Marv and I worked with well lit pictures and lighting. It is extremely important for photographers to know the different points of lighting. Main light or master light is either the overhead lights or natural light that is shining on most of the face. Fill light is used to get rid of shadows. Top light is used to make the hair look lit. Using light reflectors like a white wall or paper will help to bounce the light onto the subject to fill in the shadows that may be on the face. In the top photo, Marv has many shadows because there was not a fill light reflecting on his face. The bottom photo shows a well lit photo with the main light and fill light working together to create depth and brightness on his face. Marv is definitely model material!
Danielle and I read Husbye’s article, Critical Lessons and Playful Literacies: Digital Media in PK–2 Classrooms, and created a comic strip based on the main ideas expressed in his article.
A question I asked myself throughout my exploration was if Lexia was just a gaming program used for Early Childhood students? This question lingered in my head because of the benefits I believe this game would have on students. As I did some research I found more levels for students in middle school as well. When playing these levels I saw the critical thinking and higher level processes that would go on during these games. For example below, one game not only focused on a specific subject area but also on the literacy standards that would be taught in middle school.
These games require more focus and thinking which would come from a higher grade level.
Punctuation was also used in a game for the higher grade levels. While early childhood focuses on punctuation, commas, colons, and periods, are truly emphasized in middle school to help form better grammar. This helps students to form clear and concise sentences not only in their written language but in their verbal language as well. While some of the concepts are similar between what I played for early childhood and now in the higher grade levels, I experienced a higher level of thinking and more focus to complete the games successfully.
While my exploration of the video game, “Lexia” is coming to an end, I wanted to emphasize the importance of effective instruction in classrooms and show the educational benefits linked to video games. While some people might not see the benefit to using video games in the classroom, I have found a plethora of evidence from articles and my own video gaming exploration to advocate for the use of educational video games within the classroom. While I first struggled to find a game that not only interested me but also had educational benefits, I now see the benefits that can come from using video games to further education. Lexia provided interactive and stimulating activities to help a child embody the identity of literacy. It was important that this game allowed for an enjoyable, fun time but also allow for challenges to be an advantage to a child’s growth and development. Seeing these concepts interactively and firsthand was much more positive than merely being lectured at by a teacher and having to memorize the concepts right away. The practice and engagement of the game was a helpful way for the content to stick better in my brain. I found it interesting in the Richard article that he mentioned Piaget and Vygotsky. Both theorists believe play and development to be interconnected (Richard 36). With this in mind, video games can have the same effect. Playing games, even if they are through technology, can have a positive impact on development. Video games make it very simple to reach all students as individuals. Allowing for children to choose their level and pick the games they want to play to benefit each individual student as a whole. Rather than giving all students one game to play, there are many possibilities on Lexia to be individually and age appropriate.
Overall, I strongly believe that games like, Lexia, tackle students interests while incorporating effective learning principles and a powerful pedagogical approach. Thus, video games make for useful practice for increasing classroom engagement and learning. Those who see gaming as a useless past time should consider the powerful educational tool that video games can be within the classroom. Using a different approach that not only uses technology but allows for students to be interactive with different subject areas helps students gain perspective and have an enjoyable and productive learning experience.
In this exploration I wanted to dive even deeper into my game program and see what else it has to offer. As I have explored the other levels of the game, there are many different categories within Lexia that children can play. I have noticed that all of the categories correlate to different language standards within the classroom. I find Lexia to be more of a long form game. The MindShift article would explain that long-form games, “start simply and expand over time” (MindShift 23). As you increase your levels, the game increases in difficulty and content. I strongly believe that this gaming program can be used throughout the curriculum due to all of different literacy standards that are covered. For each grade level, a teacher could use this technology pedagogy approach to give a different way of teaching these concepts to children. Rather than all lecture, Lexia can be incorporated to allow for fun and hands on learning. I think it would be important for children to have prior knowledge about the different literacy work in order to students to be at instructional level while working with the games. This reminds me of the Gee article when he mentions students being in the principle of “pleasantly frustrating” (Gee 36). This is where children learn best because they are being challenged but in a way that is instructional and supporting their growth on different topics. Being in this level will help children master the different concepts being taught.
Lexia offers an inviting and fun environment for students. The bright colors and positive look makes the game more intriguing and engaging for young children.
I love how interactive and inviting the game is. Children love to see animals and bright colors which Lexia provides. The moving animals makes students laugh and want to keep going to see what the animals and other characters will do next.
Lexia is also an extremely wonderful program because students can access the games from both a browser and an app. This allows for students to even play Lexia while they are at home as long as they have the access code. Teachers also benefit from the gaming program because they can use the “educator mode” to access the student activities to see which would be most appropriate for students to play on specific class days. It is so important for teachers to look over games before having their students play them and Lexia allows for teachers to have all access. Teachers can also track individual students progress through Lexia which is beneficial when needing to see where students may need more work. Overall, these are definite pros to the Lexia educational experience.
Citations:
Gee, J.P. (2007) Good video games + good learning : collected essays on video games, learning, and literacy. Chapter 4: Good video games, the human mind, and good learning. New York : Peter Lang. pp. 22-44.
During this exploration, I wanted to see what the games for a higher educational level within early childhood looked like. I went to level 17, which is aimed for the beginning of fifth grade. Through these games, children will be able to work on structural analysis, fluency with text, vocabulary, and comprehension. The theme of this level is “The Southwest, USA.” I was found this theme to be appropriate for fifth graders because this is a topic that they may be in their curriculum. Therefore, they will get to continue their growth on content knowledge about the USA while working on their literacy skills.
The player could choose between any of these five categories to play.
To begin, I started with the Greek Combining Forms game. This game was interesting because it gave a greek combining form to help explain what a word means. For example, as shown below, the greek combining form, “Geo” means earth. The student would then have to pick the photo that would match best with this definition.
The student is given a Greek Combining Form and the definition. Then they are asked to choose the picture that best matches the Greek form. In this case, the student should choose the picture of the earth.
This game really tried to get the students to understand specific greek forms. The game would repeat the same words multiple times to really get the students to pay attention and focus on the activity. As I completed more and more of the game, I started to have to do visual sorts, constructions of the greek combining form, and complete sentences. I found the differentiation of activities within the same level to be beneficial because it helps to keep the game interesting and fun while still creating an educational environment.
This is an example of the Visual Sort.
Another feature I noticed about Lexia is that when I got more than two answers wrong, I would be directed to a mini lesson about what I got wrong. This allowed for me to practice and focus on what I got wrong to then continue going through the level. Getting answers wrong, paused the game so that I fully understood a concept before moving on to more challenging content. Lexia is a very educational game and I think they do a good job of keeping it fun and entertaining for younger children. The colors are bright and vibrant and there are moving animals that make me smile. I think the interaction of the animals during the games is a fun way to keep children engaged while learning.
Throughout the Gee article, there are many learning principles that come with video games. One principle that stuck out to me while I was playing these games on Lexia, is empowered learners. With empowered learners, comes co-design and customization. Gee explains how co-design requires full participation in order for the learner to understand “the design of the domain they are learning”. In Lexia, the learner must be fully engaged to be able to get through the game and understand the domain of literacy they are learning. In addition, I see customization through Lexia with the ability to choose not only the level they child is at (based on their grade) but also what category they want to play in once they are in a specific level. This allows children to play and work on the content that they are interested in. This allows for student engagement and enjoyment throughout the game. I also noticed the principle of manipulation and distributed knowledge as discussed in the Gee article. This principle focuses on the player and character each have knowledge that must be integrated in order to play game successfully (Gee 33). I have seen this throughout my game due to the fact that the player must have prior knowledge to be able to be successful within the different levels.
Overall, as I continued my exploration through this video gaming learning experience, I notice both pros and cons that come from using technology and video games in the classroom. As I continued to play Lexia, I noticed the repetition of the game itself. While I acknowledge that this is beneficial for students to have the information engrained in their mind, I found myself becoming bored with the tasks at hand. I could imagine younger students clicking random answers as they go through the game rather than being thoughtful and intentional with their answers just to finish the game quickly. I will mention more pros and cons in my blog posts to come. So far, I am enjoying the games and think integrating Lexia into my classroom would be a very beneficial learning experience for students.
Citations:
Gee, J.P. (2007) Good video games + good learning : collected essays on video games, learning, and literacy. Chapter 4: Good video games, the human mind, and good learning. New York : Peter Lang. pp. 22-44.
My prior video game experience is not too exciting. As a child, I did not like to play video games and did not want to be on technology. I enjoyed playing outside and being with friends, rather than sitting and looking at a screen. However, now that technology is more prominent in society, there are many benefits to incorporating technology and educational video games into the lives of children. As a teacher, I believe it is so important to research and play the video games before bringing them into the classroom. In, MindShift Guide to Digital Games + Learning, the article states, “One option is to read blogs that regularly review learning games” (MindShift 16). This will help to find appropriate games for the classroom and get feedback on what others think of the games. Playing the games helps teachers to become intimate with the games and be able to connect the games to the class which will benefit the learning and gaming as a whole.
Throughout my video game exploration I encountered many different games from various domains. It was very difficult for me to find a game that I was interested in. I went back and forth between science games, math games, and simulations about the real world. I wanted a game that I felt passionate about playing and that I could see myself using in my classroom one day. Language and literacy has always been a topic that interests me. I strongly believe these two aspects of learning are very important when it comes to children. As I was reflecting back to my time in classrooms, remembering if any games were utilized in the environments I have observed, I recalled a learning exploration that I thought was very effective. Lexia Reading Core5 is an educational tool for teachers to use to increase differentiated literacy instruction for students of all abilities in grades pre-K–5. This program allows children to have access to different stories and games that provide guidance in the different standards that elementary children should know. Having seen this being used in a Kindergarten classroom, I was eager to learn more and see for myself all the games could teach children. As I began the game, I noticed there were different levels you could pick to play. Each level is dependent on the grade level or reading level the student is currently at. The different levels are based on different themes. For example, Level 1 is “A Picnic in the Woods” and includes different scenes from being in the woods with different animals.
Here is a photo of the screen where you can choose which level to play games in.
During my first exploration, I played the Rhyming game in level 1. During this game, there was a picture in a circle and two pictures in squares underneath. One of the pictures in the square rhymes with the name of the picture in the circle. For example, as shown below, “Cat” would either rhyme with “Bat” or “Mop.” The words are said to the children and then they get to choose which word they think matches with the picture in the circle. If the child chooses the correct word, the apple in the tree turns red and once they turn all apples red, the child will move on to the next level of rhyming words which increasingly gets more difficult.
There is so much more I will be able to learn from this game. This section is just one of the numerous parts of the game that children can pick from. The other categories to play are, Letter Matching, Categorizing Pictures, and Nursery Rhymes. I will continue to play these as well to get to know all that Lexia Reading Core5 has to offer. Gee suggests that, “good video games incorporate good learning principles” (Gee 24). So far in my video game investigation, I believe that Lexia has incorporated good learning principles due to the child’s ability to pick their level and have a very interactive part in the learning process. While the child is learning through this video game, there are also many fun aspects to the game that keeps the child engaged.
Citations:
Gee, J.P. (2007) Good video games + good learning : collected essays on video games, learning, and literacy. Chapter 4: Good video games, the human mind, and good learning. New York : Peter Lang. pp. 22-44.
2. I am from Hudson, Ohio which is about 45 minutes away from John Carroll. I live with my mom, dad, and two older brothers, Matthew and Jack. Hudson is a small, close-knit community; people who live here often say we live in a bubble. The clock tower is, as shown below, is the monument of my town.
3. I am extremely passionate about school and the different activities I am in. When I am given a task I put my entire heart and soul into the job. I care a lot about the people around me and truly love making others happy. I am leading an immersion trip to Ecuador in May and am extremely excited to share this incredible opportunity with amazing people. I love getting to meet new people and share experiences with others. I love to dance, sing, and just be goofy. I babysit three kids which is so enjoyable. Being around children and seeing their love for life reminds me how grateful I am for my life. I love being in the classroom to be able to put all of the different information I have learned to use and practice it all hands on.
Learning Style and more:
To feel comfortable taking intellectual and creative risks in a course, I need a learning environment that enables me to express my opinions and thoughts without feeling criticized or judged. I also think having support and uplifting peers and instructors is important when creating a safe/secure learning environment. I enjoy being challenged and stepping outside of my comfort zone, so classrooms that allow me to do these things are beneficial to my learning.
What have you been reading?
In education, I believe knowing all your children as individuals in society is very important to a successful classroom. Every students comes into school with various scales of knowledge and experiences. Connecting with each student individually will help create learning and development that will last within my students. Early Childhood years are fundamental years in these children’s lives. Being individually appropriate and knowing my students learning styles are key to successful learning and development for my children. I found a book called , “How to Teach Now,” where the first chapter emphasizes the importance of “knowing our students as learners.” The author explains how, “Knowing students means more than merely acquiring social or administrative information—students’ names and ages, something about their friendship circles, a bit about their family backgrounds, a few statistics from their academic record. To maximize learning, we need to dig deeper than this superficial acquaintance” (Powell). It is very important that teachers take the time to get to know their students not just at the surface level. This will help not only for students to feel comfortable in class but for teachers to feel comfortable teaching their students in the appropriate way.
Punctuation was also used in a game for the higher grade levels. While early childhood focuses on punctuation, commas, colons, and periods, are truly emphasized in middle school to help form better grammar. This helps students to form clear and concise sentences not only in their written language but in their verbal language as well. While some of the concepts are similar between what I played for early childhood and now in the higher grade levels, I experienced a higher level of thinking and more focus to complete the games successfully.
Educational Technology I Kelly Robinson 
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