Saturday 26 March 2016

Kaupapa Māori

Reflexivity in Kaupapa Māori Research: “He Ua Kōwhai”

  • We need to approach our research in a way that values the mana, leadership, language and family of those we are working with.
  • We need to be aware that kaupapa develops and changes over time, in different contexts and within different whanau - they are diverse. 
  • We need to adapt the way we think and behave as researchers to meet the needs of our whanau and their context.
  • Do our assumptions and research processes support the wellbeing of Māori?
The key messages from Māori about education:
1. Reo & tikanga are essential.
2. Structural racism and a lack of understanding to the Māori world view do a disservice to our Māori students.
3. Whānau need to be well informed
4. Māori look for a philosophy where Māori success included academic, cultural and life skills.
5. Māori want more say over governance and initiatives.
6. Need to establish more kōhanga and kura.


My thoughts:
Looking at these ideas and the research cycle based around the kowhai tree, where 'A knowing whānau is a healthy whānau' makes me think that the wellbeing of Māori needs to be at the core of our research. 

What's the purpose? 
Are my research questions based in what is important to Māori? Is my approach familiar to their kaupapa? 

Is it of any value?
My results - will the be accessible to the community? Will it answer the questions they are asking? Will it help identify the next research steps we should be taking?

Kaupapa Māori

Reflexivity in Kaupapa Māori Research: “He Ua Kōwhai”

  • We need to approach our research in a way that values the mana, leadership, language and family of those we are working with.
  • We need to be aware that kaupapa develops and changes over time, in different contexts and within different whanau - they are diverse. 
  • We need to adapt the way we think and behave as researchers to meet the needs of our whanau and their context.
  • Do our assumptions and research processes support the wellbeing of Māori?
The key messages from Māori about education:
1. Reo & tikanga are essential.
2. Structural racism and a lack of understanding to the Māori world view do a disservice to our Māori students.
3. Whānau need to be well informed
4. Māori look for a philosophy where Māori success included academic, cultural and life skills.
5. Māori want more say over governance and initiatives.
6. Need to establish more kōhanga and kura.


My thoughts:
Looking at these ideas and the research cycle based around the kowhai tree, where 'A knowing whānau is a healthy whānau' makes me think that the wellbeing of Māori needs to be at the core of our research. 

What's the purpose? 
Are my research questions based in what is important to Māori? Is my approach familiar to their kaupapa? 

Is it of any value?
My results - will the be accessible to the community? Will it answer the questions they are asking? Will it help identify the next research steps we should be taking?

Literature Review - class notes

Education is often divided into three key areas, research, policy and practice. In an ideal world all three areas will inform and shape each other (Figure 1). Unfortunately this often is not the case. There has been much written about the lack of connection between research and practice in education (see for example Hargreaves, 1996; Hargreaves, 2000; Levin, 2004) and the subsequent impact this has on all three areas of education.
Figure 1: How research, policy and practice can inform each other (in an ideal world)
What is research?
There is much debate surrounding definitions of research and more particularly education research. Here are some definitions of research:
The term “research” is itself contested and can cover quite a wide range of activities, from carefully designed studies by independent, university-based researchers to analysis of data for particular administrative or political purposes to arguments for specific policy positions that may be more or less well grounded in evidence. Any consensus that might once have existed about what counts as research has vanished in education, with highly contentious arguments about the relative merits of research based on methods from the natural sciences vs modes closer to the humanities. (Levin, 2004, 2)
Research is systematic, critical and self-critical enquiry which aims to contribute towards the advancement of knowledge and wisdom. … Discipline research in education aims critically to inform understandings of phenomena pertinent to the discipline in educational settings. … Critical enquiry [is] aimed at informing educational judgements and decisions in order to improve educational action. This is the kind of value-laden research that should have immediate relevance to teachers and policy makers, and is itself educational because of its stated intention to ‘inform’. It is the kind of research in education that is carried out by educationists. (Bassey, 1999, 38-39)
Educational research is not just a way to come up with new ideas about teaching and learning, but most often it is a way to convince us that the ideas we already have are worth exploring—that they are worth buying into (Morrell and Carroll, 2010, 2).
Research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue. At a general level, research consists of three steps:
1. Pose a question.
2. Collect data to answer the question.
3. Present an answer to the question.
(Creswell, 2011, 3)
Resource
For more information on research in education, including how research projects are designed read the first chapter of Creswell’s Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research(This has been uploaded to the portal and is also available athttp://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/9780131367395/downloads/Creswell_C01.pdf)
The main things you should take away from this reading are:
  • What research is and the roles that it can play
  • The basic steps in the research process
  • The nature of quantitative and qualitative research
  • Different types of research design in education
How research can support teachers – evidence informed practice
You may have heard the term evidence-informed practice or evidence-based practice used in relation to schools and education. Evidence-informed practice refers to the ways in which teachers and schools use research evidence, in conjunction with other sources of evidence (such as student data) and their own expertise to make decisions and to support their teaching. It is based on the idea that to be their most effective teachers should engage with research and keep up to date with the latest developments in their curriculum areas and in the discipline of education more generally.
Most people agree that when discussing evidence-informed practice it is necessary to think about not only how research produced by academics can be used to support practice but also how teachers can become involved in the research process themselves. This could involve teachers working with professional researchers to collaborate on particular projects or teachers undertaking small-scale research projects in their own classrooms or schools, and using the findings to help them to plan and develop their practice.
The British Education Research Association (BERA) has released a report outlining how a closer relationship could be developed between research and practice 
(https://www.bera.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/BERA-RSA-Research-Teaching-Profession-FULL-REPORT-for-web.pdf).
The following diagram is taken from the BERA (2014) report:
BERA (2014). Research and the Teaching Profession: Building the capacity for a self-improving education system. BERA. Retrieved fromhttps://www.bera.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/BERA-RSA-Research-Teaching-Profession-FULL-REPORT-for-web.pdf.
Further Reading (most of these readings have been uploaded to the portal)
For further reading on evidence-informed practice read Coe’s (1999) Manifesto for Evidence-Based Education (http://www.cem.org/attachments/ebe/manifesto-for-ebe.pdf)
There is a lot of literature available on education research and evidence-informed practice. Some supplementary readings that you may enjoy:

This Course
In this course you will be exploring how research can help to support you and the communities you work. The first three weeks of the course will explore how you can use formal research (especially that undertaken by academics) to deepen your knowledge of particular topics and areas and to inform your teaching practice. This week you will focused on understanding the different types of research that are undertaken in education and the various roles that these can play. You will also explore Kaupapa Maori research, which is focused on empowering Maori people, voice, processes and knowledge. Week 18 will focus on how you can locate relevant research and how to read and interpret research findings critically. Week 19 will explore how you can synthesise the research you have found into a literature review on a particular topic.
In weeks 20 to 24 the focus will shift from how you can use research to how you can conduct your own research in your own practice in the form of an inquiry project. Week 20 will provide an introduction to the concept of teacher-led research. In week 21 you will learn how to design your own inquiry project. Week 22 will focus on the different methods you can employ to collect data to inform your teaching practice and in week 23 you will learn how to analyse the data you collect and use it to make changes in your practice. Week 24 will discuss about ethics and research.
The final week of the course will examine several initiatives that have been developed around the world to support closer connections between research and practice in education. You will also receive information about some of the various opportunities available to you to continue your involvement with education research.
As part of this course you will be designing your own inquiry research project, which should focus on an area of your practice that you wish to develop. Each of your first two assignments will focus on the area that you select.
For your chosen area you will:
  • Engage with the research literature to identify why your chosen area is important and what is already known about it
  • Recognise how the research literature could help to support you in your practice
  • Identify opportunities or gaps within the research literature that you could build upon in your own practice
  • Use the research literature as a basis to develop and justify the design of an inquiry plan, which engages with your community in addressing the chosen area/topic
  • Demonstrate how you will utilise evidence from your inquiry project in your practice and evaluate the potential influence this evidence will have for you and your community.
The list below provides possible areas to focus on. The topics have been selected because they are all areas that you have encountered as part of other courses.
You may select a topic outside of these fifteen suggestions. However, if you want to work with a partner on assignment one then it will be easier to find someone if you have selected a topic from one of those listed below. Also, some of the weekly tasks that form part of this course are focused on the topics below.
Suggested topic areas:
  • Assessments – Creative Ways of Assessing
  • Key Competencies or 21st Century Skills
  • Leading Change
  • Innovative Leadership Practice
  • Growth Mindset
  • Design Thinking
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Blended Learning
  • Games/Gamification
  • Inquiry or Problem Based Learning
  • Agile Based Learning
  • Collaborative Learning
  • Technology Practices (Coding/Robotics/3D printing/Game Development)
  • Digital Media Tools and Pedagogies
  • Innovative Learning Environment
How to select your topic area
Decide on the topic area you want to focus on for this course. You may choose a topic from the list or select your own topic. To help you to decide on your topic it might be helpful to think about:
  • a question you have about your practice
  • an issue that you are currently facing
  • an area of your practice that you would like to develop
  • a particular initiative or intervention that you would like to trial in your practice.
Here are some other ideas that could help you to decide on your topic:
Pine (2009) in his book Teacher Action Research: Building Knowledge Democracies, suggests some ways to identify your topic:
conversations with your colleagues; professional literature; examination of your journal entries and teaching portfolio to identify, for example, patterns of teacher/student behavior or anomalies, paradoxes, and unusual situations; dissonance between your teaching intentions and outcomes; problematic learning situations in your classroom that you want to resolve; a new teaching strategy you are eager to implement; an ambiguous and puzzling classroom management concern; or your curiosity about testing a particular theory in the classroom.
(Pine, G. (2009). Teacher Action Research: Building Knowledge Democracies. Los Angeles: Sage Publications).
Caro-Bruce (2007) suggests some questions that might help you to identify an area:
  • What would I like to improve?
  • What am I perplexed by?
  • What am I really curious about?
  • What do I think would really make a difference?
  • What is something I would like to change?
  • What would happen to my students’ learning if I did _______?
  • How can I implement _________?
  • How can I improve _______?
(Caro-Bruce, C., Flessner, R., Klehr, M. & Zeichner, K. (2007). Creating Equitable Classrooms Through Action Research. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.).
Online self-tests for APA referencing
References
Bassey, M. (1999). Case Study Research in Educational Settings. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.
BERA (2014). Research and the Teaching Profession: Building the capacity for a self-improving education system. BERA. Retrieved fromhttps://www.bera.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/BERA-RSA-Research-Teaching-Profession-FULL-REPORT-for-web.pdf.
Caro-Bruce, C., Flessner, R., Klehr, M. & Zeichner, K. (2007). Creating Equitable Classrooms Through Action Research. Thousand Oaks: Corwin
Creswell, J. (2011). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research. London: Pearson.
Hargreaves, A. (1996). Transforming Knowledge: Blurring the boundaries between research, policy, and practice. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 18,2, 105-122.
Hargreaves, D. (2000). Production, Mediation and Use of Professional Knowledge Among Teachers and Doctors: A comparative analysis. In OECD (Ed.).Knowledge Management in the Learning Society (pp. 219-238). Paris: OECD.
Levin, B. (2004). Making Research Matter More. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 12, 56. Retrieved from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/vl2n56.
Morrell, P. & Carroll, J. (2010). Conducting Educational Research: A Primer for Teachers and Administrators. Rotterdam: Sense Publishing.
Pine, G. (2009). Teacher Action Research: Building Knowledge Democracies. Los Angeles: Sage Publications

Friday 11 March 2016

Dynamic Thinking Week 1 - getting started

Session 1:
The first session was a bit challenging because it was new to us all. Routines and expectations had yet to be established and I had planned far too much to fit into the given time. Rushing to complete what had been planned led to me to be anxious and focus on the product rather than the process.

Next steps:
Either plan less or look to teach half a session each day. Chill and give us time to enjoy the process, giving time to interact with the learning.

Session 2:
Short movies work well for engaging the group. The workbook is a great place to record our thinking and a way of tracking student voice. A summary of our learning was an effective way of reconnecting but also sharing with the remaining 30.

Session 3:
An amazing experience today with unpacking language, images and symbols with our Dynamic Thinking page. I can't believe how effective the logo was with a spiral made of increasingly larger dots, with a red line to show the pathway.

Next Steps:
Still too much teacher talk. How can I get the kids to mediate for each other? What process can we set in place for this?


Results after one week:
Some magic moments included Garth's image of dynamic thinking below. It showed the brainstorm and dendrites connecting to the head of a person. He could articulate his thinking clearly.

Another moment was when one of my most negative students M-- was sitting off to the side not participating until I drew him in. He got sucked into sharing ideas, recording notes and having an improved attitude. It was really rewarding to mediate his competence at the end of the session. He is still under the impression that he is 'stupid' and this is going to be a long process of re-wiring his self-image.


I am seeing an improved sense of self competence in Ben. Part way through the session he needed to be reminded to get his book and of what to do but worked more quickly than normal and seemed to be concentrating with great intensity. The quality of his work was great and I got the impression that he had surprised himself when I mediated his competence.

We had some really insightful ideas and connections today. The team made strong links to the learning spiral and could give an example of where they had started with little skill but with repeated and more challenging practise, improved their skills.


Next Steps:
Complete the remaining starter lesson in two sessions.
Design a reflection scaffolding tool.
Introduce Easy Blogger as a reflection tool.
Keep developing a DT display to refer back to and to share with the 30.
Think of a way to unpack and display thinking vocabulary.

DT images, Week 1

A series of images from week one of Dynamic Thinking.
The images are of student 'Thinking Poses'.





Easy Blog Photo

Wednesday 9 March 2016

Mobile Devices - so what!

Are mobile devices useful or even relevant in the classroom?

Things are affordable enough for kids to be involved in neuroscience.
 - how does the brain work?
- could neuroscience be a job option for me?
- how can I train my brain?
- what happens in my brain when I move my hand?

People are putting money into the development of devices that measure engagement and measure the effectiveness of the teacher. Is this just a step too far? How can teachers improve engagement? Will they just look for novelty ideas to up the engagement rather than looking for best teaching? Does it take into account what happened to them before school e.g. their do just died?

Tracking the body with a mobile device - for cancer or tracking diabetics for sugar levels and e-mailing parents might be a really great adaption.


Personal EEG products:
Takes the brainwaves and makes them visual. Ready for the general consumer $200 deal for the Mindlab Students. There are a series of games that require concentration.

E.G. Fitbit that gives objective data on the specific person. You can look back on the data to make comparisons. Can we improve our ability to meditate?

Possible companies:
Neuro-sky - only 1 sensor - brainwaves in the frontal lobe but not for brain to computer interface.
Muse - 5 sensors - 3 minutes a day of relaxation training.
Emotiv - 14 channels (Epoch +) and can be used for brain to computer interface.
Emotiv- Insight - $300

Why would you want this information?
Earl Nightingale - a person becomes what they think about all the time. Are you concentrating or meditating? Are you becoming the person you want to become?

Google Glass opportunities.....

Claire Amos - Classroom BCI (secondary - Hobsonville Point)
Module - Game Over - integrating science and maths.
60/40 ratio boys to girls with gaming interest. Focus on a novel study of Enders Game, science research and creative writing.

Develop an educational game, using Booktrack to create a soundscape.
Using the thought wired tool in the classroom to power the robot.

Our View:
Can we use these tools to make us healthier, happier and to learn better. We need to be in control of the tools so that we can achieve our goals rather than become slaves to the tools. Is it helping or just another tool and ..... how much does it cost! Could we achieve the same through meditation and yoga?













Mobile Technology

So what!
Wearable technology...
the data it channels is specific to me...
Network security, on all the time, bluetooth connections, distraction, privacy

Brain sensing in Education:
Insight into how the brain works during learning - attention, skin responses, stress, motivational states.


Class Introductory Quotes
These brief quotes introduce our three topics of activity for the session.
Mobile Learning: “Mobile learning describes any form of education or training that is delivered using some kind of mobile device...the special characteristics of mobile learning, including ubiquity, convenience, localization, and personalization, give it unique qualities that help it stand out from other forms of learning.”
Source: Parsons, D. (2007). Mobile Learning, in D. Taniar (Ed.). Encyclopedia of Mobile Computing and Commerce, IGI Global, 525-527.
Wearable Technology in Education: “The emergence of home computers brought us eLearning, and the proliferation of mobile and smartphones have brought us mobile learning. Both of these technological advances have fundamentally changed how we look at learning and performance programs. Another technological advance is coming - one that will once again change some of our definitions and how we address performance issues: wearable technology.”
Source: Kelly, D. (2015). Why Wearable Technology Will Change Learning Forever. Paper presented at Learning Technologies 2016, London , UK.
Brain Sensing in Education: “The combination of educational data mining and brain sensing techniques has the potential to facilitate the detection of critical cognitive and motivational states during use of an online learning environment”
Source: Keating, S., Walker, E., Motupali, A. & Solovey, E. (2016). Toward Real-time Brain Sensing for Learning Assessment: Building a Rich Dataset. Proceedings CHI ‘16.
ACTIVITIES
Group Activity: Mobile Learning 
Prepare for this week's session 'Mobile Learning Activity' by downloading an app
  • If you have an iOS device, download the free Aris app and create an account
    • Note that there is more than one app called Aris - look for this icon
  • If you have an Android device, download the Sense-it app
  • Regardless of device, see what sensor-based apps you can download
    • e.g. Can your device measure temperature directly?
  •  
Details of what to do during the mobile learning activity can be found in the activity guide
The shared spreadsheet for recording sensor data can be found at http://tinyurl.com/tmlmobile
Group Activity: Wearable Devices Activity
In your groups, look at the various resources provided and write a blog (or G+) post that critiques wearable devices in education. You might want to choose to look at different articles, so that different viewpoints get represented and referenced in your own article?
Individual Activity: Thought Wired 
(
Later date in Rotorua)
Try out the Neurosky Brainwave Headset.
Dmitry's slides (from Thought Wired) are available on the portal: Brain-sensing technology: Rehabilitation, enablement and super-powers!
If you are interested in purchasing a device, you can take advantage of an exclusive Mind Lab discount on BrainLink Lite (headband version of Neurosky). Special price $194.95, save $55! Use code MINDLAB2016 at checkout

Wednesday 2 March 2016

DCL - Games in Education

Class notes:
Play has been recognised as one of the most natural ways in which children (and adults) learn. Modern theories examine play from the perspective of how it impacts a child’s development. According to Dietze and Kashin, “The learner is no longer regarded as a passive receiver of knowledge, but as an active constructor of meaning”.This perspective is emphasized within the constructionist theory through experiential learning. Theorist John Dewey suggests that children learn best by both physical and intellectual activity; in other words, children need to take an active role in play.Contemporary theories focus on the relationship of play to diversity and social justice in daily living and knowledge. Children learn social and cultural contexts through their daily living experiences. The Zone of Proximal Development concept, developed by Lev Vygotsky, suggests that children require activities that support past learning and encourage new learning at a slightly-more-difficult level. Vygotsky believed that social engagement and collaboration with others are powerful forces which transform children's thinking. Urie Bronfenbrenner states that a child's development is influenced by both the person and the environment (which includes family, community, culture and the broader society).
Games, as more structured forms of play, can be categorized into three main groups which all connect with learning (Koskinen et al. 2014): (1) Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) games, (2) simulations, and (3) learning games. Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) games make excellent tools for addressing both content-based and higher-order learning outcomes (see Van Eck, 2009). Simulations are well used, too, for example in military training (see Vahtivuori-Hänninen, Lehtonen & Torkkeli, 2005). However, learning games are the most popular in schools.
Learning games have a long traditions in education especially in two game types: serious games – which are defined by their primary purpose other than pure entertainment – and instructive games – where you learn curricular content while you play games.
Games
What experience do we have with games in our classroom? What games do we like to play ourselves?
Are you are a killer, achiever, socialite or explorer?
Choosing Games with an Educational Aspect
Game For Change believe in the positive power of digital games. See: gamesforchange.org
The Nanocrafter game enables you to contribute to important scientific research. Another form of Crowdsourcing: nanocrafter.org
Plague - science knowledge is embedded in the game: Plague Inc.
Serious Games
Serious games have been used to gamify serious issues. For example the Sparx game to tackle depression from the University of Auckland, and then move through to the Quest2Teach viurtal world games for teacher training.
Good video games incorporate good learning principles, principles supported by current research in Cognitive Science. Why? If no one could learn these games, no one would buy them — and players will not accept easy, dumbed down, or short games. At a deeper level, however, challenge and learning are a large part of what makes good video games motivating and entertaining. Humans actually enjoy learning, though sometimes in school you wouldn’t know that.
Game design and development
Game narratives sometimes follow the model of standard linear fiction. You can adapt this when designing your own game like activities for the classroom.
One of the tools that could be used with students is the Dr Who Game Maker, also the Wellington -based Gamefroot is really popular.
Suggested readings and references:
Eichenbaum, A., Bavelier, D., & Green, C. S. (2014). Video games: Play that can do serious good.American Journal of Play,7(1), 50.
Kuhn, S., Gleich, T., Lorenz, R., Lindenberger, U., & Gallinat, J. (2014). Playing Super Mario induces structural brain plasticity: Gray matter changes resulting from training with a commercial video game. 19(2), 272.
Vahtivuori-Hänninen, S., Lehtonen, M. & Torkkeli, M. (2005). Group Investigation, Social Simulations, and Games as Support for Network-Based Education. In H. Ruokamo, P. Hyvönen, M. Lehtonen & S. Tella (Eds.), Teaching–Studying–Learning (TSL) Processes and Mobile Technologies—Multi-, Inter- and Transdisciplinary (MIT) Research Approaches (123–131). Proceedings of the 12th International Network-Based Education (NBE) conference (Former PEG) 2005. September 14–17, 2005, Rovaniemi, Finland. University of Lapland. Publications in Education 11.
Van Eck, R. (2009). A guide to integrating COTS games into your classroom. In R.E. Ferdig (Ed.), Handbook of research on effective electronic gaming in education. Hershey, PA: Information Science, 179–199.
Prepare for next week's 'Mobile Learning Activity' by downloading an app
  • If you have an iOS device, download the free Aris app and create an account
    • Note that there is more than one app called Aris - look for this icon and description
  • If you have an Android device, download the Sense-it app
  • Regardless of device, see what sensor-based apps you can download
    • e.g. Can your device measure temperature directly?
  •   
Search for re-training brain damage, detecting potential alzheimer's etc.

Why do you play games...
1. Killers - focus on competition
2. Achievers - focus on achieving goals quickly
3. Socialite - make connections
4. Explorers - drive to discover the unknown - this is the most common reason.

Choosing games for change: http://www.gamesforchange.org/






Minecraft:
Explore a historical context then find out about the 'Roman Town' so that you can build the town in Mine-craft. What talking, action and artefacts would need to be there? Why just an out of school activity? Could it be in class time.
Ideas:
Build a Roman World
The very first human settlement - move into a virtual tour. 
Could you set sections for aspects of the project - linking kids from around the world on the same project? (Year 8 - 13)
Teaching history through the medium of Mine-craft.


What is the purpose or reason?
Is it because they love Mine-craft or want to find out about history?

Minecraft is not a game, it is a sandpit in which anything can be created. 
Hangout - screen to show who is in the team
Mine-craft world - screen to show the virtual world

How can we tap into innate playfulness.....
If the game meets pedagogical outcomes then the game is a medium in which the learning takes place.

Gamification:
The inclusion of game mechanics and design into your learning environment.


Ted Talk...

Game dynamics that can influence people.
Last 10 years has been building the social layer of the Internet connections - Facebook 
The game layer is all about influence the behaviour of where you go and what you do there. 

Game dynamics:
The appointment dynamic - do something as a determined time and place
- happy hour, come here at a certain hour and get money off your drinks!
- help people take their medicine on time - tweets, e-mails, give points if you achieve

Influence and Status - We want that brand, credit card, car .....
- I desperately want to earn that badge and be at a higher level
- school is a game... earning rewards B+ etc.

Progression Dynamic - 85% complete
- progress bar taking you through the steps to complete
- wanting to level-up to earn rewards and get better
- use games to drive businesses to use local business, unlocking rewards, coffee cards

Communal Discovery - all work together to achieve something
-

This next decade is the decade of games. 



Assessment needs to be built into the game- removing the need for assessment. The game must teach the skills within the game.


The assessment needs to be continuous and part of the process. There should be adaptive elements that help the person perfect their skills in a difficult areas. It should be based around problem solving.

Examine the school on the website and compare to your own. Come up with a proposal on how your school could incorporate the 7 principles of gaming. 

Proposal:
Focus: Environment Year 7 & 8
This Quest would fit really well into the key principles of an Enviro School.
Imaginative narrative that starts it all off - embedded in survival stories. (play based focus)
What can we set in place to help the Earth survive so that students at _____ school can thrive?

Task cards:
  1. Focus on Junior school, middle school, senior or staff areas.
  2. Select your focus area: supporting the Earth within our school, developing our bodies within the environment, developing our minds by finding out about the environment -
  3. ID the key problems in their area - empathy & define the key issues
  4. Follow the design process - gathering many ideas and options, adapting and improving.
  5. Make a prototype or run a mini-lesson to check effect.
  6. Present and share your final product.
  7. Constantly evaluate your team on the rubric.

Working in teams with roles identified.
Clear rubrics to show levels of achievement.
Assessment oral and product based: activities run for juniors, plant information trail, fitness trail….
Complex problem - outcome supports local community but co-created by learning community, all learning is directly relevant and can be applied to own life.
Take their ideas through the design process - getting ideas from their clients - Junior, middle school, seniors or staff.
Completion by running workshops, setting up a fitness trail….
Re-set and evaluate goals using the AGILE approach.