Video Games

People’s Pie is a game from iCivics that allows students to take on different civic roles so they can learn how to deal with real world issues. In People’s Pie, you act as the government. You are then in charge of balancing/managing the federal budget. The first step in the game is to set tax rate levels and a retirement age, the funds are then provided based on the choices you made. Once you set the retirement age and level of tax, you are then able to see the citizen’s level of satisfaction. If the citizens are unhappy you have to change certain decisions that were previously made to make the citizens happy again. Once this first step is complete, you move on and have a set budget to spend on the different departments in government. The departments are: Treasury & Finance, Social Security & Medicare, Defense & Military, Agriculture, Energy, Water & Environment, Homeland Security, Health & Human Services, State & Foreign Affairs, Transportation, Housing & Urban Development, and Education. In each stage you must decide if you are going to cut or fund certain programs. Before you approve the funding you must take into consideration the citizens approval or disapproval. You have to manage your budget wisely or else you can be in a lot of debt quickly.

As the game progressed, I realized that the citizens cheered when they liked the programs I was funding and they would respond negatively when I would cut programs they liked. I borrowed money to fund programs I thought were important, and before I knew it I was in debt billions of dollars. Trying to pay off the debt was a lot harder than it seemed. In my opinion, it is a challenge to stay debt free throughout the game. I was not able to pay back the debt I had created. After a few rounds I decided to experiment with the tax levels and age retirement to see if that would make a difference in the satisfaction level of the citizens. I noticed that the citizens did not like it when I incremented the retirement age, because their level of satisfaction dropped significantly. People’s Pie is a good way to partially represent the budgeting structure in the United States. In the game, the budget has to be shared among various programs just like in the real world. There were also a few proposals that seemed irrelevant and were things that would most likely never be proposed or funded in real life.  

As a future elementary school teacher, I would love to incorporate a game like People's Pie into my fifth grade classroom. Even though this game is geared towards upper grade levels, I think that it can still be played by fifth graders. This game meets the California content standard 11.8.4 “Analyze new federal government spending on defense, welfare, interest on the national debt, and federal and state spending on education, including the California Master Plan.” The People’s Pie opens up the minds of students to the world of federal government and budgeting. If I were to incorporate People’s Pie into my classroom, I would begin the lesson by talking about the current U.S. Federal Government Debt. I would then allow students to come up with a plan on how they would manage the money/decrease the debt if they were in charge. Afterwards, I would form groups and each student would play a different role. Within the groups, students would have to pass bills and manage a budget just like the game. Furthermore, students would then be able to play People's Pie while having a better idea of the concepts, allowing them to have a great gaming experience.

Technology Review - Kahoot!

Kahoot! is a great and free website/app for teachers where they can create quizzes, surveys and discussions. It is a game that can be played as a class. Teachers can create a multiple-choice question game on any given subject. If a teacher does not want to create their own game they can play the games that other people have created and have made public. In the game there can be up to four answer choices, the teacher can put a limit on how much time students have to answer the question before time runs out. The students can answer the questions using an iPad, tablet, or computer. Students make up a username which allows them see who is number one on the scoreboard. 

Kahoot! can be used in the classroom as a fun way to reinforce any subject a teacher has introduced or is planning on introducing. A lot of the time, students get bored of just sitting at their desks listening to the teacher for hours at a time. By playing Kahoot! students will have a chance to participate in a fun and educational learning experience. Teachers can create a game as a way of introducing a new topic. By doing this, teachers can see what students already know and what they need help on. This will help teachers figure out what areas they will need to focus on a little more. In addition, teachers can create a Kahoot! and use it as a way to study for an upcoming test. I have personally seen Kahoot! in action in a fifth grade classroom before. It seemed to me that the students really enjoyed it because they got to compete against their classmates and were eager to advance to the next question. They also seemed to like the pressure of trying to answer the questions before the timer stopped. When using technology like Kahoot! or any other type of technology in a classroom, teachers should keep in mind that connection problems are always a possibility. This can result in a loss of time, which can be inconvenient for some teachers. Aside from that, Kahoot! is an awesome way for teachers to review different subjects while students have a fun, hands on learning experience.

PLN Reflection

I like to call myself a newbie when it comes to knowing all of the great wonders of technology. Before today, I had never heard of PLN. After some practice and reading I now know what PLN stands for, and what it means to create a PLN. My PLN experience is just beginning. I created my first Twitter account today, and I have to admit I feel professional since I am now following Educators and verified Educational accounts. I learned that Twitter and Blog Sites go further than just being social media sites. These sites help bring professionals together who have a passion for the same topic. I find it very useful to be following Blogs and Twitter accounts that are focused on education because they provide users with resourceful links about current events happening in the world of education. In my opinion, I think that being in a Learning Network can help users build priceless connections with professionals, which will essentially help them in their future careers. Future teachers can use their PLN sites to start getting their names out there and noticed by School Districts, by mentioning or hashtagging School Districts with a link to a research study they might of done or a Blog Post they might of written.

As a future Educator, I think that my PLN will definitely help me open up more and voice my opinion on different topics and discussions. It will also help me get more insight and knowledge on different issues that are going on around the world concerning education. I think that the online professional learning community supports teacher’s professional growth by simply helping them connect with people who share the same interests and similar insights on important topics. I believe that when users are in network communities that are full of educators, there is a lot of respect for one another because they bond over the topic of education.

Sites like LinkedIn are great because it allows users to follow companies and organizations of interest. This is a good opportunity for users to see what their company of interest is looking for in future employees. This gives prospective employees the opportunity to better prepare themselves for potential interviews. Furthermore, a site like LinkedIn does not just help users connect with employers, it also gives users the opportunity to join groups and create long lasting professional relationships.