Games Based Learning Trial

Games Based Learning

Why? How? What's the impact? Everyday?

Some questions which have come up when I have raised the idea of using Wii's, X Box Kinect etc in the classroom. I have been interested in implementing some Games Based Learning into the school curriculum for a while. However this hasn't materialised, probably due to my lack of understanding and inability to convince the staff of the appropriateness and worthwhileness of addressing this new technology. 

So I decided to start planning a few lessons to trial when covering classes, this is a review of the first one.

Wednesday 24th April, Year 5, all morning - First trial - Science, Maths, Literacy and PE.

I designed a planning format (on the lookout for other styles) and planned a lesson around measuring the effects of exercise on the body. This included LOs for measuring heart rate and body temperature, analysing and graphing the data, understanding the effects of exercise and writing a recount afterwards - Quite a packed morning!

Role cards were created to engage all members of the group - including timer, recorder, photographer, measurer etc

The roles were based on The Critical Toolkit which is designed to engage all children in the activity and promote teamwork, collaboration and TALKING!

The children decided on their role within the group.

The data sheet (left) was designed to enable efficient and accurate recording.

The Lesson

After evaluating the lesson and editing the video, I realise it wasn't as slick as I would've liked: I didn't get through as much as I would've liked, I pitched the lesson too high - I had too high expectations of the class' graphing skills, and too high expectations of their independence skills. But what was pleasing was the fact that the technology worked, it engaged, motivated and enhanced the learning - All absolute positives to embrace Games Based Learning

All the above issues are generic teaching issues I wouldn't expect from the classes actual class teacher. Therefore the wii game part of the lesson was a success. The way I see the use of a Wii or Xbox in a lesson can be summed up as 6 years ago we gave worksheets, then we addressed different learning styles and used dice and spinners to generate numbers and pictures to enhance imagination in literacy -now we move on to use games to generate the numbers and films to enhance the imagination. Its simply using the most engaging tools at our disposal  to enhance learning. Would I use it in every lesson? No I didn't use dice in every maths lesson, I would use games as and when appropriate. 

I am aiming to return to the lesson and teach the recount part I planned using Pic Collage on the Ipads, when I do we'll see if the writing produced is significantly improved through the engaging experience the Wii brought to the lesson.

Games Based Learning - Definitely worth further investigation! The video below is of a Philosophy for Children session during the which the children expressed their views on the lesson

4 Pics 1 Word - A literacy warm up game?

Whilst playing the app last night, my 5 year old son started getting invloved and he did quite well, this got me thinking could I use the app in class? After tweeting the idea a number of tweeps thought this possible so.......

So I created a dropbox to share photos of the game and started copying photos of appropriate questions. I haven't used this in class yet so don't know how successful it will be, but through the dropbox we are hopefully going to share ideas and build a library of clues.

Teaching Points
What is a homophone?
What homophone are these pictures showing?
Which is a verb / noun?
Can you see any spelling patterns?
Can you see any letter which go together to help you guess the word?


When discussing on twitter I virtually met Alex Weatherall @A_Weatherall who had a similar idea last month and created a recommended powerpoint frame for 4 pics 1 word. See his blog here
 http://a-weatherall.tumblr.com/post/44166582039/four-pictures-one-word-i-downloaded-4pics1word
Thanks for your input Alex 

Why use it?
-A useful app on individual devices to reinforce spelling.
-The child uses visual skills to aid spelling.
-A whole class literacy warm up.
-It develops thinking skills.
-Group work on homophones.
-Talk for learning describing the word without saying it.
-Every second counts activity during registration.
- For engagement it is current and their parents are probably playing it!

Looking at similar apps, I also found Pictoword which is the same sort of app but based around compound words. I believe it could be used the same as 4 pics 1 word


App links

4 pics 1 word - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/4-pics-1-word/id595558452?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2

Pictoword - haven't found in app store but available via iPad/iphone app store

If you like the idea and want to get involved collaborating teaching ideas contact me via the blog or twitter @andygfarsley and I'll send you details of the dropbox.

Book Review Blog

After an email chat with @pigsmightfly (twitter name) regarding the use of QR codes in a library an idea began to form, could we develop a book review blog and embed the posts into QR codes - then cut and paste(old style! yes using scissors and glue) the QR codes into the library books. This would enable the children to read childrens' book reviews of the book they had chosen from the library!

Further discussions with @idletim (Tim Bleazard Curriculum ICT team Bradford) over twitter further honed the idea and the blog was created by Tim. 

www.bradfordschools.net/blog/youreview

My vision was create as many book reviews as possible, then use the Digital Leaders to create the QR codes and then stick them in the library books in readiness to launch our new library on World Book Day. We didn't quite reach that timetable but we did manage to get every child in KS2 to write a book review during the week leading up to World Book Day and are now printing, cutting and sticking the QR codes.

How the reviews look on the blog

Further twitter discussions with @joolzconway who asked to steal the idea resulted in creating at first a city wide collaborative book review blog. The more book reviews written meant more QR codes for the library. We now have approximately 10 schools across Bradford sharing book reviews, over 100 reviews written, been visited by over 20 countries and had over 700 visitors.

Uses of the Site
1. Simply a review site on which children can read children's reviews
2. A reason for writing
3. identifies favourite authors and books through the tags
4. Another useful use of QR codes

QR code of multiple Gruffalo reviews

QR code of The Twits which would be stuck in
the library books

Recent additions include the addition of a slideshow of book covers from reviewed books to enable a visual search of the reviews

Some books you will find in the book review site on PhotoPeach

This week saw Bradford's 3rd teach meet in 9 months - all of which have had 50-70 enthusiastic lurkers and a number of newbie presenters along with the usual crew. It was pleasing to see #tmsenbradford newbies sign up and attend #tmletsgettalking. @bryanpharrison at Miriam Lord was kind enough to host the event - Thanks Bryan. If you want to see an superb library environment go see Bryan it was lovely and really inspiring place for children to develop into life long readers.

@lordlangley73, @Chrismayoh and myself had tweeted over the previous weekend regarding the development of Teachmeets as a vehicle to support and provide excellent CPD. I was asked if I'd prep a second presentation but pleasingly  we had enough new speakers that it wasn't needed (Bryan apologised to me that we'd run out off time but qualified it with he was sick of hearing me speak) Now we do like a bit of banter in Bradford but I was really really really pleased that newbies stepped up and presented. Teachmeets will only flourish as superb CPD if teachers step up and share good practice. It would be extremely boring if same people speak each time. So newbies please step up, get involved  we 'd love to hear what's going on in your classroom. I won't name them but a certain group of teachers from east Bradford who have attended 2 teachmeets hinted at the next TM that they ought to present - your twitter names are logged I'll be suggesting in friendly manner that you step up. Roll on teachmeets in Bradford - a superb networking CPD opportunity . Thanks also goes to #BradfordICT for their continued support at all the Bradford Teachmeets.

PRESENTATIONS

@Bryanpharrison discussed Building Learning Power something I want to find a great deal more about, the crux of BLP seems to be talking to the children and expecting them to discuss, question to improve their learning. BLP is about giving children life skills about resilience, determination and independence.

@idletim discussed taptorap and morpho apps on the iPad - 2 great apps to get children talking

@Lordlangley73 discussed 'Coopers' a household online shopping company who sell obscure objects. He then encourages the children to design an advert to sell the product and then podcast their work.

Sue from Westminster Primary discussed talking in the home and now makes a point of meeting parents in the playground before school to greet parents. They use this to model talk to both parents and children.

Caron from Howarth Primary showcased text homework - giving the children a discussion topic to discus with their parents and then report back the outcomes of their discussion

Both Sue and Caron made the point that TALK at home is important to develop talk in the home environment.

@ejf23 discussed her work using Lego with yr2 in maths. She used talk significantly to ensure the children explained their mathematical understanding for further info see her blog site http://hovinghammaths.primaryblogger.co.uk

Overall another successful TM in Bradford - lets keep it up - Keep Talking

Update on our tech journey

When embarking on an update to your tech kit in school and thus the engagement and enhancement of learning in your school - DON'T FORGET security - we did and word soon spread we a lot of new kit in school - 3 break ins in quick succession resulted in the loss of 45 laptops. Now its not the loss of kit that annoys me, its the loss of data, the time spent re building 45 laptops and  the time in school without kit.

The laptop trolleys we had looked solid enough, big, chunky (although that was another issue for some staff who couldn't get the trolleys through doors) the doors were 20 mm thick laminate wood and the locking system looked secure enough with solid steel bars slotting into place when the mechanism was activated. But the whole mechanism was held in place with 10 mm wood screws which ripped out when pressure was applied.

It also turned out that the school alarm system was inadequate, with blind spots and easy access. The CCTV showed the thieves looking in through the windows planning their route, they spent an hour removing the external pane of glass without triggering the alarm!

SO WHAT DID WE DO?

In some respects we were lucky that we were having an internal remodeling this summer which enabled us to build a safe, windowless room, with secure door, keypad access during the day, and deadbolts at night.

A whole new alarm was installed including movement sensors in and around the safe room.

New metal trolleys with secure locks,

New security policy for staff including, who has keys, where keys are kept, where equipment is kept and a signing in and out policy.

Skype in the Classroom

Today we tried another new tech in school - SKYPE. 

Year 1 were having a Space Camp day which included various activities including Space Camp on the Wii learning about being an astronaut. For part of the morning year 1 wanted to speak to Neil Armstrong on the moon! As my staff often rib me about I don't mind dressing up in school for a various events and days, so out came my Neil Armstrong outfit. A pair of white overalls, a paper maiche helmet, lots of printed NASA logos, gardening gloves and supermarket veg box painted white. We set up two Skype accounts and created a space themed backdrop in my office. Simple! 

We then set a time and I skyped into the year 1 class with some prepared answers unfortunately my visor blurred all my notes, so off the cuff answers had to do. 

The children loved it! totally enthralled, great questions (more than I'd been given to prep) - every child engaged in the questioning, felt comfortable asking questions, hopefully learnt some new facts, hopefully will have been inspired to write (we'll see next week) and as the video shows totally believed they were talking to an astronaut in space (they asked me to come back soon pleeeeeaaase)

I went down to class afterwards the children were buzzing and then spent all lunch telling any adult they could find about the astronaut they had spoken too! Brilliant! One of the most effective uses of tech I've used so far. Unfortunately for me it seems I may be dressing up even more in future - Santa, Zeus, Churchill, Roald Dahl who knows...........

Following a chat with my wife who works in the the learning difficulties team at Bradford LEA we decided to host a teach meet with a SEN/Inclusion theme. I went through the organisation process, including discussions with @lordlangley73, @pederosa and @idletim from the Bradford Curriculum ICT team with regard to the wiki, sponsorship and tech side of things. The difference with this teachmeet to others I've attended was the promotion through the council website and the discussions with Learning Difficulties team which resulted in many teachmeet first timers attending.We quickly racked up 70 plus attendees with only a small percentage being from the local twitterati. The teachmeet had a studious feel about it with very few tweets and certain lack of banter, however each and every presenter was welcomed and supported whole heartedly. Hopefully some of the newbies will continue to attend teachmeets and share their innovative practice. Bradford has a few more planned in the near future - keep an eye out. I truly believe in teachmeets as a fantastic way to network, share ideas and learn lots of new ones, what can be better than a teacher telling another teacher what works in their classroom! I am not going to describe the superb presentation as I can't add more than what @idletim and @brynll have done in their blogs 

http://bradfordschools.net/blog/lac/2012/11/10/teachmeet-sen-bradford/ 

http://brynllewellyn.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/tm-the-evolution-of-teachmeet/   

I just wanted to share my brief thoughts on the organisation of a teachmeet and the widening of the audience at teachmeets - which can only be a good thing to boost moral and bring innovative practice to our maligned profession at the moment! I will post the video taken of the presentations -ENJOY!

Teachmeet Bradford SEN from Innovation centres on Vimeo.

Once again a huge thanks to our sponsors on the evening @airedalearchs @AspectBuilding @tes_SEN @educationcity