As I read the material I kept trying to relate the skills and techniques to my own background and education. The role of play really sparked my interest because as the authors suggest it is one of the earliest forms of learning (Jenkins 22). One of the learning tools described was actually a program I used in my own economics course in high school (Jenkins 27). Although this particular game was discussed in the simulation section, it can also be used to describe how play can help students learn and relate to real world concepts in the classroom. Not only were we learning how the stock market and supply and demand worked; we were also learning how to work together as a team to make the best business decision.
Most individuals enjoy a game over tedious memorization and information gathering which is why this technique is so useful. It requires students to grasp basic information about the "rules" of the game which is where your core material comes into place but then it makes the learning fun because you use that knowledge to advance your game. Of course this is not something that students would be engaged in every day or for the complete lesson, but it can be seen as a treat to reinforce the material while making it interesting and relatable.
The reading overall was interesting and changed my ideas of the role of new media in education. I initially was against all this technology in the classroom, or at the very least limiting the role of new medias. However I am now convinced that it is appropriate and useful to incorporate the internet and new technologies into the classroom. My only concern now is that not all students will be able to have the same amount of access to these technologies. My mother is a junior high school teacher in a school in Brooklyn. The neighborhood is composed of low income immigrant families. Many of the children do not have access to the internet in their homes and due to budget cuts there is currently no one to run the computer lab. So although the school has the equipment and access the students are barred from this type of education because they are considered a failing school and their funding has been cut. It seems unfair that the students who need it the most will not have access to a technology that I am now understanding is the wave of the future in education.
Shanyssa,
ReplyDeleteI am glad you are ready to embrace new media. I have worked with many teachers who were not, and it was due to lack of knowledge and understanding. Regarding the closed lab at the school where your mother teaches, have they considered getting one or two volunteers to run the lab? They also might consider creating an internship through an area college.