iPhone Treasure Hunt

This week Sharon had us running around the university looking for clues in out treasure hunt! Using the code-scanning app we took pictures which led to another code with another clue! Unfortunatly nobody found the prize, I'm not sure if Sharon was joking and sent us on a wild goose chase just for the experience or if there was actually a prize somewhere and we all missed it. Either way it worked because the experience was extremely engaging, even if we didn't win the prize I still enjoyed following the clues and working together. It may have worked better if each team started out with a different code though, as the first person to solve the clue was followed by everybody else. Doing this with a class would end up in a pile up of thirty children all trying to take photos. The active learning with the modern technology was a perfect combination! I will definatly use this in the classroom! This is my favourite transferable activity so far!

My New iPad :D

This week is my turn to explore the iPad, having had it for four days now I can safely say that I am addicted! There was an app which had already been downloaded called Virtuoso which is a touch keyboard style application. This is obviously useful for music and reminds me of a point Sharon mentioned about an app for a scientific calculator. The money it would cost for a calculator for every pupil would not need to be spent as it would not need to be spent on keyboards. It is one of the many apps which is included in the price of the iPad itself. I found it more engaging than a regular keyboard as it is a novelty to begin with, I started teaching myself new songs and testing out chords for songs I already knew. I felt a sense of achievement when I could play the songs and realised that what I had just seen as messing about was actually learning. There is an emphasis on playing for learning across the nursery modules which Erika and Brenda are teaching us, however this type of play could be spread throughout the whole school and expanded. From this app I found another called Music Drawing Lite which allows you to place a note on a scale and play it. Introducing the notes on a scale could be built upon with this app as pupils can practice through playing on this app. I would use this in my own practice by refreshing knowledge of musical notes including visual reminders on the interactive whiteboard, then I would write the notes of a popular song out in letters. The pupils would have to fill these notes in on the app and play the song. This will involve them matching the notes in letter form to the notes on a scale. I would then let them create their own piece of music which the app enables them to save creating a sense of ownership of the song.

As well as using the music apps, I downloaded games purely for the novelty of having the iPad, I though I may as well enjoy it!
I have become addicted to Bakery Story and Restaurant Story where you build a cafe/restaurant serve customers. The apps have a similar format to Farmville which has never attracted me before however these games were more appealing. At first I thought they were simply something to play but after reading Teaching With the Tools Kids Really Use by Susan Brooks-Young (2010) I realised that it could be more educational than I first thought.
According to Brooks-Young, 'Besides being highly engaging, imaginary worlds provide environments where students can learn to make sense of the real world as well. Increasing numbers of educators are experimenting with using virtual worlds to engage students in a wide range of learning activities.'
I agree with this point as I found the game engaging to the point of addiction!
Brooks-Young expands her point by stating that, 'students who could directly manipulate objects in animations learned better using a variety of problem-solving measures. Virtual worlds make it possible for educators to create environments where students can learn by manipulating objects in the environment to test hypotheses and see "what if?"'
This is very true of these particular apps as the progression of the virtual world is dependant on the actions of the user. Deciding what to cook, how much money to spend on furniture, how long the food will take etc are all decisions the user needs to make to move up levels and have a successful virtual business.
The Curriculum for Excellence outcome;
By experiencing the setting up and running of a business, I can collaborate in making choices relating to the different roles and responsibilities and have evaluated its success.

SOC 2-22a

relates to this sort of game. Pupils experience a taste of enterprising which can relate to projects within the classroom and school.