Week 7 Assignment #2

Second life can be incorporated in ELA instruction to enhance the curriculum by identifying and describing the new literacy skills that players of virtual worlds engage in during their interactions.  New literacies skills such as collaborating, problem solving, creating information, reading multimodal texts etc., are all implemented in new digital media.  Every child is unique, and every student does not learn the same way, therefore there should be more than one modality for kids to learn in a lesson.  SL brings the lesson alive; students talk about their learning (think, pair, share), they can create visual representations and make use of new media.

Week 7 Assignment #1

Theories and Practices of Multimodal Education

Multimodal learning is teaching concepts using multiple channels of information that communicates in some type of way to learners.  Some examples are pictures, audio, music, colors etc. The article “Theories and Practices of Multimodal Education: The Instructional Dynamics of Picture Books and Primary Classrooms” focus on how teachers can utilize multimodal texts to create new roles for the student as well as the teacher.  Multimodal learning in early childhood education, can help support early learning experiences and create opportunities for real expression and in the quality of education programs.  Students can engage themselves and take control of their own learning journey by the different modes of expression.  By integrating multimodal practices in early childhood years creates an approach in different learning styles. Interests, and abilities of each child.

Second Life

Second Life is an internet based virtual world where people interact through avatars and engage in a variety of activities.  In the article “Using the ADDIE Model to Design Second Life Activities for Online Learners” emphasis on how educators can use instructional design standards to strengthen second life learning.  The article also emphasis on the use of ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) to help the instructor create learning tasks and to make sure that second life operates as a method in teaching and learning.  Instructors should study how second life activities connects to the course and what a second life user can do in the virtual world.

Week 6 Assignment 2.2

With Edmodo, teachers can give manage all their activities in one place.  They can give assignments, quizzes and surveys to students.  Educators can browse through a wide range of content connected to a specific topic.  They can also monitor students and give awards for their accomplishments.  Teachers can essentially bring the classroom online; they can connect with one another by sharing ideas, problems and helpful tips.  Edmodo essentially takes the ideas of social network and enhances them and makes it appropriate for the classroom.

Week 6 Assignment 2.1

Both articles focus on the incorporation of new literacies and social networking sites into the classroom to better instruct students.  The article “Middle School Science Teachers’ Confidence and Pedagogical Practice of New Literacies” discusses improving teacher and student access to technology in order to develop new literacies within scientific questions.  The article also focus on strategies teachers can use to apply their ICT skills to support the ways students learn.  In “Using Social Networking Sites to Facilitate Teaching and Learning in the Science Classroom”, examines how teachers can use social networking sites in their classroom in a positive way to help support students so they can utilize their technological skills in the area of sciences.   It discusses the usage of spreadsheets, charts, graphics and videos to help students research, communicate and express their ideas through ICTs.

Week 5 Assignment #2

There are many benefits of using games and game design in the classrooms.  I believe with the incorporation of games; it increases student’s motivation to learn and they become more engaged in the assignments.  Games enable students to work and compete with one another.  It creates a positive experience for students in the classroom, not only does it increase class collaboration, playing games improves their attention to detail and how to be alert and attentive.  This helps students to stay focused, have fun and be less stressed.  Additionally, there are games that are designed to increase memory in which students must remember important details about a topic by memorization.  The usage of games also helps students improve their strategic thinking.  Since most games require students to solve problems and plan out different strategies, this increases their mental cognition and stimulates the brain.  Games are also a great way to learn new content by making connections with what they already know and strengthen their understanding of the material.  I find that games are a wonderful way to review lessons as well as a great self-assessment tool in which the teacher can evaluate how much a student has learned.  Games can be a great classroom management resource in many aspects, so teachers should try and incorporate games to support learning activities.