Reminders:
Please remember that your Book Extension Project is due at the beginning of class today. Jing will be grading these from your online portfolio. Make sure that your page has been published!
Introductions:
Jing has begun her maternity leave so I will be stepping in for her for the remainder of the semester. She has told me much about you and I'm really looking forward to working with you for the next few months. I've seen your previous work and I'm really impressed with what you've accomplished so far. I'm excited because Jing left my favorite projects for last - so we should have alot of fun together.
If you have questions for Jing - she is still available via email and she'll keep in touch to let us know how she and the baby (due March 12!) are doing.
This blog will be the one that you will refer to for the remainder of the semester - but the links to the course website with project descriptions will remain the same.
Introduction to PowerPoint games:
Addressing learning styles is important when designing activities to teach content standards. Inspiration and Kidspiration software allow an educator to do just that -- by addressing needs of visual learners. Technology also allows educators to respond to various learning theories - from behaviorism to constructionism. Today we'll talk about PowerPoint games: what they are and how they help students construct their own knowledge -- constructionism.
What were your favorite games? What characteristics made them your favorite? What experience do you have with instructional games? Are the characteristics of your favorite games found in most instructional games? How can PowerPoint be used to create an instructional game for your subject area?
It's important to know a little bit of background on the PowerPoint games project before we begin. Dr. Lloyd Rieber - a professor in my department - wrote a paper on this very topic that is an interesting read. Many EDIT 2000 students have created their own games and more and more K-12 classrooms are using PowerPoint games as a way to address content standards through constructionism. I'll share some stories from these projects in class. You'll want to view some sample games from the Homemade PowerPoint Games website and from student portfolios from previous semesters and student examples from this summer.
After viewing several, you'll want to get started on your game. You'll need to look over the project assignment and write the story for your game - this is due at the beginning of class on Wednesday.
FOR WEDNESDAY:
1. Write the story for your game.
