Dr. Bill Kelley on “Our Brains and Gaming”

Dr. Bill Kelley, Professor in Dartmouth College’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, presented to all of Richmond Middle School and several guests from Kendall this past Tuesday on the topic of gaming as an addictive behavior.

Highlights of the Presentation 

1. Members of the audience participated in several exercises to demonstrated principles of selective attention and other principles of cognitive science that explain how our brains perceive and process information. 

The Selective Attention Test:

   

&  The Ames Room in San Francisco. 

2. The role of the nucleus accumbens as "pleasure center" in the brain - an important region of the brain in rewarding behaviors. 

3. Dr. Kelley's lab has researched the role of the nucleus accumbens in game addiction for certain computer/video games. World of Warcraft is an example of a game that is addicting because the "world" never stops, players rely on participation of other players to be success and are punished if other players take a break from playing. 

4. Not thinking about something that you are addicted to is extremely difficult. Willpower and consciously taking time away from gaming is one of the only ways to deal with the addictive properties of gaming so that it does not interfere with other aspects of your life. Dr. Kelley presented a case study of a 16 year-old in the UK who has been playing World of Warcraft 16 hours per day.

Tellagami Postcards?

In social studies this fall, eighth graders have been traveling along the Silk Road as they consider important questions, such as this one:

How did the Silk Road bring the cultures of Asia together and affect the modern world? 

To demonstrate their understanding of historical societies and their impact on the world today, each student created a series of postcards.  With the 1-1 iPad program this year—and the creative tools available through dozens of apps—we’ve given students lots of flexibility and responsibility for choosing how to best express their learning.  

As a student-teacher working with Stephanie Davis in the classroom this year, I have been amazed to watch how quickly our students assimilate new technology and combine it to solve problems and produce their work.  For Silk Road postcards, we provided the content guidelines but left it to each student to decide the form they would take.  

As this project draws to a close, we thought we’d share some examples of how some of our Silk Road travelers chose to tell their story.  There is an impressive array of formats that combine everything from descriptive text and compelling images to custom-designed, hand-drawn stamps.  Click an image below to view examples:

And finally, some students created postcards using an app called Tellagami.  This is arguably the most amusing of the apps we’ve used in the classroom this fall.  It allows students to create an avatar and have them read text they’ve written in front of an image they create or select from the web.  In this example, a student, in his role as a wealthy industrialist, is sending a Tellagami postcard to his butler Alfred, who unfortunately fell sick and could not accompany him on his journeys along the SIlk Road.

https://tellagami.com/gami/LGCFNO/

Thanks to Katie Whalen, Brendan Dufty and Dan Melnikov for allowing us to share their work.

 Wednesday, November 20, 2013 - An App-tastic Morning Meeting!
by Patti Dodds

Today, during morning meeting,  my homeroom students and I joined the Balch homeroom to learn about  an App called ThingLink.  ThinkLink is a free App that allows us to make images interactive. 

We asked students to download the App and issued a 20 minute challenge to create a background photo and add: 2 text boxes, 2 pictures, 2 links and one video.  The final step was for them to electronically share their projects with at least one other person.  Students needed about 4 minutes of instruction before they were off and running!

During the last few minutes of morning meeting, students shared projects via Apple TV.  Projects ranged from the new "Catching Fire" movie to favorite video games and television shows.
At the very end of the meeting, we asked students to brainstorm ways that they might envision using this App to demonstrate their knowledge when working on specific assignments, projects and labs.  Students suggested the 6th grade "Brain Project", science labs, and mapping assignments.

"App Fluency" is understanding how various apps can be used to create and/or "push out" information from one app to another easily and fluently.  Students and teachers need to first decide what the goal of an assignment is, and what understanding they would like to demonstrate, and then choose an appropriate method to do so.  Being "App fluent" will allow students to remain focused on the learning goals and make integrating technology more seamless.

iPad Apps

School issued iPads can be configured to prohibit the addition of non-school apps. If you would like that restriction added to your student's iPad, please contact Andrea Granger at andreagranger@dresden.us .

HHS Broadside Article on the 1-1 Program at RMS

Mr. Lepene recently had an opportunity to sit down with HHS student Stephen McCarthy to discuss the RMS 1-1 iPad program.

You can read Stephen's editorial here: HHS Broadside "The One-to-One Program: IPads at RMS"

Communication About Technology & Media

RMS staff have been working hard over the course of the past several months to give students and parents the information and skills that they will need to successfully learn in a time of transformative education.  

Philosophically, RMS is committed to teaching all students to appropriately use media and technology – indeed, one of the most important 21st Century learning skills.

Parent Workshop to Navigate the iPad

In October, RMS Library Media Specialist, Laura Abbene, and Guidance Counselor, Liz McBain, offered a parent workshop about how to navigate the iPad. Additionally, management tips for use at home were presented and discussed.

• Check out the notes from this presentation

• Following this workshop, Laura located this amazing resource from Common Sense Media that gives “Family Tips” on topics ranging from online security to privacy to safe online talk to cyberbullying, safe searches, and more.

• WHY ARE THESE TIPS FOR FAMILIES SO GREAT?
• Specific by topic/grade-level
• Short
• User-friendly
• Each tip sheet has the following sections: “What’s the Issue?”, “Why Does it Matter?”, “What Families Can Do”, and “Sources” (www.commonsensemedia.org). 
  
  

Where Do Students Receive Instructions About Media & Technology?

1.Computer Literacy class

2. Conversations with a computer lab supervisor

3. Direct instruction from a regular education teacher

4. Guidance & Health class

5. Guest speakers

6. Morning Meeting

Guest Speakers at RMS

WISE Director of Training and Education, Kate Rohdenburg directed workshops for seventh grade students last June, and during the same week hosted a well-attended forum for parents of adolescents on communication around media. Subsequently, each fall 8th grade students participate in a workshop during health class that is about communication in healthy relationships (in person and online) that Chelsea Williamson of WISE presents.

We are pleased to announce two upcoming speakers during second quarter:

1. Becky Munsterer, Associate Director of Admission at Dartmouth, will speak to the 8th grade on Wednesday, 11/13, during morning meeting, on digital footprints.
2. In December, Professor William Kelley of the Psychology Department at Dartmouth, will speak on the topic of gaming and self-regulation.

Continue the Conversations at Home

Our teachers, administrators, and Technology Committee are working collaboratively to support innovation in education, develop responsible citizens, and to promote strong media literacy skills for all of our students. We encourage you to continue this conversation at home and contact RMS for support as needed!

iSquad Website Goes Live!

Learn about what the RMS student technology club does to support the 1-1 initiative at RMS. Our website went live today! Stay tuned for more videos on how to use the iPad and great apps used at RMS.

Email the iSquad Team at rmsisquad@hanovernorwichschools.org

RMS iSquad Website

iSquad DIY Stylus Workshop

iSquad, RMS student technology club met today for our first DIY workshop! iSquad members repurposed worn out whiteboard markers and highlighters to fashion their own stylus pens to use with tablet and smartphone devices. In less than ten minutes, iSquaders used their MacGyver-like skills and the principles of touch screen technology to design a stylus pen using conductive foam, a q-tip, six inches of wire and some funky duct tape (style points). iSquaders plan to set-up shop in the 8th grade wing and teach hand-ons lessons to their peers.
Have ideas for DIY technology projects?
Email your ideas to the iSquad Team at rmsisquad@hanovernorwichschools.org

1-1 Introduction Cover Letter Fall 2013

8th Grade Parents and Guardians, August 20, 2013

We are excited to begin our 1-1 iPad program this Fall with the 8th grade. This means each student in the 8th grade will be issued an iPad to use for the entire school year.  We see this curriculum initiative as a way to help foster skills necessary for learning in the 21st century, while not losing sight of the core principles that have made the Richmond Middle School program successful for so long. It is the task of our middle school to bridge the gap between childhood and adulthood, from dependence to independence, and from understanding the world in a simple and concrete manner to comprehending it in its multifaceted, multilayered configuration.

Please review the links to documents that provide some specifics for the program, a section of frequently asked questions and responses, insurance information and also an acceptable use agreement for students and parents to sign. We will be reviewing this material at our information night at RMS on Monday, August 26 at 6:30 and again with students in homerooms during the first week of school. IPads will be distributed to students with signed acceptable use agreements beginning on Tuesday, September 3rd.

RMS staff have been working through the summer to prepare for the effective use of the iPads in their classrooms. We look forward to partnering with students and parents as we explore and examine the possibilities this new initiative will help facilitate. Here are a few ways we anticipate utilizing the technology:

-As a student planner and calendar and to access the school email system.

-For taking notes and writing.

-For reading and annotating digital editions of school texts and readings.

-Creating multimedia and online reports, projects, and assessments.

-Supporting school projects with camera and video.

-Participating in class blogs and discussions.

-Accessing class portal pages and other online resources.

We will work to keep you informed as we experience success, make adjustments or corrections and learn together. To that end please visit our school web site and 1-1 blog for additional information. In addition, please contact us with questions, feedback or observations. We look forward to the collaboration!

Michael Lepene Marty Warren Laura Abbene RMS Staff

1-1 at RMS: A Beginning.

We are excited to announce that the 8th grade will be participating in a One-to-One iPad program this year. This means each student in the 8th grade will be issued an iPad to use for the entire school year.  We see this curriculum initiative as a way to help foster skills necessary for learning in the 21st century, while not losing sight of the core principles that have made the Richmond Middle School program successful for so long. It is the task of our middle school to bridge the gap between childhood and adulthood, from dependence to independence, and from understanding the world in a simple and concrete manner to comprehending it in its multifaceted, multilayered configuration. We engage in this work with the understanding that this initiative will only enhance the students’ experience. Teachers will be able to reach students in new and engaging ways, without disrupting the traditional methods that have served our students.

In considering such an initiative, we believe that students need access to “anytime/anywhere” mobile digital tools. They should be able to instantly share and publish their ideas in text, graphics, images and video and seamlessly use them alongside paper, paintbrush and notebook. Twenty-first century learning demands that a student be able to collaborate to solve problems and to think abstractly and in new ways to solve unique problems. We believe embracing mobile technology will enhance the student experience more than ever before imagined.

We look forward to learning with you as we move down this path and welcome your feedback and suggestions.

RMS Staff