Thursday, March 8, 2007

PowerPoint Games - Improving Your Questions

Please take a quick survey.

As you continue work on your PowerPoint games -- it is important to focus on the instructional value of your game -- and value is added through good questions.
What makes a good question?

Bloom's Taxonomy is an easy way to learn more about various levels of questioning. This website will help you to use the taxonomy to improve your questions.

Even young children can use Bloom's Taxonomy to improve their work. Here's a video of a class of children who use it to design literature units. Learn even more about this project here.

Work with a partner to take your 3 sample questions "up a level" on Bloom's Taxonomy. Use these improved questions as a model for all 25 questions to be included in your game. Don't forget that you can checkout textbooks from the Curriculum Materials Center in rm 207 for more ideas for questions (just make sure you're not plagiarizing!)

Continue working on your game outside of class. Many students will choose to use the drawing tools in PowerPoint to create their boards. As you work -- review student samples and the PowerPoint Games Project Rubric to ensure that you are meeting the expectations of the assignment. You can earn additional "wow" points by packaging your game. This would include a professional-looking game box with all of the materials necessary to play the game included in the box.

Tuesday, March 21 will be an "optional attendance" day. This means that I will be available in the classroom and you can come if you need assistance with your game. Attendance will not be taken. However, if you attend, you can use it as an opportunity to make up for a previous absence.

Please remember that your game is due on Thursday, March 22 at the beginning of class.


Have a safe and enjoyable Spring Break!