Why No Apps or Video Games for Education?

A comment from a colleague in an email this week:

"My 13 year old grandson has been staying with us for the past week.  I've learned that we need to release our text as a video game."

My quick reply.... 

I've tried to bring an educational video game to schools. It's called Nanolegends (www.nanolegends.com) Distributed throughout the world by KendallHunt.

Great reviews, stellar graphics (for 3 years ago). Total sales – under 100 units for all of Canada even though it had great buzz and interest. I heard a talk from one of the executives at a video game company a few years ago and he was asked about getting into video games and education. His comment was if any of his games were ever moving into the educational space he’d sell the product – all of it – and get the “hell of out of there.” His company would be dead if it relied on education. Those comments gave me pause about the whole gaming and educational learning world.

Still, if you could figure something out, have a few million bucks to do it, provide every teacher with the training on how learning actually does happen with the game (and get them past the idea a game is just for fun), provide the infrastructure in the school for all kids, I think you’d have a game changer.

So, maybe not today, but it’s on the horizon .....

Wondering what’s it’s doing to all our kids brains all this videogaming ....

And my thought after sending the email:

Is all this focus on technology all hype and "snake oil". We can't even find money to fund for the basics without fundraising for sports and music programs and parent councils paying for books. Why do we keep dumping our precious dollars into 3rd rate, unproven (in terms of actual student learning) computers? Do our kids really learn math better by running their hand over an interactive whiteboard? $2500 (plus the cost of "borrowed software" and training) buys a lot of other resources for all kids in the school to use at the same time instead of just one kid (sorry, cooperative learning going on, so two kids!). 

I'm not saying get rid of technology. Let's just think really hard and look for research (and best practice) for how to effectively use it.

Why a WorkText is better than an iPad for Learning

OK, let's get the elephant in the room out of the way. Yes, I publish resources, but not in the traditional sense. My companies, Edvantage Press and Edvantage Interactive, aren't big corporations, but rather a small group of people with some ideas of how to support teachers in their practice. Yes, we've worked with a variety of companies to create high quality resources for teachers and students across Canada, and we've done a pretty good job of that, but at the end of the day it's important not to forget your roots - the classroom. And it's this connection to the class that keeps the fire burning long into the nights and through the tough spots.

I know everyone thinks technology is a panacea for education and that somehow students will magically learn material that use to be difficult when they tune-in and turn-on their favourite electronic device. But, lets be honest here, except for some cute Powerpoints you can make to entertain kids, we really don't have a clue how technology improves student learning.

But, that doesn't mean we shouldn't stop trying or figuring it out. Just that we need to be a lot more realistic in our approach. So, here's a couple of personal thoughts to start the conversation:

1. There isn't enough cash in education to properly fund a sustainable model that would allow for consistent and reliable access for both teachers and students to the Internet. Realistically we can't even get enough phones into schools. Ever try to call someone at the end of school or at lunch?
2. The budgeting process at the Board and school level ensures that no teacher will ever be able to get the resources they need. Until educators get funds directly so they can subscribe and purchase the materials they need for their students, it will be impossible to successfully integrate technology into the learning experience of the classroom.
3. The only successful implementation of any technology in education after the pencil is the photocopier.
4. While not a sexy option, print on paper is still the most effective way to manage 30 students in a classroom. Yes, we can support them with various other media, but authentic and deep learning occur when students are interacting with paper, the teacher and their classmates in meaningful learning activities.

Given those four thoughts the challenge for publishers, like me, is to find a way to support both teachers and students in their learning journey.  I would love to be able to create an iPad app or mobile phone tool, but there's just no way for it to be used within the confines of the school. I realize there are many "technology advocates" that say the print resource is dead and that our students are digital natives now, but the reality is, from my point of view, that technology is great for entertainment and great for free stuff, but not so great for finding material that aligns to the curriculum and makes a teachers job easier. We need to accept that spending long hours creating curriculum specific content is not an effective use of teachers time. Finding creative and innovative ways to deliver the content to meet the needs of their students is where the focus should lie.

And that is why a worktext is better than an iPad for learning. A worktext takes all the skills and knowledge identified in the curriculum and puts it in one place for the teacher and students to access. It's not the only resource, but it's the foundation that can be used to build upon. It doesn't need to be colour and glossy, it just needs to work. Once you have that in place then, depending on your context, the other pieces can be added - a video here, a website there and an interactive demo as needed.

The worktext is the bridge between the old world of expensive textbooks and the future of digital resources. I'm looking forward to being part of that bridge now and into the future.

Ideas - The Fuel for Teaching

When I started teaching, after all the training, the planning and the worrying was done I was surprised by two things. One, teaching is a lot of work that unless you've done it, you don't really get it. Two, that once I accepted that my philosophy of teaching was about engaging kids, my practice is fueled by ideas.


People didn't come to my class to see me teach, they came to see my ideas in practice. At conferences, people don't go to a workshop unless they think they're going to get a good idea to integrate into their own practice. I suspect this isn't a surprise for many folks, but it is a simple concept I need to constantly remind myself.


A good idea can go a long way.


So, let's see what good ideas our explorations will find.


Let the adventure begin .......