The Gizmos that I added to my "36 Things" class are screen-shotted below. I chose the ones that interested me personally because even though I don't teach math or science, I am still very interested in learning about them; I usually do Teri's math bell-ringers to stay sharp!
The advantages to online simulations were outlined in the intro video below, and I agree with most of them. I'm starting to grow weary (well, I've been weary, but I am re-weary since so much of my summer has been spent with online learning) of the idea that education has to be a "show" we put on for the kids because I think that we should be able to do our jobs just as well without the technology. I realize that since I teach reading and writing (and all of the other skills associated with those things), my curriculum is perhaps easier to do with low-tech experiences. I know that simulations can and do help enormously in the teaching of complex, abstract concepts in math and science, and I think they're great for that. I just want us to remember that we don't NEED, and I would go so far as to say that we SHOULDN'T need, fancy technology to engage our students.
It would be great if ExploreLearning could add more language arts simulations. I had to choose math or science when I went to activate my account, and I don't teach either of those. I found this website as well as this one that have interactive language arts games, but they're not really like the simulations on ExploreLearning, and I'm not sure if they really bring anything different to the learning. For example, other than typing instead of writing, there is no change to the lesson on story cubes. I wonder if there is really any application in language arts for simulations or if we are trying to force technology in where it doesn't belong in this particular case.
I also wished that reading was added. I agree with your statements about everything being a "show". I worry about our students being able to learn and work if there are not a lot of bells and whistles. I still have a set of encyclopedias in my classroom that I have my students use for research projects. There is a place for technology in education but it doesn't need to be incorporated into every lesson. i think sometimes educators get excited about using technology and lose sight of the actual objective of the lesson.
ReplyDeleteI think I maybe don't fully understand what a "simulation" is in this context or maybe people are using it differently...I don't think that the websites with language games really put the students in the situation where they have to "live" a concept the way that the math and science ones do. I would love to have that for what I teach, but I'm not sure how it would work!
DeleteP.S. I had a professor once talk about how, as a new teacher, he felt like he had to put on "circus in the suburbs" every day! I think about that a lot as we incorporate more and more tech.
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