Blog 6: Gamification

    Educational games can be very helpful in providing "guided practice for a variety of situations" (Bradley & Kendall, 2014). Utilizing student interests, such as video games, can help them make connections with the subject matter faster and easier. Simulators are meant to be a supplementary "skill-building lesson" for those needing a bit more than a teacher talking at them; these are meant to immerse students in the topic being taught (Bradley & Kendall, 2014). In recent years, there have been so many options for online games that can extend student learning.

Implementation: 

SPENT

    Over the last month or so, my class has been discussing the topic of budgeting and understanding how needs and wants factor into how we spend money. I have incorporated this into our health lessons, as money and budgeting are life skills that everyone needs to have! We have played all sorts of games, including the Game of Life, to experiment on different ways money should be spent with zero risk. The game linked below is not the exact one we played, as I stumbled upon it and cannot find it, but it is very similar, and I would play this with my students in future years.  SPENT gives a very realistic perspective on life and what money is spent on. Each time you play can be extremely different based on the choices you make. 

    Either this game or a similar game would not be played until students had an understanding of needs and wants. I started with short readings and hypothetical situations for them to practice with, and then we moved on to more complex ideas that involved figuring out if things were worth spending money on. This is when we played the Game of Life, and they found out about unexpected emergencies and differences in people's salaries. 

Purpose/Goals: 

    As you go along, certain responses you make will generate a result that provides extra information about the question you just answered. For example, to the left, we learn that healthy food is expensive, which is why those in poverty are at a higher risk for health problems, because we were asked if we wanted a $6 salad or a burger off the dollar menu. Naturally, to save money, we go towards the Dollar Menu, but the food is much less healthy. 

    As this challenge is being completed, students will be learning new things and learning the reasons as to why we are seeing a difference in the lifestyles of those with extra money and those living paycheck to paycheck. Playing a game like this is meant to help bring awareness of money to students, and the goal is that they can make the money given to them in the simulator last as long as possible. 

Scaffolding: 

    Games like this are typically done as a class due to the large amount of reading and unknown words. My students all have lower reading levels, which means that when completing activities like this, it is easier for everyone if it is done as a whole group. Currently, my students are pretty good about taking turns answering questions when doing games like these, but I always have name sticks on hand that I can use to create an order for answering one at a time. 

Assessing:

   To assess how well my students do on this activity will be to see how far they can get their money to last. The first try may not be the best, but as we try the other job opportunities, my students should be able to make more informed decisions and get a little further each time. If they are not able to get their money to last longer, then I will have them use critical thinking skills to make educated guesses as to what choices made the money disappear faster! The game will automatically stop you when you spend all your money, but does allow loans to build up. In this simulator, students even have to buy groceries and decide what bills should be paid! There are a few opportunities to gain extra money, but you can only use each tool once, like giving plasma. 

    Overall, this is a great way to simulate the life of someone in poverty. It challenges the thinking of students, as some may be able to relate to some of the ideas, and others may not have any experience living with a lack of money. A teacher can use this as an economic tool, and a social-emotional tool as well. 

           Bradley, E. G., & Kendall, B. (2014). A Review of Computer Simulations in Teacher Education.

                  Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 43(1), 3–12. https://doi.org/10.2190/et.43.1.b

Blog Post 5: Exploring Two In-Class Platforms

There are so many platforms/apps that are used throughout the week in my classroom. Just to name a few, Blooket, IXL, Epic!, Typing.com, and many more, depending on the assignment. The two that I have decided to focus on, as they have helped me and my students tremendously are Epic! and IXL. 

Epic! is an online library source for books, audiobooks, and educational videos. I currently have my students utilizing this platform four days a week for roughly 15 minutes a day, and they could use so much more time on it! Epic! allows students to have hundreds of book choices at their reading level. There is a mix of books that can be read to the students and ones that more confident readers can read on their own. This not only helps students to hear what books sound like with proper emotion and pauses. 

     

Epic! is mostly used at school, as there are two versions. Teachers/schools can receive daytime access for free, but they can purchase an unlimited version that allows students to use the platform at home and at school. Parents can access Epic! for free; however, students can only read for an extra two hours a week outside of school. I currently have the school version, and that gives me a class code that I have written on the board in the front of the room all year long! Students are able to get right on and enter this class code with minimal help. 

Within the school account, teachers can upload their roster and assign grade levels so that those students are shown books that are age and grade-appropriate (Edwards, 2023). Once this is set up, teachers can check and see how their students are doing and how many books they are reading in each sitting. The part that I enjoy is that it tells me how long my student took to read a book, so I know if I need to monitor their computer more or have them start taking the quizzes that are offered at the end of most books. "The quiz feature uses multiple-choice questions to help students further integrate what they've read" (Edwards, 2023). While this is not direct communication, this dashboard allows teachers to access how their students are doing and make future adjustments to teaching. If it is noticed that a student has only browsed several books, I will have a quick conference with them to see if there is a reason. Epic! has also helped me to understand the type of books specific students enjoy, and then I can communicate that to their families.  

 IXL is an online resource for students to practice Math and ELA skills. There is the option for students to choose whatever they want across all grade levels, teachers to assign specific recommendations that align with goals, and for students to take a diagnostic that updates their scores in various math and ELA topics. Currently, I have my students work on IXL for about 35 minutes once a week. I will look at their diagnostic scores and let them know if they are working on the diagnostic or teacher recommendations for that time. At the beginning of the school year, I went through all of the IXL skills and assigned ones to specific students that pertained to their IEP goals. I am now finalizing progress notes, and I am happy to see that most of my students have been able to achieve their math and ELA goals. 

While there is no direct communication between teachers and students, the following images show what a teacher can see from an admin account, and they show what a student sees. The diagnostic overview allows teachers to see if scores are updated with the student's most recent knowledge (the longer the line, the more outdated the information). The given scores equate to grade levels; for example, a 420 would be a beginning fourth-grade level, and a 190 would be an ending first-grade level. On the right, you see that it automatically shows the student the recommendations assigned to them by their teacher. A student can have multiple teachers assigning work, and it will state which teacher gave them the skill to work on. The screen will also prompt students to take their important diagnostic, but if they have updated scores, I prefer them to work on what I gave them. Depending on how outdated their diagnostic is, the longer it will take them. For my classroom, these scores are pretty accurate as we implement student testing accommodations and do not help them find an answer because there is an 'I don't know this yet' button if they are truly stuck. 

 Students typically need help logging onto this platform, as it does require them to know part of their school email and ID number. Some of my students are capable of filling this information in, but as my students do not have access to an email, they are not utilizing it daily.  Many of my students also struggle to type on a computer, or they use one finger to type everything, which takes a lot of time.

Both of these platforms have been beneficial for increased student engagement; however, when it comes to Epic! there is always a concern that students can become too reliant on having books read to them. I try to combat this by having my students read from a tangible book for about the same amount of time each week. It is also important to look at student data to ensure they are doing what they say they are, as it can be difficult to monitor multiple laptop screens at one time. IXL and Epic! have a read-aloud option, but it is not for everything within the platform. Maybe in the future, at least with IXL, teachers will be able to choose whether questions read is on or off for specific students. 

             Edwards, Luke. “What Is Epic! For Education? Best Tips and Tricks.” TechLearningMagazine, 10 Nov.

                     2023, www.techlearning.com/how-to/what-is-epic-for-education-best-tips-and-tricks.

                            TeachThoughtStaff. “How to Use IXL: 8 Tips for Using the K-12 Adaptive Learning Platform.” 

                                      TeachThought, 24 May 2019, www.teachthought.com/technology/how-to-use-ixl/.

Post 4: Personal Digital Inquiries (Annotated Bib)

    Personal Inquiry has always been utilized in schools, whether it was by an adult or a curious student. However, in recent years, the word digital has been added as a new piece to the puzzle. As technology has become more readily available, the education system is requiring teachers to utilize it as much as they can within the classroom. Personally, I did not love the idea of my students working on a computer all day, but after gaining new knowledge of how it can be integrated without taking away from students' critical skill development, I now feel that we all need to know more about how digital media can increase student engagement and their thinking skills. 
    With the peer-reviewed articles below, I plan to enhance my knowledge on how students' personal inquiries can make a difference in their academics. I will also be looking at the options of digital ways a student can answer his/her question. It would be nice to see more teachers able to give their students a sense of autonomy by simply having them wonder and research about a topic that interests them. I know that when I am interested in the topic I'm learning about, I am much more engaged from the beginning to the end. 

Calder, N. (2015). Student wonderings: scaffolding student understanding within student-centred
         inquiry learning. ZDM, 47(7),1121–1131. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-015-0734-z

        This peer-reviewed article provides a look at 14-15-year-old students as they learn to pose
        authentic questions that are based on their personal wonderings. This article is meant to be a guide
        for educators to embrace Student-Based Inquiry and learn how to utilize students' needs as a 
        jumping point for further education in specific areas. Students at any age can start taking more
        responsibility for their learning path, as long as they have a well-trained educator and
        willing to put in a bit of extra work. This work will lead readers to learn about how personal
        inquiry is needed to help both teachers and students learn and understand all topics better.

Coiro, J., Castek, J., & Quinn, D. J. (2016). Personal Inquiry and Online Research. Reading Teacher,
         69(5), 483–492. https://doi-org.sunyempire.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/trtr.1450
        

        This peer-reviewed article challenges the typical ideas of student engagement to close the
        achievement gap with the idea that learning should be more student-directed. Readers can learn the
        framework for Personal Digital Inquiry and later apply it in real-life settings similar to
        the examples provided. Students should be tasked with having to wonder and create questions
        about what they are learning, which will more than likely increase attention and understanding. 
        This work will lead readers to see how students' thoughts need to be heard and expressed in a

        creative way that makes sense to them.

Dahlström, H. (2022). Students as digital multimodal text designers: A study of resources, affordances,
         and experiences. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(2), 391–407.
         https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13171

        This peer-reviewed article provides us with information on the usage of digital stories within a

        school setting. We find that students need to have prior knowledge of film, image searching, and

        audio recordings are important to create a successful digital story. If schools want educators to

        include technology in their teaching, then schools need to provide courses that allow students to

        learn the necessary skills for making multimodal digital texts. This work makes the reader

        understand that digital text creations offer more opportunities for students to show their

        performance; however, this is not accessible to everyone. 

Lane Perry, Lee Stoner, Max Schleser, Krystina R. Stoner, Daniel Wadsworth, Rachel Page & Michael

        A. Tarrant (2015) Digital media as a reflective tool: creating appropriate spaces for students to

        become introspective, Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 45:2, 323-

        330, DOI: 10.1080/03057925.2014.993237

        This peer-reviewed article encourages us to believe that anyone can be more reflective of

        experiences if they are given the ability to use the platforms or forums that they already utilize for

        communication. We are asked to focus on fostering global citizenship through learning outcomes,

        and the way to do this is with digital media. When digital storytelling is utilized, the listener can

        hear the author's voice, which hopefully has captured the creator's true perspective and feelings.

        This article makes it clear that if one uses media that includes one's voice, then there is a possibility

        of increased engagement and understanding. 

Sitter, K. C., Gamboa, J., & de Groot, J. M. (2025). Language of the Heart: Creating Digital Stories and

        Found Poetry to Understand Patients’ Experiences Living with Advanced Cancer. Current

        Oncology (Toronto), 32(2), 61-. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol32020061

        This peer-reviewed article takes an outside look at how and why people create digital stories. More

        often than not, creators have a story to tell, and utilizing something familiar can allow one to

        become a master at understanding and explaining.  We learn about a group of patients who are

        attempting to live meaningfully with Cancer. Short digital stories were created using personal

        photographs, music, or narration to communicate a personal inquiry, in this case, cancer. Through

        these poems and digital stories, families, caretakers, and readers of the article can learn about

        individual needs because of their personal inquiry creations. This is useful to know that digital

        literacies and digital inquiry projects should not be contained to schools but should expand to

        allow anyone the ability to communicate comfortably. 

Post 3: Tools, Texts, and Teaching

    I grew up being a hands-on learner, so I often find myself implementing more hands-on activities or writing tasks. As I am finishing up my first year of teaching, I am taking a look at what we used technology for within the class and what lessons could be enhanced by technology usage. "Teachers and designers of learning must, in short, carefully map these interventions to ensure that the desired learning is theoretically possible and that learners can practically succeed"(Magnifico et.al, 2018). I feel that a lot of teachers who have been in the profession for a long time are not as willing to redesign their tried-and-true curriculum to include digital literacies, as it can often take a long time and feel like you have to jump through hoops to get certain permissions. 

According to Aguilera, "balancing our focus ... can help ensure that technological tools do not become the driving force of instruction, even in a digital age" (2017). I have high hopes of integrating technology more fluidly in my second year of teaching, but as far as this year goes, I will often lead a whole group lesson that includes a worksheet, and then we may watch a video that explains more about that topic. We have some dated textbooks at my school, so it is nice to have digital access as a supplementary aid! However, my fourth and fifth-grade students all have a form of ADD or ADHD, which can make watching videos difficult. They do not have a long attention span, so it is a challenge to find media that is in-depth enough to generate critical thinking, but short enough to hold their attention.

Before the end of this school year, I am hoping to have my students watch the life cycle of a butterfly in real time. After reading these articles, I now feel I have to do this lesson with the butterfly net that gives you all the supplies, as this would be an amazing analog opportunity for my students. I would then be able to supplement with digital media to further explain the process of making a chrysalis and the transformation within! "Technology should be considered within an array of educational tools and strategies and judged in light of its potential to introduce or reshape texts, tools, and talk" (Thomas et.al, 2013).

Aguilera, E. (2017). MORE THAN BITS AND BYTES. Literacy Today, 35(3), 12-13.

    https://sunyempire.idm.oclc.org/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Ftrade-

    journals%2Fmore-than-bits-bytes%2Fdocview%2F1966006470%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D8067

Magnifico, A. M., Lammers, J. C., & Fields, D. A. (2018). Affinity spaces, literacies and classrooms: tensions and opportunities. Literacy, 52(3), 145–152. https://doi-org.sunyempire.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/lit.12133

Philip, T. M., & Garcia, A. D. (2013). The Importance of Still Teaching the iGeneration: New Technologies and the Centrality of Pedagogy. Harvard Educational Review, 83(2), 300-319,400-401. https://sunyempire.idm.oclc.org/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Fimportance-still-teaching-igeneration-new%2Fdocview%2F1399327199%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D8067

Post 2: How is Digital Literacy Relevant?

    Currently, I am most intrigued by the basics of what digital literacy is and how there can be so many different perspectives on how to implement multimodal learning. Through this module's readings, I learned that I am already utilizing technology in my classroom in what I can only hope is a positive experience for my fourth and fifth-grade students. We have been using computers for classic literary examples, such as IXL skills and Epic Books, which can be read to you! However, I had known from my college classes that the ultimate goal would be to use technology in as many content areas as possible. I hope that after this reflection, I can expand the time that my students spend on the computer for positive academic reasons. 

    It was reassuring when I read that it is important to teach students about computer vocabulary (Vanek, 2010). Knowing this explains why my students know so much about iPhones, but almost nothing about computers and the typical programs like Word and PowerPoint. I am attempting to assign more classwork on Google Classroom, but it is very difficult when all students are asking what to do, as they have very little exposure to the program. The observation that elementary students struggle with typing and using apps on a computer was also reinforced by the knowledge that one has to have self-awareness and problem-solving skills to be successful when using a computer across content areas (Vanek, 2010). I feel that the image below sums up what most students hear a teacher say when we are trying to give tips on how to use a computer! 

    It was interesting to learn that literacy is a social practice that can be presented in many formats, such as blogging, fanfiction, memes, podcasts, graphic novels, and even notes that we create (Knobel & Lankshear, 2007). Now know this allows me to feel more comfortable letting my students read and look at picture books and graphic novels as their reading levels are not at grade level. 

  

  I have made a decision that I will start with a lesson on how to use the classroom computers in the beginning of the school year. This will include the correct terminology for the key parts of the computer and its programs (Vanek, 2010). I will also be sure to have classwork in Google Classroom more often so that students will become accustomed to how the website works and therefore can become more independent. I think it is important that educators reevaluate their lessons and decide if they were beneficial, or if something else would be better! 

 

References:

Knobel, Michele & Lankshear, Colin. (2007). Chapter 1. Sampling "the New" in New Literacies. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283968439_Sampling_the_new_in_new_literacies

Vanek, J. (2010, December 22). What Does It Mean to Have Digital Literacy Skills? (M. Fedele-McLeod, C. Moore, & M. Movit, Eds.) Issue Brief: Digital Literacy. https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/TSTMDigitalLiteracyBrief-508.pdf

Post 1: New Literacy Practices

 

    As we all know, literacy can be defined as a "socially recognized ways of generating, communicating and negotiating meaningful content through the medium of encoded texts within contexts of participation in Discourses" (Knobel & Lankshear, 2007, p. 24). This can be a narrow definition of the word and lead people to believe that the only real form of literacy is through books and articles that are read or written on paper. This can be detrimental to our society as it would not allow any sort of accommodations to be made for those who cannot read. Suppose one does not dive into the definition of the word literacies. In that case, they may even think it was created to discourage students who are behind in school and discourage teachers from attempting to work with students who need more one-on-one support. This would only enhance the fact that those not on grade level reading by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school than graduate (Beecher, 2023). 

    According to Constance Beecher, "literacy is the cornerstone of education" (2023). As a teacher, I agree with this statement wholeheartedly. We have been in a digital age for several years, and as teachers, we have to work with the materials that our students are used to having. While we grew up writing notes on paper with a pencil, today's students are taking notes on iPads or asking for their teacher to post the lecture slides online! To determine the true meaning of new literacies, one needs to discuss the idea of "meaningful content" being more of a personal relation to things rather than a literal one (Knobel & Lankshear, 2007). In our current state of the world, there are people who connect best with a book that has been printed, some relate to blogs like this one, others relate to memes, or podcasts. There is a difference between having literacy in a cyber or physical space, and it can become a problem if they are not both equally recognized.  According to Yuan Sang, there is a multiliteracy theory that explains the idea that information is not restricted to writing or print (2017). As we have gained more internet access, humans have also gained more access to equitable resources that are meant to be consumed, curated, and created by all (National Council of Teachers of English, 2019)

    Having more open minds about the definition of what literacy is can help everyone in some way or another. In the classroom, teachers would be able to utilize more resources that can help students learn letter sounds or even complex reading strategies. When looking at the chart in Sampling "the New" in New Literacies, I would say that I fall within the second mindset, as I believe that social relationships are emerging from the "digital media space" along with the idea that space is open and continuous (Knobel & Lankshear, 2007, p. 11). All people, especially those who are educating young minds need to know that the definition of literacy is malleable and can mean anything from a textbook to a Texas Roadhouse menu. 

    

References:

Beecher, C. (2023). Chapter 1. What is Literacy? Multiple Perspectives on Literacy. Iastate.pressbooks.pub. https://iastate.pressbooks.pub/teachingearlyliteracy/chapter/what-is-literacy-multiple-perspectives-on-literacy/

Knobel, Michele & Lankshear, Colin. (2007). Chapter 1. Sampling "the New" in New Literacies. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283968439_Sampling_the_new_in_new_literacies

National Council of Teachers of English. (2019, November 7). Definition of Literacy in a Digital Age. NCTE. https://ncte.org/statement/nctes-definition-literacy-digital-age/

Sang, Y. (2017). Expanded Territories of “Literacy”: New Literacies and Multiliteracies. Journal of Education and Practice, 8(8), 16–19. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1139059.pdf

Introduction :)

 Hello!

I recently received my undergraduate degree in December of 2023 from SUNY Geneseo in childhood/special education. I have been able to utilize this degree by getting a first-year teaching position at Hillside Crestwood, which is an alternative location for students who have behavioral and psychological needs that do not allow them to partake in a general education setting. I am about to turn 23 on Friday, so it was challenging to find a district that wanted to take a chance on a new young teacher. However, I am so happy that I found my way to Hillside Family of Agencies in the Rochester, NY area. I am currently teaching a fourth and fifth combined 6:1:2 class! I have to get a master's in order to get my professional certification, but I decided a master's in Curriculum and Instruction was the best way to learn more about special education. 

After the completion of this class, I would like to expand my usage of technology within my classroom for more than just IXL and EPIC books. I am hopeful that I will be able to modify some of the assignments we do here for my fourth and fifth-grade students. My students love research projects, but due to delays, they struggle to do it independently, so I wonder if there is a way to make research easier for everyone involved.