Current Trends

Last week I covered current and future trends in gaming and technology with my students.  We watched YouTube videos and read articles that made promises of virtual reality, holograms, and 3D audio.  The project was a success with student work that included: blogs, PowerPoints, Kahoot quizzes, posters, and sketches with captions.  The students of course got their choice of any project so those previously mentioned were their own ideas and creations.  The perimeters were that they included 10 current trends and 5 possible future trends.

We ended the project on a positive note with a sharing session where students could show their work if they wanted.  We had students present their PowerPoints and give their Kahoot quizzes to their classmates for prizes.  That final day we also played the Wii as students shared their projects and we did our final discussion of what we covered that week.  The purpose of the Wii was for students to try out motion sensor technology that we had talked about that week in current trends.  It ended up being a "Just Dance" battle between students that had them energized and entertained.  I had a lot of fun seeing so many participate in it as well.  It was a great Friday activity that involved the current project, team building, and our sharing discussion we've been doing every Friday.

I remember how hard it got towards the end of the week when I was a student. I'd have too much energy and was cooped up in boring classes all week where we weren't even allowed to get up and walk around without permission.  My classroom will never be that way.  If a student needs to stretch their legs they can get up and walk around without asking, I leave snacks in the back of the room away from the computers so students can take a break from staring at the screen.  I encourage students to take a 5 min break during class to get up and walk around.  I've found that students like the respect I give them and don't take advantage of it. I also like to do active activities on Friday if at all possible to mix with our discussions and get the students moving.  It may not always be possible but even if it is just a walk outside to have our discussion elsewhere I think it helps.

The current trends in education in the United States seem to be hindering our students progress instead of pushing them forward.  Encouraging students to have identical looking projects with the exact same specifications makes it easier for copying and plagiarism.  It also requires little to no critical thinking or problem solving.  As educators we need to do a better job, step outside the box, and challenge to norms.