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Math Resource

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Desmos offers best-in-class calculators, digital math activities, and curriculum to help every student love math and love learning math.

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Inquiry Learning

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This collection includes apps that focus on what I believe are the best possible ways to integrate tech in the math classroom (with the inquiry-based approach that I'm so passionate about).

The goals here are:
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VISUALIZING with virtual manipulatives

INVESTIGATING tricky math concepts

INTERACTING & EXPLORING by dragging components, tweaking variables, and finding patterns

Through these methods with these apps, students can make discoveries for themselves and visualize and understand properties that are difficult to see as clearly without technology.

Although I just posted recently that I strongly believe that the classroom needs to be rooted in pen and paper, that does not mean that our students need to be stuck in an era before technology. There is nothing wrong with allowing eager learners the ability to take advantage of living in the 21st century. In fact, that is part of what education is all about. Improving ways to teach, learn, and grow is how we make the world a better place.

I think the most effective way to integrate technology in a math classroom in the 21st century is to use interactive apps that allow students to explore, investigate, manipulate, and visualize properties.

Allowing children and young adults to explore math through virtual tools is amazing. They can discover new connections by engaging on new levels which will increase their academic success. Most of us grew up in classrooms with limited technology. Just a few decades ago there was typically only one computer lab for the whole school and we all took turns getting to experience the cutting edge technology of DOS, Windows and Macintosh.
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This was the birth of technology in the classroom; integrating virtual lessons to enhance our comprehension while having fun. And those were the days that were the best. When it was your classroom's turn to play Number Munchers, you were having a great day at school. You could sharpen your basic math skills while playing video games, which was living and learning in the future to our parents. Not to mention a ton of fun for us kids.

Adding excitement helps improve the ability to learn through increased engagement.

Our kids get the same thrill and benefit of having technology in their classrooms as well. Even though the technology has grown leaps and bounds since we were in grade school, the feeling is the same. We are instantly more enthusiastic when we are able to explore concepts through other platforms.

1. GeoGebra - It's no secret that I love GeoGebra. Their application of dynamic mathematics software is great for all levels of education. It brings together geometry, algebra, spreadsheets, graphing, statistics and calculus in one easy-to-use package.

2. Ooops App - This "Order of Operations" activity is a fun way to practice the order of math equations and problem solving. This addictive game app sharpens math skills as well as cognitive development and critical thinking for any algebra students.

3. Hands-On Equations - Just like it sounds, this Hands-On app allows you to interact with algebra with games and lessons. Students will have fun with the experience of having success with sophisticated algebraic equations.

4. Attributes by Math Doodles - Discover the joy, wonder, and fun of mathematics through patterns and interactive puzzles while using different parts of your brain. The key to understanding math is understanding patterns. That's why this app is perfect for exploring math. In a brain-based approach like my own favorite Math Doodle Notes, students get to creatively use both hemispheres of their brain while learning basic and complex concepts.

5. Algebra Touch - Students really get a hands on feel with this app. Using the touchscreen technology you can manipulate algebraic equations, such as isolating variable by dragging X's and Y's to either side of the equation. It's a perfect all levels of algebra, from beginners to advanced.

6. Geometry Pad - For a more advanced geometry student, this app packs tons of benefits. Students and teachers can use it in class for a deeper understanding of geometric concepts. Easily create complex geometric sketches, measure everything you have in a document, and experiment with shapes and transformations.
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7.PhET Interactive Simulations: Math - "Beautiful and responsive tools bring light to tricky math concepts." This free app is great for students and teachers in beginner or advanced math subjects. It includes a draggable "Trig Tour," an interactive "Function Builder," curve fitting and graphing apps, and more!

​Technology will never fully replace performing math by hand, yet it is a fantastic way to explore mathematical concepts. I hope some of these help build your students understanding of higher-level math concepts! Share your own favorites in the comments area below to help us discover more great apps!

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Discovery / Inquiry Apps for Visualizing and Exploring Math Concepts

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This collection includes apps that focus on what I believe are the best possible ways to integrate tech in the math classroom (with the inquiry-based approach that I'm so passionate about).

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Loads of Math Games

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All of the most popular resources and websites for teaching mathematics in the classroom. Includes math games, fact fluency, curriculum, teaching tools, online calculators, and more!

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One of the innovative programs he has introduced in his classroom is Breakout EDU, which applies the concept of escape room games and to classroom activities.

Breakout EDU offers hundreds of learning activities that are presented in the style of an escape room game, complete with a backstory and a series of academically-aligned challenges that students must solve by working together. Successfully completing a challenge reveals information needed to complete a further challenge, until students reach the game's conclusion.

"Doing a Breakout EDU game is a great way to wrap up an instructional unit. Rather than end with a 30-question multiple choice test after a history lesson on Lewis and Clark, I might have students work together to solve a game using the knowledge they've acquired over the course of the unit," Piercey says. "I've found this is a much better way for students not only to demonstrate their learning, but to acquire many other skills as well."
Teaching Collaborative Problem Solving
The Breakout EDU kit includes lockable boxes, five types of resettable locks, an invisible ink pen, a UV flashlight for reading invisible ink, hint cards for when students need help, and other materials needed to set up and play the games. An online platform includes digital games that students can play, as well.

Teachers can choose from hundreds of pre-made activities spanning every subject area, or they can create their own learning challenges using the game materials provided. Additionally, teachers can gain unlimited access to hundreds of Breakout EDU games by subscribing to full platform access!

As an elementary teacher responsible for multiple subject areas, Piercey appreciates the cross-curricular nature of the Breakout EDU games. For example, in one game, students read a poem that refers to area and perimeter. The students must infer that they're supposed to calculate the area and perimeter of another object they find in the game, and the numbers they get are the combination to a locked box.

By working together to complete these challenges, students aren't just reinforcing their core curricular knowledge; they're also learning collaborative problem solving skills that will benefit them in whatever field they choose.

"The biggest thing I think they get out of Breakout EDU is learning how to work well with others," Piercey explains. "When I run a Breakout EDU game in my classroom, I don't assign roles to students. Instead, I want the students to figure out how to work together and what role they can best play throughout the game. The only thing I'll say at the outset of a game is that everybody has a voice, so make sure you're respecting your classmates and listening to what they have to say in order to solve the challenge."

He adds: "For many students, this is the first time they've had to think critically, work with others, and listen to others. And I've found this is where many students realize they have leadership abilities that they didn't know they had."
Nontraditional Learning

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Reaching Even the Most Challenging Students

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Reaching Even the Most Challenging Students Nearly every teacher has had at least one student who just doesn't seem engaged. Maybe they're bored with school, or they're focused on challenges at home-or maybe they lack the confidence to even try. Elementary school teacher Donnie Piercey was struggl

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Learning Styles in Doubt?

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(and an Intro to the Theory that is a More Accurate Representation of How to Teach)

You may already be balking at the thought that everything that was taught about learning styles could possibly be wrong. But that's exactly what the case may be. We turn to cognitive psychologist, Dr. Josh Cuevas, Ph.D of Educational Psychology at the University of North George for some answers and much needed research.

"Five years ago a team of highly respected cognitive psychologists (Pashler, McDaniel, Rohrer, & Bjork, 2009) published what should have been a bombshell in a rational world. They identified the type of evidence necessary to confirm the learning styles hypothesis and then went about searching for studies that could provide that sort of evidence, ultimately finding none. None ."

​He later continues that "What Pashler et al. (2009) found was that there was virtually no research at all to support the existence of learning styles or their impact on student learning. A handful of other researchers have recently examined the literature and have come to similar conclusions." ( source).

One of the main reasons is simple: input overload. Our brains have a certain encoding process. Studies have long determined, with high amounts of certainty, that our brains have two hemispheres, the left which is responsible for language functions and the right that is mostly used for spatial reasoning and visuospatial processing. And that is exactly the part of our cognition where the myth of learning styles lies.

When you tailor a lesson or even a tutoring session to a student who is thought to learn by language better than auditory stimulation, they can get overloaded. Our synapses can only hold so much information. The brain is easily inundated with too much information in one hemisphere and therefore "dumps" important information into temporary or even unnecessary compartments of memory. The area that stores that particular type of input will overflow before it can convert it into long-term memory. Therefore, students retain far less information than they would if the lesson was balanced.

That means no matter what way a person learns best, if any one given area of the brain is overstimulated, information is lost. Even if someone thrives on language, when they're bombarded with words and powerpoints with even more words as text, their language conduits are overloaded.

As Dr. Cuevas states, "Think about what it would be like if your spouse were to talk to you about dinner while two kids explained their encounter with the neighbor's puppy as you're trying to read this. Not so good for processing."

​When you can access both hemispheres at the same time while learning there is no overload. It's a shared experience in the brain.

When we can activate both the right (artsy) hemisphere of the brain and the left (logical) side of the brain at the same time, the two hemispheres communicate across the corpus callosum.

Further insight from Dr. Cuevas states, "These results, with all participants performing better in the visual condition and worse in the auditory condition, are exactly what dual coding does predict. When the participants were provided with stimuli that required them to use imagery and activate the visuo-spatial areas of the right cerebral hemisphere, in addition to using the left, they remembered more of what they were exposed to.

The pictures they created in their heads to go along with the word helped them to remember more information than those who just focused on the words and the sound of them."

In essence, Dual Coding Theory tells us that graphic input and linguistic input are stored in two completely different areas of the brain. The two sets of information are processed there in short term memory. However, we can increase the chances of that information being retained (converted to long-term memory) by building connections between the two.

When we integrate images and text (like in a visual note taking strategy), we help students build a stronger understanding of each concept AND a stronger understanding of the relationships between the terms and ideas!

When I create visual analogies for a doodle note lesson, the goal is to help students understand and retain concepts. I call these "visual memory triggers," because they help students to recall and differentiate between ideas.

​The doodle note strategy allows students to interact with their lesson notes using both hemispheres of their brains. Kids can color, draw, doodle, highlight, and embellish the page to get the most of the visual input and interact through embedded student tasks.

For the commutative property, I teach students to remember the word "commute" and place one letter per window of the bus. They remember that was the one for the property that moves variables "back and forth."

For surface area vs. volume, I use a paintbrush and a pool. Students remember that the term "surface area" can be split into two words - one for the handle of the paintbrush and one for the bristles. They keep it straight from volume by knowing that was the one that covers the outside of the shape like painting.

For a three-layer reading strategy, the visual analogy is a cake with layers. Students fill in what to do on each re-read of the text, and then they remember that this particular method requires reading in "layers."

There are so many ways to teach and so many ways to learn. And there is no way to know how to teach students across the board. No one thought, construct, or theory should be a defining factor. After learning more and more about the research behind cross-lateral exercises for the brain, I've become convinced that our students need to be activating the right hemisphere of the brain in math class. The proven benefits of communication between the two hemispheres of the brain include focus, learning, memory / retention, and even relaxation. We constantly need to strive for what's best for our students.

So take a break from trying to meet all learning styles, and offer your students strategies like doodle notes, which fit the research behind visual learning and dual coding theory.

I developed the doodle note teaching strategy to encourage left and right brain communication, blend visual and text input, and offer increased focus and retention of the lesson content.

Looking for more teaching articles, ideas, inspiration, brain research, printable resources, and more? Enter your email below to get math teaching materials and Math Giraffe updates right in your inbox.

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The Surprising Truth About Learning Styles

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(and an Intro to the Theory that is a More Accurate Representation of How to Teach) You may already be balking at the thought that everything that was taught about learning styles could possibly be wrong. But that's exactly what the case may be.

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Teaching Gen Z

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​"Kids these days!"

"Ugh- teenagers!"

Don't be that adult. Although each generation is different, as teachers, we need to see both sides- the pros and the cons. We need to look past our own biases. Realize that even though teens and pre-teens exhibit differences from your generation, not all differences are negative. I'm sure our generation wasn't all rainbows and butterflies as teens, either!

Julian Krinsky Camps and Programs shares the definition of Generation Z. "Generation Z refers to young people who were born between 1996 and 2014. This generation stands out from the previous generations - millennials and generation X - for a ton of reasons..."

So let's dive into Generation Z! We'll discuss what characteristics they exhibit, why they exhibit these characteristics, and how we can adjust our teaching to overcome the challenges and enhance the positive features.

Explanations of Characteristics of Gen Z

Today's teens and pre-teens are full of characteristics- both good and bad. It's important to lay it all out, so you can analyze them. See if any of these resonate with your Gen Z students' characteristics, ( Hint: they will), and how some of these characteristics are interconnected.

Greater Awareness of Technology

Let's start with the obvious, and what first popped into your mind. It's probably not a surprise to you to hear that this generation has essentially unlimited access to technology, so they have greater awareness and a greater understanding of how it works and can improve life. Pearson Education shares that "while Millennials used three screens on average, Gen Z students frequently use up to five. Most use a smartphone, TV, laptop, desktop, and a tablet. These devices occupy ten hours of Gen Z's daily activity." TEN HOURS!

They understand technology, and use it constantly.

They were born with the internet, and will never know life without it. They have always had all the information they needed right at their fingertips. This segues us right to the next characteristic!

Need for Instant Gratification

Do your students turn in an assignment and expect it graded and handed back the next class period? This is because they are so accustomed to instant gratification.

Pearson Education talks about the way technology consumes Gen Z's time. "The constant stimulation and access to all the world's information at their fingertips has given them an eight-second attention span and has trained their brains to expect instant gratification."

Even when analyzing their behavior as consumers, this generation demands instant gratification. "A few decades ago, quality was the most prized attribute. Then it became "quick and easy." In the current environment, the demand is for "right now;" according to Huff Post.

Tendencies Toward Attitudes of Entitlement

You might recognize this trait in your own students. The Odyssey shares, "The biggest criticism of Generation Z would be that they are an entitled group of individuals who expect people to cater to them. They are often associated with narcissism and how their narcissistic entitlement leads them to believe good things will come their way because they are deserving of them. Some might also harshly label them as clueless as to how the real world operates."

Not only do they want their assignments graded and handed back instantly, but they expect it. Of course, not all young people have this characteristic. But more and more, we need to specifically teach AGAINST this attitude in order to prevent it. Without being on guard for entitled attitudes and constantly addressing this, we as parents and teachers may allow kids to default to feeling entitled. Luckily, we can combat this by teaching gratitude.

Do your students ever turn in work late, and expect it to be ok? This goes hand in hand with entitlement. Many students may expect you to cater to their needs.

The worst part is that sometimes even their parents encourage this behavior! I've had countless parents reach out to me, on behalf of their child, and ask for an extension. But for many students, this door does not swing both ways. Some expect teachers to have work graded immediately (pointing back to the instant gratification), even if they turned it in late. It can be really frustrating as a teacher to have a student walk up after only one class period has passed and ask whether you graded the work they handed in earlier that morning that was a week late! We know how often this happens in the current school atmosphere.

Ok, let's get to the positives. We can certainly be aware of the above challenges and how serious they are, and we do need to address them. But the intent here is not to bash today's children. They are wonderful people, and as much as we can criticize their deficiencies (in a very generalized way), we need to praise and admire their beauty!

This group has such promise in so many ways!

Desire to Make a Difference/Create Culture

I don't know about you, but this trait makes me breathe a sigh of relief for the sake of humanity!

The Atlantic tells us Gen z has already shown evidence of an "active social conscience." For example, Afghan teen Malala Yousafzai is an activist for female education around the world. At age 18, she became the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. There are many lesser-known activists, as well.

Read more about Malala here.

These kids and teens CARE about the earth. They have such a strong desire to see the world as a better place in the future. They know how to spring into action and take advantage of the web at their fingertips to use it to impact society.

Independent and Autonomous Tendencies

According to Julian Krinsky Camps and Programs, "they do not rely on their parents as much as previous teen generations did. The reason is that the internet and technologies allow gen Zers to start earning money at much earlier age than their parents."

In fact, many don't have a "typical teenage job," but instead, have a creative side hustle. They do things like teach in-home piano lessons or review video games on youtube, etc. The opportunities are as extensive as their creativity!

By feeding their creative spirits, we can unearth the wonderful passions that will transform the world in the very near future!

Strengths in Visual Learning

Education Week shared an article on Gen Z's preference for Youtube when learning something new. This signals a rise in visual learning; students find it easier to grasp concepts when they have a visual reference.

Gen Z kids can scroll through instagram, send texts, gossip with a friend, and successfully study for a test all at once! Okay, that may be an exaggeration, but you get the idea. Basically, these kids are so accustomed to getting information and entertainment instantly, that they are excellent multi-taskers as a result.

Teaching Generation Z requires thoughtful consideration to both adjust your teaching to overcome the challenges, and take advantage of their positive features.

Solve the Entitlement and Lack of Accountability Problem. My friend, Leah Cleary, wrote an excellent blog post on how she solves the late work problem in her secondary classroom. She shares:

"It's very simple, and it has improved my classroom management and instruction, and above all, my quality of life. Are you ready for it? Here it is:
I don't take late work."

It's simple, yet effectively solves the problem. This idea can span across various situations, like when students expect an assignment handed back instantly. Simply explain to them at the beginning of the school year that you will do your best to keep up with assignments and grading, you want them to succeed, but you have your own life outside of school. They will get it back whenever it fits into your schedule.

Adjust your assessments (when possible). Top Hat tells us we should move towards personalized learning, "It's an approach to education that empowers students to learn by the method, and at the pace, that best suits their individualized learning process. In other words, the default perspective is student rather than the instructor or the curriculum." They do better when assessments are tailored to them.

Incorporate Group Work. Although their tendency towards independence isn't necessarily a bad thing, you want them to be well-rounded individuals and able to communicate offline. Plan lessons that use partners, or small groups, and consider your seating arrangements to make sure collaboration is easy. This generation is used to looking at a screen and typing all communication. Start requiring face-to-face communication and eye contact more than you used to.

Take Advantage of Positive Features

Incorporate Technology/ Personal Devices. "Ohio State University has given out 11,000 iPads to incoming students..." according to Top Hat. As reluctant as you may be to dive into technology, it's really not an opportunity on which you can afford to miss out. Once you consider all of the possible learning benefits for this generation. If your classroom is already 1:1 with devices, look into using educational apps in your lessons, or google classroom. If your room is not 1:1 think of ways you can let your students use their smartphones or share devices in small groups. However, it is crucial that you do not overdo it. I'd highly encourage you to read my post on digital vs. hands-on learning because there are some important findings that you need to take into account before diving headlong into tech overload.

Incorporate social media. For better or worse, this generation is addicted to social media. Why not use this to your advantage? A friend of mine had a college professor who had her students create a twitter account for her course, and tweet summaries of the reading assignments. This appealed to the generation in her course. Students can follow a classroom account on instagram, contribute to it as a newsletter, or even have a classroom chat going on within facebook for homework help.

Publish their assignments online. Since these kids are already online constantly, put their essays or other assignment on an online forum dedicated to your class. We already know students are more motivated when they know others will see their work, other than just their teacher. Get permission from students, then see the extra motivation that comes when they know their work will be rewarded with public exposure.

Communicate online. Just like publishing their work online makes it more accessible, communicating feedback online is convenient and students are likely to eagerly partake. Grades and feedback on assignments should not be visible to the public, though, for obvious reasons.

Hit two strengths with one stone. Since we know they are expert multitaskers, and even do better when they divide their attention, doodle notes could fit perfectly into your classroom. Doodling takes just enough focus to keep them from daydreaming, and still actively learn the concepts! This is perfect for the Gen Z students who are always looking for more than one thing to do at a time. Doodle notes also enhance their strength in visual learning. Go here to read more about the benefits of visual note-taking.

Assign projects that make a difference. Take advantage of this generation's active social conscience, as well as the benefits of problem-based learning, and center your assignment on problems happening around your school, community, or even beyond! Check out how this school plans service based learning projects.

Do you have any thoughts to add, or tips to share on teaching Gen Z? Feel free to share below.
If you do teach this generation, be sure to register for the free "Teaching Teens" email series - It includes information, advice, and resources that you can print and use right away!

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​"Kids these days!" "Ugh- teenagers!" Don't be that adult. Although each generation is different, as teachers, we need to see both sides- the pros and the cons. We need to look past our own biases. Realize that even though teens and pre-teens exhibit differences from your generation, not all differences are negative.

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Integrating Tech

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Technology Integration | Piktochart Visual Editor

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Tech Frameworks

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Untitled infographic | Piktochart Visual Editor

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Tips to motivating students

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The 12 Rules Of Effective Instructional Technology Coaching Infographic

How To Improve Parent-Teacher Communication In Your School Infographic

6 Free Tools for Teachers Infographic

Getting students engaged is not an easy task particularly in an age that is full of all kinds of distractions. Some argue that some of the habits that students have developed as a result of their heavy use of emerging technologies and social media have negatively impacted their capacities to concentrate and focus for longer stretches of time. However, when students are motivated to learn, focus and attention comes along easily.

The How to Motivate Your Students in the Classroom Infographic features 10 ways to get students motivated:

1. Encourage communication

2. Establish relationship and high expectations

3. Set objectives

4. Make it applicable to real life

5. Use cooperative learning

6. Utilize peer instruction

7. Change your teaching style for different learning style

8. Ditch the bubble tests

9. Try deliberative practice

10. Try Flipped Classroom

Embed this Infographic on your site or blog!

Copy code The code has been copied to clipboard!

Stay up to date on the latest eLearning news, articles, and free resources sent straight to your inbox!

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How to Motivate Your Students in the Classroom Infographic - e-Learning Infographics

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The 12 Rules Of Effective Instructional Technology Coaching Infographic How To Improve Parent-Teacher Communication In Your School Infographic 6 Free Tools for Teachers Infographic Getting students engaged is not an easy task particularly in an age that is full of all kinds of distractions.

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Vi Hart video to spark ideas and motivate students' curiousity.

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A huge collection of High School Math Resources to check out!

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This is a colleciton of highschool math sites for students and teachers. The focus is on providing interactive sites with engaging material. Great for BYOT/BYOD.

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Multiple Choice Trivia Game. Good for Review

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Kahoot! | Learning games | Make learning awesome!

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Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to 1+ billion players every year at school, at work, and at home.

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Making an Assessment a game. Escape Room

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Good for personalized instruction

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A required part of this site couldn’t load. This may be due to a browser extension, network issues, or browser settings. Please check your connection, disable any ad blockers, or try using a different browser.

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Video -- He was our Keynote speaker at Interface this year.  Tech Evaluation.

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Video -- He was our Keynote speaker at Interface this year.  Tech Evaluation.

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Video -- A TED Talk I have seen several times about changing how we teach.

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Video -- A TED Talk I have seen several times about changing how we teach.

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Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution!

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In this poignant, funny follow-up to his fabled 2006 talk, Sir Ken Robinson makes the case for a radical shift from standardized schools to personalized learning -- creating conditions where kids' natural talents can flourish.

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Video -- You Tube video about Personalized Learning

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Video -- You Tube video about Personalized Learning

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Video -- YouTube Video describing several frameworks

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Video -- YouTube Video describing several frameworks

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Video -- Ted Talk about Integrating Technology

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Video -- Ted Talk about Integrating Technology

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Blending technology and classroom learning: Jessie Woolley-Wilson at TEDxRainier

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The Power of Gamification in Education | Scott Hebert | TEDxUAlberta

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Resource/Article -- A rubric to evaluate Tech Tools

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Resource/Article -- A rubric to evaluate Tech Tools

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The Rubric for E-Learning Tool Evaluation offers educators a framework, with criteria and levels of achievement, to assess the suitability of an e-learning tool for their learners' needs and for their own learning outcomes and classroom context.

Credit: AnggunFaith / EDUCAUSE © 2018

As educational developers supporting the incorporation of technology into teaching, we are often asked by instructors for a tailored recommendation of an e-learning tool to use in a particular course. When they use the phrase e-learning tool, instructors are typically asking for some kind of digital technology, mediated through the use of an internet-connected device, that is designed to support student learning. Such requests tend to be accompanied by statements of frustration over the selection process they've undertaken. These frustrations often result from two factors. First, instructors are typically experts in their course's subject matter, yet they are not necessarily fluent in the best criteria for evaluating e-learning tools. Second, the number and the variety of e-learning tools continue to proliferate. Both of these factors make it increasingly challenging for faculty members to evaluate and select an e-learning tool that aligns with their course design and meaningfully supports their students' learning experience.

Yet, we firmly believe that instructors should be the ultimate decision-makers in selecting the tools that will work for their courses and their learners. Thus, we saw an opportunity to develop a framework that would assist with the predictive evaluation of e-learning tools-a framework that could be used by non-tech experts and applied in a variety of learning contexts to help draw their attention to the cogent aspects of evaluating any e-learning tool. To address this need, we created the Rubric for E-Learning Tool Evaluation.

At our institution, Western University, the Rubric for E-Learning Tool Evaluation is currently being utilized in two ways. First, educational developers are using the rubric to review the tools and technologies profiled on the eLearning Toolkit, a university online resource intended to help instructors discover and meaningfully integrate technologies into their teaching. Second, we have shared our rubric with instructors and staff so that they can independently review tools of interest to them. These uses of the framework are key to our intended purpose for the rubric: to serve as a guide for instructors and staff in their assessment and selection of e-learning tools through a multidimensional evaluation of functional, technical, and pedagogical aspects.

Foundations of the Framework

In the 1980s, researchers began creating various models for choosing, adopting, and evaluating technology. Some of these models assessed readiness to adopt technology (be it by instructors, students, or institutions)-for example, the technology acceptance model (TAM) or its many variations. Other models aimed to measure technology integration into teaching or the output quality of specific e-learning software and platforms. Still other researchers combined models to support decision-making throughout the process of integrating technology into teaching, from initial curriculum design to the use of e-learning tools.

However, aside from the SECTIONS model, existing models fell short in two key areas:

They were not typically intended for ad hoc instructor use.

They did not enable critique of specific tools or technology for informing adoption by instructors.

To address this, we integrated, reorganized, and presented existing concepts using an instructor-based lens to create an evaluative, predictive model that lets instructors and support staff-including instructional designers and courseware developers-evaluate technologies for their appropriate fit to a course's learning outcomes and classroom contexts.

Why a Rubric?

Educators often use rubrics to articulate "the expectations for an assignment by listing the criteria or what counts, and describing levels of quality." We have adapted these broad aims to articulate the appropriate assessment criteria for e-learning tools using the standard design components of other analytical rubrics: categories, criteria, standards, and descriptors.

We organized our rubric's evaluation criteria into eight categories. Each category has a specific set of characteristics, or criteria, against which e-learning tools are evaluated, and each criterion is assessed against three standards: works well, minor concerns, or serious concerns. Finally, the rubric offers individual descriptions of the qualities an e-learning tool must have to achieve a standard.

Although our rubric integrates a broad range of functional, technical, and pedagogical criteria, it is not intended to be overly prescriptive. Our goal is for the framework to respond to an instructor's needs and be adapted as appropriate. For example, when a rubric criterion is not relevant to the assessment of a particular tool, it can be excluded without impacting the overall quality of the assessment.

The rubric reflects our belief that instructors should choose e-learning tools in the context of the learning experience. We therefore encourage an explicit alignment between the instructor's intended outcomes and the tool, based on principles of constructive alignment. Given the diversity of outcomes across learning experiences, e-learning tools should be chosen on a case-by-case basis and should be tailored to each instructor's intended learning outcomes and planned instructional activities. We designed the rubric with this intention in mind.

The Rubric Categories

The rubric is intended to be used as a stand-alone resource. The following is an explanation of each category and how we framed it to meet our development goals.

Functionality

Broadly speaking, functionality considers a tool's operations or affordances and the quality or suitability of these functions to the intended purpose-that is, does the tool serve its intended purpose well? In the case of e-learning tools, the intended purpose is classroom use.

Scale. Postsecondary classrooms vary in format and size, ranging from small seminars to large-enrollment courses. In larger courses, creating small groups increases contact among students, fosters cooperative learning, and enhances social presence among learners. An e-learning tool should therefore not only be flexible in accommodating various class sizes but also be capable of supporting small-group work. Hence, scale focuses on the tool's affordances to accommodate the size and nature of the classroom environment.

Ease of Use. When a tool is inflexible, is cumbersome in design, is difficult to navigate, or behaves in unexpected ways, it is likely to be negatively perceived by instructors and students. Comparatively, a tool tends to be more positively perceived when it feels intuitive and easy to use and offers guidance through user engagement. The ease of use criterion therefore focuses on design characteristics that contribute to user-friendliness and intuitive use.

Hypermediality. Cognitive psychology emphasizes the importance of giving learners multiple, diverse forms of representation organized in a way that lets them control their own engagement. Hypermediality is achieved by providing multiple forms of media (audio, video, and textual communication channels), as well as the ability to organize lessons in a non-sequential way. This criterion therefore focuses on assessing how a tool's functions support and encourage instructors and students to engage with and communicate through different forms of media in a flexible, nonlinear fashion.

Accessibility

Here, we define accessibility both broadly-as outlined by the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles of flexible, adaptable curriculum design to support multiple learning approaches and engagement for all students-and in terms of legislative requirements for meeting the specific accessibility needs of learners with disabilities.

Accessibility Standards. At a minimum, an e-learning tool should adhere to mandated requirements for accessibility, including those of legislative accessibility standards, as well as generally accepted guidelines, such as the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative. The documentation for an e-learning tool should provide information regarding the degree and nature of a tool's ability to meet accessibility standards. Unfortunately, such information is often missing, raising a serious concern that developers have not valued accessibility standards in their design and support of the e-learning tool.

Required Equipment. Given that inaccessibility is a mismatch between a learner's needs in a particular environment and the format in which content is presented, we examine environmental factors that impact accessibility. These factors include necessary hardware (e.g., speakers, a microphone, and a mobile phone) and the technology or service (e.g., high-speed internet connection) that users need to engage with an e-learning tool. Generally, the less equipment required, the more accessible the tool will be to a broad group of users, regardless of socioeconomic, geographic, or other environmental considerations.

Technical

In a review of e-learning readiness models, researchers found that a user's technology-that is, internet access, hardware, software, and computer availability-was integral to successful e-learning implementation. This category thus considers the basic technologies needed to make a tool work.

Integration/Embedding within a Learning Management System (LMS). LMSs are internet-based, institutionally-backed platforms that support teaching and learning at the course level. Any e-learning tool adopted for teaching should be able to "play well" with an institution's LMS.

A fully integrated tool shares data back and forth with the institution's LMS. Currently, tool integration is most often achieved by being Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) compliant. Using an LTI-compliant tool should mean a seamless experience for users. For example, accounts are created in the integrated e-learning tool without user input, and assessments occurring within the tool are synced automatically to the LMS gradebook. In contrast, an embedded tool is added as an object with HTML code-that is, the tool is "inserted" into a webpage. An example here is adding a streaming video, which users can start, stop, and pause, to an LMS web page. While both integration and embedding permit student interaction with the tools, only integrated tools offer a two-way flow of data.

Overall, if students can access a tool directly and consistently within an LMS, as allowed by both embedding and integration, the learning experience is strengthened.

Desktop/Laptop Operating Systems and Browser. Although operating systems and browsers are distinct, we describe these separate rubric criteria as one here since they relate to the same underlying question: Can learners effectively use the e-learning tool on a desktop or laptop computer if they have a standard, up-to-date operating system (OS) and/or browser? (We consider mobile OSs later, in the Mobile Design category.)

We define standard here as any commonly used OS and up-to-date as any OS still supported by its vendor. The more OSs or browsers a tool supports, the better: any tool that can be used only by users of one OS or browser is cause for concern. Selecting an e-learning tool that can be installed and run on up-to-date versions of Windows and Mac OS enables access for nearly all desktop and laptop users.

Additional Downloads. A tool that requires learners to install additional software or browser plug-ins-whether on their own system or in the tool itself-is problematic. As in the case of Adobe Flash players, which were initially popular but later blocked by many browsers due to security issues-if an e-learning tool relies on another piece of software in order to work, it risks being rendered obsolete due to factors beyond the tool developers' control.

Mobile Design

With the continued adoption of mobile devices worldwide, instructional methods and tools that deliver content using mobile technology will continue to grow and therefore warrant their own assessment category.

Access. For e-learning tools accessed using a mobile device, the best ones will be OS- and device-agnostic. This means that students, regardless of the mobile device they choose to use, should be able to access and interact with the tool either through the download of an application ("app") built for their OS or through the browser.

Functionality. Ideally, the mobile version will have few to no differences from the desktop version. If there are multiple mobile versions for different OSs, the functionality of different versions should be the same. In addition the user experience should consider the constraints of smaller mobile device screens, either by using responsive design or by offering a mobile app.

Offline Access. To enhance its flexibility, any e-learning tool that accesses the internet should offer an offline mode to expand access for those who have limited or intermittent connectivity.

Privacy, Data Protection, and Rights

While e-learning tools offer numerous potential benefits for learners and instructors, they also can entail risks. The primary concerns relate to personal information and intellectual property (IP).

Archiving, Saving, and Exporting Data. The platforms used for hosting a tool may not reliably ensure adequate protection against data loss. Instructors should thus analyze e-learning tools to determine how data or content can be migrated back and forth between the service and its user. In part, this guards against data loss through export and backup while also offering learners the flexibility to freely move their content between tools rather than being locked into or committed to one tool.

Social Presence

The final three categories of the rubric stem from the Communities of Inquiry (CoI) model, which considers, in part, how the design of online learning environments might best create and sustain a sense of community among learners. D. Randy Garrison, Terry Anderson, and Walter Archer define social presence as the ability of participants "to project their personal characteristics into the community, thereby presenting themselves to the other participants as 'real people.'" This category focuses on establishing a safe, trusting environment that fosters collaboration, teamwork, and an overall sense of community.

Collaboration. Based on the principles of the CoI model, instructors are encouraged to design learning activities and environments that provide students with frequent and varied opportunities to interact with their peers and collaborate on activities to build a sense of community. This manifests in not only providing synchronous and asynchronous channels for knowledge exchange but also establishing a sense of community between users-for example, through the prompted creation of online profiles that allow participants to establish an online identity.

User Accountability. If students are to engage willingly, a safe and trusted environment is essential. Establishing and maintaining this requires that instructors be able to identify students, even if they are otherwise using pseudonyms to protect their privacy. Instructors must also be able to control users' contributions by moderating forums and managing forum privileges. These features not only support social presence but also aid in supporting student assessment.

Teaching Presence

Garrison defines teaching presence as "the crucial integrating force that structures and leads the educational process in a constructive, collaborative and sustained manner." In our rubric, we interpret teaching presence as related to tool elements that enable instructors to establish and maintain their teaching presence through facilitation, customization, and feedback.

Facilitation. Effective teaching presence requires a facilitative approach, characterized as: providing timely input, information, and feedback; questioning or challenging students' thinking; modeling inquiry; and demonstrating cognitive engagement. Some e-learning tools support these activities better than others. The rubric gives preference to tools providing easy-to-use features that enhance an instructor's ability to effectively engage in facilitation activities.

Customization. As educational developers, we value alignment between intended learning outcomes and learning activities and assessments, advocating for technologies and tools that complement learning outcomes. A tool can support this alignment when it gives instructors the flexibility to customize how learners will engage with a tool, thus enabling them to focus on specific uses while disregarding other, distracting functions. Ideally, the tool also supports instructors in communicating this intentionality-making it clear to students why they are doing what they are doing.

Learning Analytics. The NMC Horizon Report: 2018 Higher Education Edition defines learning analytics as a diverse array of tools and applications that enable instructors, students, and institutions to "collect, connect, combine, and interpret data to more clearly understand learner capabilities and progress [and] fuel personalized and adaptive learning experiences." Reviewers of an e-learning tool should assess the availability, quality, and user-friendliness of the analytics offered to ensure the tool supports the desired data required for tracking performance, providing feedback on learning, and informing course design.

Cognitive Presence

The third and final CoI framework category is cognitive presence: engagement in "the process of inquiry that moves from problem definition to exploration of relevant content and ideas, integrating those ideas into a meaningful structure or solution." In our evaluation context, this category considers a tool's ability to support students' cognitive engagement in learning tasks.

Higher-Order Thinking. This criterion measures a tool's ability to help learners integrate, rearrange, or extend new and existing information to achieve a purpose or find answers to a complex problem. In considering a tool's cognitive elements, reviewers should consider its ability to support higher-order learning tasks such as critical thinking, problem solving, and reasoning.

Metacognitive Engagement. Metacognitive activities are those that prompt understanding, regulation, and reflection of students' own cognitive activities across the learning process. Many e-learning tools offer avenues for metacognitive engagement and are considered successful on this criterion when they help students "think about their learning, how they approach specific tasks, and the success of their strategies." This is commonly achieved through formative feedback-the opportunity to test knowledge, track performance, and monitor improvement in an effort to modify thinking or behavior for improved learning. The rubric directly links formative feedback and metacognitive practice, giving priority to those tools that enable instructors to provide formative feedback in support of students' growth through self-regulated learning and reflective practice.

Conclusion

The Rubric for E-Learning Tool Evaluation offers educators a framework, with criteria and levels of achievement, to assess the suitability of an e-learning tool for their learners' needs and for their own learning outcomes and classroom context. The rubric was designed with utility in mind: it is intended to help decision-makers independently evaluate e-learning tools.

We designed the rubric to be practical for everyday use. Although we wrote it within a Canadian postsecondary context, our hope is that other researchers will adapt the rubric for their local context in tertiary education. The rubric is freely available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Given the rapid developments in e-learning and technology-enhanced instruction, we hope others will use and build on our rubric to ensure its ongoing relevance in light of future advances in the field.

To assist with the sharing and adaptation of the Rubric for E-Learning Tool Evaluation, the authors created a Git Hub repository for the rubric.

Notes

1. For more on the SECTIONS (Students; Ease of use; Costs; Teaching and Learning; Interactivity; Organization; Novelty; Speed) model, see A. W. Bates and Gary Poole, Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education: Foundations for Success. (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2003). ↩

2. Barbara J. Millis, "Why Faculty Should Adopt Cooperative Learning Approaches," in Cooperative Learning in Higher Education: Across the Disciplines, Across the Academy, ed. Barbara J. Millis (Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, 2012), 1-9; Chih Hsiung Tu and Marina McIsaac, "The Relationship of Social Presence and Interaction in Online Classes," American Journal of Distance Education 16, no. 3 (2002), 131-150. ↩

3. Kim Watty, Jade McKay, and Leanne Ngo, "Innovators or Inhibitors? Accounting Faculty Resistance to New Educational Technologies in Higher Education," Journal of Accounting Education 36 (September 2016), 1-15; S. Sharma, Geoff Dick, Wynne Chin, and Lesley Land, "Self-Regulation and e-Learning," ECIS 2007 Proceedings 45 (2007); Hong Zhao and Li Chen, "How Can Self-Regulated Learning Be Supported in E-Learning 2.0 Environment: A Comparative Study," Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE) 9, no. 2 (2016), 1-20. ↩

4. Carmelo Ardito, Maria Francesca Costabile, Marilena De Marsico, Rosa Lanzilotti, Stefano Levialdi, Paola Plantamura, Teresa Roselli, et al., "Towards Guidelines for Usability of E-Learning Application," in User-Centered Interaction Paradigms for Universal Access in the Information Society UI4ALL 2004, LNCS vol. 3196, ed. Christian Stary and Constantine Stephanidis (Berlin: Springer, 2004), 82. ↩

5. Greg Gay, "Accessibility in E-Learning: What You Need to Know," Council of Ontario Universities, [n.d.]. ↩

6. "Policy Brief: Ancillary Fees," Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, 2016. ↩

7. Andreas Schroeder, Shailey Minocha, and Christoph Schneider, "The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of Using Social Software in Higher and Further Education Teaching and Learning," Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 26, no. 3 (2010), 159-174; Anthony E. Kelly and Mika Seppala, "Changing Policies Concerning Student Privacy and Ethics in Online Education," International Journal of Information and Education Technology 6, no. 8 (2016), 652-655. ↩

8. D. Randy Garrison, E-Learning in the 21st Century: A Framework for Research and Practice, 2d ed. (London: Routledge, 2011).

9. Garrison, "Online Collaboration Principles," 28. ↩

10. Ruben R. Puentedura, "SAMR: A Contextualized Introduction" [n.d.]. ↩

Lauren M. Anstey is an educational developer with a focus on e-learning and curriculum in the Centre for Teaching and Learning and is Adjunct Research Faculty in the Centre for Research on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education at Western University.

Gavan P. L. Watson is Associate Director, eLearning, in the Centre for Teaching and Learning and is Adjunct Research Faculty in the Centre for Research on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education at Western University.

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a rubric for evaluating e-learning tools in higher education

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A Rubric for Evaluating E-Learning Tools in Higher Education

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The Rubric for E-Learning Tool Evaluation offers educators a framework, with criteria and levels of achievement, to assess the suitability of an e-learning tool for their learners' needs and for their own learning outcomes and classroom context.

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Article -- NCTM article about personalized learning in Math

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Article -- NCTM article about personalized learning in Math

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Personalized Learning and Mathematics Teaching and Learning

Personalized learning is one of many instructional approaches to support mathematics teaching and learning. However, a consensus on the definition of personalized learning is lacking, which leaves a range of ideas on what it might entail. These may include ( a) customization, ( b) student groupings, and ( c) flexibility of instruction. Customization focuses on tailoring experiences and instruction for students' needs, interests, goals, and backgrounds. This suggests that personalized learning should have some humanizing aspects focused on knowing and understanding who students are as people and as learners of mathematics. Discussions on student groupings in personalized learning range from one-to-one (one-on-one) to small groups to whole-class experiences. Too often one-to-one and whole-class approaches are positioned in contrast; in fact, they can be complementary for deepening students' understanding of mathematics and for supporting them to develop a positive personal relationship with mathematics. Flexible instruction includes not only pacing of instruction but also time and space for students to engage with mathematics.

Personalized learning is often part of an instructional approach that supports the needs of individual learners. Many perspectives on personalized learning have focused primarily on improving test scores and achievement while ignoring the humanizing and social aspects of mathematics teaching and learning. For example, I have been exposed to several approaches to personalized learning that focused on tailoring mathematics tasks and problems to learners to find solutions with little emphasis on how they make sense of mathematics, how they use their mathematical understanding to find solutions, and why their solutions do or do not make sense. Personalized learning can be a space in which learners give voice to the ways they think mathematically, represent and discuss their mathematical ideas, and use mathematics to make sense of their worlds. Personalized learning can help learners see themselves as doers of mathematics by providing supports for developing understanding and perseverance, as well as for engaging in collaborations with peers to unpack mathematical thinking.

Imagine personalized learning as each and every student being provided with a personalized teacher of mathematics who understands his or her needs, knows his or her interests and background, and is highly knowledgeable about mathematics teaching and learning. Imagine students having broad access to their personalized teacher to ask questions and that their personalized teacher is able to extend their mathematical thinking. While I recognize that one-on-one instruction is unrealistic, I still grapple with whether this condition of having a personalized teacher for personalized learning would be enough for students to be productive learners of mathematics in a democratic society. I grapple with this because I find value in students being connected to other students who are diverse in their thinking about mathematics, have diverse backgrounds to bring different perspectives about mathematics representations and ideas, have varying worldviews, and are co-learners for clarifying and critiquing one another's mathematical ideas. My grappling makes me think about ways that personalized learning is connected to ambitious mathematics teaching and about how personalized learning could support individual learners while creating spaces for individuals to engage other learners.

I often draw on the eight Mathematics Teaching Practices in NCTM's Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All (NCTM, 2014) as a framework for unpacking mathematics teaching and learning. Below are descriptions of the teaching practices with questions to ponder that are related to personalized learning for mathematics.

1. Establish mathematics goals to focus learning.

How does personalized learning support learning progressions that build up students' mathematical understanding, increase student confidence, and support mathematical identity?

How does personalized learning ensure that each and every student has the opportunity to learn rigorous mathematics content and develop mathematical processes and practices?

2. Implement tasks that promote reasoning and problem solving.

How does personalized learning support tasks that require reasoning, problem solving, and mathematizing our world through mathematical modeling?

How does personalized learning support culturally relevant mathematics tasks?

3. Use and connect mathematical representations.

How does personalized learning support the use of multiple representations so that students can draw on multiple resources and funds of knowledge?

How does personalized learning ensure that students develop connections among multiple representations to deepen their understanding of mathematical concepts and procedures?

4. Facilitate meaningful mathematical discourse.

How does personalized learning use discourse to elicit students' ideas and create space for students to interact with peers?

How does personalized learning allow students to develop language to express mathematical ideas and how does it position each learner with mathematical authority and competence?

5. Pose purposeful questions.

How does personalized learning pose purposeful questions to understand students' mathematical thinking?

How does personalized learning support purposeful questions to deepen students' mathematical understanding?

6. Build procedural fluency from conceptual understanding.

How does personalized learning connect conceptual understanding to procedural fluency to provide students with a wide range of options for entering a task and building mathematical meaning?

How does personalized learning routinely connect conceptual understanding and procedural fluency to deepen learning and reduce mathematical anxiety?

7. Support productive struggle in learning mathematics.

How does personalized learning allow time for students to wrestle with mathematical ideas in ways that support perseverance and sense making?

How does personalized learning offer enough support and scaffolding (without over-scaffolding) to facilitate students' progress on challenging work?

8. Elicit and use evidence of student thinking.

How does personalized learning elicit students' thinking and make use of it to support learning?

How does personalized learning support a culture in which mistakes and errors are viewed as important reasoning opportunities?

I encourage you to use the questions above to begin discussions on personalized learning in mathematics teaching and learning. I am interested in learning about the promises and challenges of personalized learning. Please share your successes and challenges on MyNCTM.org

Robert Q. Berry, III

NCTM President

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All. Reston, VA: NCTM, 2014.

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Personalized Learning and Mathematics Teaching and Learning - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

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Personalized learning is one of many instructional approaches to support mathematics teaching and learning. However, a consensus on the definition of personalized learning is lacking, which leaves a range of ideas on what it might entail. These may include ( a) customization, ( b) student groupings, and ( c) flexibility of instruction.

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Resource/Article -- Example of Personalized Learning

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Resource/Article -- Example of Personalized Learning

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We have a few answers to this question. One is that personalized learning always involves these core four elements - targeted instruction, data-driven decisions, flexible content, and student reflection and ownership. Check out our Core Four white paper for a more detailed description of these elements, as well as classroom examples.

Another answer is that, "it depends" - we believe strongly in the design thinking process, and that school leaders and teachers are in the best place to put together instructional models that meet the needs of their students. Check out this great blog post on the process by my colleague, Kelly!

That being said, we realize that we can never answer this question enough. In response to this demand, here is a short collection of videos, photos, artifacts, and teacher testimonies that we hope will help illustrate what personalized learning could look like at your school or district. Some of these examples are from Education Elements districts and schools, and some are from other places!

Personalized learning is: Incorporating Self-Reflection and Goal-Setting

In Middletown, NY , the school culture incorporates student reflection and goal-setting starting with the youngest grades. Check out these classroom photos of goal-setting artifacts.

From a Middletown teacher: "[Students] use a Google form, and t
he forms are sent to me automatically so I am able to instantaneously see how they are self-assessing. It gives them a sense of accountability and it also lets me be aware of how they think they did... I use their self-assessment to help guide my instruction and to help group them for math and ELA." Check out this classroom teacher as she talks about her approach to Student Ownership & Reflection
Personalized Learning is: Flexible & Intentional Master Schedules

In Wake County, NC, school leaders at Rogers Lane Elementary School have created a master schedule that's aligned to their three core principles: Agents of Change, Out of this World Learning, and Intentional and Reciprocal Relationships. While it's still a work in progress, the schedule does a wonderful job of showing the back-end work it takes to explicitly incorporate co-teaching, multi-level classrooms, student choice, and blocks for targeted small-group instruction.

Additionally, to help parents and students better understand how this schedule would affect a student's daily experience, Rogers Lane created a "Day in the Life of" Primer .
Check out this classroom teacher as she talks about her approach to Flexible Path and Pace Check out this video from a high school teacher, where she describes how she has students use a digital tool to demonstrate their ability to collect and analyze data from a field exercise.
Personalized Learning is: Using Digital Content and Tools in a Purposeful Way - Flexible Path and Pace
Check out from an elementary school teacher about how he uses a portfolio of digital content tools in his classes. These last 2 videos are part of a larger collection of great this video videos from BetterLesson on blended learning strategies.

Personalized Learning is: Incorporating Personalized Playlists

Many personalized learning classrooms incorporate flexible pacing by having students go through content via playlists. However, not all playlists are personalized.

My colleague Brittany, in partnership with teachers and school leaders at Rochester School District, NH, put together this helpful Playlist Building 101 Guide that describes how to build a personalized learning playlist.

Personalized Learning is: Planning for Flexible Seating
Photo: Loudoun County Public Schools (VA), Twitter #LoudounPL Photo: Loudoun County Public Schools (VA), Twitter #LoudounPL

Flexible seating is a popular strategy because it is a physical manifestation of targeted, fluid instruction. With a focus on student choice and comfort, flexible seating is a great way to convey to students, "You matter."

Edutopia has a terrific article specifically focused on flexible seating at the high school level, including classroom photos and teacher testimonies. Ashley Rice Broomfield, a 1st grade teacher, shares, " I am in my 13th year of teaching, but this is my first year incorporating flexible seating into my classroom. I will never go back to traditional seating."

EdSurge also has a great post on 10+ brain-based methods to redesign your classroom, and how to include your students in the redesign process. We love this quote: "A good friend of mine often reminds me that we aren't raising a class of second graders, but in fact, we are raising future adults. She says, 'If they're old enough to do it for themselves, they should not only be allowed to, but expected to do so.'"

Finally, see these pictures above from our awesome partners in Loudoun County Public Schools, VA!

check out the BONUS:#LoudounPL hashtag for more amazing pictures of how Loudoun County schools are personalizing learning.

Personalized Learning is: Involving Students in Grading Conversations

Prolific blogger Catlin Tucker offers another great strategy - including "grade interviews" with students. Tucker shares, " As grade reporting approaches, I sit down with every single student for a grade interview. Students come to these grade interviews prepared with a formal argument. These conversations are invaluable. Students walk away knowing exactly what they need to work on or what they are doing well. Also, I feel like I know my students so much better because we sit down and chat about their learning every 5-6 weeks!" Check out her full blog post !

Additionally, student-led conferences (SLC's) can be a great way to engage both students and parents in reflection. In an SLC, a student might not only explain what progress he or she is making, but why it is that progress is occurring. This Edutopia post has a great set of resources on SLC's, sourced from articles like this Atlantic piece to protocols and videos of SLC's in action.

To learn more about how these examples build on the core four elements of personalized learning, check out our white paper.

More Personalized Learning reading

Blog: Personalizing Learning: Getting it Right

Blog: Personalizing Learning: Reflection and Goal-Setting

Blog: How to Pick the Right Instructional Model for Your Classroom

Blog: Personalizing Learning: Flexible Pace & Path

Blog: Personalizing Learning: Targeted Instruction

Blog: Personalizing Learning: Collaboration & Creativity

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Six Examples of What Personalized Learning Looks Like

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Personalized learning takes different forms in different classrooms - here are six examples of what personalized learning looks like.

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Tips and Tricks -- Tips to engaging high school Math students

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Tips and Tricks -- Tips to engaging high school Math students

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It's a high school math teacher's job to come up with innovative and creative ways to engage all students, even the disinterested ones. Students who find a lesson stimulating not only retain information better, but they may even develop a passion for math.

Here are five ideas on how to keep students involved in math lessons.

Relate to the real world

Most students do not believe that they will use what they are learning in high school math ever again. To remedy this problem, a teacher needs to find a way to relate what they are teaching to the real world. When students can see that there is real-life value to what is being taught, they are more apt to actually pay attention and get involved.

Give students choices

Another way to ensure student interaction is to give them choices. Students can decide if they want to work in groups or by themselves. Students can choose to divide into teams of 3-4 members each. After a math problem is given, students can work on it as a team. The first team to get the problem correct gets a point. At the end of the class, teachers can reward the highest scoring team with no homework!

Provide a homework menu for tonight's assignment! Students can pick problems to solve for homework from a menu bank with a variety of problems, however they are required to solve a certain amount. This provides students with some freedom over what to practice.

Use props

Whenever possible, teachers should involve props to demonstrate the formulas and methods they are teaching. Props will help students with a variety of learning styles, such as visual, haptic, and kinesthetic. By including the senses of sight and touch, more students will be able to understand what is being taught and actually retain the information.

Find problems with more than one answer

With math problems, there is usually a right answer and a wrong answer. This can make it difficult to promote engagement and discussion among students. A great way to engage students is to find math problems that may only have one answer but have more than one way to arrive at the answer. When the problem is assigned, let students know that there are multiple ways to solve it, and then challenge them to see how many ways they can come up with.

Make students feel safe

If students are afraid to speak up for fear of getting made fun of by the other students, they will remain silent, whether they know the answer or not. To create a safe and friendly environment for learning, teachers need to make it clear that any negative behavior is not allowed. This should be done from day one.

Creating a high school math classroom with engaged, interactive students is not an easy task. However, the effort will be rewarded with a better learning environment for students and an easier life for teachers. If you want to better meet the needs of your learners through a developmental, constructivist approach then you should learn more about our MEd degree concentration in math education.

You may also like to read

Tags: Engaging Activities, High School (Grades: 9-12), Math and Science

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Tips to Increase Engagement in High School Math

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It's a high school math teacher's job to come up with innovative and creative ways to engage all students, even the disinterested ones. Students who find a lesson stimulating not only retain information better, but they may even develop a passion for math. Here are five ideas on how to keep students involved in math lessons.

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Tips and Tricks -- Tips to engaging Math Students

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Tips and Tricks -- Tips to engaging Math Students

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It's fine to work on any problem, so long as it generates interesting mathematics along the way-even if you don't solve it at the end of the day.

-Andrew Wiles

It seems intuitive that students who are genuinely engaged in a mathematical task will learn the mathematics in a more productive manner than students who are not engaged. In fact, a 2009 Gallup poll found that a one percent increase in student engagement resulted in an eight percent increase in mathematics achievement, and schools in which students were in the top quartile of average engagement were 82 percent more likely to get above the state average for mathematics achievement than schools in the bottom quartile of engagement (Smith, 2017a). Beyond being intuitive, student engagement is a proven factor in mathematics achievement.

Sounds great, doesn't it? So what can be done to increase the likelihood that students will be engaged with the tasks we ask them to do? Here are ten tips:

Make It Fun

Almost any task can be turned into a game to add a sense of fun to a skill that is being practiced. Consider turning number-based problems into a Memory or Matching game simply by making problem cards and answer cards to be flipped over. A rummy-style card game (called Triplets) can be made by creating cards that have the same answers, such as 5 + 6, 12 - 1, 4 + 7, 15 - 4 and 11 + 0 for Kindergarten or First grade, or x + 2 = 9, 2x = 14, -x = -7, 25 = 4x - 3 and 2(x + 1) = 16 for algebraic equations. There are many games that are easily made to turn practice into a collaborative or competitive activity (Smith, 2017b and c).

Incorporate Activity

Keep in mind how long students sit. Any activity that provides action and activity is an instant source of energy and requires more engagement. Consider making an "Around the World" or "Treasure Hunt" activity. Display posters of problems around the room or down a hallway. At the top of each poster, post an answer to a different poster's problem. Students begin the game at various posters. They solve the problem in front of them and then look for their answer at the top of another poster. If they can't find the answer, they have made an error. When they find the answer, they move on to the problem on the poster where they found it. This continues until students complete all the problems (Smith, 2017a).

Any kind of movement in class fosters engagement for most students. Even having students stand to discuss a question can bring new life rather than turning and talking in their seats. This is also why students may want to work on the floor!

Change it up!

Add elements of surprise. Try using playing cards or dice to generate numbers. Change your routine or sequence. Have a variety of partner options. Use extra-large or very small pieces of paper for student work. Have students create skits to teach a concept. Try doing anything out of the ordinary, and see what happens!

Provide Choice

Research in motivation has changed over the years. Intrinsic motivation is increasingly attributed to giving students voice and choice. In fact, research suggests that at least 35% of the time students should have cognitive choices to increase intrinsic motivation (Smith, 2017 b and c). Providing choices is a great way to get student buy-in, and thus increase their motivation. Choices can be included by a choice of tasks, a bank of problems from which students choose a certain number or even various methods for students to show their leaning through assessment options.

Develop Discourse Skills

Having students participate in robust mathematical conversation develops mathematical concepts as well as increasing engagement. However, many students do not know how to have these conversations and need to be taught how to communicate with one another, and not just answer teacher-directed questions. One way to do this is to provide sentence stems (Smith, 2017b) including:

I agree with ___ because ____

Another way to think about this is _______

I did it a different way. I ________

I disagree with ___ because ____

I would like to add on to what ___ said about ____

Can you explain what you mean by ____

Can you show ____ in another way

I think that ________ because ________

Practice Concept Attainment

This strategy provides students examples and non-examples for a topic. Students have to determine what makes the topic what it is. For example, consider pictures of many polygons as "Examples", and pictures of 3-D figures, circles, open shapes, etc. as "Not Examples." You would then ask students to determine what makes a polygon, a polygon. I've also heard of a teacher covering herself with Post-It Notes and asking students what the notes have in common.

Use Technology

Technology is very engaging for most students. They enjoy mathematics software, and many teachers use Poll Everywhere and other sites to gather data and have students see class results. Have you tried Flipgrid to have students record their thinking in a video for playback?

Go Deep

Sometimes the reason students are not engaged with the learning of mathematics is simply because the tasks are low-level and boring. Providing high-level problems (DOK 3 and 4 or Procedures with Connections or Doing Math in Cognitive Demand) can provide the motivation for engagement.

Establish a Learning Environment

When a class has a norm where students are sluggish and disengaged, it's hard to get any engagement going! The classroom environment needs to be built so that collaboration is a norm and there is an expectation of learning. Establishing a learning environment where all students are willing to try, are not afraid to fail, and value both as part of the learning process is foundational to all learning and engagement becomes natural.

Don't Let Productive Struggle Cross Over to Frustration

We expect students to wrestle with math content and not give up. Students should understand that productive struggle is a natural part of learning, and we learn more from mistakes than we do correct answers. However, be very careful to know your students well and monitor their process carefully so that the struggle does not cross over into frustration. Productive struggle when you are making progress is motivating and engaging. Frustration is not.

So, I hope you try something new. Don't forget - when students are engaged, it is a lot more fun for us as teachers as well.

References

Smith, N.N. (2017a). A mind for mathematics: Meaningful teaching and learning in elementary classrooms. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.

Smith, N.N. (2017b). Every math learner: A doable approach to teaching with learning differences in mind K-5. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin

Smith, N.N. (2017c). Every math learner: A doable approach to teaching with learning differences in mind 6-12. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin

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Ten Tips to Engage Students with Mathematics - Corwin Connect

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It's fine to work on any problem, so long as it generates interesting mathematics along the way-even if you don't solve it at the end of the day. -Andrew Wiles It seems intuitive that students who are genuinely engaged in a mathematical task will learn ...

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Resource -- Describing the Different Frameworks

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Resource -- Describing the Different Frameworks

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Online article that breaks down the different frameworks

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RDmTAYq7Gss5Gj_F8IEU5JUN5_TVSq8KzBRKi_vmiPk/edit

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Article -- Key Elements in Game Development

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Article -- Key Elements in Game Development

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Online Article about Board Game Design

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[cite]
Welcome to the second week of class in the course:Basic Introduction to Game Design. Make sure to read the syllabus and course information before you continue. Today, we are going to discuss the formal system structures of games (an introduction to its formal and dramatic elements) and game design atoms. This text follows closely from our textbooks ( Game Design Workshop, Chapters 2 & 3 and Challenges for Game Designers, Chapter 2); it also takes inspiration from the Salen and Zimmerman book Rules of Play (Chapters 5,6,7). Keep in mind that game design is a field of practice and even when you are reading all the information from this course, there is no substitute for working on some games at home for practice.

The Definition of Games

For the late shift, here's me saying how everything can be a game. No, really. http://t.co/reYsNoyXs0

- Raph Koster (@raphkoster) April 17, 2013

Rather than pondering on the exact definitions of game here (many of which can be found in Rules of Play, Chapter 7), we want to look at what's most useful to us as game designers.

"Design is the process by which a designer creates a context to be encountered by a participant, from which meaning emerges." (Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman)

This quote from the Rules of Play book encapsulates the main items that we should focus on as game designers: (1) Context, which can be the spaces, objects, story and behaviours that you encounter in games. (2) Participants are your players that act upon your game context for example via manipulation or exploration. They inhabit your game world to play. (3) Meaning is a concept that we have already mentioned last week when we talked about meaningful choice. When players take actions in your game, meaningful play should emerge from the agency that players feel. Meaning here is tied to the value of significance of something encountered in a game for the individual player. Even in real life, meaning is important to us because it helps us navigate through our world and interpret the people and the world around us. Our everyday interactions are essentially guided by meaning-making.

"Design is the successful application of constraints until only a unique product is left." (Don Norman)

To develop a game, it is best to constrain ourselves at the start of our design process to some core elements of games. We begin by brainstorming elements that we find in all games. The results of such a brainstorm from class is shown below. However, as mentioned in the above Extra Credits video, there is no progress in exhaustively defining what exactly a game is. We simply use this as a starting point to wrap our head around the elements in games that we are going to work with as game designers. We have to start somewhere to develop this new medium and this list serves as a good starting point.

When you are designing a game, an interesting approach to take is to think about your game's core first (this would be your core mechanic), the one particular pattern of actions that you want your player to take over and over again. The best way to think about cores, is to look at board games and take some common concepts from there (which are also listed in the Challenges for Game Designers textbook):

Territorial Acquisition. These games are often zero-sum games, where the players fight over a limited amount of territory or resources. Think about Risk, for example.

Prediction. Often you find this core in party games or gambling games and luck is involved in making a prediction. Roulette is an example of this.

Spatial Reasoning. Often you need to consider how your game pieces work together to create a successful winning strategy. An example of this core is Tetris.

Survival. This core banks on our natural instincts to survive and is found in many action games. An example is Dark Souls.

Destruction. A game with this core allows players to wreck havoc on most things in the game. It is very common in first-person shooters.

Building. The building and use of structures is a core of many games. Good examples are Sim City and Minecraft.

Collection. The need to collect, own and match things is deeply ingrained in humans. This is a popular core mechanic in many board games and casual games (Match 3).

Chasing or Evading. This appeals to our fight-or-flight response and often works as a driving core in games. An example is Pac-Man.

Trading. This a very coöperative game core. Sometimes, players want to exchange resources and negotiate the values with one another. The most common example is the board game Settlers of Catan.

Race-to-the-end. This core dynamic is very simple to implement and you have already created a Race-to-the-end game in your first homework assignment. It is very common in children's games.

Games as Systems

A game is a closed formal system that subjectively represents a subset of reality. (Chris Crawford)

We have already identified games as a space that exists as a subset of reality with boundaries and rules (we have even mentioned the concept of the magic circle in class, see below for an extra credits video on the concept).

Games can be seen as sets of elements, but they are much more than just a set, often having internal relationships and states of elements that help them interact. At this level, it is most sensible to refer to games as systems. Now, systems can be seen as sets of items that can affect one another. The interaction among these set items can form patterns that are distinct from its individual parts (i.e., the whole is greater than the sum of its parts). Littlejohn and Foss discuss four system elements that are mentioned in Rules of Play (p.51) as well:

1. Objects. This refers to elements, variables or parts of a system. These could be physical and/or abstract in nature.

2. Attributes. These are the properties or qualities that a system and the objects within the system can have.

3. Internal relationships. The objects in a system are usually in an internal relationship to one another.

4. Environment. Systems are influenced by the context that surrounds them.

Games can be framed as different forms of systems as well, such as formal, cultural or experiential systems. If you analyse a game as a formal mathematical system, you analyse a it differently than if you analyse it as a cultural or experiential system. These systems are often embedded in one another. A cultural system encompasses the experiential and formal system of a game. The main difference between framing games as a formal or as an experiential system is that formal systems are closed (they can be analysed independent from their environment) and experiential systems can be closed but also open (i.e., they have some form of exchange between the system and the environment).

The easiest way to start seeing games as systems and to uncover their shared properties is to look at two games and compare them in terms of their commonalities and differences (see exercise 2.1 in the Game Design Workshop textbook, Chapter 2, p.29). If you have read the textbook chapter, you will already be familiar with the elements mentioned below.

Formal Game Elements

"Playing a game is the voluntary effort to overcome unnecessary obstacles." (Bernard Suits)

Before we start: Quick optional exercise: Redesign Tic-Tac-Toe for 3-5 players. This means you are likely to change the game tokens (Xs and Os) and possible the grid size. Feel free to change any other elements of the game to achieve this. Feel free to blog about this process (i.e., your new rule set and redesign) and post your blog as a comment to this blog post. There are no course XP for this.

Formal elements help create a game's structure. The relationship between these formal elements is what forms a game. Therefore - as game designers - we have to get acquainted with these formal game elements. This is not an exclusive list of game elements and by combining them, it is possible to create different game elements as well as novel forms of interaction and gameplay. With these tools, you will hopefully be able to create meaningful decisions in your own games.

1. Players. Game design calls for players to interact with one another and the game system. Players are voluntary, active participants in the entertainment activity. They partake in it, they consume it and they are invested in it. They can be potential winners of the activity. When players adopt the lusory attitude, they can enter the Magic Circle of games and immerse themselves in the game world. This means that there is usually an invitation to play, such as recognizable rituals or social offerings for playing. The invitation to play is important for players to have a lusory attitude. The number of players can be variable or fixed for a game. Players will have different experiences based on the amount of other players partaking in a game. Different players can adopt different roles during play. Players can play in teams and define actions for team members. Within role playing games, a player role can facilitate or inhibit a player action, but often players have different play styles, which allows for different matches even when players play the same role. An overview of different player interaction patterns is shown below (and can be found in your Game Design Workshop textbook).

2. Objectives. As we have already mentioned in the last lecture, objectives are important for the motivation of your players to engage in gameplay. The best game goals seem attainable but are still perceived as challenging. You want to be able to work as hard as necessary to achieve your own objectives as a player in a game. Examples are getting the most XP at the end of a game or staying alive until the end of the level. The player's need to complete objectives serves as a measure of player involvement in games. Your textbook discusses the following objective types in more detail:

1. Capture. Players have to avoid getting captured or killed while destroying some opponent properties (commonly some form of terrain or units).

2. Chase. Players have to elude or catch an opponent.

3. Race. Players have to reach a goal before anyone else does.

4. Alignment. Players have to align their pieces in a spatial or conceptual configuration.

5. Rescue or Escape. Players have to get some defined units or items to safety without being compromised.

6. Forbidden Act. Players have to get the opponents to break the rules or to abandon a strategy.

7. Construction. Players have to construct, maintain, or manage game objects.

8. Exploration. Players have to explore unknown game areas.

9. Solution. Players have to solve a problem or puzzle (sometimes before the opponents solve it).

10. Outwit. Players have to gain and use knowledge to outwit their opponents.

3. Procedures. These are actions or methods of play allowed by a game's rules. They can be specific instructions of what actions to take during play. They can also refer to a specific set of controls. In a computer game, they would serve to process the input of a player. Procedures can specify actions that are impossible or inefficient outside of the magic circle of the game. Essentially, you have to answer who does what where and when and how? Player actions as specified by procedures can be split up into the following:

Starting (How the game is put into play, also leading into onboarding of players)

Progression (These are the ongoing procedures running during gameplay)

Special (These are actions that are only available based on other elements and changes to the game state)

Resolving (These actions bring your game to an end)

4. Rules. These are the exact objects and concepts of your game; they are the building blocks of the game system. As a game designer you want to be able to describe the actions for all possible situations in your rule set. Your rule set specifies everything a player can and cannot do. This means that you often have to limit the actions a player is allowed to do and you have to think about reactions of the game to player actions. Rules are the authority of your game world. They are like a code of honour that players adhere to when entering play (this is tied to the lusory attitude of being willing to enter the magic circle). If players don't follow the rules, they are leaving the game. In summary rules serve three main purposes:

1. Defining objects and conditions

2. Restricting player actions

3. Determining effects on players

5. Resources. These are game objects that have a value for players in reaching their individual objectives. The value of these items can be determined by their scarcity and utility. The value for players (i.e., utility) is often scaled by how much an item helps a player achieve a goal. As a designer you control the availability (i.e., scarcity) of an item. You can help guide the player to find resources and you can put systems in place that govern how resources are managed and when they become scarce. Common resource examples in games are:

6. Conflict. Conflict emerges through procedures and rules in the game that prevent a player from achieving their goal. Objectives often guide players to these conflict situations. The main conflict in many first-person shooters is to stay alive while player or non-player characters try to kill you. The conflict in Pinball would be to keep the ball from rolling out of the playing field only with the mechanical devices (often flippers) the machines provides to you.
Three types of conflict are common in games:

1. Obstacles. These can be in physical or mental form. Physical obstacles could be the length of your Pinball flippers or the bumpers that the ball bounces off of. Mental obstacles can be a missing item to complete a riddle in an adventure game or the challenge of calculating the right numbers in Sudoku.

2. Opponents. Other players in a game or computer-controlled enemies.

3. Dilemmas. These are problematic choices that a player is faced with. It's a strategic decision, where the consequences have to be weighted before proceeding.

7. Boundaries. This is Sparta. 🙂 No, just kidding. This is the border to the real world (the separation of the magic circle and real world). This also relates to actions that are only possible in a game but would have much different consequences outside the game boundaries. It can also relate to the playing field, the skybox, or other limiting geometry in your game world.

8. Outcome. The outcome of a game has to be uncertain to foster player interest. In games the outcome is often measurable (e.g., points) and uneven (i.e., one team/person has to win). Winning conditions are different from player objectives. Since players have invested much time and emotion into a game, it is hard to create a resolution that satisfies this investment of players.

"Every game is its rules - for they are what define it." (David Parlett)

Game Atoms

"A game is a context with rules among adversaries trying to win objectives." (Clark C. Abt)

Along the lines of core elements of a game, our other textbook ( Challenges for Game Designers) defines the smallest possible design element as a game atom. These game atoms are broken down into:

Players/Avatars/Game bits. Players set the rules of the game in motion and often have some form of representation in the game world (e.g., tokens or pawns). Some games don't have representations and the player represents themselves.

Objectives/Goals. Often referred to as missions or quests, they are like a task list for your player telling them what they should be working toward.

Rules/Mechanics. In games, mechanics determine how something works, much like game rules do. They are about the possibilities for the players that will change the game state. Rules are the most defining quality of games. The following are general properties of rules:

limit player actions

explicit and unambiguous

shared by all players

fixed

binding

repeatable

Resources. See above.

Game States. The state of the game system at one point in your game loop. Essentially everything that you would write into a save file. A collection of all relevant variable game information that changes during gameplay.

Game Views. Different stages of the game may allow a player to see different information. The parts of the game state that are visible to a player are called the game view.

Information. All the information necessary to play the game.

Sequencing. The order in which rules unfold, similar to turns in a board game. This is important for thinking about when the information in a game changes (and with it the current game state).

Player Interaction. The types of interaction allowed for players.

Theme/Setting. While a setting is not mandatory for games, many games have some sort of theme that helps players to make sense of game information. It is what the game is all about. This can refer to things such as colour, theme, story or narrative. It helps players feel more at home with your game mechanics.

Homework Assignment

"The great thing about design is that we can do what we want. There are no immutable design rules that we must always follow as we create our games." (Eric Zimmerman)

Broken Game Modification

This is based on Eric Zimmerman's design exercises. Use your GDW groups for this assignment. Don't worry if you are not in the same tutorial timeslot, because the assignment will be handed in via Blackboard. At least one person in your GDW group must inform the TA of your GDW group members and submit the assignment in Blackboard. You should also attach a list of group members to your submission.

1. Choose and play one of the following "broken" games in your GDW group:

1. Rock Paper Scissors

2. Up-to-20 Dice Game. Roll a die, add number to your total score, and pass it on to your left. Winning condition: The first player reaching 20 points wins.

3. I Spy

2. Now, try to analyze the core mechanic and uncover what might be broken in this game.

3. Design a variation of the game that fixes the broken aspects of the game design you identified. Be careful to only design a modification and not an entirely new game (e.g., an outside observer, who knows nothing about the new game, should be able to recognize the new design as a variation of the original game).

You need to submit the following in Blackboard (all in one zipfile with your group name - game name) for this assignment:

A title page that includes all the names of the people in your team and a summary that gives an overview description of your game in a couple of sentences

A set of complete and edited game rules for your game modification

4-8 photos of the game being played

A design process statement - a 1-page max description of your group's process in getting to the final design

Peer ratings (Rate the contribution of each of your team members, identified by firstname lastname, on a scale of 1 [done nothing] to 10 [gone above and beyond for this assignment])

The actual game materials (cards, board, pieces) if you have them in digital form. (If you only have them in physical form, make sure to submit to either one of your TAs in the tutorial.)

Further Reading

If you are going for that A+, this is your necessary background knowledge.

1. Chapter 2 and 3 of Game Design Workshop. Tracy Fullerton.

2. Challenges for Game Designers. Chapter 2. Brenda Brathwaite and Ian Schreiber.

3. Rules of Play. Chapters 5,6,7. Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman.

4. Level 3: Formal Elements of Games. Ian Schreiber (2009). Game Design Concepts.

5. Formal Models and Game Design. Stefan M. Grünvogel (2005). Game Studies 5(1).

6. Formal Abstract Design Tools. Doug Church (1999). Gamasutra.

7. I Have No Words & I Must Design. Greg Costikyan (1994). Interactive Fantasy 2.

8. In-Depth with Meaningful Choices. Riot Meddler/Andrei van Roon (2014). League of Legends Dev Blog: The Design Values of League of Legends.

Further Viewing

Student Feedback

Just a heads-up for any potential readers, I've posted a new entry (Skyrim, this week) on my gaming journal blog: http://t.co/cauppLr4L6

- Samantha Stahlke (@samanthastahlke) September 12, 2014

@acagamic Very interesting webinar I found a while back. It's long but worth the view. Got me into game design. https://t.co/4CeY3PE7y7

- Deryk Thuss (@Deek2295) September 15, 2014

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The formal systems of games and game design atoms

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cite] Welcome to the sec­ond week of class in the course:Basic Introduction to Game Design . Make sure to read the syl­labus and course infor­ma­tion before you con­tin­ue.

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Online article describing Gamification.

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What is Gamification and Why Use It in Teaching?

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A few weeks ago The Innovative Instructor had an inquiry from a reader who wanted to offer an online gamified Gothic art history class and was looking for models. Today's post seeks to provide information on gamification, why you might want to consider using it in your teaching, and how to go about implementing gamification.

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These are the notes taken from a presentation about technology integration in education.  Within the article there is a link to the original slides.

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"If technology is an event in your school, you're doing it wrong!" -Josh Allen

Technology use is no longer done in isolation. Computers use is no longer confined to a computer lab.

TPAK Integration Framework has three main domains to think about when integrating technology: Technological knowledge, content knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge.

The SAMR framework is another way to think about tech integration. It features Substitution, Modification, Augmentation, and Substitution.

The RAT framework has Replacement, Application, and Transformation.

Jonathan lists other frameworks on Slide 7 of his presentation.

People who are not willing to change won't take risks.

Teachers can learn a lot from lessons and activities that fail.

"Don't worry about failures. Worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try." -Jack Canfield

Technology is not always going to be the best solution for what you want to accomplish.

Not every activity will be enhanced with technology.

Using real objects can be better than digital objects.

Paper and pencil is not illegal in a 1:1 classroom.

Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration

This skills are important for college and the workplace.

Content can take precedence over these important skills.

"If a student goes a year without creating a video, it would like going a year without writing." -Dean Shareski

The National Education Technology Plan promotes active use of technology over passive usage.

Jonathan sees Blended Learning as a teaching initiative, not a technology initiative.

"Learning has always been personalized and individualized. School is catching up." -A.J. Juliani

Too often professional learning provided to teachers is boring.

Professional learning for teachers should be personalized.

"Technology decisions are education decisions." -Jason Marshal

The technology you buy and the technology you block is certainly a decision about education.

David Fringer's "Let it go" List for school technology departments...

The tech department is "in charge" of technology decisions.

"We know what you need."

Computers are "precious" commodities.

The internet is dangerous!

Resources should be locked down tight.

Technology costs money. The community need to see reasons or successes for the investment.

"It is our responsibility to transform the thick brick barriers surrounding our schools into clear, transparent walls of glass." -Hacking Leadership by Tony Sinanis & Joe Sanfelippo

70%-80% of the households in your community don't have students enrolled in your school.

Build up social capital so that the community trusts that you're doing great things.

CCSD 59 in Illinois has a monthly video series featuring a member of their staff.

It's an educator's responsibility to teach kids to use technology safely, ethically, and responsibly.

E-Rate funding requirements state schools need to "provide for educating minors about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response."

According to surveys, not enough teachers are teaching students about legally using web content.

Jonathan ends with sharing some of the great resources he has a hand in creating. They include the Grant Wood AEA Digital Learning Blog, The EdTech Takeout podcast, and the Makerspace Show.

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"If technology is an event in your school, you're doing it wrong!" -Josh Allen Technology use is no longer done in isolation. Computers use is no longer confined to a computer lab. TPAK Integration Framework has three main domains to think about when integrating technology: Technological knowledge, content knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge.