Ed Tech in Our Classrooms

Should we be assessing our students through games? Liza Stark, a game designer at the Institute of Play, seems to think so, and now I do too. Assessing students through games allows you to see things you might not otherwise see in your student’s learning. The choices that students make while playing games provide insight into what your students do and do not understand. These choices also clearly show how your students are applying their skills like critical thinking and problem-solving. Games also allow your students to receive immediate feedback on the choices they are making. The outcome of their move in the game can allow them to shift their strategy and take a little more control of their learning. Since games involve more than just content knowledge, they provide students with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of their learning. One of the most important perks of using games for assessment in my opinion is that games are fun! The typical stress of assessment is remov...

Twitter can be very useful in the classroom due to its ability to enhance classroom discussion. Using the social media app to helm discussions about a wide array of topics by exploring hashtags where they can then make comments, ask questions, and express concerns about the course topic. In addition, Twitter can be used to increase student engagement in the classroom and outside the classroom. The social media site helps to create an interactive learning environment that can help to capture their attention and hopefully motivate them to participate in the classroom both in and out of the classroom. The student will also learn digital literacy skills through the use of Twitter. They will learn how to communicate in online spaces, while also learning how to network through social media. Learners will also become more active, students can browse their Twitter feeds to explore class topics, helping them to find research, which can be done collaboratively with other students. Of course, at ...

  Technology is constantly changing and evolving, and so should a classroom. After being online for almost 3 years, students and teachers had to learn how to adapt to a new online learning environment. Students learned how to use technology to learn concepts, turn in assignments, and even read. Now that most schools are back in person, schools have found new ways to blend online and face-to-face learning. A blended classroom consists of digital learning and activities with face-to-face ones. The video stated that not every subject like science or physical education will work well online, but if this blended learning helps, teachers should utilize it.  In my math class, I learned about an online learning tool called “Matific” which incorporates math lessons, games, and activities. Students used this during 2020 and continue to today because of its success. If a student learns better online, this tool is useful for teaching hard math concepts. Students can show their understandi...

  Assessment in elementary education is a crucial aspect of student learning. Teachers must evaluate their students' understanding of the material and adjust their instruction accordingly to ensure that each student is making progress. While traditional assessments such as tests and quizzes have been used for decades, there are other creative ways to assess student learning. One such method is using games as an assessment tool. Games have long been a favorite pastime for children, and they can be an excellent way to assess student learning. Games allow students to apply the knowledge they have acquired in a fun and engaging way, which can increase their motivation to learn. Additionally, games can provide immediate feedback, which is beneficial to both students and teachers. In the video "Using Games as Assessment Tools," produced by Edutopia, we see several examples of games being used in the classroom to assess student learning. One example is the "I Have, Who Has...

I actually really like using Twitter in the classroom. One of my favorite assignments we had in high school was in my English class. Rather than writing a three-page book report, my teacher gave us the option to write a book review on Twitter that we could share with all of our classmates and peers. In my opinion, this was more useful than a book report because others actually got to read what you thought about the book and decide if they would be interested in reading it as well. Twitter could be used for many other classes as well and is a great way to keep students engaged as they are already using this platform. 

After watching this video I would love to see more games as assessments. Students love playing games and it is such an integral part of their lives bringing that into the classroom will increase student involvement. Students love playing games and most of the time they don't even know that is educational. Allowing students to play games as an assessment allows teachers to check student knowledge and understanding without having as much anxiety as they would a normal pencil and paper test. Having students change a rule for the game and explain what it would change demonstrates an understanding of the content better than a paper-pencil test. Having students create a new game and coming up with a guide on how to win forces them to use critical thinking skills related to tasks that they will encounter outside of school. Overall, I think that using games as assessments is a great idea and I will make sure I think about how I can employ this in my classroom.