The kiddos who signed up for the “create your own Pokémon cards” workshop sat eagerly around Jaime on the rug, laptops on almost every lap. The technology and online learning skills needed to begin this workshop were apparent right away. The kids first needed to open Google and sign in to SeeSaw where they would find additional directions necessary for their Pokémon card creation. Then Jaime asked them to open a new tab, open Google drive, and create a “Pokémon” folder. Then they needed two sub folders – one for images and one for their completed cards. The value of a multi-age classroom shined at this moment. Some of the kids struggled through these steps, where they needed to draw not only on their technology skills, but literacy ones as well. “I could help you! I could help you!” Jovian declared, coming to Julian’s aid. The kids were excited when they finally mastered each step which would make it possible for them to save their work: “I have a tab!” “I see what I need to do now!” “Oh awesome! I got it!”
At this point the room quieted down as the kids settled in to watch the video links provided about the details of Pokémon card creation – some alone, some in pairs, and some in small groups. Ernesto was the first to begin to create his cards. He sat, quiet and focused, navigating his way through the card creator. He was especially conscious of each choice, and spent a few minutes deciding, “what I should do for a power.” As the other kids began to create their cards, the room was a buzz with excitement. They maneuvered through the Pokémon card creator, a website they were not familiar with, vocalizing their struggles and successes – “oh my god! I just found out how to make a different card!” The skills the kiddos used and were learning during this workshop seemingly based on “Pokémon” are relevant to their daily interactions with technology and online learning. They worked on navigating their way through Google (searching for and saving images), Google drive (naming and creating folders), and figuring out how to use a program without being formally directed in each step – skills that reach far beyond Pokémon itself.
0 Comments
|