Blog Post 6 - Leveling Up Student Learning with Gaming Into My Classroom

Blooket is a game changer when it comes to integrating games into the classroom because it brings ENERGY, ENGAGEMENT, and REAL LEARNING into my 5th-grade science classroom, and it might be your next favorite tool that you just may implement into your own classroom.

Blooket is a free game-based learning platform where users can create or use already-made questions across all subject areas. Teachers can host live games for students to use a game code or assign a set of questions as homework. Students can compete in interactive educational games that allow students to review concepts and learn while also having fun. With game modes like Monster Brawl, Deceptive Dino’s, Gold Quest, Crypto Hack, Fishing Frenzy, Blook Rush, Tower Defense, Battle Royale, Cafe Factory, Racing, and Classic game mode, students stay focused while practicing core science concepts. 

Integrating Blooket into 5th Grade Science:

This past unit, I taught students about Earth in Motion, Stars, and Gravity. A key part of this unit is understanding and applying scientific vocabulary. Students must learn terms like orbit, rotate, gravity, axis, hemisphere, and tilt, but need regular exposure to them.

Learning Objectives:

●      Identify and define key vocabulary related to space.

●      Use vocabulary accurately in class discussions and written responses.

●      Explain Earth’s place in the solar system using scientific terms.

Blooket in Action

In the middle of the unit, once students have been introduced to science vocabulary terms, students will play a Blooket game to lock in the vocabulary. I like to create different question sets with definitions, such as match-the-term-to the definition and fill-in-the-blank.

Examples

●      The imaginary line a planet spins around is called the…… Choice A, B, C, or D

●      “Gravity” means:

Choose a game mode that supports repetition and exposure such as Tower Defense game which encourages students to answer questions multiple times to earn upgrades and points.

Classroom Implementation

1. Introduction to Game

Provide students with a demonstration of Blooket on how it works and what they need to do to play the game successfully. Then play a practice round as a class to model expectations and explain how the vocabulary game connects to what they are learning in science.

          2. Set up

Students will need:

●      Chromebook

●      Internet access to https://play.blooket.com/play

●      An access code to join the game hosted by you, the teacher

Launch the live game or assign as an Independent HW assignment.

 

          3. Scaffolding and Differentiation

●      For students who need extra support, provide a “cheat sheet” or a glossary during gameplay.

●      For ELL students, add visuals with the terms for better understanding.

●      For advanced students, challenge students to write each term into a sentence after playing.

 

Assessments

Blooket provides instant data on each student’s performance, which is perfect for checking science vocabulary retention.

To further check for understanding, you can do a formative assessment that requires students to put each vocabulary word into a sentence or have students create a mini poster illustrating one of the vocabulary words. This not only reinforces vocabulary but also builds writing, speaking, and comprehension skills.

I feel that Blooket can be a launch pad for my students' deep understanding of science vocabulary words. Blooket turns memorization into a meaningful, high-energy game that fits seamlessly into all subject areas, including science. With the right steps, this game can be a helpful tool for students to think like scientists.

Attached is a helpful page for educators who want to use Blooket in their own classroom.

https://help.blooket.com/hc/en-us/categories/15972729128599-For-Educators

Blog Post 5 - Case Study on ClassDojo & Google Classroom - 2 Digital Platforms/Tools used in K-12 Setting

Tool/Platform: ClassDojo 

Case Study for ClassDojo

• Overview: Class Dojo is a commonly used classroom management and communication platform in the K-12 setting. It allows educators to foster a positive classroom culture by using a point-based reward system, which promotes direct communication with parents and sharing class updates through photos, videos, and links. This platform intends to enhance engagement between students, teachers, staff, and families while supporting behavior reinforcement and social-emotional learning (SEL).

• User Engagement: ClassDojo actively engages students, teachers, and parents:

• Students receive real-time feedback on their behavior while also engaging in classroom activities and seeing their progress.

• Teachers use this platform to assign and track students' behavior points, communicate directly with parents, and share classroom updates.

• Parents can monitor their child’s progress, receive announcements, and communicate with their child’s teacher through the messaging features.

This engagement cultivates transparency and collaboration and shares responsibility for students' development. 

• Influence on Communication: ClassDojo modifies communication in the educational setting by:

• Providing a non-intrusive way for teachers and parents to maintain consistent communication without requiring frequent meetings.

• Encouraging instant and direct messaging between teachers and parents, minimizing dependence on traditional methods of communication like emails, phone calls, and newsletters.

• Enabling visual communication through photos, videos, and links makes interactions more engaging.

This platform allows immediate feedback and real-time updates while allowing educators to set up quiet hours so professional boundaries aren’t blurred with the expectation of instant responses.

• Information Consumption: ClassDojo influences how students, teachers, and parents access and share information.

• Students absorb feedback in real-time, reinforcing their positive behavior and learning habits.

• Teachers can share updates, classwork, and instructional materials through the platform.

• Through the messaging features, parents can monitor their child’s progress, receive announcements, and communicate with their child’s teacher.

Although this platform influences the way information is accessed, shared, and learned, some parents expect constant updates from the teacher rather than engaging in deeper discussions with their children.

• Impact on Learning: 

• Positive Effects 

• This platform enhances student motivation and engagement by making students' learning interactively.

• ClassDojo strengthens the at-home-school connection, allowing parents to support their child’s learning beyond the classroom.

• ClassDojo reinforces positive behavior through the point system, encouraging students to have accountability.

• Negative Effects

• It can create stress for students who feel pressured to maintain high point scores.

• Teachers may have an additional workload managing the platform effectively and efficiently.

• This platform may shift focus from intrinsic to extrinsic motivation because students can become overly reliant on reward-based reinforcement.

• Privacy and Safety: Given that ClassDojo is a platform used by young learners, privacy and safety concerns must be addressed.

• Teachers need to be compliant with FERPA and COPPA regulations to protect students' information.

• Parents and teachers need to address concerns about oversharing on the use of technology.

ClassDojo addresses these concerns by providing privacy settings, encryption, and compliance measures, by all users need to stay vigilant about what is being shared.

Required Literacies: To effectively navigate and participate in ClassDojo, students, teachers, and parents must:

• Digital Literacy - Understand data privacy, security, and responsible platform use.

• SEL Literacy - Understanding and reinforcing social-emotional skills through digital behavior tracking.

• Communication Literacy - Engaging professionally and respectfully in digital engagement.

• Media Literacy - Evaluating and interpreting multimedia content.

Teachers and parents must guide students in developing these literacies to ensure responsible and meaningful engagement.

Reflect on the Implications: ClassDojo aligns with educational goals by fostering a collaborative and clear learning environment. Educators can use this platform for effective teaching by enhancing classroom management and parent-teacher communication. However, educators must balance digital engagement with traditional teaching strategies to maintain a holistic learning experience. Parents play a crucial role in supporting their child’s engagement by engaging with updates effectively while also encouraging open discussion with their children rather than solely relying on digital feedback.

In conclusion, ClassDojo is a powerful tool used in K-12 education, but its effectiveness depends highly on the implementation by teachers and the usage by students and parents. Clear expectations and a focus on intrinsic motivation will ensure its role as a valuable tool and asset in the ever-changing digital classroom.

 Tool/Platform: Google Classroom

Case Study for Google Classroom

• Overview: Google Classroom is a cloud-based learning platform/tool that is designed to streamline collaboration, communication, and content distribution in a K-12 setting. Google Classroom allows educators to create, distribute, and grade assignments while promoting immediate engagement with students. This platform/tool enhances students' learning by providing students with a headquarters for their coursework and instructional materials. 

• User Engagement: Students engage with Google Classroom by obtaining assignments, submitting work, looking at materials, and participating in online-class discussions. This platform allows and supports multimedia, including documents, videos, and links, which help foster a diverse learning environment and experience. Teachers use Google Classroom to manage class work, materials, provide feedback, and track students' progress. Parents can use Google Classroom to receive updates on their child's assignments through guardian email summaries.

• Influence on Communication: Google Classroom enhances communication within education by providing an organized and structured platform for the teacher-student relationship. Google Classroom allows teachers to post announcements, respond to students' questions, and facilitate class discussions. Students can work together through commenting and shared documents, which also promotes peer-to-peer learning. In the article by Ledgerwood, they say, "Social media tools can decrease student boredom by providing them with the opportunity to become participants and co-producers in their learning (Faizi et al., 2013). Using social media tools in the curriculum involves students in learning activities that allow them to learn through doing, creating, and evaluating. Utilizing social media tools with students takes the focus off the teacher and puts the students at the center of their learning experiences." (Ledgerwood, 2022). Parents can receive updates through automated reports to stay informed about their child’s academic progress.  

• Information Consumption: Google Classroom impacts how students access and interact with information by putting all learning materials in a central location, with Google being its headquarters. Google Drive allows for seamless access to resources with tools like Docs and Slides, which enable collaboration.

• Google Classroom also supports differentiated learning by allowing teachers to modify assignments based on students' individual needs. It is also imperative that students develop organizational skills to manage digital coursework effectively. In the TED Talk, Zacho mentions that the educational climate is changing, and to ensure that students' needs are being met, we must meet modern standards. (Zacho, 2021).

• Impact on Learning: Google Classroom offers significant advantages, including streamlined assignments, increased accessibility, and enhanced collaboration. Google Classroom also allows for personalized learning, where assignments can be tailored to fit the needs of students. However, with Google Classroom being connected to the internet challenges can arise with potential distraction as well as limited internet access at home.

• Privacy and Safety: Google Classroom follows strict privacy policies, including compliance with COPPA and FERPA regulations. Google Classroom also protects student data within Google Workspace for Education while also not allowing Ads to be displayed within its platform. Teachers have best practices when it comes to cybersecurity, while also monitoring students' interactions. Parents can also help reinforce responsible online practices to help protect their child’s privacy.

Required Literacies: Google Classroom allows students to develop digital literacy by effectively understanding how to access and submit assignments, manage multiple classes virtually, and participate in discussions. Teachers also need to have skills in designing engaging classwork that can be done virtually and integrating tools for assessments. Parents also need to have digital awareness while monitoring their child's technology use.

Reflect on the Implications: Google Classroom aligns with current educational goals by promoting digital efficiency, collaboration, and accessibility. Educators can utilize this platform/tool to enhance instruction, differentiate learning, and foster student engagement through multimedia. While Google Classroom enhances education through technology, it's important to be mindful of information overload, digital equity, and screen time. Parents can reinforce their child’s accountability by creating a conducive environment that will enhance imperative learning.

References

ClassDojo review for teachers. Common Sense Education. (n.d.). https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/classdojo 

Google Classroom review for teachers. Common Sense Education. (n.d.). https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/google-classroom

Ledgerwood, K. (2022). Using social media to promote 21st-century learning. Pressbooks.pub. https://pressbooks.pub/techcurr20221/chapter/using-social-media-to-promote-21st-century-learning/

Lis Zacho. (2021). How playing gives children digital empowerment. TED.com; TED Talks.                                                                                                https://www.ted.com/talks/lis_zacho_how_playing_gives_children_digital_empowerment    

Blog Post 4 - Research Topic for Final Project

As a 5th-grade science teacher, I am constantly seeking new ways to engage my students with interactive digital lessons. These interactive digital lessons will incorporate technology and “new” digital media that will enhance my students learning within my own classroom, as well as prepare students for their future. In the age of advancing technology, computer game-based learning and digital learning with technology are rapidly spreading within education and curriculum. Computer game-based learning like Legends of Learning and Blooket are two examples of exciting ways to provide students with interactive lessons and games. These methods are not only engaging but they also foster active participation. In my science class, I have found that when students use computer game-based learning and technology with their learning there is a better opportunity for understanding the science content, students are also more motivated to be engaged and they also retain information more than traditional methods. My final project will allow me to analyze how computer game-based learning with technology can be successfully integrated into my 5th-grade science curriculum.

Kaimara, P., Fokides, E., Oikonomou, A., & Deliyannis, I. (2021). Potential barriers to the implementation of digital game-based learning in the classroom: Pre-service teachers’ views. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 26(4), 825–844. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-021-09512-7 

  The article, “Potential barriers to the implementation of digital game-based learning in the classroom: Pre-service teachers’ views.” by Kaimara et al., talks of how games that involve technology will motivate students to explore their understanding, skills, and knowledge. The authors suggest that Digital game-based learning (DGBL) is going to continuously be in the spotlight. They also mention that DGBL is a smart innovative approach to implementing digital learning materials.

Partovi, T., & Razavi, M. R. (2019). The effect of game-based learning on academic achievement motivation of elementary school students. Learning and Motivation, 68, 101592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2019.101592 

The study, “The effect of game-based learning on academic achievement motivation of elementary school students” by Partovi et al., focuses on how when students use games with their learning they will have more motivation to learn. The study also shows that when student's motivation and engagement are enhanced with the help of incorporating game-based learning their academic performance will improve tremendously. Data shows that game-based learning also encourages students to act independently, show understanding, and encompass the skills of social learning which is a vital skill to have.

Sari, Y., Sari, R. P., Sumantri, M. S., & Marini, A. (2021). Development of digital comic for science learning in elementary school. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 1098(3), 032060. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/1098/3/032060 

  The article, “Development of digital comic for science learning in elementary school” by Sari et al., investigates the idea of using digital comic strips to teach students about science. In the article, the author focuses on the science topic of ecosystems. Through the teaching of ecosystems, the digital comic strip will allow students to be engaged and have more effective learning. The author also notes that research has been conducted as well as assessed on effectiveness. It’s also been noted that students find digital comics to be enjoyable and make complex units more accessible which is important for students in science.

Wang, L.-H., Chen, B., Hwang, G.-J., Guan, J.-Q., & Wang, Y.-Q. (2022). Effects of digital game-based STEM education on students’ learning achievement: A meta-analysis. International Journal of STEM Education, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-022-00344-0 

The article, Effects of digital game-based STEM education on students’ learning achievement: A meta-analysis. International Journal of STEM Education, by Wang et al., had found that when STEM education uses digital games there are better learning outcomes. Traditional teaching methods are becoming more outdated while “new” digital methods are becoming more sufficient. The study also looked at factors of subject matter, the type of game, level, platform being used, and the length of time for results. Results from this study show that when digital games are incorporated into STEM education students learning is effectively enhanced.

Yeh, Y., Chang, H.-L., & Chen, S.-Y. (2019). Mindful learning: A mediator of mastery experience during digital creativity game-based learning among elementary school students. Computers & Education, 132, 63–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.01.001 

The article, “Mindful Learning: A Mediator of mastery experience during digital creativity game-based learning among elementary school students.” by Yeh, Yu-chu, et al looks at a study that included 181 students that ranged between third to sixth grade. The authors show that when elementary-aged students are engaged in creative learning games they often foster a greater sense of accomplishment. This study also shows that when being mindful students learn better while playing educational games that allow them to be creative and improve their learning experience. 

References

Kaimara, P., Fokides, E., Oikonomou, A., & Deliyannis, I. (2021). Potential barriers to the implementation of digital game-based learning in the classroom: Pre-service teachers’ views. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 26(4), 825–844. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-021-09512-7 

Partovi, T., & Razavi, M. R. (2019). The effect of game-based learning on academic achievement motivation of elementary school students. Learning and Motivation, 68, 101592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2019.101592 

Sari, Y., Sari, R. P., Sumantri, M. S., & Marini, A. (2021). Development of digital comic for science learning in elementary school. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 1098(3), 032060. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/1098/3/032060 

Wang, L.-H., Chen, B., Hwang, G.-J., Guan, J.-Q., & Wang, Y.-Q. (2022). Effects of digital game-based STEM education on students’ learning achievement: A meta-analysis. International Journal of STEM Education, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-022-00344-

Yeh, Y., Chang, H.-L., & Chen, S.-Y. (2019). Mindful learning: A mediator of mastery experience during digital creativity game-based learning among elementary school students. Computers & Education, 132, 63–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.01.001