Chapter 7 talked about visual thinking and concept mapping software, something I absolutely love to do! I do it with all of my projects and papers, as a way to organize myself and for others to see my thinking process. Below I created a organization map that is colorful, fun and gives information, the most important part! I created it on Piktochart. I found this to be an awesome tool to create these visual-thinking concepts with software that is free, or you can upgrade to make even more visual concepts!
Mapping visual created by Morgan Pepitone on Piktochart
Computer games was the next concept that I enjoyed that the book discussed. My students use many games at school to help enhance the material they are learning, and it has become a way for them to find different subjects in school fun. Computer games allow for students to use at school and at home. My students even get free-time in their math class, with their math skills still being tested with their choice of either coolmath.com or hoodamath.com. Both of these give you the standards the students are using when playing the game and also allow for it be engaging. That is something I enjoy about these games. They look so fun I want to play with them!!!
Simulation games are a topic that I wish schools were able to use more often, as they do not seem to integrate this into classroom instruction as much as I think students need. Students I believe need real-world experience to apply the information they learn, and I think it would also allow for students to remember the information more often if the information was presented in a simulation. Only one of my students plays a simulation game, and that is while at home. It is called Sim City (the book also discusses this). One out of thirty students I know uses a simulation game of some type. I think if more students used this they would hold onto information longer.
Resources
Coolmath (2015). Coolmath. http://coolmath.com/aboutus.htm
Hoodamath (2015). Hoodamath. http://www.hoodamath.com/
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Pepitone, Morgan (2015). Visual Thinking/ Concept-Mapping. Created on PiktoChart.
Great PiktoChart - love that you are dabbling with so many of the fun and useful digital tools. They are not only effective for teachers to incorporate into their own presentations, etc, but they are incredibly engaging for many students. Interestingly enough, too, they allow for increased critical thinking as they strive to translate their knowledge in a innovative way.
ReplyDeleteIt would be great to have access to more simulation programs in schools. There are some good ones out there, but their numbers are definitely limited. However with the onset of increased virtual reality I hope there will be more opportunities for their use in the classrooms. :)