I saw a video on the internet in which a program of the Dutch television is telling about a new form of making homework in primary education. This is a computer program in which games, profiles and learning are combined. The name of the game is ‘Squla’ and it provides the learner with exercises about several subjects like mathematics and geography. Learners can make the exercises in school, but also at home. By playing the game and making the exercises the learners get rewards like a new game or gifts. The learners can also play in a competitive way with the other children of the class.
The company who developed the program hopes that this will satisfy the need for computers that learners have. It also provides the learner with useful information were they can learn from and it isn’t just gaming for fun anymore. But it is important to know that schools have to pay for every child per month to work with this program. Nevertheless the teachers who are working with it already say that money don’t have to be the problem, because the program is very good and provides learners to get information in several ways.
I think it is a nice way of integrating technology in the class and gives the teacher an opportunity to combine content, pedagogy and technology together. And I really thought that this was something to share with you. Because this can be a really good step towards more integration of technology in education and on the other side it is a nice example of the combination of pedagogy, content and technology. What do you think about it?
You can find the video clip here (I’m really sorry, but it is only in Dutch): http://www.rtl.nl/components/actueel/editienl/miMedia/2010/week40/di_huiswerk.avi_plain.xml
Hi!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI did hear of Squla, but now I've seen it by your video. I didn't know their was one, so thanks!
I don't know for sure what I think about it. I don't know who is thinking about the content of the assignments, is it the teacher, or is that the developer of squla? In the first case, I think it can be a great addition on education because, as you said, it integrates content with pedagogy and technology. In the second, I think it's a bad thing, because teachers than have to teach to what the squla-developers make. It will be a sort of teaching to the test, but than: teaching to the homework.
The second doubt I have is that children than do a lot of work on the computer. I don't think they won't play games after it, as the man on the video say, because it's not a relax-thing.
Third, children can't do it together, because they all have their own profile. But I don't know if this is true, do you?
To end with a positive thing, I think it's a great example of using TPACK.