Blog Post #5

I joined the THE APPLE GROUP on Diigo. Apple and its products have amazed me throughout the past couple years so without a thought when i saw this group I had to join it. Apple is very intriguing to me and how advanced its technology has come in a short time. Also the other thing I am amazed with is how user friendly apple products tend to be regardless of age group generally the use of the product tends to have no issues when learning how to use the product.  In this group there is various resources for different companies and how the apple products are used in different forms for various sources. The uses of the group connect young and old alike to connect and use the apple products in various forms and how they can benefit you personally as well as at work or in the field you may work in. Networking websites being used in a classroom can go many ways in my personal opinion I believe it can affect how the class functions. I believe in showing students various thoughts and opinions so they can be able to build their own on the subject matter or whatever the topic may be. So for me personally I feel having network websites available to the students can help the environment of teaching and learning however lets not allow it to confuse students. I know it can be hard when you hear three or four different opinions about a subject it can be confusing. From my own personal experiences it seems to confuse me as well when I was in school even though networking is not what it is today. I spend most of my personal time networking on such sources as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram I enjoy social media and the ability to network with other peers as well as seeing what others are interested in as well. I am always curious as to what the trends of the world are as well as stay in touch to what people are talking about. By joining this group I think I can benefit by learning how the different companies use the apple products I myself have a Macbook, Ipad and Iphone. So i think by joining this group it can only benefit my personal uses of the apple products.

Gaming

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Gaming in the classroom seems to be the future of productivity in the classroom. I think with the way gaming has taken over this generation’s hobby we seem to find more kids and students involved in groups and activities that deal with technology based whether it is gaming or simulation. With that being said I think in order for us to keep students involved and attentive to their learning and in the classroom gaming and simulation will help and improve the class room and show that we can incorporate other avenues for learning rather then the usual textbook and notebook way we have used for generations.

The first game/simulation I explored was http://www.3rdworldfarmer.com/index.html it is a simulated game that teaches about the responsibility of the third world countries and the hardships they endure while trying to survive. It teaches valuable lessons for students. Like taking care of live stock and selling livestock as well as building the farm land so that the families do not starve and are able to fend for themselves. It incorporates real life trials and tribulations as well as teaches about responsibility of what I would call running your own business in a sense even though it is simulated. You are only as successful as you make yourself. It is definitely something I would consider using in a classroom setting if I was teaching on the responsibility of running a business and how to establish your self as a patron. I find this game suitable for a classroom environment.

The second game/simulation I explored was http://www.kumawar.com/  which is quite an interesting online simulation of events that are similar to a war type reenactment of different wars our country has been involved in. Each mission is a detailed of some sort of task our military has been involved in. However since it does have some relative events in our history it is reasonable to use however I don’t find it suitable for a classroom environment or setting due to the graphic nature that does have incorporated with it.

The third game/simulation I explored was http://www.coolmath.com/ that is primarily based for elementary based learning. It did have simulation and games that provided different activities for students but it also had different material activities where students could read and work as well dealing with each math subject that may be provided in school. It was pretty self explanatory in the sense that the maneuverability of the site is based for kids at that age. It is very detailed on how to help students improve in the math area. One simulation I looked into that was available on the bottom of the page was this simulated activityhttp://www.coolmath.com/games/lemonade-stand.html and during this activity it allows students to help “stinky and bubba” run their lemonade stand by using math skills in giving change back to customers and other activities dealing with money. It is something I would suggest for a teacher to use when discussing money and how it works. This is definitely an activity that could help facilitate a real life activity for students at a young age.

The benefit of the sites is trial and error like explained in the video “ Schools Use games for Learning and Assessment”-youtube video. Where the military uses a program called pulse that simulates real life situations where they may find themselves involved in the field. It allows them to make mistakes then retract and do the event or situation correctly and be told where and how they went wrong. Especially when dealing with saving peoples lives and how to work with those who are also working with you while trying to do a procedure on a patient.  Explained on the Edutopia site “Sims vs. Games: The Difference Defined” Kids derive many benefits from playing such games. They include learning how to: cooperate, collaborate, and work in teams, make effective decisions under stress. These are all important traits not only in the classroom but also in life. So I think simulation in the classroom can be so beneficial with the way society is heading in the sense to a technology driven society.