TPACK Quest

Hour of Code Badge: Of all the online resources, I was most impressed by the coding resources. I have experience coding from my physics research, but I know that that is only a very particular type of coding. HTML and web design, apps, object-oriented coding, and even group coding projects are things that I have never had to do (for those interested, I spent most of my time either writing codes to do data analysis on climatological data, or to do self-consistent field theory calculations). I was glad to see so many modules to learn different types of coding and different languages. Not only are these resources that I would encourage for my students, particularly the ones that want to go into science; they are resources that I would use for myself. Python, for example, is on my coding bucket list and it would be easier to learn I think, to work through an online module rather than teach it to myself from a book. I sometimes think that there is an overemphasis on technology as a pedagogical tool (don’t be full of solutions and looking for problems, I might say), but we are so inundated with technology that it is simply dangerous to have a whole generation see it as simple a black box. Coding is a great way for people to remove the mystery from technology and I would like to incorporate it wherever it would be appropriate.

Gamification Badge: This is one where I am still skeptical but I was glad to learn about this idea. It strikes me as a format that when used well would be very effective, but when used badly, would be a mess. Not everything that is important can be fun. Part of maturity is developing a sense of delayed gratification. Learning an instrument, for example, particularly in the Classical tradition is years of hard work with little reward. Eventually, the technical foundation is laid and music can finally happen, making all the work worth it. I’ve never met anyone who regretted sticking with the piano or the violin but I’ve met many whose lifelong regret is giving up along the way. The great benefit of gamification is the built in achievement structure, which supplies students with little boosts of confidence and and a sense of accomplishment along the way. Physics, in particular, is a lot of ditch-digging at the beginning, but you need that in order to do the fun stuff later. If a student becomes unengaged at the beginning of such a cumulative subject is very hard to catch up since the mental work to lay the foundation wasn’t done (there is no shortcut to geometry, Euclid said, and it applies here as well). Any strategy that keeps students engaged and encouraged during the difficult times would be worth incorporating.

Digizen Badge: This one was the biggest learning experience for me. I’m not a big fan of social media and similar online presence. It makes me uneasy. As such I’ve never given much thought to digital citizenship since it would rarely apply to me. I only got Facebook recently, and Twitter and Pinterest I only got because I was obligated to for this class. Digitial Citizenship incorporated etiquette, proper usage of materials, online safety, and privacy. It was all eye-opening, particularly the parts on CreativeCommons. It is easy to take content on the internet for granted, and to forget that someone actually had to produce it, and that there are certain responsibilities that apply when reproducing someone elses work.