How Do I Love Thee: Modeling & Dimensional Thinking
Part 1
Graphic Representation of Topic
Graphic Representation of Topic
The aspects of my topic that I am focusing on are two specific elements of plot as they relate to the teaching of the play, “The Crucible” and Aristotle’s elements of drama to online high school students. The areas of plot are character and setting. I am using the popular Sims game to demonstrate my graphic representation and how it represents dimensional thinking.
My Topic From Different Perspectives and Levels-Zoom
Sims Virtual World of the play “The Crucible”
Setting-Forrest, Part of a House, Fire
My Topic From Different Perspectives and Levels-Zoom
Sims Virtual World of the play “The Crucible”
Setting-Forrest, Part of a House, Fire
Characters-Forrest Dance-The girls are dancing in the forest late at night and some of the townspeople believe they are practicing witchcraft.
Characters-Two Main Characters from the play, Abigail Williams & John Proctor discussing their relationship-John has ended the affair, but Abigail is still in love with him. They are fighting.
How My Topic Situated Among Similar or Related Topics
My topic is related to other computer simulations in that it attempts to simulate a real world situation. It allows students to experiment with their topic in new ways. They interact and react to the simulation and the environment that is created by and evolves from their decisions and choices.
How my Topic is Situated Historically
Computer simulations are relatively new to K-12 education and have just begun to be developed for my topic. In the past they have mostly been used in the mathematics and science areas.
Why Someone Would Use This as a Model to Teach
Many online and traditional teachers would use this model to teach because it is very effective in engaging and motivating high school students. It requires them to become active learners (not passive) and it creates a higher level of critical thinking. Students need to react and make choices when using simulations and I believe the use of 3D computer technology increases their creativity and inspires them in new ways that they may not be aware until some later date. It is also a lot of fun and most students would become (I believe) immersed in the model.
The Benefits in Using the Model
What it Brings to the Table
My topic choice brings to the table a new way of using dimensional teaching and learning outside the content areas of math and science. English and History teachers can now use simulations to bring more creative activities to enhance and teach their students. It also brings an incredibly fun way to study! This should inspire and excite students to want to learn.
Below are some images from a site that I found called Real Lives. It is a simulation game that allows people to experience lives in any country in the world. Both English and History teachers could use this game. History teachers could use it to teach about other countries and regions in the world and English teachers could use to it to teach creative writing.
My topic is related to other computer simulations in that it attempts to simulate a real world situation. It allows students to experiment with their topic in new ways. They interact and react to the simulation and the environment that is created by and evolves from their decisions and choices.
How my Topic is Situated Historically
Computer simulations are relatively new to K-12 education and have just begun to be developed for my topic. In the past they have mostly been used in the mathematics and science areas.
Why Someone Would Use This as a Model to Teach
Many online and traditional teachers would use this model to teach because it is very effective in engaging and motivating high school students. It requires them to become active learners (not passive) and it creates a higher level of critical thinking. Students need to react and make choices when using simulations and I believe the use of 3D computer technology increases their creativity and inspires them in new ways that they may not be aware until some later date. It is also a lot of fun and most students would become (I believe) immersed in the model.
The Benefits in Using the Model
- Motivate and excite students – simulating real activities
- Students experience a level of hands-on learning
- Increase use of technology across content area
- Students take an active part in making decisions
- Students may find new way of thinking and relating to content
- Teacher takes on a new role of facilitator or helper
- Enhances critical thinking and problem solving
What it Brings to the Table
My topic choice brings to the table a new way of using dimensional teaching and learning outside the content areas of math and science. English and History teachers can now use simulations to bring more creative activities to enhance and teach their students. It also brings an incredibly fun way to study! This should inspire and excite students to want to learn.
Below are some images from a site that I found called Real Lives. It is a simulation game that allows people to experience lives in any country in the world. Both English and History teachers could use this game. History teachers could use it to teach about other countries and regions in the world and English teachers could use to it to teach creative writing.
Part 2
Understanding of the Cognitive Tool of Modeling
and Explanation of Topic
Understanding of the Cognitive Tool of Modeling
and Explanation of Topic
My understanding of the cognitive tool of modeling is that one can use models to create new things and to help see familiar things in a new way. Modeling enables people to go back and forth between two-dimensional and three-dimensional thinking, which can help to increase ones’ critical thinking and imagination. Models can also allow one to experience or learn about something that may not have been available before or easy to understand.
As stated in part one above, my topic is the study of Aristotle’s elements of drama, specifically focusing on the two elements of plot, character and setting and how they are used in the play, “The Crucible” that I am teaching to my online high school students.
I chose Sims, a computer game that simulates real life situations to explore my topic. The reason I chose the Sims game is because it represents my topic effectively by allowing students to make a model of a virtual world, using dimensional thinking to learn about literature in a new and exciting way. The Sims game uses both two-dimensional and three-dimensional graphics. The Sims characters are represented in three-dimensional and the houses and objects are two-dimensional. For my topic I created characters from the play, “The Crucible.” Traditionally for my topic the characters are represented through text (the play/two-dimensional), through a movie (two-dimensional), or through a play performed by live actors (three-dimensional). By using the Sims game to represent my topic I have changed the scale of my topic, which allows my students to transform literature into dimensional models they can create. They cannot touch or manipulate the models physically, but the characters in the game do have some free will to make their own decisions. Students can explore the model through the use of their feelings and emotions.
One of the objectives for my students is to create the setting and at least two characters from the play, “The Crucible.”
First, by creating a setting in a virtual game world the students will be able to experience and understand how the setting in plot structure is crucial for the understanding of the text, the author’s intentions, and for ones’ own personal reflection of the material. They will also find this lesson very enjoyable and the game addicting. Students are to read the play and then design their own representation of a particular setting in the play. By creating their virtual models, student critical thinking skills are enhanced as well as their ability to relate better to the text. They are also gaining problem-solving skills and are active learners. Theses are all skills a teacher hopes his/her students will learn.
Secondly, in order to study character development, another crucial part of understanding the elements of plot, students will create characters from the play. Using the Sims game, students are able to create any character from the play, picking key elements of their personalities that will enable the characters to basically act/behave the way the students’ want them to act. I say basically because the characters are given a little free will, which makes the lesson even more fun for students.
Finally, I believe using Sims to teach students about literature would be a very effective modeling method to use in the classroom. Students love using technology and the use of a game that models real life situations where characters move and exist in a world of their choosing would keep students excited about reading and learning. It is this kind of dimensional thinking we need to include in our 21st Century educational curriculum to make students active learners, increase imagination, and to improve critical thinking skills.
As stated in part one above, my topic is the study of Aristotle’s elements of drama, specifically focusing on the two elements of plot, character and setting and how they are used in the play, “The Crucible” that I am teaching to my online high school students.
I chose Sims, a computer game that simulates real life situations to explore my topic. The reason I chose the Sims game is because it represents my topic effectively by allowing students to make a model of a virtual world, using dimensional thinking to learn about literature in a new and exciting way. The Sims game uses both two-dimensional and three-dimensional graphics. The Sims characters are represented in three-dimensional and the houses and objects are two-dimensional. For my topic I created characters from the play, “The Crucible.” Traditionally for my topic the characters are represented through text (the play/two-dimensional), through a movie (two-dimensional), or through a play performed by live actors (three-dimensional). By using the Sims game to represent my topic I have changed the scale of my topic, which allows my students to transform literature into dimensional models they can create. They cannot touch or manipulate the models physically, but the characters in the game do have some free will to make their own decisions. Students can explore the model through the use of their feelings and emotions.
One of the objectives for my students is to create the setting and at least two characters from the play, “The Crucible.”
First, by creating a setting in a virtual game world the students will be able to experience and understand how the setting in plot structure is crucial for the understanding of the text, the author’s intentions, and for ones’ own personal reflection of the material. They will also find this lesson very enjoyable and the game addicting. Students are to read the play and then design their own representation of a particular setting in the play. By creating their virtual models, student critical thinking skills are enhanced as well as their ability to relate better to the text. They are also gaining problem-solving skills and are active learners. Theses are all skills a teacher hopes his/her students will learn.
Secondly, in order to study character development, another crucial part of understanding the elements of plot, students will create characters from the play. Using the Sims game, students are able to create any character from the play, picking key elements of their personalities that will enable the characters to basically act/behave the way the students’ want them to act. I say basically because the characters are given a little free will, which makes the lesson even more fun for students.
Finally, I believe using Sims to teach students about literature would be a very effective modeling method to use in the classroom. Students love using technology and the use of a game that models real life situations where characters move and exist in a world of their choosing would keep students excited about reading and learning. It is this kind of dimensional thinking we need to include in our 21st Century educational curriculum to make students active learners, increase imagination, and to improve critical thinking skills.