Rethinking the Classroom - Blending Social media, Pop culture, and Gaming with classroom learning goals

This week in class, I have been exploring a variety of sites and experiences that blend classroom work with online opportunities for sharing.  As usual, my explorations have taken me on tangents - most of them welcome - that have lead me to rethink the role of social media and pop culture in the classroom.  These are additional tools for engaging students.

I listened to a podcast on Skype and Goolge hangouts in the classroom.  Teachers were describing their experiences using Skype in the classroom as a way to introduce students to professional presenters.  One of the presenters in the podcast discussed connecting with potential presenters on twitter and making the skype arrangements.  This type of first hand interaction with a scientist would provide a motivating learning experience.

The second part of the podcast discussed using google hangouts for collaborative projects.  The google hangout allows screen sharing.  Students could view a youtube video and share comments about it.  I think the potential for "plus" type learning is incredible. 

Here is an idea for a Module 3 project.  Last year, students kept asking me about watching "Contagion" when we started studying viruses.  With the increase in media coverage at the time (March/April) about bird flu, it really was a timely release.  For this activity, students would join a Google Hangout.  In the hangout session, they would watch the official movie trailer for Contagion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdzWcrXVtwg  Athough some students may not have seen the movie, there is enough information in the trailer to bring about some very interesting discussion.  Additional prompts for discussion would include:
     * What factors allow viruses to be transmitted so quickly?
     * Discuss the relationship between the potential spread of viruses and exponential growth.  How
        does the growth curve change?  Why?
     * Is this scenario comparable to any situations in the past?  Explain.
     * What were the origins of this virus?  Discuss other species and their potential involvement.
     * How would you prepare for this type of epidemic/pandemic?  What kind of preparedness plans
        are in place in our community?
     * Is the scenario accurate/realistic?  Why or why not?  Be specific about what parts may be realistic or not.

During this type of hangout discussion, students will be able to access other internet sites and complete concurrent research during the discussion adding to their knowledge of the topic and compounding the group knowledge.

Finally, students will be directed to what scientists think of the movie depiction.  The following is a link is from Marcel Salathe, and Assistant professor of Biology at Penn State.
  http://live.psu.edu/youtube/4X0wIX8iifI  

This activity can be used as a springboard for other popular culture connections in the classroom.  The Hunger Games was/is a wildly popular set up books, and more recently a movie, that included an interesting result of science gone wrong with genetically modified organisms - the "jabberjays" was an unintended consequence. 

The NY times Learning Network has an interesting lesson investigating genetically engineered organisms - using the "Hunger Games" as a starting point.
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/hunger-games-science-investigating-genetically-engineered-organisms/#more-110432
This lesson provides an opportunity for online collaboration as students prepare for group presentations in specific stakeholder roles.  The component about this activity that is great is that it combines current NY times articles with the activity - combining the real potential of garage or do-it- yourself amateur biologists to compromise public safety with respect to viral transmissions.  Students can search and review current articles concurrent to their online discussion - sharing articles and thoughts on the ideas - in order to formulate a final presentation for their group.

A final site that I explored that would also fit as a classroom application is an interactive game about proteins.  http://fold.it/portal/  This game has people using real criteria to investigate the ins and outs of protein structure and is seen as a tool with the potential to unlock the secrets of real health problems like cancer and AIDS.  What a unique way of tapping collective intelligence!!   Check out this article on it.  http://www.wired.com/medtech/genetics/magazine/17-05/ff_protein?currentPage=all