The purpose of this group assignment was to demonstrate our abilities in assessing an online educational game based on its competence to assist student learning. We were told to search for the “perfect” online educational game. This portion of the assignment was time-consuming because most games did not prove to have a profound lesson. In the next class meeting, we were supposed to individually pitch our game to the rest of the group members. Once we chose a game, the obstacle continued to create a rubric with specific criteria for the game.
No one in the group has experience with creating a rubric, so this was our first time. Creating the rubric itself proved to be the most challenging because we are not entirely sure what characteristics would make an impressive educational online game. As a group, we examined what we wanted to play in a student’s perspective rather than a teacher’s. However, we did not completely disregard what the teacher’s framework for what an effective game is. My group just used the students’ perspective to initiate the brainstorming for the guidelines of our rubric. According to Sean Covey (2014) “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood is about genuinely listening to understand another person’s point of view before seeking to share and have yours understood.” (p. 80). As future educators, we must understand what the students considered as entertaining while exercising their learning abilities. The rubric will provide an assessment of what a great game should be.
The online educational game that my group chose is called “Cash Out.” It is a beneficial and useful online educational game. The game serves as an excellent practice for students to calculate change and count money. The customizable settings include different skill levels, which make it ideal for most elementary and middle school students to enjoy. Everyone goes through the experience of purchasing something, and as the customer, you are expected to pay and calculate your change. So this game provides a real-life application for students and exercises your math skills. Our group recommends this game for teachers and parents to help their students/children to maintain and practice their knowledge in math. “Cash Out” is a vital game that can be used to apply to your everyday life.
Utilizing technology tools within the presentation and communicating with your group mates are an essential part of this assignment. For our presentation, our group decided to use Prezi since we are most familiar with this site. This presentation tool allowed our group to utilize the unique transition that Prezi offers, which brings ideas to life. One of the communication tools that my group used was Whatsapp, which is a commonly used communication app that offers text messages and voice messages, video, and audio calls. It also allows its users to share documents, photos, and links. As we were brainstorming for our project, we typed out notes and ideas on Google Docs., which also allows users to chat amongst people with the shared document. With this feature, we were able to collaborate in different areas and receive instant feedback as we are developing different ideas. “There must be honesty on all ends of the team since withholding the truth could damage the team’s integrity. Team members should always share information and feelings between each other. This allows for total trust between the team members.” (Bass, 2018) These tools assisted my group in completing the task at hand and assisted us with understanding our overarching goal.
It is crucial to familiarize yourself with technology tools that will benefit your students’ learning experience. In virtue of this assignment, we were able to utilize numerous technology tools to improve our teamwork and presentation. The “Cash Out” game provides students with the ability to calculate change mentally with real-life applications. Prezi has provided us with simple yet unique designs and transitions. We have included how the game can be helpful and address the pros and cons. Whatsapp, and Google Docs. have served as practical communication tools that maintained our focus on our goals and overcoming difficulty.
References
Bass, A. (2018). Why is team communication important when in teams? Retrieved from https://careertrend.com/why-is-team-communication-important-when-in-teams-4233172.html
Covey, S. (2014). The 7 habits of highly effective college students: How to succeed in college… and life. Salt Lake City, UT: Franklin Covey.
Hi Ms. Ricafort:
ReplyDeleteYou write very nicely. It was a pleasure to read.
-j-
P.S. Whose idea was it to take the class photo? I love it.