Addressing learning styles is important when designing activities to teach content standards. Inspiration and Kidspiration software allow an educator to do just that -- by addressing needs of visual learners. Technology also allows educators to respond to various learning theories - from behaviorism to constructionism.
Today we'll talk about PowerPoint games: what they are and how they help students construct their own knowledge -- constructionism. What were your favorite games? What characteristics made them your favorite? What experience do you have with instructional games? Are the characteristics of your favorite games found in most instructional games? How can PowerPoint be used to create an instructional game for your subject area?
It's important to know a little bit of background on the PowerPoint games project before we begin. Dr. Lloyd Rieber - a professor in my department - wrote a paper on this very topic that is an interesting read. Many EDIT 2000 students have created their own games and more and more K-12 classrooms are using PowerPoint games as a way to address content standards through constructionism. I'll share some stories from these projects in class.
We'll play a game during class today and you'll want to view some sample games from the Homemade PowerPoint Games website and from student portfolios from previous semesters and student examples from last summer.
As you're thinking of a game idea, make sure that you are not creating a game that will review multiple standards. Your game should be designed to introduce content or to provide practice for student understanding. If your game is designed around basic factual recall -- think of another game! After looking at examples, we'll review the project assignment and begin working on the template.
Most of the technical skill you need was acquired when we created seating charts during the Productivity Tools Assignment. Using the drawing toolbar in PowerPoint will allow you to customize your game template.
For Tuesday:
