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Professional Development Courses for the Instructional
Gaming Program Course Description, Outline
and Costs (co-sponsored by grants from the Accelerated Learning Foundation)
Course Description
Faculty and
Sponsorship In depth, semester-long courses for teachers on the Instructional Gaming Program are sponsored by the Accelerated Learning Foundation - a non-profit corporation which provides grants and certification for participants. The course is taught by Layman E. Allen (Professor, University of Michigan Law School and author of EQUATIONS: The Game of Creative Mathematics and WFF ‘N PROOF: The Game of Modern Logic) and Layman G. Allen (author of the Instructional Gaming Program Video Professional Development Course and co-author of the DIG Math Program and EQUATIONS Challenge Matches). Objectives and
Approach The
purpose of this course is to teach educators how to use the Instructional Gaming
Program (with EQUATIONS classroom tournaments) as an integral part of the
mathematics curriculum for grades 5 – 9.
The course is designed for teachers who will be simultaneously conducting
weekly classroom tournaments with their own students during the semester. The
emphasis for teachers is on learning by doing – first by playing with a peer
group of educators and next by applying the same methods with their own
students. The immediate classroom experiences will generate questions which can
be shared with the course group and responded to by program founders. This
allows implementation and
instruction to proceed in an integrated manner both in the course and with each
teacher’s students. Methods Instruction
in these courses can be delivered either to a group of teachers at a distance
learning lab or via simultaneous online virtual classroom connections between
separate individual participants. In addition to live class meetings, six hours
of video taped (DVD) demonstrations and lectures will be provided to each
participant for home preparation (see course outline). Much of the course
involves live online tournaments between participants monitored by course
leaders. This allows teachers to personally experience how advanced rules and
scoring methods are used to focus the EQUATIONS game on specific curriculum
objectives. Direct experience of the instructional gaming paradigm is essential
in order to effectively utilize this learning approach. It is also an efficient
and enjoyable way to expand teachers’ mathematics comprehension and creative
problem solving skills. Opportunities will be made available for all teachers to
continue educator tournaments after completion of the course (highly
recommended). The
Accelerated Learning Foundation will work with interested districts and states
to allow teachers to satisfy continuing education credit requirements by
participating in ongoing Professional Development Tournaments. Please contact us
if you wish to explore arranging such credit within your district or
state. Minimum Required
Technical Configuration ·
Course
participants participating through virtual classroom connections must have
access to a reliable online connection with a combined earphone and microphone
headset. Use of stand alone mikes will cause voice echo feedback from speakers
which will decrease the clarity of audio for all participants.
·
It is
highly recommended that all internet connections be at least 256K bandwidth (DSL
or cable is sufficient). Virtual classroom software will work with a dial-up
modem but there will be significant delays with audio and video.
· To facilitate application sharing, participants should locate a PC-based system, if at all possible. Any desired Microsoft application may then be shared between all participants. Specific questions about configuration specs should be directed to the Accelerated Learning Foundation: 641-472-0149.
Course Outline
The course is twelve weeks long with a 1½ hour-long course meeting each week (generally arranged in the evening at a convenience time for the participants). A good schedule is to have course meetings on Monday or Tuesday evenings following classroom tournaments held with the teachers’ students on Friday. This gives the teachers time over the weekend to prepare for course meetings, yet allows them to keep experiences with their students fresh in mind.
Week
1 Preparation: Teachers view
“Learning to Play EQUATIONS” DVD from the Video Professional Development
Course. (1 ½
hours) Meeting:
Questions about game rules answered. Teachers introduced to Online
EQUATIONS tournament interface and are arranged into teams and tournament groups
for initial practice playing the game. After the first teacher tournament
session, IMP Kits are demonstrated for home-play
assignment. Week
2 Preparation: Teachers
play through the 21 IMP Kits (solitaire) before meeting. (Est.
time: 1 ½ hours).
Meeting: Questions
about beginning game rules and IMP Kits content answered. 4+ Scoring system demonstrated. Teachers
continue with online EQUATIONS tournament among themselves using 4+ Scoring.
Afterward, an actual match played
by 7th grade students will be analyzed to demonstrate how students can
effectively integrate the IMP Kit ideas. Week
3 Preparation: Teachers
view all of DVD #1 and the first 25 minutes of DVD #2 (total 2 hours)
from Video Professional Development Course on “Classroom Tournament
Structure, and Setting up Demo Classes into Tables and Teams”. During the section on how to set up a
class for a tournament, teachers should prepare appropriate team and table lists
for their own students and fax or email these competed lists to course leaders
for review PRIOR to meeting. Meeting: Questions
about game rules, tournament structure, and class assignments answered. Teachers
introduced to Basic Adventurous EQUATIONS rules and continue their own online
tournament using 4+ Scoring and Basic Adventurous rules. Week
4 Preparation: Teachers should
introduce their own students to beginning EQUATIONS game rules and play on
blackboard as a group. (“Learning to Play EQUATIONS” DVD could be shown to
introduce students to game rules if teacher wishes.) Teachers should also view
the last 35 minutes from DVD #2 on analyzing score sheets to prepare a
newsletter. (Any
teachers who have not yet finished viewing DVD #1 and #2, preparing their own
class tournament list, and sending it to course leaders must do so this
week.) Meeting:
Questions answered about teacher’s experiences from working with their
own classes in a group on blackboard. Teachers continue their own online
tournament using 4+ and Basic Adventurous rules. Week
5 Preparation: Teachers hold
first classroom tournament with students (after playing on blackboard as needed,
prior the tournament).
*Note: It may be desirable to have knowledgeable district personnel or
local consultants available during the first classroom tournaments conducted by
each teacher in his or her own class. The availability and cost of such
consulting varies but is helpful at this initial stage although not absolutely
necessary. Meeting:
Questions about initial classroom tournament experiences answered.
Initial class newsletters prepared by teachers. Introduction to Full Adventurous
Rules list and teachers continue their own online tournament using 4+ Scoring
and additional Adventurous rules. Week
6 Preparation: Teachers conduct
second classroom tournament with their own students, create newsletters and
distribute to their classes. Teachers also view first half of DVD #3 of Video
Professional Development Course on “Methods to Implement Specific Curriculum
Objectives”. (1
hour) Meeting:
Questions about classroom tournament experiences answered. Demonstration
of DIG Math Program. Teachers continue their own online tournament using 4+
Scoring and Full Adventurous rules. Week
7 Preparation: Teachers
introduce their students to 4+ Scoring and conduct third classroom tournament
with their own students using 4+ Scoring (newsletters distributed with every
tournament). Teachers also view last half of DVD #3 on “Software and Online
Programs”. (1
hour) Meeting:
Questions about classroom tournament experiences answered. Demonstration
of EQUATIONS Challenge Matches. Teachers continue using 4+ Scoring and Full
Adventurous rules in their own online tournament. Week
8 Preparation: Teachers
introduce Basic Adventurous Rules and conduct fourth classroom tournament using
4+ Scoring and Basic Adventurous Rules. Meeting:
Questions about classroom tournament experiences. Demonstration of
Math-Science Quest Program.
Week
9 Preparation: Teachers
conduct fifth classroom tournament using 4+ Scoring and Basic Adventurous
EQUATIONS rules. Meeting:
Questions about classroom tournament experiences. Revelations
EQUATIONS demonstrated. Teachers
continue using Revelations, 4+ Scoring, and Full Adventurous rules in their own
online tournament. Week
10 Preparation: Teachers
introduce Full list of Adventurous Rules and conduct sixth classroom tournament
using Full Adventurous Rules and 4+ Scoring. Meeting: Questions
about classroom tournament experiences. Teachers continue using 4+ Scoring and
Full Adventurous rules in their own online tournament. Week
11 Preparation: Teachers
conduct seventh classroom tournament using Full Adventurous Rules and 4+
Scoring. Meeting: Questions
about classroom tournament experiences. Teachers continue using 4+ Scoring and
Full Adventurous rules in their own online tournament. Week
12 Preparation: Teachers
conduct eighth classroom tournament using Full Adventurous Rules and 4+
Scoring. Meeting: Questions
about classroom tournament experiences. Teachers continue using 4+ Scoring and
Full Adventurous rules in their own online tournament. Arrangements made (if
possible) to continue teachers’ online tournament among participants. Schedule
of weekly online Q&A sessions with program founders made
available.
Cost of Materials and Course Tuition
Recommended Classroom Materials An EQUATIONS Classroom Set contains games and materials to handle up to 36 students in a standard classroom tournament. The set includes:12 sets of cubes, 12 game boards, 12 timers, 12 table cards, 4 rule books, 5 seating charts w/cards, and master copies for the Game Rules and Flub Summary, Score Sheets, Tournament Team Sheets and Newsletter, Adventurous Rules, and 4+ Scoring Chart(s). Instructional Math Play (IMP) Kits are a set of 21 portable pamphlets, each simulating an EQUATIONS match teaching a specific math concept. Several sets of kits can be used for a whole class by allowing them to be passed around sequentially to introduce the basic relationships between arithmetic operations. The DIG Math Program and EQUATIONS Challenge Matches are software programs containing thousands of math concepts introduced and taught through EQUTIONS matches. These programs provide an encyclopediac reference collection of advanced math ideas and strategies for an ongoing tournament group. The regular retail price of the EQUATIONS Classroom set is $299 and the regular retail price of a set of 21 IMP Kits is $30. These materials are made availble at a reduced cost for particpants in this course through grants from the the Accelerated Learning Foundation.
Quantity Cost/Item 1
Class 6 Classes EQUATIONS Classroom Set 1 $275 $275 $1,650 IMP Kits - Set of 21 3 $20 $60 $360 DIG Math Program 1 $49 $49 $294 Challenge
Matches 1
$49
$49
$294
Materials Sub-TOTAL: $433 $2,598
Professional Development Course and Grants The Online Professional Development Course involves 12 weeks with a single1 ½ hour meeting. per week. These sessions are designed to support and extend concurrent implementation of classroom tournaments in the teacher's own classrooms. The course tuition is $565 per teacher and included a free copy of the Video Professional Development Course (normally $295 on DVD) through a grant from the Accelerated Learning Foundation.
Quantity Cost/Item 1
Class 6
Classes 12-week
Online Course 1
$565
$565
$3,390
GRAND TOTAL: $998 $5,988
The total net grant from ALF is $349 per participant ($2,094 for six teachers).
. If you are interested in more information on courses for implementing the Instructional Gaming Program please contact us and fill out the form on that page. |
