1. What resources/ideas did I share this week? I think sharing my mentoring story was a good idea because it tied in with the idea of play, and I also knew it was something people could pull all kinds of ideas and insights from. Based on the comments I received, that's pretty much what happened. I was also eager to share the new Phantomation website, because MIT has come up with another winner, and it's classroom-ready!
2. What did I intend to be the impact of my resources on others' learning? I wanted people to see that games like Phantomation are really great in a classroom. The beauty of these types of games is that they are not teaching any specific skill, but through the complex problem solving required to play, the possibility for students to learn so many things (that we can't necessarily measure) is wide open. This is the type of thinking (and collaboration) that our students need to practice often. It's the side benefit of play that we value so much.
3. What actual impact could I discern? From the comments I received, it seems like people thought it was a good activity for kids to spend time on. One commenter wondered whether kids needed to master basic skills first before jumping into activities like this, or if they could master them through this kind of play. I like when people have to really ponder that, and I think once you see it in action (like in my story), the evidence is pretty clear.
4. What will I do differently next week? I know now that I really need to be making an impact with my mentee - activities like this show her that she does not need to know all of the answers herself in order for her kids to engage in this kind of learning. Can I do it again? Pressure is on!
5. What resources did others share that made a difference in my learning? Barbra keeps to her themes, and continues to find ways to show how important leadership and vision is in any kind of endeavor a school undertakes - even play. This week was no different, and I appreciate her drawing ideas back to that - it's a realistic approach. Heather's post reminded me of the importance of exploratory play across the curriculum. I had been thinking about this week with technology in mind. She reminded me that with math manipulatives, this is just as important. Too often, we give kids manipulatives, and then tell them the right way to use them, without letting them explore patterns and relationships on their own. Andrea's post reminded me of the frustrations of looking for good educational gaming software. I have been down that road so many times, and I've learned that sometimes when we are really looking hard for something, we may be narrowing our search too much - it's good to start thinking differently about what could solve your problem - and still use technology!
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