EDLD+5364+Week+5+Reflection

Much of the focus of Week 5 was in the area of assessment. I always enjoy the clips from the Edutopia website. In the segment about grading with games, James Paul Gee points out that games are nothing more than a series of assessments: if you accomplish the task, you move on, if not, game over, try again. (Edutopia, org, nd) If school could be more like video games, solving problems through immediate feedback and assessment, students would indeed be more motivated learners. However, the much-maligned learning of facts is also important. I don't suggest that students attempt to memorize encyclopedias, but simple multiplication facts and basic rules of punctuation and spelling are as necessary for success in the 21st century as being able to collaboratively solve problems.

One problem is motivating students to put forth an effort, especially if the material they are required to learn seems useless to them. Pitler (2007) recommends that we use technology to define effort in the form of a rubric, and to help students make the connection between effort and achievement. He points out that "A powerful way to convince students that effort is truly tied to achievement is to show them data-not just data on themselves, but also combined data on groups that they associate themselves with."

I believe the combination of these to philosophies is the answer to learning in the 21st century. Students must be motivated to learn and put forth their best effort. This holds true whether students are doing worksheets, or engaged in a collaborative problem-solving gaming activity. Technology can be the common denominator in each scenario.

Edutopia.org (nd). //Big thinkers: Paul Gee on grading with games//. Retrieved on March 23, 2011 from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-james-gee-video.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M. and Malenoski, K. (2007). //Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works.// Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.