Ms. Courtney Kofeldt, PA Leadership’s Supervisor of Educational Technology, was recently featured on Philadelphia 17’s weekly TV segment “Weekend Philler,” where she spoke about gamification and how to make video and online games educational for the students. The Weekend Phillier is a Saturday evening video clip show on WPHL17 that covers shorts about people, places & things around the Delaware Valley.
Many children are easily distracted by games. Whether it’s on their computers or tablets, video game systems or hand held devices, it makes it very easy to get off track. The idea of gamification, according to “Weekend Philler” host Tony Romeo, is that “if you can’t get the kids away from the games, then bring the games to the material.”
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Video: Ms. Kofeldt on WPHL17 Weekend Philler. View on YouTube
In the interview, Ms. Kofeldt recalls a time 10 years ago when she did not know much about online education, as opposed to today, being associated with PALCS and seeing all the ways our teacher created content online benefits students on a daily basis. By personalizing lessons and virtual videos, PALCS teachers are creating a classroom in the online environment.
An interesting point Ms. Kofeldt highlights is that, as a cyber school teacher, she gets to interact with her students more than if she were a brick-and-mortar school teacher. She explains that, because PALCS is an online environment with constantly available access, not locked into a structure such as a one hour class usually found in a brick-and-mortar school, she gets to interact with her students more often.
Jumping into the subject of gamification, Ms. Kofeldt describes it as, “creating those challenges and quests for students; so turning that lesson into a challenge. In our online environment, that includes badging [receiving digital badges], which students can earn after getting to various levels of the course.” She went on to explain that gamification can appeal to all students who are looking for an additional layer that helps them relate to the material. By participating and engaging in challenges or quests associated with the material, they may discover and make connections with, for example, pieces of literature in which they would not typically be interested.
In closing, Ms Kofledt spoke about how she had the opportunity to connect with fellow educators and learn how they were using the gamification technique, which inspired her to get more involved with it. In closing, she said, “being a teacher, I know that I’m the content expert, but seeing students become the subject matter experts is when I feel truly successful in teaching.”
Congratulations to Ms. Kofeldt on another wonderful interview! We are so proud of the content and lessons our teachers create here at PALCS. Gamification is just one of many innovative techniques our highly qualified educators use to connect our students to the material. To explore all our curriculum has to offer be sure to visit our Academics page!
