Composing Play: Composing Play: Epic Learning in Literacy Epic Learning in Literacy

SpacesSpaces

Kim Jaxon @drjaxon Kim Jaxon @drjaxon California State University, ChicoCalifornia State University, Chico

kimjaxon.comkimjaxon.com

Link to resources: http://tinyurl.com/jaxonepic Link to resources: http://tinyurl.com/jaxonepic

““the term participation describe[s] the term participation describe[s] the social experience of living in the social experience of living in the world in terms of membership the world in terms of membership in social communities and active in social communities and active involvement in social enterprises” involvement in social enterprises”

--Etienne Wenger--Etienne Wenger

Jean Lave & Etienne Jean Lave & Etienne WengerWenger

Etienne Etienne WengerWenger

Learning as Social, as Learning as Social, as Participation Participation

Social Cognition/Situated LearningSocial Cognition/Situated Learning

Attention placed on: Identity, Participation, Attention placed on: Identity, Participation, Material ConditionsMaterial Conditions

Learning occurs in participation and social Learning occurs in participation and social relationships, not “in the heads of individuals” relationships, not “in the heads of individuals”

(Hanks qtd. in Lave & Wenger, 1991)(Hanks qtd. in Lave & Wenger, 1991)

Provides a framework for studying and Provides a framework for studying and understanding how individuals shape, are shaped understanding how individuals shape, are shaped

by, and learn from, the communities in which by, and learn from, the communities in which they participatethey participate

Shifts the unit of analysis away from a focus on Shifts the unit of analysis away from a focus on the individual mind and towards social and the individual mind and towards social and

material conditions that influence learning and material conditions that influence learning and meaning makingmeaning making

““knowledge and cognition is knowledge and cognition is distributed across objects, distributed across objects, individuals, artifacts, and tools in individuals, artifacts, and tools in the environment”the environment”

--Ed Hutchins --Ed Hutchins

““And the chance to do something you’re And the chance to do something you’re good at as part of a larger project helps good at as part of a larger project helps students build real self-esteem among their students build real self-esteem among their peers”… “Not empty self-esteem based on peers”… “Not empty self-esteem based on nothing other than wanting to feel good nothing other than wanting to feel good about yourself, but actual respect and high about yourself, but actual respect and high regard based on contributions you’ve regard based on contributions you’ve made.” made.” (McGonigal, (McGonigal, Reality is BrokenReality is Broken, p. 130-31)., p. 130-31).

The Early Start program requires The Early Start program requires CSU campuses to “design a program CSU campuses to “design a program for incoming freshmen to develop for incoming freshmen to develop proficiency in mathematics and/or proficiency in mathematics and/or English before they enroll as English before they enroll as matriculated freshmen.” matriculated freshmen.”

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http://www.calstate.edu/acadaff/http://www.calstate.edu/acadaff/EarlyStart/EarlyStart/

Hacking Hacking as….as….

Our goal: Make it not teh suck.Our goal: Make it not teh suck.

Too early for hard findings, but we know a few Too early for hard findings, but we know a few things:things:

More than 2000+ Facebook posts made by 251 More than 2000+ Facebook posts made by 251 students in a 2 week period. More than 80% had students in a 2 week period. More than 80% had comments.comments.Faculty evals were high: 4.47/5.00Faculty evals were high: 4.47/5.00Students were asked to complete enough Quests Students were asked to complete enough Quests to earn 150 points: all students went well to earn 150 points: all students went well beyond this minimum. 90+ students earned beyond this minimum. 90+ students earned more than 300 points and 12 students earned more than 300 points and 12 students earned over 1000 points.over 1000 points.Students have stayed connected to their peers.Students have stayed connected to their peers.

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