Are We Truly Ready For The Common Core?

Are We Truly Ready for the Common Core?

In a recent Education Week article, Math and Science teachers were surveyed to highlight their preparedness for the implementation of the Common Core.  Overwhelmingly the teachers surveyed cited a “mismatch seen in classroom practice and standards.”  Over the last month, I’ve had an opportunity to meet with English teachers from neighboring school districts to discuss the Common Core and how each of our districts is handling the transition from outdated standards to standards that raise expectations in every classroom. 

While all of us agree that the Common Core presents a very new set of challenges for teachers, we discovered that there is still much work to be done.  So how do we know when we are truly ready for the Common Core? 

Here are my thoughts:

·         Common Language – When a school’s students and teachers are speaking the language of the Common Core, chances are they understand the rigor behind it.  Deeply examining the Common Core and understanding the expectations embedded within are fundamental steps in this transition process.

·         Assessments – When teachers have prepared assessments that reflect the rigorous expectations of the common core, chances are that they are thinking with backward design in mind.  An assessment aligned with the Common Core must reflect the standard(s) that are being addressed.  The standard shouldn’t just be tacked on as an afterthought. 

·         Collaboration – When teachers are collaborating and sharing lessons, assessments, and strategies that reflect the common core, chances are they understand how to meet the expectations that the Common Core sets for students. 

In the end, every teacher will need to look deeply at his/her instructional practices to determine if changes truly need to be made.  One thing is for sure, good teaching is good teaching.  If the wheel is turning smoothly, there is no reason to reinvent it!  However, the Common Core asks much more from our students than ever before.  Administrators and teachers must work together to be sure our students are ready to tackle the rigorous expectations. 

The Metagame! Teaching Argument and Debate

I'll be presenting the Metagame as a tool to teach argument and debate in the English/Language Arts classroom at the Ohio Educational Technology Conference on Tuesday.  Below is a little bit about the game and how I've used it in my classroom.  

The Metagame is a card game where students can create arguments around specific questions in connection to specific video games.  In my classroom, I posted our daily Metagame video game cards and question card in a Moodle forum and students created their arguments.  Additionally, students were required to respond to a classmate's post.  For our in-class sessions, students went head-to-head and presented their arguments in front of the class.  This was an excellent teaching tool to focus on creating clear arguments and responding to other perspectives.

Watch the video below to get a good idea of what the game looks like and how to play the Metagame! 

The Metagame was designed by @localno12 and is available on Amazon.com.  Expansion deck #1 is also available now! 

Teaching With Games - Resource Page

Attached is the resource page I will be providing at the upcoming Ohio Educational Technology Conference in Columbus, Ohio.  I hope it is useful for those educators who are just getting started using games in the classroom and want some place to begin their research and planning.   

ESRB Ratings:

To learn more about the Entertainment Software Ratings Board and the ratings they give to popular video games, go to www.esrb.org.  There you will find detailed information on how games are rated, what each rating means, and lists of popular PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and PC games and their ratings. 

Online Resources:

The websites below offer excellent information about games, the gaming industry, and current gaming trends.  Each of the sites below also provides great weekly podcasts discussing current information about gaming. 

www.gameinformer.com

www.ign.com

www.gamespot.com

www.joystiq.com

Print Resources:

Most of the books below can be found on Amazon.com for less than ten dollars!  It is worth the time to consider a few of these titles if you plan to use video games as a teaching tool in your classroom.

Bissell, Tom. Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter.  New York: Pantheon Books, 2010. 

*Chatfield, Tom.  Fun Inc.: Why Gaming Will Dominate the 21^st Century. New York: Pegasus Books, 2010.

*Gee, J.P. What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York: Palgrave

                Macmillan, 2003.

*Hutchison, David. Playing to Learn. Connecticut: Teacher Ideas Press, 2007. 

Kent, Steven L. The Ultimate History of Video Games. New York: The Rivers Press, 2001.

Krawczyk and Novak. Game Development Essentials: Game Story and Character Development.

McGonigal, Jane.  Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change The

               

                World. New York: The Penguin Press, 2012.

Melissinos, Chris. The Art of Video Games: From Pac-Man to Mass Effect. New York:

               

                Welcome Books, 2012. 

Poole, Steven.  Trigger Happy: The Inner Life of Video Games. London: Fourth Estate, 2000.

*Prensky, Marc. Don’t Bother Me Mom—I’m Learning! Minnesota: Paragon House, 2006

*Sheldon, Lee. Character Development and Storytelling for Games. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2004

Simpson, Elizabeth S.  “Evolution in the Classroom: What Teachers Need to Know About the Video

                Game Generation.”  Tech Trends: Vol. 49, Number 5. (2005).

Squire, Kurt. “Changing the Game: What Happens When Video Games Enter the Classroom?” Journal of

                Online Education: Vol. 1, Issue 6.  Aug/Sept 2005.

Games:

Below is a list of some of the games that I used in the Great Literature/Great Games course.  Be sure to check the ESRB ratings before using any games in your classroom. 

Bioshock (Xbox 360/PS3)

Skyrim (Xbox 360/PS3)

Call of Duty: World at War (Xbox 360/PS3)

Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360/PS3)

Heavy Rain (PS3)

Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360/PS3)

Fallout 3 (Xbox 360/PS3)

I am Alive (PS3/Xbox 360)

Lost in Shadows (Wii)

Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon (Wii)

Journey (PS3)

Flower (PS3)

The Unfinished Swan (PS3/Xbox 360)

Metagame: The Game Debate Game (Card game available on Amazon.com through Local No. 12)

Journey (PS3) - Lesson Ideas

In preparation for the upcoming eTech Conference in Columbus, Ohio, I will be posting lesson ideas and information for various games that will be discussed at the conference.  Enjoy! 

Journey (PS3)

“An exotic adventure with a more serious tone, Journey presents a unique vision of an online adventure experience. Awakening in an unknown world, the player walks, glides, and flies through a vast and awe-inspiring landscape, while discovering the history of an ancient, mysterious civilization along the way. Journey's innovative approach to online play encourages players to explore this environment with strangers who cross their path from time to time. By traveling together, they can re-shape the experience -- creating authentic moments they will remember and discuss with others”(www.ign.com).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Argumentative/Persuasive Writing

Common Core Standard: (W.11-12.1) Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Lesson: In March 2012, the Smithsonian opened an exhibit called “The Art of Video Games.”  Journey, a game featured in this exhibit, is as beautiful as it is engaging. To focus on persuasive/argumentative writing, students can, after playing the game, debate whether or not Journey should be considered art.  Students may need work through a definition of art before considering this topic, but should be able to pull evidence from the game to support their arguments. 

Citing the game’s visuals, game play, immersion, etc., students can write/create/present their arguments answering the question: Is this game art? 

Teacher Resources: The Art of Video Games: From Pac-Man to Mass Effect by Chris Melissinos and Patrick O’Rourke

Narrative Writing

Common Core Standard: (W.11-12.3) Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

Lesson: Unlike literature and most games, dialogue in Journey is limited to short sounds emitted by the player character and the occasional symbol found in the game world.  From the point of view of your character, write a narrative that tells your character’s story in one level of the game.  Provide a voice to your character by providing dialogue between your character and another character in the story.  (You could even break your class into small groups to create stories for each level of the game then combine the story for a collaborative writing assignment.) 

Teacher Resource: Character Development and Storytelling for Games by Lee Sheldon

Informative Writing:

Common Core Standard: (W.11-12.2) Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

Lesson: After playing Journey, students should play through the game again with a critical eye to create (written or digital) a strategy or walkthrough guide for other players who are seeking to make the most of their experience playing this game.  While walkthroughs are very prevalent on Youtube and other gaming sites, students can create their own guides that reflect their experiences.   Previewing some of these guides before writing is a useful strategy to help students frame their own writing. 

Teacher Resources: Playing to Learn: Video Games in the Classroom by David Hutchison

My RULES For Using Games in the Classroom

With so much discussion lately about President Obama's sweeping reforms to existing gun legislation, especially the mention of discourse around violent video games, I felt it appropriate to address some of the "common sense" rules that I use when deciding to use a video game in my classroom. 

To be clear, these rules are my rules and only apply to my classroom.  While they may be applicable to other classrooms, they can provide a framework or guide for you to create your own rules. 

1. Understand and follow the ESRB! - The Electronics Software Ratings Board goes to great lengths to rate video games for appropriate age levels.  Understanding these ratings and the ratings process will help you create a list of games appropriate for your classroom.  Go to www.esrb.org for more information.  
2. Tied to the Common Core! - Using video games are a great way to engage students, but the game must be tied to the standards you are teaching in your class.  Choosing a video game to fill time or as an easy reward will diminish the impact the game could actually have on your students' learning. 
3. Research Appropriate Games! - If you haven't played a game, don't use it in your class!  Research games you plan to use before actually using them in class.  Watch walkthroughs of the game on YouTube or read reviews from several different websites. Gathering information about the game will only help you to prepare lessons for that game in your classroom. 
4. Listen to your students! - If your students are discussing a game, take note.  More often than not you will find that the students can help you create lessons around a game.  Minecraft is a good example of this.  Ask students what they know about a game then research it on your own to determine if it is appropriate for use in your class. 
5. Correspond with Parents! - In light of the recent controversy surrounding violence in the media and video games, it is appropriate to explain to parents why you are using a game in class and to explain your plans, the standards you address, and the outcomes of the lessons. 

Using video games as learning tools can engage students and create a learning environment that is not only academically rigorous but also fun.  Following the rules above will help teachers to make educated decisions about using video games as learning tools.  It's important to remember that the majority of video games on the market are not violent and do not fall into the Mature category.  It's up to the teacher to discover the appropriate games to engage students. 

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!