Preparing for the Common Core

Teachers and administrators across Ohio are scrambling to prepare for the implementation of the common core standards.  For many schools, the "shifts" in instruction will be daunting task especially when so little information if available.  While there is information in the web that shows videos of David Coleman, co-author of the common core, discussing the "shifts" in instruction and offering his view on how teachers should change to prepare students to be college and career ready, I still wonder if we are walking into a jungle without a compass. 

At Lakewood High School, teachers have been engaged in Literacy and Math Teams since last year to examine the common core and highlight instructional shifts.  These team members are responsible for reporting back to departments and helping colleagues design activities that align to the common core.  Many teachers, however, want to see the End of Course exams and the new PARCC assessment before evaluating and changing current curricula. 

We've taken this plunge in Ohio and, at least I feel, we seem to be so far behind that it will require a Herculean effort to catch up.  Administrators are facing changes in evaluation standards with the new OTES and OPES while new teachers are facing the 4-year Resident Educator program to earn a teaching license.  Ohio has also effectively changed its "grading" system for schools; this effort has and will put pressure on administration to prove their worth in their schools.  It seems like there is just no end.

So the common core?  What are the next steps? 

• Teachers must own the changes they want to make and see in their classrooms.  Now is not the time to have the "this is what we've always done" mentality. 
• School Leaders must look to department leaders as avenues for effective professional development around the common core...no more whole school sit and get!  Individualized PD is essential! 
• Department leaders must change their roles to instructional leaders for their departments and work with colleagues to ensure the "shifts" are understood and are being implemented.
• School Leaders must stay diligent in identifying changes that need to be made in existing curricula, praise effective teachers, and highlight useful strategies for instruction.

2013 Ohio ETech Conference

The Ohio ETech Conference is just around the corner and I'm excited to be able to spend three days listening and learning about integrating technology into my classroom and school.  I have also been selected to present my work with using video games in the classroom.  I'm truly excited to share with my colleagues from around the state my successes in my own classroom. 

For a complete listing of events, go to http://www.etech.ohio.gov/conference

See you in February!

Ali Carr-Chellman: Gaming to re-engage boys in learning

Many boys are having a hard time in school—they’re disproportionally suspended, marked as learning disabled, and diagnosed with ADHD. In this talk from TEDxPSU, Ali Carr-Chellman ponders whether this could be a simple culture clash. She shares a fascinating idea — that creating educational video games full of rich narratives could help boy culture connect with school culture.

As an avid video game player and believer that games can transform how our students view school, literature, the world and their lives, Ali-Carr Chellman makes a compelling argument for gaming to re-engage boys in learning.  Enjoy!

Making the Most of Parent/Teacher Conferences

These days are circled on our calendars!  We know that parent/teacher conferences are a busy time of the year for teachers and the amount of preparation that precedes the conversations between parents and teachers seems endless.  I have found ways to be more efficient in my preparation for conferences over the years, but I still understand that I will most likely lose my voice at the end of the night! 

My solution to a great night with parents: LET THE STUDENTS TO THE TALKING! 

Immediately after the end of the first quarter, I hand out a Standards Based Report Card (Think back to kindergarten when we all got these) to allow my students to think about and reflect on the skills they’ve mastered or still need to improve upon.  It’s a tough task for many, but these report cards set the stage for the conversations I have with most parents.  Instead of conversations about grades or missing homework, I let the students tell their parents about their level of mastery in my class.  For most parents, this is an eye-opening experience! 

While I use paper and pencil for this activity, many teachers in my school use an online resource called Blue Harvest.  Billed as “Assessment through Feedback”, Blue Harvest allows teachers and students to be in constant communication about their mastery of specific standards.  As an online tool that provides on-going assessment and feedback opportunities, there is nothing better. 

Consider some of these ideas as you begin your own parent/teacher conferences, and remember to let the students do the talking.

Call of Duty...Curse or Cure?

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

Preparing for the biggest Call of Duty video game launch of all time, USA Today published an article on their website warning employers and teachers that workers and students might be “sick” on Tuesday.  As Call of Duty: Black Ops II hits shelves at midnight on Tuesday, the draw to play may be too great for some people and their work may suffer.  While I don’t see any of my students coughing or sneezing, I certainly am prepared for a few more absences than normal. 

From an administrative perspective, attendance is a major issue in schools and principals work tirelessly to improve attendance rates each day.  It might be our first reaction to fight against this type of event and force students to get away from the television and back in school.  However, I feel that teachers and administrators should take a hard look at why so many students will skip school to play a little video game.  And the answers, I assure you, go far beyond entertainment. 

·         Clear Objectives – We can post the standards on the board, hang the standards in our room, and they still just aren’t that clear.  And let’s be honest, many students fail to recognize how their mastery of standard will impact their future.  In a video game, the objectives are clear and concrete.  There is no gray area.  When you complete the objective you move to the next level.  If you don’t, then you start again until you have mastered the skills to move forward. 

·         Relevant and Rigorous Learning – After the clear objectives have been established, games require players to master skills that are relevant to their success in the given world.  While the time it takes for some players to master the skills necessary is far greater than other players, games have the ability to enhance rigor based on the player’s existing skill set.  From the easy level to the “hardcore” mode, players adapt to an increasingly difficult world each time they play.

·         Immediate Feedback and Adaptation – While schools do provide some incentive for getting to class every day, the benefits of coming to school every day aren’t necessarily visible until later in life.  With a video game, the benefits of showing up are immediate.  Students win, lose and adapt each minute in a video game and that immediate feedback is motivation to continue. 

Do these things exist in every school and classroom in this nation?  Absolutely!  So why don’t students wait in line for hours to get into our schools the same way they do in anticipation for a big game release? MOTIVATION!  Video games motivate people to risk failure but rewards them with upgrades and trophies for their successes.  Schools can do the same.  As teachers and administrators, we must consider why we are failing to motivate our students to be successful at school and why video games succeed in motivating our students to master complex sets of skills in the matter of hours.  Instead of spending our time cursing Call of Duty and similar games for ruining our perfect attendance, we might start looking to them as the cure for some of our most difficult problems. 

To see the entire USA Today article, go to http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2012/11/11/call-of-duty-sick-days/1694633/

Why We Play!

As I watched my daughter carve her first pumpkin over the weekend, I couldn't help but notice her intense focus and determination to make perfect cuts around the eyes and nose.  While her pumpkin ended up looking a little cross-eyed and lopsided, she was certainly happy with the outcome; she clapped and grinned sheepishly as we lit tea candles and turned out the lights.  However, as I watched her carve, I realized that she was simply playing.  She had never carved a pumpkin before; this was all trial and error for her.  But when she started playing, with no real consequences in mind, she created a product that she was proud of.

Similar situations NEED to be presented in our classrooms!  In his article "Why We Play: How Our Desire for Games Shapes our World", Ben Reeves discusses why people of all ages are attracted to playing video games and how that attraction affects the real world.  He goes on to mention three "invisible needs" that people have that explains their desire for play: the need for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. 

While I do provide my students with opportunities to play video games in my classroom, all teachers can find a way to "gamify" their classrooms to reach the needs of their students. And, moreover, these are the needs that drive much of the real world. 

In the end, Reeves says, "When used correctly, video games hold the potential to show us the world through a different set of lenses - to craft experiences that engage both cognitively and socially and ultimately make us feel like an active participant in shaping our destiny".  This sounds exactly like what I want my students to do everyday...to feel like they are a participant in shaping their destiny. 

To read Reeves' full article "Why We Play: How Our Desire for Games Shapes our World" go to www.gameinformer.com. 

Teaching with Games: The New Literature

"To be Mario or not to be Mario.  That is the question!"

Reflecting on the Great Literature Great Games summer course I taught this year, I have come to some very interesting conclusions about my own teaching and education in general. 

• Video Games are the new literature! - While the majority of my students took my summer class because they liked to play video games, I found that they enjoyed spending time reading games as text.  In most cases, the students were more critical of character and story development in the games we played in class than they were of the literature we read in the class. 
• Flipped Classrooms Work! - Meeting with my students face-to-face only twice a week, with all other work being done online in forums, I felt that the discussions and analysis we had in class was much richer.  Students came to class to apply what they had learned from the previous day's online assignments. 
• Video Games are a Part of the Culture of this Generation! - Whether we like it or not, this generation reaches out to video games more than any generation before them.  With social gaming, online gaming, and console gaming all competing for the attention of kids, it's no wonder that they would rather talk about games than literature.  And I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing! 

In the end, this was an amazing course and I'm glad that I had the opportunity to teach it.  My students this summer were wonderful and the overall objectives of the class were met beyond my expectations. 

Stay tuned for more about teaching with games. 

Genre vs. Game Type - Week 4

Week four in Great Literature Great Games is more of a synthesis week than anything.  While our notes centered around the different types of video games (FPS, Action, Platformer, etc.) and genre, our discussion moved towards the conventions that specify literature and games into specific genres. 

We focused on Post-Apocalyptic and Western genre this week.  Playing the games Fallout 3, Metro 2033 and Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon, students were able to identify the conventions that qualify these games in the post-apocalyptic genre.  With mentions of desolation, destruction, isolation, survival and despair, the students were able to see and interact with this world. 

Playing the games Red Dead Redemption, Call of Juarez, and Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, students were able to identify the conventions that qualify these games in the western genre.  With discussion of stock characters and long, sweeping landscapes, students were able to interact with the world of the western genre. 

Classroom Practice: Read the short stories "There Will Come Soft Rains" and "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" and give students time to identify what conventions make these stories uniquely post-apocalyptic and uniquely western.  After a short discussion and analysis of the stories, allow the students time to play the games mentioned above.  Are the same conventions present in the games that were present in the stories?  How are they used differently/similarly? 

Stay tuned for my Week 4 reflection!  And feel free to comment below.

The Hero's Journey - Week 3

The Hero's Journey

Week 3 in Great Literature Great Games is focused on an intense study of Narrative Paradigm and Archetypes.  While planning for this class, a college professor friend and I had many discussions about games and their ability to tell stories.  Through our conversations, we found ourselves referencing Walter Fisher's work with narrative paradigm; we ultimately decided that games, just like literature, are mediums through which people tell their stories.  The problem, from a teacher's perspective at least, is does the game story have as much "merit" as traditional literature and, furthermore, who determines its merit? 

By examining Joseph Cambell's Hero Journey archetype, students were able to put a framework on the games that they were playing in class.  While it was easy to assume that game designers, because of their excellent creativity, develop stories out of thin air, it was even easier for my students to see how game designers start with archetypes such as the Hero's Journey and populate their games with archetypal characters.  Going even deeper, my students discussed how games, because of their interactivity, have the ability to go beyond the archetype's structure and add layers that traditional literature just cannot. 

Classroom Practice: Consider the PSN downloadable game Journey or the PS3 game Resistance 3 as prime examples of games that follow the archetypal situation of the long journey home.  With this game in mind, students could examine how closely the game follows that structure and how the characters reflect the story.  (Resistance 3 is an "M" rated game.)

Stay tuned for more literature and game discussion! 

Great Literature Great Games - Week 2 Reflection

After our second week, students are really beginning to think about how video games incorporate some of the same literary "stuff" that they are used to studying.  While in studying traditional literature we talk about character development differently, video games offer a whole new way of observing character development.

Most of the notes for this week's class come from Character Development and Storytelling For Games by Lee Sheldon.  In this text book, Sheldon highlights some of the major ways game developers handle character and story development in games.  While the book is pretty straightforward, I used video clips of new games in the power point presentations to show the students how the notes relate to some more recent games.

I allowed a bit more time this week to focus on game play because I wanted the students to have enough time to really dive into the game and connect with the characters.  We focused our attention on Heavy Rain, Alan Wake, L.A. Noir, and Uncharted 3.  Students kept game play logs with focus questions in order to focus their game play on analysis of the characters.

The reflection essays were both varied and thoughtful.  Here are a few excerpts from this week's reflection essays:

"...we can learn a lot about a character from more than just what he says and how he says it...Drawing clues from how a character looks and what they choose to surround themselves with is an important part of gameplay.  In this age of high-tech and extremely realistic graphics and movement, the smallest details can be important."

"...one can build believable characters not only by using techniques from literature and other forms of fiction, but by taking advantage of the potential of video games to tell a narrative in ways that other media cannot.  A video game by its very nature requires the play to be sympathetic to the player character's difficulties, usually physical, but also emotional."

"The two most important things for a [video game] character are its sociological and physical attributes because it really brings out the character more because it resembles a real person more."

At the end of the week, I believe my students have a better understanding of characterization and how character development is just as important in interactive fiction and storytelling as it is in traditional literature. As we look forward, we will focus on storytelling and narrative theory and discuss how characterization and character development plays a part in the development of story in video games.

Stay tuned!  

Defining "Character" in Video Games

Game Informer - 30 Characters Who Defined a Generation

Week 2 in our Great Literature Great Games class is centered around Character.  As in literature, video games develop characters with many different dimensions in order for the player to feel connected and immersed in the fictional world.  While some characters are cliche and fall flat, other characters are well rounded and are presented with unique physical and psychological characteristics, back story, and deep connections to the world around them.

Our focus question for this week is: How do video games develop characters?  (What are the similarities and differences to traditional literature?)

This week, students will be researching a variety of reviews on video games they have selected and posting discussions about how those reviewers analyze and comment on character in the game.  Additionally, students are creating their own video game characters with unique physical, sociological, and psychological characteristics.

During our game play sessions, students are analyzing character development through the games Heavy Rain, Uncharted 3, Alan Wake, and L.A. Noir.  Students, while playing, will track and analyze the physical, sociological, and psychological dimensions of the characters and determine how much "interactivity" plays in the development of the game characters.  Students will also determine if game play affects how much a player connects with the character. 

At the end of the week, students will write their unit reflection that synthesizes their knowledge of character development in games and literature.

Classroom Practice: Allow students to create their own video game characters that have specific physical, sociological, and psychological characteristics.  Students can present these characters to the class for discussion. 

Stay tuned for updates! 

Picture Link: www.gameinformer.com/p/decade.aspx

Great Literature Great Games - Week One Reflection

Unit 1 of the Great Literature Great Games summer class focused on stereotypes, myths, and the culture of video games.  Our work revolved round the following essential questions:

        Are video games art?

       Are video games literature?

       Are video games educational?

While the conversation in class was varied and rich, students conducted interviews with community members, friends, and relatives to help them answer these questions.  Additionally, after playing Journey, Flower, Child of Eden, and Lost in Shadow, students were able to apply their opinions to these interesting games.  Below are some excerpts from their weekly reflection papers:

“If a [game] designer is able to combine all elements of a game (narrative, aesthetic and sound design, game play elements, etc.) into a cohesive product that is, in turn, more than the sum of its parts, that is what truly make a game an art form.”

“…video games excellently illustrate how significant a protagonist’s choices are.”

“Video games can teach you about many different things…in Angry Birds [for example] you never flick [the bird] the same way twice; you adapt and learn to either go a little higher or a little lower.”

Classroom Practice: Determine, as a class, a working definition for art, literature and education.  Play several video games and allow students some time to analyze and discuss if those games fit the definitions you developed as a group. 

The second week of Great Literature Great Games will focus on character development in games and the similarities and differences to traditional literature.

Stay tuned!

Flipped Out!

As a hybrid summer school class, Great Literature Great Games has been successful on many levels this week.  Students were immediately thrown into this "flipped classroom" when they realized that the bulk of their work would take place on the days they physically weren't in school.  While some of them are still grasping this concept, most really enjoy the freedom that the flipped classroom allows.  While I do have online office hours, my students are completing work, responding on forums, and asking questions at all hours of the day. 

Our in-class sessions have been excellent because the majority of the students are coming to class with an understanding of the materials we are discussing because they completed the online work.  This has allowed our conversations in class to be much more meaningful and relevant.

On the other hand, there are some students who have not logged in to complete any work and are only taking part in conversations in class at the surface level.  Addressing an absence from school as an absence from any online work, discussion, etc. was a hard concept for many students to grasp. 

In the end, after the first week of this new class, I have seen some excellent discussions online, some excellent work, and students who are invested in learning more about Great Literature and Great Games. 

More to come...stay tuned!

Great Literature Great Games

Summer school has begun and Great Literature Great Games is off the ground.  I worked on the curriculum for Great Literature Great Games for about two years and was finally granted the opportunity to teach the class this summer. 

In our first class session, students explored the history of video games to establish some context for the class.  While most of the students took the course because they have an interest in games, many are too young to know the early innovations that names like Atari and Nintendo brought to the industry.  With this in mind, students learned about early video games, the video game crash of 1983, and got to play some actual consoles from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. 

As a hybrid summer class, students will be doing much of their work at home, so our sessions in the classroom will revolve around analysis of literature and games, discussion, and collaborative work.  Here's a look at our first week's assignments:

• Metagame of the Week - Metagame is a card game that encourages players to create and support verbal and written arguments.  In our class, I post the question each week and students respond in our class forum.  Check out this video to learn more...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrzwhK5Ehx4
• Video game culture, stereotypes, and perceptions
• Video games in/as art, literature, and education

Stay tuned for updates!  Students will begin exploring character development and narrative theory in literature and games in the coming weeks.  Lots of fun ahead.  

Post a comment below! Thanks. 

Finding Places to Learn

In my last blog post, I discussed creating spaces for learning.  However, after reading a recent article in the New York Times, I have to consider the other side of the argument: the spaces are already there, teachers just need to find and use them.  

In this article, students from the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, a private school in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, take part in experiential learning and focus on the place in which they live as their primary source.  And it is clear that the students, despite some scheduling conflicts, benefit from this type of experiential, hands-on learning.  

So my question: How can we engage our city?

If the ultimate goal and vision of schools is to produce productive and educated citizens of the community and world, I think we have an obligation to provide our students with as many opportunities to engage their community in their learning. And with the ease at which technology could be used to facilitate these kinds of experiential learning experiences, we don’t have many excuses.  

In the end, I wholeheartedly believe that an engaging learning experience that incorporates all subjects will not only prepare students to pass a standardized exam but will prepare students to be better people and citizens of their community.  

To read the New York Times article I referenced, click on the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/04/education/in-fieldston-school-course-all-of-new-york-is-a-classroom.html?smid=tw-share

Share your thoughts and comments below.

Creating Spaces for Learning

Final exams are upon us and with reviews out of the way, my students and I took the opportunity to enjoy some "creative play" time.  The focus for our final two days of instruction was to answer this question: How do you define LEARNING?

The definitions, as you can imagine, were wonderful and varied.  Several students seemed to answer with the exact dictionary definition, but others add terms like "teaching" and "application" to their definitions. I actually scribbled down my own definition only to scratch it out after hearing how deeply my students thought about theirs. 

However, we ended this conversation wondering if LEARNING is restricted to certain spaces or if we, as learners, restrict our own learning based on the spaces we occupy. 

To answer this question, then, I set up stations in my room where students were able to "creatively play" several different video games.  On one television students were building in Minecraft.  On another television, students were creating goo bridges in World of Goo.  And on a final set, students were applying physics knowledge in Portal.

So what did they learn?  Some student testimonials...

"In Minecraft, I learned how to use resources to build new things."
"In World of Goo, I learned to use anything I could find to get to my destination."
"In Portal, you have to think about forward momentum and think about how to solve the puzzle...think outside the box."

Though I gave my students only a brief opportunity to be creative in these virtual spaces, I think it's safe to say that we create our own spaces for LEARNING!  Even in spaces that attempt to restrict our learning, we can create our own opportunities to learn.  With these video games, the game designers have created a space with rules and limitations, but the students found ways to learn inside those spaces.  As teachers, we must create and cultivate spaces in our classrooms that allow students be creative because they will, quite honestly, create their own spaces without us!  

Welcome to Caine's Arcade

At a recent Literacy Team meeting, my colleagues and I discussed the unlimited possibilities that Project Based Learning and the Common Core can bring to the classroom.  We listened to, discussed, argued, and complimented project ideas from kindergarten to eleventh grade.  But over the course of the morning, the one common thread that was evident from the teachers and students was CREATIVITY. 

Caine's Arcade is a wonderful example of the creative possibilities that exist in our students.  Caine's Arcade is project based learning.  Caine's Arcade is the common core.  Caine's Arcade is creativity, imagination, problem solving, dedication and entrepreneurship at work simultaneously.   

As we strive to create opportunities for our students to think critically, be creative, communicate effectively, and collaborate with peers, keep Caine's Arcade in mind.  I promise...if you watch the video it will be difficult not to!

Visit www.cainesarcade.com to learn more about this wonderful story.

Keeping it Simple!

As the end of the school year is upon us, I'm noticing a wide range of changes that are taking place in my own school district.  With budget cuts already causing discussion and the uncertainty of class schedules and teacher placements weighing heavily on our shoulders, I'm reminded of some simple advice an administrator gave to me several years ago: Keep It Simple...Shane!

These words echo in my mind at the end of each school year when the pressure begins to build, but this year I hear them louder than ever before.  And in looking to next year, here's how I'll keep it simple:

• Keep a simple focus on the "stuff" that needs to be finished by the end of the year.  Grades, report cards, and goodbyes are all part of the job.  

• Reflect on the successes of the year and don't dwell on the failures. 

•  Identify some simple things to improve upon for next year.  (I'll probably make a list and keep in in my wallet or iPad or phone so I don't forget!)

• Don't sweat the small stuff!  

I suppose these things might seem like common sense, but when the hustle and bustle of our daily lives starts to take over,  it's comforting to be reminded of these simple ideas.  Sometimes, keeping it simple can take us a long way! 

New Teacher Evaluations

As part of a project through Cleveland State University, a group of teachers, administrators, and guidance counselors spent some time discussing the Entry Year Teacher Program for the State of Ohio.  New teachers are considered Resident Educators and are required to attend a series of meetings and go through a series of activities before they can move on to their next year of teaching.  

In our group, we discussed some of the benefits of this new program but also focused on some of the areas in which this program could be improved.  In part, we developed some great recommendations:

• Entry year teacher programs should focus more on and emphasize collaboration through Teacher Based Teams and other professional learning communities.  DuFour's work is essential! 
• Entry year teacher programs need not focus on the basics and fundamentals of teaching that are learned in college education programs and instead focus on state and school district initiatives.
• Entry year teachers should be evaluated by a Mentor teacher and an Administrator throughout the year to support the teacher and to identify growth.
•  Entry year teacher programs should not be filled with busy work that takes away from the already hectic first year of any new teacher.

As principals and teachers enter into a new era of accountability with new evaluation procedures already in writing, it is important to keep things simple.  While much of what we see on paper looks excellent, in practice it might be unbearable.  With new teachers in mind, giving the highest levels of support will go a long way in paving the way for a successful career.

For more information on the Entry Year Teacher Programs in the State of Ohio, go to www.state.oh.us.  Feel free to comment on this post and let me know your own ideas on teacher evaluations. 

My Case for Interactive Fiction - Part III

In this final post to make my case for interactive fiction, I am sharing a video by leading games researcher James Paul Gee.  While Gee will share his credentials during the video, his seminal book What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning and Literacy is a must read for any teacher or leader who is interested in using interactive fiction, media, or video games as a learning tool in the classroom. Enjoy!

Being Twitter-versed

While there are websites, blogs, podcasts, etc. that stress the usefulness of Twitter in business and education, I wanted to take a few moments to share how I use Twitter in my classroom.  As a teacher and school leader, I am relatively new to the Twitter game, but it has had a meaningful impact on how I view my world. 

Professional Development

As a tool for professional development, nothing can beat Twitter.  Gone are the days of the old sit-and-get professional development. With Twitter, I can find the professional development that I need and that I want without much searching.  With Twitter, the professional development comes to me; albeit it comes to me 24 hours a day!  This, however, is a good thing.  When we as teachers and leaders stop thinking about PD as a full day in the auditorium, we can really start catering to the needs of the teachers and ultimately the students. 

Professional Learning Community

While my district has structurally manufactured times for small teams to meet on a regular basis, I have found that Twitter has expanded my community outside the walls of my school.  While I follow my colleagues and they follow me, I also follow many other people in the educational world.  With this constant ability to share information amongst each other, I have found myself sharing with the history department at our school more than I ever had before.  This is a real professional learning community. 

Communication/Collaboration

As a teacher, I was hesitant about using Twitter because of all the “old fears.”  What I’ve found, though, is that the students who follow me appreciate the updates I give about grades, assignments, and projects.  Along with those updates, though, the students also get insight into my profession.  They receive my tweets about using the Common Core.  They receive my tweets about using video games in the classroom.  And the more they can see me as a teacher who is constantly learning and sharing, they too will become people who are constantly learning and sharing.  This is true communication and collaboration! 

Well, enough for today.  Find my name @SSullivanLHS on Twitter and follow me if you would like to become part of a growing community of educators committed to excellent teaching and leadership. 

Making a Case for Interactive Fiction - Part II

After a decade long push for “proficiency” in education, the transition to college and career ready standards is quickly working through school districts across the country.  In my district, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication has become the central focus in every classroom; it is these skills that students need most to compete in the academic and business worlds they will encounter when they graduate from high school.  And in my opinion, there is no better time to turn our attention to interactive fiction. 

Collaboration/Communication

The majority of today’s top selling video games have some sort of multi-player component.  And in many cases, the multi-player component is the primary reason players buy the game.  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, for example, made a billion dollars after only 16 days when it was released in late 2011. 

So what’s the draw?  Communication and collaboration!

Games like Modern Warefare 3 or World of Warcraft provide players with opportunities to communicate and collaborate in an environment that is unlike the one they live in every day.  Players can communicate and collaborate with other players from around the world to carry out objectives and reach goals. The players are forced to use clear communication skills in order to sustain team objectives and initiatives.  (In my world this sounds like a professional learning community!)

In the end, it is these types of communication and collaboration skills that colleges and businesses are expecting our students to know...and video games are teaching them!

Creativity

While one argument against interactive fiction is that it limits the creative capacity of the players because the world is already created for him/her, games like Minecraft give players an unlimited amount of resources to create a brand new world.  

Minecraft allows players to create items and objects to use in the game world with only the resources that they can harvest in the game.  As many RPG games allow players to craft items, Minecraft provides players with an opportunity to truly stretch the limits or their creativity to populate a new world. 

Similar arguments can be made for the multi-player components of games like Halo: Reach.  In many of these types of games, players can create maps for use in multi-player games.  With trial and error, players create maps that are both challenging and enjoyable and stretch the limits of their creativity.

Critical Thinking

There are many times that I sit down to play a game to simply allow myself to be immersed in a new world.  However, there are other times when I sit down to play a game and want to think critically.  With games like Portal 2, Myst, or World of Goo, I get the opportunity to think deeply about how to solve difficult puzzles and problems.  

These games give players a chance to solve difficult puzzles and problems within the confines of the game world.  While there may be more than one way to solve the problem, players use trial and error to find a solution that works to advance to the next level.  This type of critical thinking, along with immersive interaction, it what keeps players engrossed in these types of games.  

With all this said, it's time that we meet our students where they are.  We know they go home at night and play video games.  Let's begin to use their knowledge of interactive fiction to teach collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking.  It's time to start making the case for interactive fiction! 

Making a Case for Interactive Fiction - Part 1

I’ll wholeheartedly admit it, Atticus Finch is my hero!  To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the novels I look forward to reading each year with my freshman students.  Integrity, character, and standing up for what’s right are concepts that students seem to understand through Atticus’s struggles while defending Tom Robinson in a community that is seemingly against him.  To Kill a Mockingbird is undoubtedly a wonderful novel.  But I have another admission: Sometimes I need more! 

And I’m not alone.  Over the last five years, I’ve heard excellent discussion amongst my students about character and story development from reading To Kill a Mockingbird, but the “real” conversations about these topics takes place after class is over—when students crowd around my desk to talk about video games.  It is in these conversations that my students skillfully analyze character and story through interactive fiction.  It is from these conversations that I slowly realized that my students demand more interaction with characters and story than a novel can provide. 

As the increase in technology pushes our capabilities of teaching in the classroom, it also increases the level of collaboration and interaction students have with each other and the world.  Growing up with Twitter and Facebook, today’s students need interaction in order to understand and make sense of the world around them.  The same is true in the classroom.  Reading a book “the old fashioned way” doesn’t offer the same level of interaction that our students have grown up enjoying; it just doesn't seem as relevant.

Over the course of the last twenty years, video game technology has also improved from the seemingly archaic visuals, characters and settings of the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System to lush, vibrant vistas of the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.  These artfully rendered games immerse players into a world that a written novel could not begin to describe.  Look at the Playstation 3 downloadable title Flower for example.  In this game you play the role of a flower petal seeking to re-populate a world devoid of color.  Using the intuitive controls, players are able to engage in a truly unique, "Zen-like" experience. 

In the end, as a teacher seeking a relevant entry point for students to engage in literature, I can't deny the power and influence of video games.  While there are many games on the market that I would not use in my classroom, there are twice as many that I would.  The same could be said for books, of course.  Regardless, I know the majority of my students are playing video games at home with greater regularity than they read books.  And with that said, it's time to start making the case for interactive fiction!

Battelle For Kids - Common Core Verticle Progression Training

As the deadline for the full implementation of the Common Core draws closer, I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend professional development dedicated to "unwrapping" the Common Core standards in order to make them easier to implement in the classroom. 

With some major shifts in focus and rigor, I am looking forward to pushing my students to think creatively and collaboratively.  Today, at the ESC of Cuyahoga County, I took part in a Battelle For Kids sponsored training that presented the vertical progression of the Common Core in English Language Arts.  And I must admit, there is much work to be done. 

So what does all this mean?  This is the beginning of a very exciting shift in how we teacher our students.  Using technology to add depth to they types of lessons I teach is certainly appealing.  The expectations are greater, the rigor is increased, and the urgency is clear. 

I'm excited to experience the future with the Common Core! 

ETech Ohio Conference...reactions

Blogging from the ETech Ohio Conference!

9:00 - Batelle Hall is jam packed with teachers and educational leaders waiting to hear Dr. Michio Kaku discuss education and technology in the next 20 years. He has a long list of credentials and has an excited crowd. Looks to be a great start to the day.

Predictions are difficult to make...
1. Augmented Reality - unlimited virtual information imposed on reality (the Internet will be everywhere, all the time)
2. Intelligent paper, intelligent glass (doctors, lawyers, mechanics in the wallpaper)
3. Classrooms of the future - learning in a holo deck
4. Office of the future - the computer is nothing, the scribble is everything, flexible screens
5. Cars will drive themselves using GPS, radar, and computer chips

To see and hear more from Dr. Michio Kaku, visit http://mkaku.org/

10:45 - Shut up and Teach! Nevin Jenkins
Jenkins focuses on removing The teacher from the front of the room and creating collaborative learning spaces for students.

1 If students don't know something, teach them to find it!
2. Project Based Learning
3. Kahn Academy
4. Show Me (iPad)
5. It's about the conversation!

Great presentation! Jenkins is truly leading the charge to teach 21st century skills in the classroom.

1:00 - Game Design Fundamentals

As an avid gamer and believer that video games can teach 21st century skills, I'm excited for this one!

A good presentation that focused on board game design and the use of board games in the classroom. Discussion of strategy, tactics, and mechanics were primary areas of focus. This was part one of a two part presentation.

Visit www.gamestarmechanic.com for more info.  

2:30 - Why Games?  How Playing Games Can Help Us Be Better Learners

What a fantastic session!  Colleen Macklin, professor at the New School For Design in NYC discussed how using video games in the classroom can improve teaching and learning.  Macklin discussed using games like Portal, Stacking, Katamari, and Minecraft as entry points to hook reluctant learners into making the most of their "game time."

To learn more about Colleen Macklin, click on the link:  http://ctm.parsons.edu/people/colleen-macklin/

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Overall, a great day at the ETech conference! I know there is much more to see and learn, but I am only here one day.  A congratulations is in order for Sean Wheeler and the 2.0 team for presenting their Wikiseat project and inspiring teachers across Ohio.

New Year's Resolutions for a Principal in Training

It's been a while since my last post, but the new year brings with it much opportunity to forget about the woes of 2011. As a welcome back post to myself and all readers of my blog, I wanted to share my top 5 new year's resolutions for a principal in training.

5. Communicate better with my staff - While I am the chairman of the best English department in the world, I sometimes feel as though I could communicate with them more clearly the initiatives our principal and district leaders are hoping to implement this year.

4. Eat a healthy breakfast - I'm guilty of being one of the first teachers in my school in the morning and one of the last teachers to leave at night. For that reason alone, I just don't eat breakfast. By noon each day, I've hit the wall and feel like a teacher zombie!

3. Effective TBT meetings - As this time of year brings with it semester exams and grades, I want to work in my Teacher Based Team more efficiently and effectively.

2. Common Core - As the 2014 deadline approaches, I want to learn more about the Common Core and help my staff to align our existing curriculum to the new Core Standards.

1. Spend more time with my daughter! - She's the best and growing everyday. While I am a work-a-holic, I want to make sure that my daughter gets all of my attention as she approaches her 2nd birthday.

There you have it! I know these are great resolutions for a principal in training and I know they are achievable. I just hope I don't keep adding to the list!