This week was quite hectic with WESTEST 2 field test being taken at school. We managed to have classes for the most part, even though they were shortened. However, we got most of the students' presentations taped and even started on Imagining Your Game unit!
While waiting for Flash installations, we asked the students to respond to a questionnaire so that we could group them correspondingly. Thus, we ended up with four groups: The Alliance of Super Tr33 Stumps (don't ask why "e" became "3"- something out of the teenage lingo:), The Fourth Column, Guitar Heroes, and Gamavision. The students brainstormed their ideas and spent some time getting ready for mini presentations. We informed them that they would be videotaped, so that their presentations could be placed on their group wiki pages. That made them nervous (at least, most of them- Josh, "the muffinman", enjoyed the whole process so much, thus becoming the creative guru of his group), but being nervous helped them work more productively and come up with great game ideas and presentations.
However, Flash is installed, and we have started on the first tutorials in Flash. The students are very excited about starting on Flash and are already helping each other with it! I have warned them that I am as much of a learner in this process as they are, so they have to go through tutorials very thoughtfully and ask experts and their friends for help when needed. I know I will always be there for them, but I will probably learn as much from my students as they will from each other. I am very worried about this part of the course as I am not as comfortable with Flash as I am with working on the wikis and blogs. However, everybody keeps on telling me that I need to give more credit and freedom to my students and believe in their ability to learn from each other and provide help to others in what their strenghts are.
1 comment:
Speaking from personal experience, let the kids teach you. Several years ago we got a copy of Flash (because a student told me that we needed to purchase it and teach it). I could not figure out how to use it. One day two kids were ahead of everyone else so I had them install the software on their computer and in less that 20 minutes they were showing me how it worked. I then learned how to do simple animattions but not the coding. Last year it was other students who taught each other the coding. Some students hate the teacher not knowing but most of my students thought it was cool that I was learning with them. PS if you try to learn it, it takes a lot of time. If you let the kids learn it and teach you--you SAVE loads of time.
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