Modernizing The Teaching Materials For Arabic As A Second Language In USA
Hanna Garman // GR 810 Thesis 1: Concept Âť Background Research Âť Spring 2015
Joan Ganz Cooney Center // I found this very important and useful website on Goolge Scholar.
Their Mission
T
he Joan Ganz Cooney Center is an independent research and innovation lab that focuses on the challenges of educating children in a rapidly changing media landscape. We conduct original research on emerging education technologies and collaborate with educators and media producers to put this research into action. The Center also aims to inform the national conversation on media and education by working with policymakers and investors. Our programs address the literacies that all young students need to succeed in the 21st century, including reading, writing, science and math, and mastery of communications technologies. We are particularly interested in how children, especially those who are struggling – learn across both formal and informal environments, whether they are interacting with media on their own or together with teachers, family members or their peers.
http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org
Level Up Learning: A National Survey on Teaching with Digital Games Fact // The primary reason why teachers use the video game device in classroom is to motivate, and reward their students.
By Lori Takeuchi, Ph.D., Sarah Vaala, Ph.D. October 20, 2014
Insight // Video games could be useds an immersive tool to motivate children to practice a language.
Digital games have the potential to transform K-12 education as we know it. But what has been the real experience among teachers who use games in the classroom? In 2013, the Games and Learning Publishing Council conducted a national survey among nearly 700 K-8 teachers. The report reveals key findings from the survey, and looks at how often and why teachers use games in the classroom, as well as issues they encounter in their efforts to implement digital games into their practice. The report was produced by the Games and Learning Publishing Council, a project of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. Because digital games—a blanket term covering video, computer, a now mobile and social media games—have the potential to transform K-12 education as we know it, according to many (e.g., Gee, 2003a; Geshenfeld,2014;Prensky, 2001; Shaffer, Squire, Halverson, &Gee, 2005). Certain varieties of digital games offer complex worlds in which individuals can playfully explore and experiment, repeatedly fail, and ultimately succeed. To navigate these immersive environments, players need to think critically and make meaningful choices under time and other pressures mirrored in the real life.
Most American children are already familiar (if not obsessed) with digital games, and voluntarily spend the time it takes to up one’s performance. As such, the drive to level up can drive deep learning (Gee, 2003b;Squire, 2003), and build collaboration, communication,and creativity skills that will equip students for life beyond school (Brown, 2006; Jenkins, 2009; Steinkuehler& Williams, 2006). By aligning curricular objectives for language arts, math, science, civics, etc. with game objectives so that they’re one and the same, digital games have the potential to disrupt, modernize, and improve K-12 teaching and learning.
http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/jgcc_leveluplearning_final.pdf
Pioneering Literacy in the Digital Wild West: Empowering Parents and Educators By Lisa Guernsey, Michael H. Levine, Cynthia Chiong & Maggie Stevens December 10, 2012
The market for children’s apps, digital games and toys is booming. In a recent examination of the iTunes App Store, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center found that more than 80 percent of top-selling paid apps in the Education Category target children; of those, 72 percent target preschool-aged children. The e-book marketplace is swelling with titles for children as well. Sales of children’s e-books went from $7 million in March 2011 to $19.3 million in March 2012, according to the Association of American Publishers.9 Digital products aimed at building literacy skills in young children are a significant segment of the market. Yet many of these products may not be providing the educational benefit they claim. Few apps and e-books have information in their descriptions that point to any effectiveness studies to back them up, and most only focus on very basic literacy skills that would not be useful for children who are beginning to learn skills like grammar and storytelling. Most of the apps had been released in the last two years, and they targeted very basic literacy skills, such as letters, phonics and word recognition. Far fewer apps targeted more advanced early reading skills such as comprehension and grammar. Many e-books boasted a range of features: 95 percent of the reviewed e-books had optional narration, 65 percent had games and activities embedded, and 60 percent had sounds. But in light of the current
research on book-reading and children’s literacy development, it is not clear how many of these features help enhance literacy learning. For example, most e-books had narration, but only half had text highlighting to help the reader follow along. The most popular skills targeted by electronic literacy games, were letters and sounds (29 percent of games we scanned) and phonics and word recognition (another 29 percent of the games we scanned). No games found to be focus on letter writing, sight-word recognition or comprehension. Websites covered a wider range of literacy skills than the apps and games, with 30 percent of the scanned websites reporting that they had a curriculum available for children in one or more grades, and 20 percent of these websites providing information about some sort of effectiveness study on their educational materials.
http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/GLR_TechnologyGuide_final.pdf
POPULAR INTERACTIVE FEATURES ON CHILDREN’S E-BOOKS, APRIL 2012 95%
NARRATION
75%
HOTSPOTS
15%
WORD/PICTURE LABELS
5%
DICTIONARY
65%
GAMES/ACTIVITIES
25%
LITERACY ACTIVITIES
60%
MUSIC / SOUNDS
50%
TEXT HIGHLIGHTING
50%
ANIMATION
30%
TILT / SHAKE / TURN DEVICE
25%
RECORD OWN VOICE
25%
DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
20%
PARENT INVOLVEMENT
15%
REWARDS
10%
SOCIAL SHARING
10%
3D EFFECTS
5%
CAMERA
Insights
1/
Fact// The most popular skills targeted by the electronic literacy games, were letters and sounds (29 percent of games we scanned) and phonics and also the word recognition (another 29% of the games we scanned). No games found to be focus on letter writing, sight-word recognition or comprehension.
Insight// There is a gap for developing a complete language system for kids that goes beyond the basics, with special focus on letter writing, sight-word recognition, and comprehension.
2/
Fact// Many e-books boasted a range of features. But in light of the current research on book reading and children’s literacy development, it is not clear how many of these features help enhance literacy learning.
Insight// Paying attention to what is popular now is important, striking a balance between features could make the App more effective. But what would make it the best is to figure out new features that would help pushing the specific concept of acquiring a new language.
3/
Fact// Websites covered a wider range of literacy skills Insight// Build An effective App that has all the advantages that a website than the apps and games, with 30 percent of the scanned might have. By doing that alone, I could be doing something different than websites reporting that they had a curriculum available that available in the market nowadays. for children in one or more grades, and 20% of these websites providing information about some sort of effectiveness study on their educational materials.
Games for a Digital Age: K-12 Market Map and Investment Analysis By John Richards, Leslie Stebbins and Kurt Moellering January 28, 2013
“Imagine if kids poured their time and passion into a video game that taught them math concepts while they barely noticed, because it was so enjoyable.” — Bill Gates
Defining the K-12 Learning Games Landscape, concludes that // »» Learning games are not a single type. Rather, they are best understood in terms of the functions they serve in the school context. »» In terms of selling to the K-12 market, understanding the continuum from short-form to long-form games is critical. »» Short-form games provide tools for practice and focused concepts. They fit easily into the classroom time period and are especially attractive to schools as part of collections from which individual games can be selected as curricular needs arise. »»Long-form games have a stronger research base than short-form games and are focused on higher order thinking skills that align more naturally with new common core standards. These games do not fit as easily into the existing school day or classroom time period, but are the source of new experimentation in the research community and a variety of school contexts.
http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/glpc_gamesforadigitalage1.pdf
Fact // Learning games are not a single type. Rather, they are best understood in terms of the functions they serve in the school context. Insight // Knowing the types of games would help in developing the right type to the targeted audience.
The ecodads’ Fun Education Apps for Kids & Teens // I found this very project on KICKSTARTER, This project was successfully funded on December 27, 2012.
The Interactive ipad App ecodads Seek to Make Engaging iPad Applications for CA Students & Teachers for a Landmark Board of Ed-Approved Environmental Curriculum This is a great concept for a digital book that is one of the best I’ve ever seen. The interactive text would create effective learning experiences for kids, who are curious by nature! The Digital magazine design that I’m planning to create for kids ages 10-16 would need to develop this dynamic concept of interaction.
Insight // Interactive textbooks are would be a great educational tool to motivate children. They will encourage them to explore more and learn more.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ecodads/the-ecodads-environmental-edutainment-apps/comments
Fluent in 3 Months, BENNY THE IRISH POLYGLOT // This a blog for a very inspiring man who is investigating and discovering the best ways one could learn a foreign language. He has a book called “Fluent in 3 Month,” and he also has TED X talk.
He did a great job reviewing I got a a very detailed review of Rosetta Stone, and other programs that teach languages. I was able to understand their methods and to discover their weaknesses and strengths. Benny has so many interesting ideas about how a language should be learned. He insists on the importance that you should find a human to practice the language, it could through meet up groups or through Skype, you don’t have to travel for that. He also thinks that making a video of your self to monitor you progress and fluency would be good. I’m still exploring Benny’s blog, I will be interesting to contact him as well.
http://www.fluentin3months.com/blog-home/
Write down any observations drawn from your personal experience of the topic, especially anything about any relevant design that you have seen. // This week I was able to dig more and find very interesting studies and leaders in the educational field that helped me understand more about learning and technology.