Watercraft week two

It is really week three but I am a little behind.  Just to recap, I gave my class a challenge to create a game for students to play within Minecraft. Our real hope was for them to actually program but it is taking us a lot longer then we originally thought so we are just having them create three worlds to showcase their learning of conservation of air and water. The first world is all about conservation, the second is on pollution and the third is a choice but must be on a water issue.  The project is in it's gaming phase (as I would like to call it). Students have completed their plan and are starting to make their plan a reality in the minecraft platform.

Here are some of my week two reflections:

1) students need to plan: I am all for creative play and working through problems but what I have been finding is that the students are way to excited about showing me what they can create that they really are not completing the task.  In the middle of the week I made sure that the students had a plan using their google documents. This is linked to iPads and can be checked regularly.  We are also using it to share information as the google doc allows us to write more information on the topic nd share the link. Planning also allows students to make goals and reach them. It allows them to self regulate and check their progress.

2) students are highly creative moreso then what the game may allow them.  We have had to have a lot of conversation as students thoughts cannot be easily translated in the game. For insistence, some students want to create pollution in the water, this is really hard in the game but my students used chickens and had them floating. Now if I didn't talk to them all I would see was chickens. The dialogue that we have had is the key to seeing their understanding.

Also students have a great mind to create things. The thinking that they have done with this project is truly remarkable. Take a look, this is a sink: 

3) this is a longer process then I originally thought: we originally planned three weeks for the project but it has taken the students a lot longer than this. Now this could be we didn't have a solid plan, they are in grade two, or it really takes this long. 

4) as always you the teacher are very important in this educational process. I know I have said this before but as a teacher, even though the kids are exploring, it is our job to guide and direct. I am constantly asking questions about what they are doing, why and how it works. You are redirecting were needed and assisting them when they need it too. This has help with the process and keeps the project moving.

Overall, I know many of studied the impact that gamification has on students but from our two weeks on it, I am sold. This is because it has taught my students problem solving skills, it links many strands together, it gives voice, formative assessment is automatically built in and it's a lot of fun. 

Stay tune for more reflections.

Water Craft Our new inquiry Part 1

I am writing this blog post as a documentation of a cool new inquiry project that my teaching partner Keri Ewart and myself (though more my teaching partner), called Water Craft.  The purpose of this inquiry is to design  new version  of Minecraft called Water Craft.  The students must include three of the big curriculum expectations:

1. Assess ways in which the actions of humans have an impact on the quality of air and water, and ways in which the quality of air and water has an impact on living things
2. investigate the characteristics of air and water and the visible/invisible effects of and changes to air and water in the environment
3. demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which air and water are used by living things to help them meet their basic needs

Now this project has been a spur of the moment (which to me are the best kind) so we will see how it goes.  The hope is that the grade twos will be designing their own game system that answers these three questions.  So far we have started by introducing our language centers which will give the students opportunities to explore the game, the writing portion and science.  

We have also had the students play inside of the game and discover different components of MineCraft.  The next stage is to start asking guided questions that students will have to answer in order to complete the big ideas and the actual making of a video game.

So what does this project look like:

1) This project is first linked to our science curriculum.  The learning goals of the game is to teach these three big ideas above

2) It is also linked to reading, writing and our language centers.  Students will be researching within their centers about water usage, conservation and characteristics.  Each center is based on building toward the future; designing a game.

3) Lots of exploration.

What was needed to get this type of project started:

1) Lots of planning and forward thinking.  Even though we decided on it at the last minute, my teaching partner and I have had to rethink through our curriculum needs and figure out how to interconnect all of tech into the curriculum.

2) We also had to give our students a lot of exploring time. I have found that whenever you introduce something new for the first time, students just really want to explore, so we did just that.  The first day was all about exploration.  The students played with mindcraft, they read and played the center apps and discussed as they went.  We were also very lucky to have some grad students in from York to help use problem solve and work through playing the game.

3) we gave time to ask questions and answer some of them.  After the student explored on the game, we had them come up with a list of questions that they would have to explore.  The hope was that this would spur more inquiry and make the children think about what they are working towards.

 Each week I hope to document the learning that is happening and reflect on the process.  In the mean time if anyone has any other suggestions we welcome any advice or help.  Stay tuned for more.