This week I've decided to talk about one of our readings for this week that I feel could be integrated into an elementary classroom fairly easily. Homemade PowerPoint games were the topic of one of our readings, and I had a couple of opinions on their use in the classroom, particularly the elementary classroom. I have progressively become fond of using PowerPoint games as interactive tools for students. I like that they can be informal, yet they can provide a great deal of content and study material in the process. In this particular reading, the focus was on the students becoming more involved in the process by actually designing and creating their own PowerPoint games (or WebQuests, etc) to use. I agree that this would definately enhance the students' comprehension as they make these games and as they play other games that their classmates have made as well.
However, I think that this task of creating a PowerPoint game might be a skill that is better suited for fifth graders and up, given the amount of time and information it would take to make one along with the knowledge of how to create the game actions using the software. Using homemade PowerPoints in an earlier grade (such as first) would be possible, though. If the text that is used is appropriate for their reading levels, I believe that the number of games I could make as a teacher are endless. As a teacher making my own PowerPoint games, I could differentiate the games for my different reading groups/levels, and I could create games for any subject throughout the year. They could also be emailed to my students' parents if the parents wanted some extra material for the students to practice with at home. Of course as these students move into higher grades, the PowerPoint games can become more complex and can include more instruction. This could progress until they are ready to learn how to create their own at an older grade, and by this time they will have been playing the different games for so many years that they could have a number of examples to guide them while designing their own PowerPoint game.
I kind of feel like I just rambled about this one, but I did start thinking a lot more about this subject this week after our discussions and readings. I'd love to hear you guys' thoughts on my thoughts! (Plus you kind of have to! haha)
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Nikki,
ReplyDeleteI have used PowerPoint gaem templates for many aged groups and they love it. For instance with 1st graders you could use the Jeopardy Game template to make categories, such as: Addition, Subtraction, word porblems, and pot luck. Also I have used Password with an ESOL group to increase vocabualry. You can be very creative.. with these and also create your own.. Like Who Want to boe a Millionare is also fun..
I agree-- PowerPoint games are fun! I also agree that, for the younger ones, it would be more difficult to have them create their own games. In general, however, I think these types of activities are great for small groups! In my experiences, larger groups tend to get difficult, as not everyone is participating at once quite often. Plus, SMART boards make PPT games SO MUCH EASIER!!!
ReplyDeleteI always thought that PPT games were just using a "template" like Jeopardy or Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. I think it's a great idea to allow the students to create their own games from scratch. In order to make a game out of the content, they really need to know the content! I agree that it may be more difficult for the younger students who don't have those computer skills of linking pages or animations yet, but it would be neat to experiment and see what you might get out of your students. We may be surprised, young children make up their own games all the time anyways!
ReplyDeleteAnd I have to agree with Sarah that an interactive white board makes it easier to use with the whole class... plus it's more fun when they can click on their own buttons and such!
Teaching middle school I see the skills most kids come to the 6th grade with and you are right - these activities are definitely not for younger kids. At the same time, I have taught some kids how to use links and buttons to create PowerPoint games. They got the hang of it pretty quickly, but it might just depend on the kid.
ReplyDeleteI agree with some of the other comments, as well - I used to only think about Jeopardy as one of the only PowerPoint games, but I have realized over the last several years that the possibilities are endless & the SMART Board makes the students enjoy the PowerPoint games, or any interactive activity, even more. And in general, I have seen that kids love using PowerPoint!
Great point, Nikki! When we want students use a technology tool like PowerPoint, instructors need to take into consideration that using the tool should not interfere with what we truly want them to learn like a content. If using the tool put heavy extraneous load in the learning, you might want to find a better way to facilitate learning. I am so happy to see you truly reflect on your blog. Keep it up!
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