Gee's Principles and Simulations

Gee's principle of probing (p. 54) states that learning is a cycle of probing the world (doing something) and reflecting in and on this action and forming a hypothesis. Select 3 principles you think it would be important for education.

The three principles that I think are most important for education are the practice principal, the multiple routes principle and the insider principal. The practice principal is important because the student comes into contact with the material over a long period of time. Practicing in a fun way allows students to learn and memorize the material. I think that the multiple routes principle is important because there is always different ways to solve a problem and students can explore these variations and pick a method that works best for them. The insider principle is important because it gives the student some control over their learning. Students are able to customize their learning environment and create something new.

Good simulations are hard to create. If you were creating a simulation for your class, what activity would you support? What variables could students manipulate? How would they affect each other?

Simulations are great because they allow the teacher to put the student in a real life situation. Showing students how the material is relevant to real life makes learning fun and interesting. For my classroom I could use a computer video game called Los Sims (Spanish version of The Sims) to teach students different aspects of the Spanish language. Students would be able to create their sim which would teach them different descriptive adjectives in Spanish. They would then be able to give a description of their sim to the class. They would also be able to have everyday interactions in Spanish through the game. It would be a fun way for my students to strengthen their vocabulary and learn the Spanish language. 

Conclusion

There are several ways to teach a class. Gee’s principals teach us several principals that can be used in the classroom. Although I have picked three principals as the most important I think using a combination the principals would have the best effect on the student. Simulations are also very helpful in engaging students in learning. Simulations allow students to have fun while they are learning which I think is very important. If the student is enjoying what they are doing they are more likely to learn.

Reference

Jonassens, D., Howland, J., Marra, R. M.,Grismond, D. (2008).  Meaningful

           learning with technology. Columbus: Pearson, Merrill Prentice Hall.