How to participate in #TXEDUCHAT Sundays 8-9pm Central!

I've recently fielded several questions on how to navigate a Twitter chat since I will be leading the #TXEDUCHAT each Sunday evening at 8 to 9 pm Central time and would like to have this post serve as an abbreviated "How To" for folks that might be new to such forums.

Here are a few tips for jumping into the #TXEDUCHAT:

1. Chats can be quite fast paced and programs such as Tweet Deck or Twitterfall can assist in keeping up with posts.
2. The #TXEDUCHAT hashtag needs to be included in each of your answers or comments on Twitter during the chat so that everyone "hears" you.
3. Questions posted by the moderators will usually begin with the characters Q1, Q2, etc and your answers should follow suit with A1, A2, etc at the beginning.
4. If you miss tweets, don't be alarmed. It is very easy to scroll back through the chat or review all the comments later.
5. If you are already familiar with the topic, type out comments or questions before the chat in a document that you can access during the chat and simply "paste in" your thoughts. Keep in mind that these should also stay within the 140 character limit.
6. Tweets can include links to outside articles or information that helps make your point.
7. Retweet anything that you find noteworthy or you feel warrants a "shout out!"
8. Once you have tweeted the #TXEDUCHAT hashtag you can then view all the tweets associated with it by clicking on it at any time.

I hope these tips help! Please join me on Sunday evenings from 8 to 9 pm Central for the #TXEDUCHAT!

Zombies...RUN!

Does gamification work?

I can't answer that question but does it potentially lead to engagement and motivation? YES.

I've experienced this firsthand with one of my own children over the past few weeks as she has been running frantically from zombies in our very neighborhood!

I've been looking into game elements in learning for a couple of months now and have learned a great deal. A recent online open course I attended called Game Elements for Learning (#GE4L) on the Canvas Open Network was invaluable, and I had the opportunity to communicate with educators across the globe on this topic. My previous post shows the current general consensus on use of game elements in learning and can be summed up as an "it depends" but largely positive ruling thus far.

Claims that such approaches can better engage or motivate students were very academic in my world until I witnessed my teenage daughter up before dawn during the summer as she put on headphones and ran two or three miles each morning! Why was she doing this? Zombies were chasing her and she had a story to engage in (see https://www.zombiesrungame.com) that kept her motivated!

In the last three weeks alone my former non-exercising teenager has covered nearly 30 miles with these virtual creatures on her heels and has become a passionate runner in the process. When I've asked her why she has become so focused on running each day, she says that she "has to gain materials and milestones to win her game." This badge system gives her a self directed set of goals and keeps her moving...literally! This case adds to the positive argument for gamification or game elements better than any other I've yet heard!