How School is Like A Video Game...

As you will see in the side bar, I like to list the current focus for each month so everyone knows what we are doing and what we are  planning to do in the near future. September to me is all about establishing where students are at vis a vis the various curriculum areas and setting goals from there.

Once I know where students are at, I can give feedback to guide them in obtaining the skills that they need to progress. I presented this idea to the class this week in a cute little analogy that compares Video Games & School. Students were also asked to write down what they thought was the main idea of my presentation (thus, providing me with data on their ability to demonstrate an understanding on an oral text--a key component of the oral language curriculum!)

A Screenshot of a Gamer Profile: Zelda:

This is the prezi I gave on comparing the effective feedback in video games to the effective feedback in schools.

A Screenshot of a Student Profile: Literacy

The point of this activity, as I mentioned above, was two fold.

First, to discuss the idea of 'effective feedback'. What is it in video games? (tool inventory, health meters, maps, rankings, etc).

What is it in schools? (report cards, comments, conversations, notes from the teacher, regarding various subject areas & skill sets, etc).

And, in both cases, what is the purpose? To inform your next steps, to grow in 'gamer points & skills' or student ability and skills so that you can proceed to the next level.

Your 'gamer/student profile' should be different from the start of the year to the end in the various areas. As in the video game, we expect you to grow..but instead of growing in health hearts, we want growth in curriculum areas. Teachers also need to take base line data (samples of reading, writing, oral language, spelling, math ability at the start of the year so we can determine your profile 'starting point'. This provides a point of comparison so you can see your progress over time!

Secondly, to see if students could aptly explain the main idea of my oral text!

Most students were able to explain afterward in writing that my talk was a comparison between school and a video game, or they noted that both were about progressing...but it was clear from these student samples that they could grow in this ability. Most students in this class need to work on these skills when answering a comprehension question about an oral text:

-restating the question (the main idea is...)
-being more specific ('games and school are the same in many ways'...should include more specific details other than just saying 'many ways'!)
-being more concise! (some students were repetitive, and wrote their response over many sentences. The main idea should fit into one sentence! It can be tightened up!)

Students have now set personal goals based on my feedback.

I realize I have gone into a fair bit of detail here about baselines and this first baseline sample but I want to demonstrate how the process of obtaining a baseline sample and providing feedback based on clear criteria helps students know which skill area to focus on next so that they improve in those abilities.

Just as a map on the Zelda game screen tells you where to go next, so too do I, as your teacher, tell you where you need to go next so that you may progress!