Comment on Nurturing paddy fields by Katie Biddle

I love the idea of focusing more on what type of people we want to develop. I think this speaks to a broader idea of expanding the reach of higher ed beyond the institution. Ultimately, academia should have a positive impact on the world. And this is best done through developing the kind of person who is motivated and has the skills to do so. I also really liked the metaphor you used!

Like

Posted in Uncategorized

Comment on Gamification… by Katie Biddle

I appreciate you reminding me about the concept of gamification. While I think the activity of “gaming” is inherently tied to technology, I also think it could be considered as a metaphor or as a way of thinking about how people naturally learn. There are aspects of gaming (having a tangible problem to solve, offering small, achievable goals throughout a process) that could be integrated into the classroom even without using technology. Jane McGonigal is awesome and does such a great job talking about those aspects. As someone who literally gets a headache from looking at a computer screen, I will need to find alternate ways to harness the very real benefits of technology and gaming.

Like

Posted in Uncategorized

Comment on Gamification… by Jyots21

I hear you Hannah. There is definitely a learning curve to it and not everyone is comfortable with it. I feel out of place myself with a lot of innovative and technological stuff but trying is important I guess. (Lol on the emoticon details :D)

Like

Posted in Uncategorized

Comment on Gamification… by Hannah

Speaking the language of the students is key. We need a faculty that can speak in the present about the past and yet still anticipate the future. It’s a rough mix. I will tell you from numerous classroom observations, far too many teachers attempt to teach students as if they were replicas of themselves. They develop a type of tunnel vision in which they presume that every student learns the same way they do. I will be the first to admit that gamification is not my first language and I’ll even say that I thought the stuffed poop emoticon I saw in WalMart the other day was a little holiday Hershey’s kiss…but I’m certainly trying to learn (and to not make a fool out of myself in front of strangers when I say how cute the poop is!)

Like

Posted in Uncategorized