Incorporating New Media into the Classroom

After reading the MacArthur Foundation Report on Digital Media and Learning, Will Richardson's blog post about the aforementioned report and Klopfer's article about the educational importance of digital games, social networking and simulations I understand how digital media affects the way that children learn, play and socialize and how important it is for them to be able to connect to ideas and people outside of the classroom in similar ways that they connect to their learning inside of the classroom. According to the MacArthur Foundation Report, the new media such as online social- network sites, online games, video-sharing sites, and mobile gadgets such as iPods and cell phones are a common part of youth culture. These are the various ways by which students of today, communicate, express themselves and play. However, in most schools social network sites are blocked from use, cell phone use is prohibited and iPods are only allowed during free periods. These rules have been implemented to protect students but they are mostly inhibiting them from accessing a vast array of online educational resources. Technology that administrators fear and block in schools, such as social networking sites and digital games, when used appropriately can be used to enhance lessons and cultivate skills necessary for the technological world in which students live.
I was shocked to learn about the many ways that teachers can incorporate digital gaming and simulations into their curriculum's and about the many benefits that children gain from utilizing this technology . I was always under the impression that video games were a waste of time, were violent and were a mindless form of entertainment. After learning more about them, I see how they can enhance visual perception, enhance various cognitive abilities and enhance problem solving and communication skills. I would definitely utilize digital games in my classroom, especially in the form of simulations. I love the idea of recreating a model of a real world situation and having students being able to interact with it. The implications for science, in terms of creating 3-d representations of molecules, social studies, in terms of building cities and/ or civilizations and math, in terms of being able to see and visualize abstract concepts in concrete examples is all really exciting and at its core the essence of experiential learning.