Entry #12

Preliminary Elements:
Title - Compost 4 Fun
Publisher - ITM Metelko k.d.
Release Date - 2007
Game Type- Adventure


Game Summary: Players are asked to build the perfect compost bin. Points are scored by correctly adding compostable items to the compost bin. Adding non-compostable items will deduct points.



Educational Value: Recycling, environment, science


Opinion: Good idea for a game, I liked how almost everything can be clicked on and possibly composted.  The character's movements were a little difficult and at times frustrating.  This game could work for any grade level, as we are labeled a "green" school, it might be a good way to teach students more about recycling.

Image retrieved from http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/schools/

Entry #11

Preliminary Elements:
Title - City Creator
Publisher - Denise Wilton & Cal Henderson
Update Date - 2011
Game Type - Simulation


Game Summary: Players create their own city by "dragging and dropping" buildings, roads, roofs, people, and vehicles from a pre-made selection to an empty space.


Educational Value: organization, community, maps


Opinion: This game may be interesting for some students, especially those who are visual/spacial learners.  It was a little difficult for me to get into because I'm not able to visualize the big picture before adding the details.  I tried dragging in some different buildings, roads, etc. but I couldn't see it all coming together.  This game might work with a math lesson on ratio & proportion.  I know one of my coworkers does a project where students create a scale drawing, so this could be a great extension.

Image retrieved from http://www.citycreator.com/

Entry #10

Preliminary Elements:
Title - Fantastic Voyage
Publisher - Educational Broadcasting Corp.
Release Date - 2004
Game Type - Adventure


Game Summary: It's 1629, and you have recently been appointed Governor of a New World colony. Your Company's investors have charged you with the tasks of selecting colonists and a ship, and safely guiding them across the sea. Players answer a series of questions that determine the course of actions they would take in a variety of scenarios. At the end of your journey to the New World, your Company's investors will evaluate your performance as Governor. You will be judged on the health and morale of your colonists, the quantity of supplies you bring to the New World, the state of your ship and crew, and the likelihood that your colony will succeed in the future.

Educational Value: Colonial living, teamwork, leadership


Opinion: It would be interesting to go through the series of questions several times, each time choosing different responses to see how the end result changes.  Students could work on this as a group assignment and provide reasoning behind each of their choices.  Based on the end result, they could look back at their logic and decide what they might do differently.

Image retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/colonialhouse/php/voyage.php

Entry #9

Preliminary Elements:

Title - Mr. Jefferson's Magical Maze

Publisher - The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Update Date - 2011

Game Type - Adventure

Game Summary: Players use arrow keys to move their chosen character around, explore the garden maze, and find clues.  Animal gatekeepers guard new sections of the maze; walk up to them and answer their riddle from the clues collected.  Correct answers allow players to continue through the maze, but the game ends after 3 incorrect answers.  There are 6 levels to go through.  The garden is modeled after the Governor's Palace in Williamsburg, which was once home to Thomas Jefferson.  The gardens are as fancy as the palace, with flowerbeds, a canal, and a boxwood maze big enough to walk in.

Educational Value: Colonial living, historical Williamsburg, important colonial figures and dates

Opinion: Even with all of the clues collected, I still managed to answer questions incorrectly!  I think this would be a really fun game for students; I like that they don't have to type in any text, they can just choose a correct answer from the ones they've found, but the key is to pick up all of the clues before answering the riddle.  The only negative aspect is that it was frustrating only being able to see a small part of the maze as I moved around.

Image retrieved from http://www.history.org/media/interactive.cfm

Entry #8

Preliminary Elements:
Title - Ratio Blaster
Publisher - Arcademics
Update Date - 2011
Game Type - Educational (Arcade)


Game Summary: Invading spaceships with ratio problems move down from the top of the screen toward a laser cannon on the bottom.  Answers are placed in the cannon to "equalize" the invader with the correct answer.  Hits and misses are recorded on the bottom of the screen.  Players use the arrow keys to move the laser and the spacebar to fire.


Educational Value: Equivalent ratios & fractions, simplifying, division


Opinion: This would be a fun way for students to review or practice their equivalent fractions skills.  I like that at the end of the game, it tells you which questions you got wrong, and gives you the correct answer.  This allows students to be held accountable for their learning while they're playing the game.

Image retrieved from http://hoodamath.com/games/ratioblaster.php

Entry #7

Preliminary Elements:
Title - Hungry Puppies
Publisher - Arcademics
Update Date - 2011
Game Type - Educational (Arcade)


Game Summary: Players have to quickly grab bones that add up to the target decimal.  The player with the most bones wins.


Educational Value: Decimal addition, place value


Opinion: This game is modeled after one of my childhood favorites, Hungry Hungry Hippos, which made it enjoyable.  I think it moves a little too quickly - it was difficult for me to rapidly add the decimals in my head, so I'm sure my students would have a tough time.

Image retrieved from http://www.mathangle.com/math-decimals/play-hungry-puppies-adding-decimals

Entry #6

Preliminary Elements:
Title - ElectroCity
Publisher - Genesis Energy
Release Date - 2007
Game Type - Simulation


Game Summary: Players are given complete control over a small town in New Zealand.  They are able to build and destroy things in that city - depending on what they do they can bankrupt the town or turn it into a huge thriving city.  Players are responsible for balancing the city's growth with its environmental impact.  The "green" image is important to the citizens.  Scores are given at the end for different categories, such as population, environment, popularity.


Educational Value: Money management, environmental issues, society infrastructure


Opinion: While this game seems like a great idea because there is so much freedom, it is the open-ended aspect of the game that makes it complicated and difficult to figure out.  The directions are extremely lengthy, which I cannot imagine one of my students wanting to actually read.  Even if the directions are read thoroughly,  it was still hard for me to figure out what to actually do.  The game itself is long (150 turns), but players can save and return.  If I were to use this game with students, I would have them work in groups to create a city together.

Image retrieved from http://games.bbgsite.com/content/2009-02-04/20090204125438169.shtml

Entry #5

Preliminary Elements:
Title - Magnets
Publisher - Cool Math Games.com
Release Date - 1997 (site)
Game Type - Puzzle


Game Summary: Players destroy magnets by connecting 3 or more magnets of the same color together.  Players must remember that in order for them to connect correctly, opposite poles (N & S) must touch.


Educational Value: Science, Magnets


Opinion: It takes a few tries to get the hang of how the pieces move (you have to keep clicking for it to rotate), and then you have to remember that in order for the pieces to be "destroyed" the opposite poles must be matched up.  It's a fun way to reinforce concepts from the Magnets & Electricity unit, but still basic.

Entry #4

Preliminary Elements:
Title - State the State
Publisher - Cool Math Games.com
Release Date - Site was created in 1997 (couldn't find specific date for game)
Game Type - Educational (Geography)


Game Summary: Players are asked to identify U.S. states by their shapes and locations.  The game varies in difficulty - players can choose to see the state as it compares to the rest of the U.S., or individually, and players can also choose a state from 4 options or type in their response.


Educational Value: Geography


Opinion: I really like the different levels that this game provides, making it a great game for students with all levels of U.S. Geography knowledge.  When learning about the 13 colonies, many students cannot even identify the state they live in, so this would be a great game to reinforce state shapes and locations.

Entry #3

Preliminary Elements:
Title - Gravity Launch!
Publisher - Science NetLinks
Release Date - January 2006
Game Type - Simulation


Game Summary: The game allows players to virtually launch a rocket into space to see how the force of gravity can pull an object toward the Earth and Moon.  Players can try different thrust and angle settings to see how these affect the motion of the rocket.  There's a control panel on the bottom of the screen that players use to change the settings and launch the rocket.


Educational Value: Physics (Newton's Laws), Astronomy


Opinion: The game will keep students' interest because it will take them a few tries to get the angle and thrust settings adjusted so they meet the goal.  There are some cool visuals and sound effects, too.  Each round gets a little bit harder, and I found myself playing it through several rounds because I was determined to meet the goal each time.

Image retrieved from http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/afterschool/

Entry #2

Preliminary Elements:

Title - Binky's Facts & Opinions

Publisher - PBS Kids

Update Date - 2011

Game Type - Educational, Reading/Language

Game Summary: The player listens to statements and has to decide if what the characters are saying are facts or opinions.  

Educational Value: Reading strategies - fact & opinion

Opinion: The game may be too childish for some of my 5th graders, but could be useful for those students struggling with fact & opinion questions.  The game would be good for students with learning difficulties - it has a character say the statement, there is a picture of what they're saying, and the text is written out.  

Image retrieved from http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/factsopinions/

Entry #1

Preliminary Elements:
Title - Go to the Head of the Solar System
Publisher - NASA
Update Date - February 2010
Game Type - Educational

Game Summary: Players answer basic questions about the solar system to help the comet get to the Sun. Players are shown a choice of 3 different celestial bodies, and have to choose which one matches the question. If the question is correct, the comet moves closer to the Sun, if the question is incorrect, the player has the option to retry or move on to the next question. Each time the game is played there are different questions.

Educational Value: Astronomy - planets, Sun, Moon, comets, asteroids

Opinion: This game is very basic and may get boring quickly, especially if students know all of the answers on the first try. It would be a good pre-test to see how much they already know about astronomy, and it could also be used throughout the unit to reinforce learned concepts. It's not timed, so students can take as long as they need to answer. Also, there are only 3 options and the game lets you retry until you get the answer right, so there aren't any consequences for getting a wrong answer.

Image retrieved from http://www.zoodles.com/game/nasa-kids/go-to-the-head-of-the-solar-system.

Reflections on Learning #2

Entry #1: Team Facilitators

• I think that our team facilitation activity promoted engagement because it asked participants to create something that they would then share with their peers and use as a discussion point.  Participants were asked to check in throughout the week, including posting follow-up responses to their original posts, which meant that users were engaged through discussion during the week's activity.  I believe we also promoted higher order thinking because the review of open source software that we had the class create required them to not only learn about this type of software and go through specific examples, but they also had to make connections to the classroom to determine if it was a worthwhile tool to use.

• The social networking activity was most relevant to me because I use social networking in my every day life (for personal use).  I have never thought seriously about using these tools in the classroom, so it was interested to hear the perspective of the class who had to list the "pros."  While I enjoyed the podcasting presentation, I did not find it to be as relevant because I have never really listened to, created, or used podcasting personally or professionally.  I value the experience of having to create a podcast, but I'm not sure that I will be using this tool in my classroom just yet

Entry #2: Developing and Implementing E-Learning Initiatives

• I do not plan on implementing my initiative at my school.  This is mostly due to the fact that I am being involuntarily transferred, so I do not know where I am going to be teaching next year.  If i were to remain at my school, I would consider implementing the initiative, but on a smaller scale.  I know that a lot of my coworkers would be resistant to this type of professional development because there is so much involved through readings, activities, and discussions.  I am sure many would say that there is just not enough time to teach and participate in these activities.  Even though the sessions are monthly, I could imagine the initiative working well if it was spread out even more over 2 years instead of just one.

• Rather than begin with an e-learning initiative for teachers, it might be easier for me to involve students.  The students are more likely to be receptive to change and generally have more of an interest and knowledge in technology.  I am not sure what direction I would go in just yet, but I could see myself creating a class Wikispace or blog to use for reflections and collaboration.

Entry #3: Perceptions about E-Learning

• I reviewed my original post about my e-learning perspectives from the first week of this course.  Most of my thoughts still hold true, but the feeling of being overwhelmed has subsided a bit.  In the beginning of this course, I felt apprehensive about not being able to check in every single day and was worried that I would fall behind if I didn't.  Towards the end of the course, while I didn't check in daily, I still felt involved and seemed to make better use of my time when I did log on.  Originally, I felt that working with a team through an online course would be difficult because everyone would need to come with the same willingness to stay involved and collaborate.  While I do feel that I've found ways to make communication easier and more functional, I still believe that online collaboration can be difficult with a team if not all group members share the workload equally.  Overall, I think that e-learning can be successful with motivation, participation, and collaboration from its learners.

Reflection on Learning #1

• Early in the course, you were introduced to the ELC, structure of an online course, various communication tools and strategies, the concepts of community and professional development, and working in teams.  You also discussed some of the essential elements of online learning and design. Based on what you have learned and experienced what have you found engaging and helpful to your learning?

Having used the ELC previously was helpful in learning to navigate through this course.  In the online course I took last semester, it seemed that the instructor did not utilize all aspects of the ELC, which made the course seem to be somewhat simpler.  I like that this course uses the "coursebook" feature to include the readings/checklist and then activities.  It is very clear and helpful when planning my week to know where I am going, what I need to accomplish, and by when.  When guidelines are too general or flexible, I find it difficult to manage my learning and adhere to due dates.  


I am also enjoying the exposure to a variety of new tools and the fact that we are encouraged to use them.  Learning about them is great, but unless I am somewhat forced (or strongly encouraged) to use them to complete an assignment, they are just going to pass me by.  I liked using Prezi for my e-learning platform, and I know that I will be using it again in the future.  I think that researching a variety of web 2.0 tools and posting them on the Wikispace was helpful because it allows me to have a place to start, rather than doing all of the research myself and then becoming overwhelmed.  I'm looking forward to trying some new tools with my students and coworkers.  


I've always thought of myself to be a good worker, especially in a team, but I have to say that I'm finding the teamwork in this course a little bit difficult at times.  Having not formally met face-to-face, I don't always know if I am reading emails or notes with the correct "tone."  Sometimes teammates can seem to be a bit pushy or not understand that we all need to work at our own pace.  On the other hand, when I was the team facilitator I was really trying to get the team to begin researching our project, but I did not receive much of a response.  I was frustrated that we were working until almost the last minute to finish the assignment.  I think that your feedback to our team has been very helpful in moving ahead and improving our collaboration in order to succeed.