Week 6

Materia makes many claims about the new world of teaching. The essential questions for this week are: How valid are these claims? Is there research to support this? 

On page 26 Material lists a table laying out old vs new world ideas of teaching.

Old world

• traditional, fossilized 
• controlling
• produces followers
• plotted path
• quiet compliance
• automatons of knowledge
• constructing lessons
• passive receivers of content

new world- requires us to look past the old ways to create more dynamic learning environments and methods of teaching.

• new and innovative ways to connect to students and inspire students
• freedom and flexibility
• produces risk takers
• sense of exploration and discovery
• creative confidence
• independent artistic thinkers
• creating heroes
• sense of wanderlust, spirit, and passion

In this chapter Materia made 3 claims in this chapter. 

Claim 1- The educational structures built on the needs and desires of our great granddparents' generation are fundamentally different from those of students today (pg 25).

As teachers it is our job to teacher to students. With that comes an ability to adapt and change to meet the changing needs of our students as well as changes in technology and resources available to the teaching community. When I think of this claim I think of how much has changed since I was in school. I remember in high school when one of my teachers got to pilot the use of a smart board in her classroom. It was one of the most exciting and frustrating classes. Exciting because we got to be one of the first students to use an explore with the board, but frustrating because the teacher was also learning so we sent a lot of time waiting for her to trouble shoot problems with the board. 

This reminds me of how much technology in the classroom has changed just because the students now have completely grown up with technology so it seems very normal for them. 

Claim 2- The human spirit awakens when we are inspired and challenged to confidently go beyond our limits (pg 29). 

"The power of play brings back the natural yearning that exists inside all of us to learn" (pg 29). When students are given a gamified experience in the classroom they are able to return to a state when they were younger and eager to learn. I think as students get older they become more disinterested in learning new and challenging ideas. With the use of games and interactive lessons this problem can be combated because it allows students to discover a new love of learning. 

Claim 3- It is important to be flexible and fun for students (29).

This claim again goes back to making sure as teachers we are always striving to make sure we provide students with an engaging education. In classrooms I have worked in each has made comments that show me the importance of adapting lessons in the middle of the day or adapting seating charts or simply changing the type of seating available to students. Flexibility can be seen in many aspects through out the day of a classroom or over time in a teachers classroom management strategies that differ from one year to another. 

All teachers need to realize that the class they had last year is not he same as this years and because of that they need to look at what is working at what is not and make any necessary changes.    

Matera, M. (2015). Explore like a Pirate: Engage, Enrich, and Elevate your Learners with Gamification and Game-inspired Course Design. San Diego, CA: Dave Burgess Consulting.