Improving Conditions in WV

This week my class has been delving further into social issues. Last week we played and evaluated social games, but this week we are applying that type of mindset to our community and state. We looked in depth at areas such as health, education, environment, and poverty and related each of those to WV. The students were so perceptive. I am constantly amazed at their ability to analyze a situation or in this case, setting.

They responded to our guiding questions by focusing on health concerns such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and health issues related to smoking. They are very concerned about the environment and lack of a focus on simple things such as recycling in our community. They are also very aware of the air pollution in our area which comes from plants and refineries. They are worried about education and how to make it stronger for both themselves and future generations. They are also perceptive enough to realize that all of these problems contribute to higher rates of poverty, which in turn has a negative effect on every aspect of a community. They called it an "ugly cycle." I so agree! We tend to simplify issues for children and young teens when they are really so aware of what is going on around them.

After looking at these issues intensely, students wrote commentaries which they then uploaded to their projects page on the wiki. I found these commentaries to be accurate and insightful, and I was so happy to see that they are passionate about how these issues could be focused on in a game-type format. I think their passion will eventually have a positive impact on the game that they produce!

Teachable Moments...

We have accomplished a great deal since my last entry. Last week we did not have class on Friday due to E.R. (early release). Earlier in the week, students were able to individualize their profiles on the wiki. They really enjoyed researching the etymology of their names, and they were really excited when they added the link to their blog. We also took the game reviews done earlier (on paper) and uploaded them to the "My Projects" page of the school Wiki. I am finding that my reluctant students are becoming very comfortable and are even taking the lead at times.
This week we started out by blogging. I wanted students to capture their thoughts before we moved on since we didn't get to blog last Friday due to E.R. Today while exploring social issue games, a student made an interesting observation while playing Ayiti: The Cost of Life. She didn't send a mother and daughter to the doctor because she said there wasn't enough money, and they died as a result. The whole class had an awesome discussion focusing on the tough choices that many people make on a daily basis, such as the choice between food or medicine. It was a great teachable moment!

Moving Along....

This week has been very busy, yet exhilarating. The kids have been very receptive to everything we have attempted to do. This week we have set up g-mail accounts for each of the students. We have continued to explore the games posted to the wiki, and the students have written reviews for the two games on which they chose to focus. We have also managed to help each student set up a blog and post their first entry. I am finding that I probably underestimated the amount of time needed to complete even the most basic of tasks. That is probably due to many factors including daily interruptions, the young age of my middle school students, and just the necessary transition time required to explain information and move from activity to activity. Next week we will have the kids edit their profiles on both the wiki and their blogs. We also will have them post the game reviews they have written to the wiki. The students' enthusiasm is proving to be really energizing, and I can't wait to see what next week will hold for us.