I agree a set of rules should be established.  Every day I see people of all ages posting things that they really shouldn’t.  That stuff doesn’t go away, particularly if it’s embarrassing.

As for the schools mentioned in the article who ban social networking outright?  I’m waiting for them to ban computers and start teaching how to bang rocks together.  When it comes to technology, you can’t TEACH it if you can’t USE it. 

Social networking is one of the things that permeates the internet right now.  If I had to ban all social networking tools from my classroom over half my curriculum (including Edmodo, which is a spectacular teaching tool) would be toast.  I’d be back to teaching just MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel for 180 school days.

1. A little slow getting ready this morning, but now I’m all set to head out to Day 2 of #CGMD12.
2. Blog: I know where I’ll be Session 8!
3. So apparently @UnhelpfulTeachr is following me. Wonder if she checks Twitter on her phone during class while confiscating student phones.
4. Looking forward to Camp ITC in Rm 345, presented by fellow @pgcps employee Tia Simmons!
5. Oh there’s a lot more than 2 of us! RT @msreneescience: I’m at Baltimore Convention Center (Baltimore, MD) w/ 2 others.

-=-=-=-=-

1. Camp ITC presentation resources: http://bit.ly/IDBJpd
2. “I have a PhD in ADHD.”
3. Follow Tia Simmons @techtia! #CGMD12 #campitc
4. http://todaysmeet.com Free online chat, participants don’t need to register.
5. When building your own CampITC, Plan the Who, What, Where, When, Why, & How first. Set guidelines to narrow things down.
6. “Scout out” your tools ahead of time. Google Apps, Elluminate, etc. Start early to help people adjust to the format.
7. @misteryork1 That’s an issue with any conference. I always check what organization the speaker represents in the schedule. (In reply to Mr. York complaining about sales pitches disguised as sessions.)
8. “Chat & Chew” sessions – time for discussion vs. lecture.
9. Establish “Camp Rules.” Guidelines so that participants know what is expected from them and from the “Camp Counselor.”
10. One of the #CampITC rules: “Reflect & implement new strategies.” THIS CANNOT BE EMPHASIZED ENOUGH! (Emphasis mine.)
11. #CampITC Schedule: Session 1: Getting to know your camping guide (Pedagogy)
12. #CampITC Schedule: Session 2: Take a Hike (Prep/Planning)
13. #CampITC Schedule: Session 3: From Camping to Classroom (Putting it together/Reflecting)
14. #CampITC use a variety of tools for communication/evaluation – Email, wikis, “corkboard” sites, etc.
15. #CampITC Give stuff at the end. Certificates, raffles, door prizes, etc.
16. I really like the idea of doing a #CampITC. Thinking of setting one up for my building.

-=-=-=-=-

1. Ready for the session on screencasting to start in rm 318. What’s this about a web based screencasting app?
2. Many people here have already made screencasts. Starting off by bringing the rest up to speed.
3. Screencast: Recording of whatever is seen on the screen + voice, often for making tutorials.
4. (Screencasting is also often used when creating machinima or streaming video games.)
5. Web based screen casting tool: http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/
6. http://screencast-o-matic.com is Java based, which means it’s cross-platform.
7. http://screencast-o-matic.com allows you to post videos to YouTube or sort them into “channels” on their site.
8. http://screencast-o-matic.com allows video downloads as well, including .mp4 .avi .flv and .gif
9. Paid version and free version. Free limited to 15 minutes. (If yours is longer than that it should be broken into parts anyway.)
10. This session has already “paid” for itself. http://screencast-o-matic.com is as good as QuickTime for short recordings.
11. 3 Steps to Screencasting: Plan, Create, Publish. (Good for any media creation!)
12. “Develop a narration” – avoid “Ums,” “Uhs,” and long pauses when recording. Scripts are great.
13. Set up a website (wikispaces suggested) to showcase recorded videos.
14. YouTube hosting is good and free. (I still reccomend having an additional site to showcase/sort videos.)
15. Use Screencasts to teach/present to parents. (Great way to show the SchoolMax Parent Portal?)
16. I really like this screencasting session, alas, I must be somewhere else shortly. Was definitely worth my time.

-=-=-=-=-

1. Hm, is the #cgmd12 Flash Mob upstairs or downstairs?#WeveHadThisProblemBefore
2. @harbeckc It was at the Pratt St. Lobby. @thetechtiger had me record video.

-=-=-=-=-

1. Not sure if the people in this room are waiting for my #CGMD12 session or holdovers from the last one. We’ll see if they leave when I start.
2. Reaching A High Score Presentation: http://bit.ly/HNSgH3
3. Thanks! RT @APPliedClub: It’s a PACKED full house at the Reaching a High Score session. I’m sitting on the floor. WTG @theartguy
4. Not sure how I got that crowd… RT @Jennzer: #CGMD12 @theartguyalready has a the crowd rolling… Reaching a High Score room 324
5. RT: APPlied Club ‏ @APPliedClub ”One student not passing is too many.” - @theartguy So true!
6. RT: APPlied Club ‏ @APPliedClub Those who suggest blocking everything as a solution to distraction problems have no idea how to teach technology. @theartguy
7. RT: Jennifer Weaver ‏ @Jennzer ”Are we teaching students to get things right the first time or are we teaching them mastery?” #CGMD12 @theartguy
8. RT: Selena Ward ‏ @thetechtiger Ok. 1st recommendation for next year: give @theartguy a bigger room.
9. RT: APPlied Club ‏ @APPliedClub Tons of enthusiasm about meeting students where they already are, take the learning to them. So awesome and inspiring! @theartguy (NOTE: Not sure we were in the same presentation.)
10. RT: Matthew C. Winner ‏ @MatthewWinner “@theartguy: Reaching A High Score Presentation:http://bit.ly/HNSgH3 #CGMD12” watch this guy! His gaming vision for education is AMAZING!
11. RT: Justin Eames ‏ @Techucation Can’t wait to implement the ideas I heard about in presentation by@theartguy. Always engaging.
12. OK, that’s enough with over-inflating my ego. Now to hang out in rm 320 for presentations by @thetechtiger & @MatthewWinner

-=-=-=-=-

1. Lights, Learning, Action is starting in rm 320! There’s still room, come on in!
2. @thetechtiger tell me more about that webinar thing. I’m interested.
3. “You can’t just say you want the next version of Shakespeare.” Start simple. (via @thetechtiger)
4. 1st example: 3 word video (via @thetechtiger)
5. Find @thetechtiger‘s resources online at http://selenaward.com/
6. Six word memoir: “Old too soon, young too late.” (via @thetechtiger)
7. My 6 word memoir: “Uh oh, was that thing on?”
8. Google Search Stories: No acting needed, all typing.
9. To make a Google Search Story you also need good search skills in addition to story writing skills. (via @thetechtiger)
10. Paper Slide videos: Very much like the “In Plain English” videos. (via@thetechtiger)
11. Paper Slide Videos: Need Camera Person, Narrator, & Paper Slider (via @thetechtiger)
12. Shoutout for AFI’s curriculum. It’s FREE! (Via @thetechtiger)
13. Next Vista “Teach a project in 90 seconds.” (Via @thetechtiger)
14. I inturrupted @thetechtiger. I’m sorry!
15. On Air Free – makes iDevice into a teleprompter (via @thetechtiger)
16. “If you crash and burn take a deep breath and try again.” (Via@thetechtiger)
17. Another AWESOME presentation by @thetechtiger at #CGMD12 - She rocks!

-=-=-=-=-

1. Getting ready for @matthewwinner‘s presentation in room 320! Game on!
2. @atruger OK I am now in love with http://www.picmonkey.com/ - THANK YOU for this resource!
3. Thrilled to be in this session - @matthewwinner and his co presenter (twitter unknown) are doing a great job!
4. “They already have math in [the Wii] but they’re not telling anyone about it, which is really stupid.” (via @matthewwinner)
5. Full mix of Wii experience levels here. (I’ve never used one.)
6. “When I walk into a math room, I want to hear a healthy math buzz.”
7. Watching video of students playing a skiing game while others record scores & find mean & average. (via @matthewwinner)
8. “Who’s doing the thinking/talking in your room?”
9. Digital handouts for @matthewwinner‘s session: http://bit.ly/HYx5qD
10. Using a Wii bowling game to teach decimal places. Game lets you bowl with 100 pins. (via @matthewwinner)
11. During @thetechtiger‘s session @matthewwinner pointed out “Could not connect to the internet.” is a 6 word story.
12. “While we play I have my phone out and have a student take pictures.” (via @matthewwinner)
13. “We need to use these tools to connect to THEIR world.” (via@matthewwinner)
14. The Wii seems to mostly be used as an engaging way to gather relevant data. My challenge will be how to do something similar.
15. Their high score is held by a 2nd grader. (via @matthewwinner)

-=-=-=-=-

1. I hope we can afford it – if I can I’ll be there! RT @sbeducator: Really liked #CGMD12! I will be there next year…and will bring others!
2. RT: Charity Harbeck ‏ @harbeckc @theartguy Art of Video games exhibit link. http://t.co/EsbJRrAR

1. 

   My hat's seen better days.

   Up early for a full day of #CGMD12 … As soon as the caffiene kicks in.

2. @MatthewWinner Not today, no. I look forward to seeing you in my session tomorrow! (That means I’ll have at least one person there.)
3. It begins! My presentation has remained largely unchanged for weeks, and I just thought of something new to add.
4. Not 10 minutes after getting here I was recognized twice and high-fived once. I <3 #cgmd12.
5. A little worried – apparently my #CGMD12 session is at the same time as tomorrow’s keynotes. Might have a room to myself.

   -=-=-=-=-

6. In room 321, ready to see Doug Johnson present on using personal devices for education. I’m in the seat next to the outlet.
7. All of Doug Johnson‘s session notes are online at http://bit.ly/dsPPGg
8. Note to self, look for book called Disrupting Class.
9. @KatrinaStevens1 Your session was already on my short list. Hall is awesome but I’ve seen him before.
10. Talking about distractions in class – all of which are low tech.
11. “I don’t think they’re looking for entertainment as much as they are looking for engagement.”
12. “You can’t disregard the entertainment factor. … Engagement can’t JUST be entertainment.”
13. “I don’t have all the answers but I hope to leave you confused at a higher level.”I am so glad I picked this session.
14. “If I could give my grandkids a gift, it would be to give them a life full of interesting problems.”
15. Update: Disrupting Class is available on Google Play http://bit.ly/HVbfUr.(Post-Conference note: The Kindle version is cheaper.)
16. Don’t forget to have your edtech conference bingo cards at the ready. http://bit.ly/HVc5k9
17. YES! Speaker is using all the arguments against personal devices to explain why pencils shouldn’t be used in class.
18. Doug Johnson is in Rm 321 all day today. From everything I’ve seen so far everyone should see at least one of his sessions.
19. RE: Devices in school “It’s easier to steer the camel in the direction it’s already going.”
20. When allowing personal devices, set clear rules and expectations – AUP
21. “You can use [it], but first explain [how it will help you learn more].”
22. MP3 player used to 1) Record instructor, 2) listen to language lessons 3) Tune out distractions when doing solo work. FOCUS
23. Essentially: it’s not the tool, it’s how the tool is used.
24. “[Personal devices] can be used to facilitate TRUE differentiated instruction.”
25. Out of time! I’ll have to catch up on #BYOD in another session.
26. Teaching to the test creates governed citizens, not governing citizens.

    -=-=-=-=-

27. 

    I won a duck. I named it Frog.

    At @msreneescience & @carmelitadd‘s session on mashups http://bit.ly/JiyC51

28. When making mashups, make sure you’re allowed. (Creative Commons, etc.)
29. @msreneescience & @carmelitadd Don’t forget http://openclipart.org and http://incompetech.com for mashup resources!
30. http://soundbible.com and http://archive.org are more awesome resources for mashups.
31. Audience is giving tons of resources. Awesome. (Also: http://Soundcloud.com)
32. http://www.dragontape.com for creating “mixtapes in minutes.”
33. @willrich45 As tech changes required skills change too, so I’d say learning dispositions are more important.
34. Showing how to embed (YouTube) videos into other sites.
35. When embedding/linking YouTube vids, you can have them start at specific points by selecting minutes and seconds.
36. Request for next year: Print the schedule on cheaper paper. My pen won’t write well on this stuff.
37. Wouldn’t be a session on mashups without mentioning Glogster.

    -=-=-=-=-

38. @HallDavidson‘s Keynote Handouts: http://linkyy.com/HallDavidsonHandouts http://linkyy.com/MDLA

    -=-=-=-=-

39. In the session about @lessoncast
40. 50% of graduates of Teacher Prep programs leave the teaching field within 5 years.
41. Oh wow they have the Unhelpful High School Teacher Meme pic (unedited) http://bit.ly/rludHV in their presentation.
42. I have achieved buzzword bingo in this session.(The point was that buzzwords are overemphasized.)
43. Still discussing the problems in this session. I think we’re ready to listen to solutions, now.
44. Aaand as soon as I sent that last one, they switched to talking abut a solution.
45. So @Lessoncast seems to have a nice interface for creating short videos, including space for your script.
46. “Just because you’re not a good designer does not mean you’re a bad teacher.” … but it helps.

    -=-=-=-=-

47. In @harryhanna‘s session on Twitter “Going to the Dogs!” Also, I’m using one of the only outlets in the room.
48. This session is apparently about @GUESStheDog. Should prove interesting.
49. I am very amused that the majority of people who say hi to me at #CGMD12 call me “The Art Guy” instead of “Aaron,” including @runkles1.
50. Starting with “Twitter in Plain English” video. http://bit.ly/nQxDoG
51. Now moving into the “A lot of people use Twitter” phase of the presentation. East Coast Earthquake, Beyonce, SuperBowl
52. Gary’s Social Media Counter: http://bit.ly/4tMhu0
53. Relevant to this Twitter discussion: http://bit.ly/J989KE
54. Elementary teachers follow @GUESStheDog, who in turn follows the teachers. Guess answers questions.
55. “Can the kids use their cell phones?” Their policy is “Yes.*” (So is ours.) (The * is important.)
56. “Txt tlk is ok” … but only when using Twitter, not persuasive writing afterward.
57. Don’t make a lot of teacher accounts from the same IP address at once, they’ll think you’re making spam accounts.
58. Parents encouraged to make Twitter accounts to follow teacher accounts. Teacher accounts are protected.
59. Preview EVERYTHING. (And use the Block button liberally.)
60. @harryhanna @mrh21727 http://TweetDeck.com has a web interface in addition to their app. Good way to bypass seeing trending topics.
61. Just saw @gwynethjones‘ tweets as they flipped between Twitter pages. She’s a super star.
62. Going over Twitter vocabulary. Not sure I need to bother summarizing those here.
63. “Why did you use Explorer?” Oh I like @mrh21727.
64. Looked up how long I’ve been using Twitter. here’s the video I made when I started in 2007: http://bit.ly/HW0KAl
65. More Twitter resources: http://bit.ly/HW11Dm

    -=-=-=-=-

66. Ready to see what MacGyver would do in regards to edtech. Rm 327
67. MacGyver preso is run by @scottkotarides, resources are on http://bit.ly/HWp57k
68. A lot of tool implementation is “Ready, Fire, Aim!”Yeah, I’ve seen that.
69. “Teachers do not get creative with technology.” How many teachers make students make PowerPoint reports?
70. “You have to use what you have. … Creativity can take you a long way.”
71. I’m enjoying this presentation, but oh the horrid color choices for this slide. Needs more contrast!
72. “What if you could buy a few iPads (or insert device here) per year?” Might not be a class set, but it could work.

    -=-=-=-=-

73. Upstairs at the #CGMD12 Tweetup, wondering if everyone else is downstairs.
74. Home from #CGMD12 and the Tweetup. Lots of awesome people there, but parties (and bars, even nice ones) aren’t my thing.

Some would find this purchase to be somewhat odd.  Indeed it is, somewhat.  Those who know me have heard my rants about needing a “real” keyboard.  My typing skills are not the best by any means but I seem to be able to do it faster and with fewer mistakes if I can get a tactile response that’s more than the whole device vibrating.

It’s why my last computer purchase was a tablet PC – and mind you, I don’t regret that purchase.  That computer does almost everything I intended for it to do.  I enjoyed the challenge it gave me to install and configure Linux on a computer with a touch screen, and for times that I need to use Windows (they do occur) I have to say Win 7 is the nicest version of that OS that I’ve ever seen.

But here I am, now owning a tablet.  I use it for the following things:

Netflix

It has a 10.1″ screen, which is large enough for anything I don’t intend to use at more than an arm’s length away.  To that end I’ll often go through a Dirty Jobs (or other show) marathon while grading student work on my main computer.

Audible

I love Audible for many of the same reasons I love podcasts.  I spend a decent amount of time commuting, and good audio content keeps my mind active.  My mind also tends to wander when trying to read nonfiction, so it’s a good way for me to digest that information if I have someone reading it to me.  The only downside is that since I refuse to pay for a 3G tablet I have to download the books before I head to the car, but that’s not hard to do.

Schoolwork

The first school day after I purchased my tablet I decided to see if I could leave my main computer at home.  As it turns out SchoolMax (our content management system for grades, attendance, and other student records) works just fine with any Android browser, as does Edmodo.  Edmodo even has an app for that, which I recommend.  For an intense “grade everything and grade it all now” session I still prefer a more powerful computer, but for what I normally do it works quite well.

Reading

Google Books, the Kindle App, and more are available for most tablets.  My tablet weighs about the same as some books I’ve read and much less than others.  One of the biggest selling points I can see for schools switching to a 1:1 ratio is the replacement of dead tree textbooks with digital equivalents.  Are there more reasons? Of course!  But the biggest complaint I hear about moving to a 1:1 ratio is the cost.  Tablets are cheaper than most computers, and the more $50+ textbooks they replace, the better.

Beyond that, there are several apps that make browsing online content very convenient.  I particularly like Feedly, though there are others with the same functionality.  It has the ability to sink up with my Google Reader feeds and display them in an almost magazine style format that allows me to skim through content without the usual feeling of being overwhelmed.

Games

I fully admit it, I’m a gamer.  Puzzle games, adventure games, MMORPGs, I like most categories.  There are a wide variety of games available for whatever tablet OS you care to use.  My favorite, currently, is Robo Defense.  It’s one of the few apps I have that wasn’t free, and it was totally worth it.

Next up, I’ll make a post about the things I don’t like about tablets.

PUWT Conference

Presentation (Hosted on Google Docs)

Class page

Apologies for the poor audio quality, I was projecting (using my “teacher voice”) to the participants and that tended to overwhelm my mic every time I was next to the computer.

Naturally, the first thing I thought of was the first grade kids I had been planning to teach!

Now, most of them are able to log in on their own, but most is not the same thing as all. I could have them do an online lesson, but instead I pulled out a project I had my students do a few years ago back when I didn’t have a computer lab to call my own.

With some construction paper, a little glue, and some markers/crayons/colored pencils, we’ll be making our own laptops.  The point of the lesson will be to talk about how computers are used to communicate with others online.  The end result will be a neat toy laptop to call their own.

You can do the lesson too, if you want.  the .pdf file with the instructions is here, and the printable keyboard template (2/page) is here.

So submitted for your approval is an interview of me done by Dr. Kavita Mittapalli, someone whose name I most likely just mispronounced horribly so I won’t try to say it again.

The good Doctor visited one of my 1st grade classes last week, before the whole AWOL voice incident, and recorded a conversation with me afterwards.  I rambled on, and then made the bad decision of requesting a copy of the interview.

And I still haven’t learned, as I’m now making another bad decision and playing it for you.  Enjoy.

As usual, my conference was full of fun, excitement, and learning – so much so that I forgot to take proper notes!  I did not, however, forget to post on Twitter up through the end of Tuesday’s keynote, so rather than reinvent the wheel I thought I’d copy/paste the highlights here.

The keynote itself was presented by Chris Lehmann (Website) (Twitter), principal of the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, PA.

-=-=-=-=-=-

theartguy Aaron Smith

• Up at 4:30 / Whose bright idea was this? / Oh yeah, it was mine. #haiku #mset11

theartguy Aaron Smith

• At the conference / No one at Registration / Opens at seven. #haiku #mset11

gwynethjones gwynethjones
by theartguy

• Excited about the #MSET11 conference today! I’ll be in room 336 & the Digital Sandbox all day & come by & say hi! YAY!

theartguy Aaron Smith

• @gwynethjones My coffee’s finished! / Waiting for that caffeine rush / And Registration #haiku #mset11

theartguy Aaron Smith

• Dilemma! @gwynethjones and @thetechtiger are both presenting a Session 1! What do I do?!

theartguy Aaron Smith

• @gwynethjones It’s not personal / I just thought I’d use #haiku / Because it’s awesome. #mset11

theartguy Aaron Smith

• All good Lutherans / Come early to an event / And get a back seat #haiku #MSET11 #Keynote

theartguy Aaron Smith

• And yes that means I’m sitting in the back next to a power outlet for my laptop. #MSET11

theartguy Aaron Smith

• Listening to @chrislehmann at the #MSET11 Keynote. I like what he’s saying so far.

thetechtiger Selena Ward
by theartguy

• lousy data = lousy decisions #MSET11 keynote

theartguy Aaron Smith

• “We don’t know everything we need to know about education” Said RE: 7 students not graduating. #Mset11 keynote

theartguy Aaron Smith

• “Deliver pizza, not instruction” “We need to reclaim the language.” “We TEACH.” #MSET11 keynote

thetechtiger Selena Ward
by theartguy

• http://twitgoo.com/2390kj deliver instruction? #MSET11

theartguy Aaron Smith

• “Don’t ban cell phones. Why deny them the tools if you can’t afford the tools?” #MSET11 keynote

theartguy Aaron Smith

• “They’re going to use them anyway.” “[So teach them how to use them!]” #MSET11 Keynote

theartguy Aaron Smith

• “What are our own personal slide rules?” What are we teaching that is now outdated? #MSET11 (Depressed that he said HTML is outdated.)

theartguy Aaron Smith

• del.icio.us: ENGINEERING.com | Games & Puzzles http://bit.ly/gUTpSW

theartguy Aaron Smith

• del.icio.us: Computers For Learning – Home Page http://1.usa.gov/fG8K6n

theartguy Aaron Smith

• “Classrooms should never be defined as 4 walls & a floor.” #MSET11 keynote

theartguy Aaron Smith

• Question for @chrislehmann In drama you don’t break the 4th wall. In teaching should we even HAVE them? #MSET

theartguy Aaron Smith

• Totally amused how @chrislehmann says the word “Awesome.” Definitely shows the level of enthusiasm expected for the word. #MSET11

theartguy Aaron Smith

• “If you get 30 copies of the same thing you didn’t give a project you gave a recipe. Let them own it.” #MSET11

theartguy Aaron Smith

• “When was the last time you took your kids to a pencil lab?” Tech should be everywhere. #MSET11 keynote

theartguy Aaron Smith

• #MSET11 Keynoter @chrislehmann is using some slides from Library of Congress’ Flickr account. I’m amused.

theartguy Aaron Smith

• I think the former English teacher just invented a new word with “Probmematize Everything” #MSET11 keynote

thetechtiger Selena Ward
by theartguy

• declarationofeducation.com #teaching #MSET11 Please join the movement.

theartguy Aaron Smith

• It occurs to me that I’ve seen no fewer than 3 #MSET keynoters advocate for cell phones in school but so many schools still ban them.

-=-=-=-=-=-

And then I went to see 2 presentations by Selena Ward, but I’ll save that for my next post.

Oh yeah, games in education.  I started in Episode 174 by giving a background of what I’d done up to that point, which I suppose means that’s not when I started at all, but that’s the post I named “Part 1″ so I’m just going to leave it at that.

In Episode 175 I discussed my current thoughts about turning my own Middle School curriculum into a game, including several problems and solutions I’d encountered.  Some problems had multiple possible solutions, and I’m not quite sure which ones I’ll pick when I’m done.

Now we’re up to the errata, the extra things, the little details that help the big picture idea without making or breaking it.  Also, keep in mind the disclaimer I offered in Part 2: All of this is not yet implemented and is subject to change based on whims as well as school policies.  If my principal glares at me and says “Mr. Smith, stop being an idiot,” I’ve no choice but to salute and about face.

(FYI: My wording here is for effect.  My principal might tell me “No,” but she would word it in a much nicer way than I did.)

Quest Types

When adopting a game-themed teaching strategy, assignments become known as quests.  My students who have played any RPGs (A.K.A. Role Playing Games, such as Warcraft, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, etc.) will already be familiar with the terminology, and those who have not will still hopefully be able to make the adjustment.

Projects = Standard Quests

The word “standard” is used here only to differentiate these from other quests.  Students select these, attempt them, and if they fail they can try again.  When they succeed they get the points attributed to the quest and move on to their next chosen quest.  Students cannot get credit for completing the same Standard Quest twice, though they can attempt to redo a failed quest as many times as is necessary.  The only thing they miss out on is time.

Homework and Warm-Ups = Daily Quests

Some RPGs have a quest type known as a “Daily Quest.”  This quest is repeatable – you guessed it – once per day.  Rather than have the students copy/paste their work from previous days, these quests would be worded so that the work done would vary each time.  Sample quests could include “Write down two things you learned in class today,” “Listen to this audio file and write down what you think is the main idea,” and “Leave a comment on Mr. Smith’s blog where you ask one question about your current project.”

The quest text could be the same each day or be selected from a pool of quests, but the point is these quests are meant to be repeatable with different results each time.

Oh, and like Standard Quests, these can be repeated if failed.  They just can’t be successfully done more than once per day.

Quizzes and Tests = Boss Battles

In the “real world,” so to speak, a boss is an employer – someone who tells you what to do and (hopefully) pays you for it.  In most video games, a boss isn’t your employer.  Instead, they’re bigger, nastier enemies for you to take down.  This is compensated by earning better than normal loot and XP (experience points, remember) when you win.  My quizzes and tests fit well into this category.  Quizzes and tests as a whole are worth only a small percentage of my students’ final grade, but as I give far more projects than quizzes each assessment becomes worth more individually than any single project.

As with the quests, these boss battles should be repeatable.  If a student takes a test 20 times to pass, but then passes, then they’re showing they’ve learned the content being covered.  Getting it right the first time becomes less important than getting it right eventually.

Content Management Software

A component that has been part of my course since my first day on the job has been the submission of work online.  I just don’t see the need to require an assignment to be created on a computer, then be transferred to a dead tree, then have its grade placed back on a computer.  That middle step seems pointless and, considering the days where my wife’s health issues have kept me out of the building, a major road block at times.

I’ve tried multiple solutions for online assessment, including Drupal, Status.net, WordPress (the self-hosted version), and Edmodo.  I’ve been quite happy with WordPress, as it solved several problems I had last year with Edmodo (I’ll get into those in a little bit), is simpler to use than Drupal, and doesn’t allow the students to send private messages to each other like Status.net.  Unfortunately WordPress lacks an addon that will manage points the way I want to manage them.

Fortunately, Edmodo does that part perfectly.  Using my old grading system I chafed at the way Edmodo totaled up points when I graded assignments, but their method of counting up all the points equally will fit right in with the new standard for my class.

A previous issue I had with Edmodo, where students submitted the wrong file for a project and had to wait for me to delete their submission so they could try again, has been resolved.  Students can resubmit a project as many times as they want until I grade it.  As I won’t grade them until they’ve completed the quest, this works out very well.

My only misgiving with Edmodo at this point involves student profiles.  They have the ability to change their profiles, including their avatars to whatever they want.  This could give rise to issues ranging from inappropriate imagery to students changing their names to attempt some form of anonymity while they harass someone.  I’ve dealt with one student this year already who thought nothing of insulting other students online, and that was on a site that afforded me a lot more control over student accounts than Edmodo ever did.

That issue makes me think of proceeding with caution, but unless I find a better, more controlled solution, we’ll be using Edmodo when I start using my Game strategy.  After all, I can always set an offending account to “read-only” until the issue that made me take action is resolved.

Classes

In most RPGs, players are able to select different classes, or archetypes for their characters.  Common class examples in existing RPGs are warriors, mages, rangers, hunters, rogues, priests, paladins, and so on.  While I’m not planning on implementing this idea right away, I’m toying with eventually allowing my students to pick a class while  … um … taking my class.  Since I teach at a Creative & Performing Arts Academy, classes can align with the majors that are available.

Students could choose to be bards (for the music-themed or drama majors), artificers (visual arts), performers (drama or dance), or go with the catch-all technologists.  Each class could have specific requirements (Mandatory quests? Specific boss battles?) and / or perks (Bonus points when completing quests that align with their class?).

Naturally something this complicated will take a lot of planning to use in an effective manner, so I’m starting to think about it now, long before I intend to try it out.  With luck I’ll be able to work out the details over the summer and have students selecting classes when they take my course next year.

Well this concludes my brain-dump for now.  Rest assured there will be a Part 4, but don’t expect it right away.  I’ll write that one out when I have enough new content to make it worthwhile.

Yesterday’s post was not meant to be as long as it was. My initial goal was the content of today’s post, but as I sat down to write it I thought I’d start with an overview of where I was coming from.

Apparently a 2 paragraph introduction can be stretched into a 7 minute podcast.

In any case, as I wrapped up my “story so far” it was painfully obvious that I’d crossed the fine line between not enough information and too much detail. I saw a good stopping point and hit “Publish.”

Which brings us to today.

I’ve had people say wonderful things about my classes, but what I mainly see is room for improvement. If 90% of my kids are on task. that means a full 10% of them are distracted somehow. I need a hook to reel in that 10%, 5%, 50%, or whatever percentage that isn’t learning in my room.

And so we look at video games.

Keep in mind that this is a “behind the scenes” view of my thinking process. Nothing here has been implemented by me yet. I may think of something better. I may find out that there’s a policy preventing one facet or another. This post is a snapshot of my thoughts as of right now.

What do games have that my curriculum is lacking?

The most engaging games are ones that have some elements that are simple enough to pull you in, but others that are challenging enough to build you up.

The most engaging games have levels of progression. These levels can be different zones, game maps, scenarios, or character power. Angry Birds and World of Warcraft are not that different when you dig down deep enough.

The most engaging games forgive failure. You can play a level over again, or fight that boss battle one more time. This is very different from the current academic strategy of allowing a student only one opportunity to pass a quiz.

Make the class a game.

Something I’d heard of last year was the idea of using a points system instead of traditional grades. Students earned points (called XP, short for Experience Points) by completing various tasks and assignments, and earning certain numbers of points allowed students to “level up.” One story about a college professor was republished a lot, but with little information on how it was specifically implemented.

The WoW in School teachers implemented a system with 2,000 XP per level, so a student with 0 XP would be level 1, at 2,000 XP they would earn level 2, 4,000 would get them to level 3, 6,000 for level 4, and so on, then assigned grades at the end based on levels reached. Assignments all had point values – Journals = 250, Forums = 250, Projects 500+, and so on.

What’s the incentive?

1. Competition: Some students will want to show they’re “better” by maintaining the highest score.
2. Clear Progression: If a student gets an A on their first project, they have nowhere to go but down. Maintaining a grade is not as exciting as building one from the ground up.
3. Choose Your Own Adventure: Linear lessons are all well and good, but different students have different interests. When I’m playing Warcraft I can often pick and choose which quests I want to work on. Why not let students pick between different projects that address the same objectives?
4. Level Perks: “Congratulations, you reached Level X! You’ve earned a homework pass!” “… You’ve earned the ability to listen to YouTube while you work!” “… You’ve earned the title ‘Master Technologist!’” “You’ve unlocked an extra credit project!”

Not every one of these incentives will work with every student, but not every facet of Warcraft appeals to every player. The goal is to have enough varied incentives to appeal to a wide demographic.

Align the new standard with the old requirements.

And so we get to the tricky part. My employer uses online grading software that has very specific requirements in place to force teachers to stay on task with their grading. I’m not about to complain about this software, as I think having something that allows students and parents to stay on top of student progress throughout the school year in addition to Progress Reports and Report Cards is a fantastic idea.

It does, however, present a challenge. How do I make an XP grading system compatible with an A B C D F grading system?

One grade per week.

Teachers in my county are required to enter one or two grades per week based on how often they see their students. As my school is on an A Day / B Day schedule, I fit under the one per week category. The grade can be anything: homework, quiz, test, project, warm-up, etc., and I can always put in more than one grade per week, but I need that minimum.

The solution I came up with was to stop naming my Projects in the grading software. Instead, they’ll be “Week 1 Project,” Week 2 Project,” and so on. I’ll still require students to complete at least one project per week, but which they pick first will be up to them. When I grade the work, I’ll list the name of the actual project in the comment section in the grading software.

What’s an A?

The WoW in School teachers have said the most push back they got was from parents who still wanted to measure student progress by traditional letter grades. Saying “Well your daughter’s a Level 5 Technologist” can get looks of confusion compared to “She has a B.”

One solution to this is to assign grades based on levels. Let’s say for example that the maximum level possible from doing all the work is 20. I could say that all students that are level 18, 19, or 20 have an A. All students that are level 16 and 17 have a B, and so on.

The second option, and perhaps the one involving the least amount of work, would be to just let the grading software figure it out. Let the students pick their quests (projects), if they complete them they get the points. I hesitate to use this system as my limited math skills tell me that everyone who participates will simply get an A regardless of the effort put forth.

Another possibility is to let the students reach whatever level they can to determine the maximum level possible (less math for me), then have the top 10% have an A, the next 10% down have a B, and so on. Everyone will still have the chance to earn an A if they all get within that top 10%. The down side will be that it’s grading on a curve, and in the past I’ve disliked any grading system where one enterprising student could “wreck the curve” by outperforming the rest of the class. To prevent that from happening I’d have to include some form of weekly XP cap to prevent someone from hitting level 300 in the first week and therefore demotivate the rest of the class.

Well once again I’ve reached the point where my own eyes are beginning to glaze over and my ADD is kicking in. I’ll include the rest of my thoughts in Part 3.

Those who have read my blog or listened to my podcast for any length of time are no doubt aware that I’m a fan of using games as a conduit for learning.

I’m not talking about the “Educational Games” market, that will certainly dominate a large part of the Vendor area at this year’s MSET (I’m presenting again, yay!), though some of those are good too.  No, I’m talking about the games that kids (and adults)  choose to play because of compelling content.

Don’t think those games have educational value?  Well I didn’t think art would help me with my math skills either, but I’ve learned and retained more about measurement, geometry, fractions, and graphing from my years as a visual artist than I ever did in a traditional math classroom.  True, the information wasn’t crammed into me the same way in my art classes as it was in my math classes, but I think that was part of the problem.

An engaged student (of any age) is a learning student.  Once that hook is in deep, it’s the teacher’s job to facilitate the learning.  How the student gets engaged is the tricky part, but fortunately game companies have been working for years on churning out all kinds of games that people love to play.  Why? Because failure there leads to bankruptcy unless you’re making educational games and can convince people to buy your products anyway “because it’s educational.”

(Please note that is not a jab at all educational games.  I have seen many good ones and use some of them in my classes, but I’ve seen enough bad ones to be somewhat spiteful that those products have neither improved or gone away.)

So … games as a conduit for learning.

This is not an original idea of mine.  There’s some really cool people who are thinking the same thing.  The problem, however, is that it’s a new idea, and the realm of education is a slow, lumbering beast that learns new skills slowly.  Many textbooks still say Pluto is a planet and that Bush is still President of the United States.

I’m not the first to think of using games more in my classes, but my work isn’t even cut out for me.  It’s time to grab my scissors.

Early experiments:

I started off three years ago in my last position by introducing select students to Sploder.com.  Their age and other factors had us only use the free demo that did not allow for the work to be saved, but the results were promising.  My students did not just design easy games or hard games, but instead set out to create a game that was just challenging enough to be fun.  When they tested their games they evaluated the difficulty levels of their creations based on their own abilities, and added or removed monsters, power-ups, allies, and so on to make the game better from their own viewpoint.

Sure, some started off making a level they could win instantly, but they found that just wasn’t fun after the first couple of plays.  They weren’t engaged until there was a challenge.

WoW In School

I sort of hovered around the “Sploder” level of expertise until late last school year when I learned about the World of Warcraft in School Program.  Here were teachers using a commercially popular game to engage their kids and use it to teach mathematics, language arts (They’re reading The Hobbit as a parallel assignment to in-game tasks), and internet safety.

I won’t go so far as to say that Warcraft is the best choice for every classroom, or even one classroom per school, but the gains they’ve made in their program are noticeable and the comments from their detractors have clear and measured responses.  (Example: Those against WoW in school because of the violent nature of the game have never seen a football player in high school require multiple surgeries on his knees after several in-game accidents.)

Be that as it may, I’m not quite ready to push for a Warcraft themed curriculum in my building.  This is more from my wallflower-ish nature (and some legitimate budgeting concerns) than any argument I’ve seen against the program.

Minecraft

I first learned about Minecraft several months ago when a few videos made using the game went viral, but did not try the game for myself until one of my students started talking about it in class.  I waited until the weekend, tried the free version, and within two hours had paid for the full version.  On Monday I yelled at the student for getting me hooked on another video game.

He laughed.

So cruel.

I even made an effort to include Minecraft in some of my lessons, as I showed in a recent podcast.  They were fledgling attempts to find out what would work, but the results were promising.

Now I’ve expanded my lessons around the game to include creating a “skin” for a Minecraft avatar and using other web based 3D editors to plan out what they intend to create in the game.

The Next Level: Make the Class a Game

This is my latest endeavor.  I’ll talk about this in Games in Education Part 2.

Apologies for the size of the download (Nearly 50 MB, ouch!), but I unfortunately couldn’t make it smaller without losing a lot of the quality.  Video is like that.

• My county’s Sharing Technology with Educators Program, or S.T.E.P.
• My new favorite Android App (still), AndRecorder, which I keep calling “AndRecord” because long names are abbreviated below my little phone icons.
• Gimp.org, because it’s free and awesome.
• SumoPaint.com, because it as well is free and awesome.
• Frames, because while it is not free, it is still awesome.
• A rant against looking for things because they “work in the classroom.”  That’s great if we’re preparing our students for spending the rest of their lives in our classrooms, but there’s that “real world” thing going on outside.  Getting something to work in the classroom is good and necessary, but we should be finding and using things that will work outside of our classrooms as well as in them.

Next quarter will be different.  Why? Because it has to be.

Oh, and the programming language I couldn’t remember? Scratch.

Want to know a secret?  A deep, dark secret that I’ve kept off this blog for over a year now?  One that will shock you?

Well, too bad.  I’m going to tell you anyway.

Ready?

Here I go …

I’m not a part of my school’s Art Department.

Yeah, that shocks me, too.  Here’s a guy whose screen name on an umptillion of Web 2.0 sites is “The Art Guy,” who may or may not have been the first art teacher podcaster (at the time I started I couldn’t find another one … that’s far from the case now of course), who isn’t even a part of his own school’s Art Department.

How’d THAT happen?

It’s a bureaucratic issue, to be honest.  I teach in a computer lab in a K-8 Arts Academy.  If it was a high school, I’d be a Computer Graphics teacher.  Unfortunately there is no course number for such a class in middle school, let alone elementary.

Instead, I teach a class called Technology Concepts.  It’s a fun class to teach, if you’re as geeky as I am, but it’s not inherently an art course.  Therefore, I  have no reason (on paper, at least), to be a part of the Art Department.  Instead, I’m a part of the Enrichment Department.

It’s not so bad…

I recently was chatting online with a former coworker from a previous school, and she lamented my change of departments.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, “You’re far too talented to not be teaching art!”

At that point I puffed out my chest and my head swelled with pride – and not just because she said I had talent.

“Oh, I’m still teaching art.  Do you honestly think I could stop teaching art if I tried?”

Of course she could not.

I’m an art teacher. I teach art.

Your definitions may vary, but in my book, ART is anything that involves creativity.  I don’t care if it’s a painting, story, play, song, dance, or video game.  An ARTIST is anyone who creates art, and an ART TEACHER is anyone who teaches students how to be artists.

I’m a teacher at a Creative & Performing Arts Academy.  Whatever subject is taught by any teacher, they had darned well better be teaching art as well or they don’t belong there.

Math is art.

Science is art.

Social studies is art.

Reading/Language Arts is art to the point that the R/LA Department should be part of the Art Department as well!

Conclusion

Does it sting a bit to know I’m not part of a department named for my degree and certification?  Yes, yes it does.  But it doesn’t change what I teach.

Art is universal.  Only the styles and media change.

And I’m an art teacher.

No, no that’s not true.  For me, School started several weeks ago when I came in during the Summer to put my lab back together.  (The custodial staff needed me to break it down so they could move the desks and wax my floors.)

I found out only recently that many of the students I had last year will also be returning.  I met this news with mixed feelings.  First, I had some awesome kids last year.  There was more than one time that I took student work to my principal and said “This is why I need majors.”  Seriously, we’re an Arts Academy.  We have dance, drama, visual art, chorus, media production, band, AND orchestra majors – why not computer graphics, too?

That may happen in the future, but for now the red tape is in the way.

Unfortunately, for every student who was absolutely thrilled to have my class there was another who was only there because the Guidance dept. needed to give them an elective.

I don’t fault students for not being thrilled with technology.  It’s my passion, it doesn’t have to be everyone’s.  I was, however, concerned about credit.  There have been two other occasions where I’ve had students put in a class after they had already earned credit.  In one case discipline problems were a concern.

But then again, I’ve been assured that if the students couldn’t get credit for taking Technology Concepts a second time the scheduling software wouldn’t have let them into my class.

And it’s not like I’m teaching all the same lessons again, either.  As technology and my own skill sets evolve, so do the projects I assign.  Granted, some lessons will be repeated – every class starts with students using PowerPoint to introduce themselves to the class – but others were already on the chopping block not because they were old news to the students (I didn’t know I’d have returning students yet), but because they were old news to me.

The media we use will still be the same.  Students will still create animations, avatars, wallpapers, posters, and more.  I don’t think I’m wrong for repeating those things so long as there’s something new about them.  After all, I doubt the chorus majors will be saying “But we sang songs LAST year!”

I just have to keep things interesting, but you know what?

I think I just might be able to do that.

The photo above is the front wall of my school.  On the day I stopped by to interview for my position (one of the best career choices I ever made, in my honest opinion), I saw this wall and thought “If I was a few decades younger, I’d try climbing that.”

Indeed, with all of those bricks pushed away from the flat surface, this wall was full of hand holds and toe holds.  Perfect for climbing, except for the concrete and asphalt below you.

No, I never tried to climb that wall.  After a childhood accident where I fell off a porch railing and broke a wrist I decided not to climb things where I could severely hurt myself.  (I did later go cliff diving – repeatedly – but water landings aren’t so bad.)

Flash forward to our school’s end-of-the-year field day celebration.  A couple enterprising students looked at that wall and had the same thoughts I had – without the “Oh, we could probably really hurt ourselves” thoughts to go with them.

Fortunately these students were far from unsupervised, and stern words and looks managed to stop them before they got more than a couple feet off the ground.

So what does this have to do with education?

Everything.

My experience kept me from climbing that wall, and my experience kept those students from doing the same.  They hadn’t yet learned that the benefit of climbing that wall (“Look how high I am!” “Look what I can do!”) was overshadowed by the drawback of a potential injury.

Switch gears to a Kindergarten classroom, where the teacher has decided not to let her kids use oil pastels because the benefits of learning a new media do not (in his or her mind) outweigh the drawbacks of potential hard to clean messes.

Switch again to a classroom where students are not allowed to create blogs because the perceived risks (Do I have to list them?) don’t outweigh the perceived benefits.

I’ve seen many teachers, administrators, and parents that thought of climbing a brick wall with no safety gear in the same light as student blogging, cell phones in schools, oil pastels in Kindergarten, or even letting special needs students use scissors.

What’s the difference?

The difference is that we as teachers would be fools to ignore taking proper precautions before a learning activity.

I’ve blogged about this before.

I argue that it’s not the same thing if we keep safety in mind.  Let the Kindergarten students use oil pastels after setting out “placemats” (newspaper works fine) and reminding them that when a color is done it goes back in the box.  Let students blog in a moderated setting, perhaps even in a “walled garden” environment where only the students, school employees, and parents can see what’s being said.

When a student wants to climb a wall, for goodness’ sake give them a helmet, safety line, and something soft to land on.

Then cheer with them when they see how high they can go.