History is one of the subjects that I look forward the most to teaching my future students. The article "Immerse your students in history" discusses interesting new ways to engage students of today. In this article, the teacher explored OpenSimulator, an open source, multiuser, multiplatform, 3D application server. The teacher drafted and built a sophisticated virtual world representing the setting of Anne Frank's story with academic activities for students to participate. The teacher was able to get financial support to create this digital world. The team the teacher hired created the streets of Amsterdam where Anne Frank and her family hid for two years. Students can walk around and explore objects by clicking on them. The objects reveal diary notes, literature connections, and recent films about The Diary of Anne Frank. The students can practice math by measuring the rooms of the annex and comparing them to their own rooms. For a final project students created an exhibit in a virtual Holocaust museum. This project succeeded in it's mission to educate students in a new way and it allowed them to explore history interactively then share what they learned through their own creative process by creating a museum.
This project took a great deal of work from the teacher. The creative process, financial aspect, time management, hiring a team to create the virtual world, and implementing it with students. I am very impressed with the effort and determination by this teacher. And it truly shows with the final product. It is an awesome way to get students to learn about history, through a game. There are games that peaked my interest in this manner like BioShock Infinite developed by Irrational Games that is based on the historical events at the turn of the 20th century, such as the 1893 World Columbian Exposition, but also incorporates recent events such as the 2011 Occupy Movement. Also, the game Never Alone, Kisima Innitchuna ("I am not alone") by Upper One Games. This game is based around the Alaskan indigenous folklore and restoring balance. I think OpenSimulator and game engines like Unity are a great way to create interactive games that peak the interests of students while teaching them about subjects and technology.
This article addressed the ISTE Standards for students with Standard 1. The students were able to use their creativity and innovation to create original works as a means of personal expression, by creating their final project their exhibit in a virtual Holocaust museum (Standard 1b). It also addressed Standard 4, the students planned and managed activities to complete a project (Standard 4b). They were able to explore the virtual world of Anne Frank and then create their own exhibit in a Holocaust museum. Lastly, it addressed Standard 6. The students were able to use the OpenSimulator to create their own 3D representation of an exhibit in a Holocaust museum.
Higgin, T. (2015). Three awesome educational games hiding in plain sight. KQED News.
http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/03/30/three-awesome-educational-games-hiding-in-plain-sight/
Wheelock, A. (2012). Immerse your students in history. Learning & Leading with Technology, 39(7), 26-27.
ISTE. (2007). ISTE Standards: students. International Society for Technology in Education.
2 comments:
Wow, that sounds amazing! I would have loved to do something like that as a student. I wish I could do that now! I agree that it would be difficult for a teacher to actually pull off because of time and money constraints, but if that teacher can get the resources, this would be an awesome way to make history come alive for the students.
Just like you mentioned, I am also very impressed by the teacher's work ethic. This virtual world must have taken a lot of time, energy, and resources. I would have loved to have used a tool such as this when I was learning about the Holocaust and reading The Diary of Anne Frank when I was in middle school. It can allow students to be immersed into a historical time period and make history come alive. If all teachers could manage to create a virtual world such as this, I am sure all students ail become more interested in historical subjects. Unfortunately, I don't think this program will be readily available to all teachers due to monetary restrictions.
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