#edsg Archive
The #edsg hashtag is used by stakeholders who want to share information with educators in Singapore. But there is a faithful group that tunes in every fortnight on Sundays, 9 to 10pm Tuesday, 9 to 10pm (Singapore time, UTC+8) for topical chats. We provide unPD, which is informal and unsanctioned professional development (PD) for educators. Such PD is free and self-organizing, but no less valuable than official PD. We promote progressive education and evaluation by practicing connected learning, critical thinking, and community building.
Sunday January 31, 2016
8:00 AM EST
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It's 9pm. Time for another chat for those who can make it!
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Nice find on the Pri math syllabus article. Has more info reached schools?
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Primary school mathematics syllabus gets refreshed (some interesting directions, some negative ones) https://t.co/MsTn7m4qW2
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We are already doing that with the manipulatives provided for sch
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if the "online games" mentioned is what I found in current guide, then those are mainly "drill and practice " games
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Some dangers signs: Digital natives, "game"-based learning, interactive white boards, "engaged".
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Yes, that's been around for a while. How about the “Schools will be briefed on the format later” part?
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Evening. How about multiplayer online games?
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I hope not. These "games" rarely take advantage of gaming affordances & opportunities.
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Indeed, like WoW quests & multiplayer Minecraft co-creations. Are games like these on the cards?
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absolutely no idea. But, my gut feel, is "I dun think so"
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Haha. Hope the games will be different
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Thanks! Jumped to T&L bit. Drill-and-practice "games" are counter to all 3 principles, particularly Principle 3 (p.21), no?
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I hope the games will be actual games, not drill-and-practice or forced-fit games.
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I've met vendors with ridiculous notions about edu games. Largely because they don't play games themselves! ;)
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Side note: I feel sorry for the journalist who had to write the Today piece. Her articles normally don't have such model answers. ;)
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If that's supposed to justify drill-and-practice games, I wager they haven't delved into GBL literature or tried it long term.
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tchrs might intreprete this as for "drill and practice"
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Yes. Because they might not know any better or any other way. No fault if don't know; at fault if they refuse to change.
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actually the syllabus is not new. It has started since 2013.
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A large unsaid part about this convo revisits some plan v design issues. There's focus on teaching, not enough on learning.
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Eg: Thinking that "games" will "engage" is part of an expert's thought process. 1/2
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But the same expert probably struggles to remember what it's like to learn. 2/2
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it might be experts not just one
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Put another way: When teaching is the focus, "math games" comes up quickly in convo. When learning is the focus, it comes up later.
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Very likely more than one. It takes many cooks to spoil a broth, right?
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I used to get teachers to experience drill-and-practice "games" in 1 station. They'd always remark how boring it was. How about kids?
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they enjoyed it but have to give them at most 30 minutes. Else they get bored
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Do schools discuss, compare, contrast their approaches to implementing the syllabus?
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Compared to the other stations I get them to experience, they realise how un-game-like drills are. No emotion, no learning.
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my pupils are definitely excited over it. But. can't do it often else they get bored.
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I think not playing games themselves is the problem.
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That's likely the novelty effect, not game-based learning.
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the gamification effect (points, ranks etc). Here is the game my kids enjoyed all year round :
https://t.co/cwnxUBkbzj
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There is nothing wrong with using maths games but there are more that ed tech can do for the kids
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yup. definitely gamification.
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Ya, I knew vendor whose selling point was "school can automate switching off game access". What gamer will stand for that?
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If teachers want to use games they'd best be gamers themselves IMO. I haven't gamed seriously for so long so I'd hesitate.
