be a beneficial discussion with a group of students.  The idea was very simple….the administration had asked a group of students to stay for the afternoon (of course they were bribed a bit with pizza) and meet with teachers to tell us what they see as good things that teachers do in the building and what things that maybe they don’t like.  Students met with the principal a few times before Friday afternoon and they were given the ground rules, which included not getting personal, which the kids did great with.  Also, it should be noted that the kids asked to take part in this “town hall meeting” ranged from Freshman to Senior and also ranged from academically gifted to academically challenged.  We wanted a varied group of students to try to represent all points of view.

So how did it go?  Well, my group of teachers met with two groups of students and the discussions were very good.  We actually wanted more time together than was allowed.  There was plenty of give and take between teachers and students and no one got offended, no one got upset, no one got personal and the dialogue was very good.  So what did students say……..They like or want things like the following list of points I wrote down from students:

1. On-line stuff is good
2. Paperwork is boring
3. Mix things up to keep it fresh
4. Tell stories and experiences to make it real
5. Teach us how to study (maybe a bit surprising for me)
6. Hands on stuff is effective
7. Don’t lecture all period

And even stuff like

1. Enforce the dress code….too much skin and too much underwear is seen (that from kids!!)
2. We like Oak Hill…..teachers care about students
3. The Relationship is more important than the subject matter
4. We like coming to Oak Hill…..for the most part

Overall, I think the afternoon was fantastic.  I am one that believes we should do this every year with students.  Are all of their comments good……no….but all of my lessons are not setting the world on fire either….but listening to the people we spend the most time with is something that I don’t think we do enough.  Professional Development afternoons can be some of the worst times for teachers in public education……yesterday however, it was one of the best.

I wanted to share my first experience of using The InQuizitor with my world history class.  First, designing the quiz.  I asked a student I thought would be interested in designing the quiz to help me.  He was very enthusiastic about doing so.  He made a quiz of 30 questions over 1 chapter of world history.  In those 30 questions he made a few questions for just “fun” but for the most part the questions focused on the material.  So, the first use of the game is the amount of effort and I would certainly say learning that my quiz maker experienced.  Second, the rest of the students who played the game.  Between, guys and girls both seemed to enjoy the game.  I heard quotes like, “this game is awesome even though I don’t know the answers.”  But what continued to happen is that student after student kept taking the quiz over and over again.  Which obviously exposes them to material again and again.  There was a lot of chatter in the room, even some trash talking between students and certainly some competition to see who could get the high score.  I heard jubilant shouts of “Yes, I got it right!”  I also heard collaberation in the room….a student would say outloud….who changed the religion of England……and someone would shout the answer.  Overall, the level of enthusiam was very high.  Of course this is the first time I have used it with entire classes but my first impression is outstanding.  I certainly think using The InQuizitor in the right setting and wth the right frequency in class will be very beneficial. 

I have been off the blog for a couple of weeks.  Mainly due to my travels to Italy and Austria.  I, along with 3 other high school teachers, led a group of 44 people to Italy and Austria.  This is the 6th time that I have been a part of a student trip.  As always, the trips are fun, exciting, and yet exhausting.  Group travel is difficult but with a bunch of teenagers is even more demanding.  We keep them as busy as possible because down time is time for them to cause trouble.  Also, I don’t believe that we should spend thousands of dollars to go to Europe and relax in our hotel rooms all day.  We can do that at home.

So, we spent two days in Rome.  Seeing all the major sites that one should see in Rome.  Being a World History teacher, I was thrilled with the opportunity to visit many of the Ancient Roman sites.  It is a time period in history that I have always enjoyed and now seeing a small portion of the remains of Rome was an experience that I will never forget.  I also believe that Rome may have been the favorite place for our students to visit.  Big city, busy streets, lots of shopping and yes even a little history mixed in.  After Rome, we headed to Florence, which was every bit as exciting as a world history teacher.  To see the works of Michelangelo like David was incredible.  We also had a couple of side trips to Assisi and Pisa while in Italy.  Both places worth our time.  Especially Assisi. 

After we finished our time in Italy we headed to Innsbruck, then to Salzburg and we finished in Vienna.  I love all three of these places but Innsbruck and Salzburg we had so little time it was hard to enjoy them.  Vienna on the other hand is always one of my favorite ports of call.  St. Stephen’s Cathedral is fantastic no matter how many times I see it.  I also love the history of the Hapsburg family which is tied to Vienna. 

And of course the food in Europe is worth the trip.  Italy and food……..incredible……I can’t say it any other way.  I also love the fare from Austria.  I have certainly had enough espresso, Kaffe, Latte, Macchiato combos for a month. 

Student travel is a hassle.  It can be an incredible headache.  Kids can misbehave, be disrespectful, be homesick, and whine about the different culture, language, and sleeping arrangements.  But all of that is worth it to hear them speak about the experiences of seeing Europe.  I have traveled with students 6 times and I look forward to number 7.

Oak Hill High School recently acquired The InQuizitor from 3MRT Software.  The concept of the game is very simple.  So simple that at times people have questioned me as to why would I want to use a quiz game in the high school classroom.  Well my answer has multiple levels:

1.  High school kids like the simple stuff.  I will never stop being surprised by how much 16 year old kids like to color or use stickers.  This is very elementary type stuff but you certainly can argue that kids are motivated by this.  I have two students in class right now that compare the comments they get from me on papers.  They have arguements between themselves about which comment is better “nice work” or “well done”……quiz games are simple but kids love them.  Also, The InQuizitor has a built in reward system…..some simple video game type stuff…..from my generation things like Asteroids or Space Invaders.  But kids love this stuff.  Every person that I have been with while using the InQuizitor has loved the simple shooter games built into the quiz.

2.  Another reason I like the InQuizitor is that building a quiz is very simple.  This is an aspect of the game that I am getting ready to use with some students.  I am going to let them build a quiz or quizzes about our next chapter.  I have students that are excited about the opportunity.  It is certainly nice to see a student be excited about a project……and a project that they WANT to do.  That is really the power of gaming. …motivation.

3.  Quiz games are great because almost all teachers use them already.  It may be “quiz bowl” during football season….It may be Jeopardy or whatever.  But kids do like to show off what they know.  They like the competition and it certainly is a break from the normal routine of school. 

These three reasons explain why I like The InQuizitor.  You can read more and find out more about The InQuizitor from 3MRT software or following the link in the sidebar to We Are Teachers.

I recently read an article in THE Journal about 21st Century technology in the classroom.  The article focused on how the gadgets that are now available to kids are not the problem but the lack of manners that kids, and adults for that matter, have with the use of them.  In my school cell phones are supposed to NOT be seen during the school day.  We don’t fight a kid having a phone we just ask the kid not to use it during the school day.  But when the bell rings to end the day then kids are welcome to pull them out and text away.  That rule is fairly common these days and is well known in the school with kids and their parents.  However, I occasionally catch a kid with their cell phone out and they are reading and responding to a text.  Who is that text from……….well a lot of the time the text is from one of their parents.  Overall I am not offended by this exchange of information except when it is a disruption, which is rarely is.  So should our focus be on banning 21st century technology or should it be on educating kids when, how, and in what manner should these technologies be used? 

Just wanted to post and let anyone who is interested know that I have joined an online community called We Are Teachers.  You can link up to my page on the sidebar and check it.  The site is still in Beta stage but will soon be fully operational.  I will be discussing the use of games in education, sharing ideas, how I lesson plan with games etc…

Mark Wagner has been doing some research on MMORPG’s in Education.  He has a couple of posts on his blog about his research.  They are worth your time.

http://edtechlife.com/?p=1961

http://edtechlife.com/?p=1962

After taking some time off from Blogging I feel somewhat refreshed and ready to get back at this a little.  I have a couple of things working right now.  Oak Hill United School Corporation will be getting The InQuizitor.  This game is relatively simple but it’s use has incredible potential.  Unlike games like Making History, the InQuizitor can be used with every unit I teach.  It also can be used in multiple grade levels.  The game is probably best for grades 3 and up.

Also, I am going to do some formal testing with the School of Education from Purdue University on the use of Making History.  If you are a reguar reader of this blog you will probably understand what is going on with this.  I informally did this two years ago and found that game players learned more and with greater depth of understanding than the traditional student.  So now I will have the opportunity to do this formally.  More details will come on this as we get closer to the time of testing.

Finally, below is a list of links that are print articles and video about my use of games in the classroom.  All of these links have appeared in this blog but I have had some requests for them so here they are.  I tried to eliminate the links that had become link rot but I could have missed a couple.  Sorry about that if I did.

http://www.nea.org/neatoday/0710/trythis.html

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070426&content_id=1931524&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

http://www.purdue.edu/uns/x/2007b/070710VanFossenAckerman.html

http://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1165&pf=1

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2618924n

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/02/27/eveningnews/techtalk/entry2521409.shtml

http://www.miamicountylife.com/articles/2007/01/18/local_news/local40.txt

http://www.thejournal.com/articles/19790

http://www.thejournal.com/articles/19776

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2006-11-29-ed-games_x.htm

http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/101365

http://www.odemagazine.com/article.php?aID=4345

http://seriousgamessource.com/features/feature_051606.php

 http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=36557&CFID=4534727&CFTOKEN=91865173

My wife and I visited the Indianapolis Art Museum yesterday to see the Roman Art exhibit.  The pieces are on loan from the Louvre in Paris.  After a stop at Starbucks for a cup of overpriced joe and a scone we hit the museum early.  Luckily I had a friend visit the exhibit recently and he had mentioned what a massive crowd he had to fight.  With that warning in mind we hit the road early.  We enjoyed seeing the pieces from Roman Antiquity.  We both were fascinated with the mosaics, facades, and every day items like wine cups, rings and earrings and the like.  There is also a large full body statue of Augustus.  The first Empereror of Rome is obviously an impressive title for history and to gaze at a statue that Augustus may have also admired of himself is awakening.  That is why I love museums.  Internet field trips, videos, and books all have their place in the classroom but the experience of seeing for yourself is hard to replicate.  I am leading a trip of students and parents to Rome (Italy and Austria) this year and spending some time with the Roman artifacts in Indy made me more excited to take my students to see The Forum, St. Peter’s Basilica and The Colosseum in person.  And even though I am an avid supporter of games……a computer screen and digital animation can’t replace the real thing.

And for good measure, after leaving the museum we hit P.F. Chang’s for lunch.  It was my first trip to P.F. Chang’s and I would certainly go back.  My wife loves the place and has been many times with her girlfriends.  So my day started with coffee from Seattle followed with Ancient Rome and was completed to a meal from modern China.  Quite an interesting day!

During my time as an undergrad I was a Political Science concentration within my education degree.  So I have to say that following this primary season has been entertaining.  All the talk about illegal immigration, the Iraq War, energy prices, and whatever else the stump speeches have been about–the one issue that I have heard very little about is education.  I am a long standing member of the Indiana State Teacher’s Association and the National Education Association.  I have seen both Republican presidents and Democrats.  I have seen both Democratic and Republican Governors of the Great State of Indiana.  There has been one constant message from all of these people.  Education needs to change.  Yet it never does.  Will the candidates running for President of The United States of American really change anything when it comes to education in this round of leadership?  I think not.  President Bush said NCLB would change us…..it hasn’t….unless you count the endless loads of paperwork and mandates that come with it……without funding programs fully.  We still teach  and run schools in much the same manner as before.  Governors have pushed for charter schools.  They said it would force the public schools to get better….you know the competition model of education.  Well, charter schools are on the rise but public schooling has yet to change.  To this point in my career I can honestly say it doesn’t matter if a Democrat or Republican is in charge at the state or federal level when it comes to Education.  Education is still just education.  Something that politicians say they want to improve….yet they never do anything of substance to change it.  A little pessimistic I know but probably more realistic than anything. 

Improving education is a topic that is getting more and more chatter.  Recently it was announced that the state of Indiana will be involved in trying to improve science and math teacher training at several universities in Indiana.  First, I would like to say that I do not think education has a problem that needs to be fixed.  Labeling education as a problem is just wrong.  The United States of America is still a world leader.  Are there other world leaders?  Sure, and there should be so don’t be overly concerned that the EU or Far East is doing great things.  That just makes our world better and not something to fear.  Here is my opinion on how and what we need to do to improve:

Layer 1:  Parents-The breakdown of the American Family is causing us harm in the school systems.  Too many single parent families or even two parent families with parents working 12 hour days and farming child raising out to pre schools and day care centers.  Kids need to be with their parents as much as possible.  Period.  Then parents need to instill learned skills in their kids that will serve them well for the remainder of their life.  Things like hard work, nothing comes easy, pull yourself up by your bootstrap type mentality.  We need to break the cycle of “I deserve”children.  You don’t deserve anything in the educational world except for the opportunity to learn.  You don’t deserve a high mark in class…..you earn it.  Until this mentality starts to subside the USA will struggle to make significant gains in education.

Layer 2:  University Training-I dare to say that the people that are training teachers to teach are not the best. The system does need modified.  I have worked with many student teachers in my career and have one coming for second semester this year.  When I meet with university supervisors I often find out that the university supervisor has never taught in the high school classroom.  This is the same supervisor that will evaluate the student teacher.  Something seems wrong with that dont’ you think?  Also, too much emphasis is on content knowledge.  Teachers in training need some management help.  A possible solution would be to team up with university business schools and teach some HR (Human Resource) skills to teachers. 

Layer 3:  Administration and Teachers:  The teaching profession is an honorable profession.  I don’t know a single teacher that got into the business for “June, July, and August” mentality.  But I do know many teachers that are in the business that probably shouldn’t be.  This business is a people business.  If you can’t handle the people part of it I don’t care how good you are at your specific content knowledge you are not going to survive.  Administration and Teachers sometimes start looking at this job as just a job and it is not.  It is a little more than that.  We do influence.  We do guide.  We do direct.  We do impact lives.  Not all of them.  Maybe not even most of them.  But the ones we do impact can swing the pendulum back to success of the system.  And isn’t that what we are really trying to do?

Layer 4:  Students:  See layers 1,2,3.  If those are working then layer 4 improves.

Maybe a little deep for a day before Christmas Break but my thoughts have centered around this lately.  I would love to start a discussion about this and hear others opinions.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Edubloggin Research

Jeff Felix, who is the Superintendant at Bonsall Union School District in Bonsall, California conducted some research on Edublogging while working on his PhD.  I am quoting a portion of an email I recieved from Jeff after his work was completed.  With full disclosure in mind, I was a part of his research group.  I am attaching a short version of his work at the top of this post.

“The study on teachers in the United States who are using blogging as an
instructional practice has finally been completed. The study shows that
teachers perceive a significant increase in student learning through
motivation for assignments and through deeper thought processes. Students
seem to enjoy the connectiveness of their work to other subjects and to each
other. This collaboration encourages a deeper relationship with their peers
and with the teacher. Other studies have shown these relationships produce
more student learning especially in minorities and students of low
socioeconomic backgrounds. It also seems that teachers see the benefits of
this practice. They have increased their use of blogging year after year,
which seems to show they feel blogging has great relevance as a classroom
tool.”  –Jeff Felix December 2007

I sent out my first mass text to students today.  The process was fairly simple.  I asked any kid that wanted to sign up for the texting reminders to give me their phone number and their provider.  I then created a group in my email address book.  Each number was entered with its appropriate email address.  For example 1234567890@vtext.com for verizon wireless.  A reader of this blog mentioned the website Twitter.com as a way to do this as well.  I did look into twitter and it certainly looks like an easy way to do this reminder idea.  A kid can sign up on their own and set preferences for their reminders.  They can get a text or an email reminder.  All I would do is log in to Twitter and post a message.  The the student would receive a text or email the choice is theirs.  But for this first round of texting reminders I am going with the email list. 

Today I have a large percent of students gone on a field trip.  So I sent a text to the group to remind them that our world history test is going to be on Tuesday of next week.  Now will any of this have an impact of student performance on the test?  But is that really the issue?  I am not sure how to answer that question.