This week, having been frustrated at not launching the whole gamified system, I have at least been able to involve my class in the design process.
On Monday we discussed the reasons they might have for wanting to become better readers - and they came up with everything you might hope and more - and I touched a little bit on the areas of reading we might develop skills in (I didn't use the term Assessment focus).
Later in the week they worked in pairs and groups to suggest activities they might undertake to demonstrate their skills in these different areas. Again, they were brilliant and took it really seriously. They had lots of ideas for performing or retelling activities, which I have not perhaps explored too much myself, on the grounds that they might be too noisy in a classroom - but perhaps I need to explore these non-written methods more. They also suggested 'unpressurised' - their word - reading comprehension tasks/tests as a way of demonstrating understanding - and that seems like a great idea. I thought they might even do it collaboratively (although collaboration always makes individual assessment more difficult).
Which reminds me that I do have to make time for them to learn, and not just show me what they've learned.
On Friday I gave myself permission to spend some time on the task (it feels like so much more fun that 'real' work that I feel I have to restrict the time I spend on it) and came up with the beginnings of a class display to show off what we are doing.
We are Oak Class, so I have called the space 'Oakenaria' and created a map on the wall, with seven areas to visit, each aligned to one of the seven reading skills (or AFs). The places have names such as Mystery Mansion (for AF2 - fact finding or detective work) or Jigsaw Jungle (AF7 - how our literary heritage fits together) which will hopefully fit the theme.
Today, I have slotted all this into a powerpoint slideshow which begins with the map, with each place to visit linked to a page identifying the features of the skill learned there, with some indication of skills progression. I've up-loaded it to the school's learning platform so that the children can view it at home too.
It feels good to be making progress. I do feel that I'm putting off some major tasks though. And I'm not sure I even know what they are.
Parents' consultation evenings this week and the KS2 production next month are bound to intervene, too, but little by little I will get there.
The next thing to get my mind around, and I'm not sure whether to involve the class in this, is more to do with the game mechanics. For example, should
the next level be 'unlocked' by proven skill at the current level, or can players select quests from any level?
I have spent this weekend visiting family and, during car journeys and downtime, reading Lee Sheldon's 'The Multiplayer Classroom: Designing Coursework as a Game'. I really enjoyed his down-to-earth style and readable prose. There are a good variety of case studies too, in addition to detail about his own experiences of gaming the classroom. I'm now looking forward to reading his blog to dig further into the detail.
My enthusiasm has been infectious. I've talked through my gamification project with my 16-year-old son, who is now also excited by the concept. He has provided his own insights and suggestions.
I do probably need a fallow period to consolidate thoughts and ideas (I have too many to allow for a simple and workable classroom system).
Meanwhile, the reading will continue - next stop Jane McGonigal's 'Reality is Broken.
Well, half term has come and almost gone. I have spent my days in the fascinating online world of the edublogosphere, twitter, TED and other places I never knew existed. I have learnt so much.
And achieved rather little.
Not quite true, of course. I have put lots of thinking and planning into the gamification of Guided Reading in my classroom. But I'm just not quite ready to put it into action. I really had hoped to have a complete package to unveil to my unsuspecting Y5/6 class and I haven't made it. Perhaps my design is too complicated, but I just don't quite have all the resources perfected - levelled activities for pupils to select from, envelopes stuffed with rewards, leader boards ready for leaders.
And I do also have a life. I'm off to visit family for the weekend and I can't devote more time to my project before Monday.
So I have decided to accept that I can't have a great reveal on Monday and turn it to my advantage. Instead of rushing into it and presenting the class with a done deal, I can spend time talking to them about the project and eliciting their ideas, so that they contribute to the structure of the game mechanics - and hopefully feel ownership and additional engagement as a result. And, of course, I could learn a lot from their experience of game-play. Mine is probably much more limited.
So my plan for Monday is to ask them about their experience of gaming and reward structures and give them the task of thinking about it over the week. It will also give me time to help them create their own avatars for a 'multiplayer classroom' (my copy arrived today, cant wait to get stuck in).
Overall, a happy week with hopefully more to come.
Collo
I'm sure this has happened to you: you get all excited about a particular approach or research subject; you live and breath it for days, weeks, months - and then somebody, somewhere makes a comment, unrelated to your work, that makes you doubt yourself.
That happened to me today. I've been immersing myself in gamification positivity, from all angles. I've been more excited about setting something up in my own classroom than I have been for years.
And then came a little tweet. Retweeted by someone else. A piece entitled 'How to create Non Readers - a reflection on motivation', by Alfie Kohn. A thoughtful, insightful and inspiring essay on the value of intrinsic motivation in reading. And I'm back in my PGCE year, passionate about intrinsic motivation and the dangers lurking in every pack of stickers.
So which way to turn? On the one hand, I still believe in creating a love of reading for its own sake. On the other, I am beginning to understand (or think I am) how classrooms mitigate against the boys in school (Ali Carr-Chellman's TED talk on engaging boys through gaming, for example - pretty inspiring) and I really want to work on behalf of the boys I see switching off and turning away from my neat iedas of what should engage them.
So I have ploughed right on. I've completed my set of levelled activities for independent work in Guided Reading. I've been out and bought cards and envelopes and stickers (aargh!) and I'm all ready to bring them into play on Monday.
With a little of yesterday's excitement and enthusiasm, I'm sure I can excite my class about my new approach next week. But stickability counts. I don't want to be reinventing the wheel at Christmas.
Tell me what you think. Must motivation be intrinsic to be worthy?
Collo
