Journal 2

Real Life Migrants on the Muve: Stories of Virtual Transitions, By Ross A. Perkins and Cathy Arreguin

This article is about a sophisticated program that was developed in the 1970’s that has now been simplified, given a “second life” and integrated into the classroom by educators. This “second life” of the Muve, created by a San Francisco-based lab, is becoming a hit among educators, schools and Universities. Evidently, this program has been designed to be used as a grid system with the use of virtual graphics for students to design concepts/construct them in class. Some teachers have already implemented this Muve system into their lesson plan and class curriculum. They have created a math/geometry lesson allowing student to recreate/design Ellis Island or learn about history in a technical 3-D environment. There has been a great success in education achievements among students who have used this program, especially among disabled students whom experienced increased levels of self-esteem due to the ability of the program to help them learn.

1. My first question is, how could I implement this into my class to help students? First off, I would have to do some research to find a application that would suited for my students. I will be careful not to pick an application based on its popularity but rather on the practical application of it and tailor it to my students and of course make sure that it’s fun.

2. My second question is, how as a teacher can I use the Muve to effectively connect to my students, ensuring that they’re learning the concepts presented in class? I believe the answer is through communication. Students learn the best when the teacher can effectively communicate to them. Essentially, this program will allow a mode of communication in a multi-dimensional manner by allowing the student to learn through lecture as well as through technical achievement i.e. the student designing/constructing the project. By infusing technology with student’s passions, students will not only become more productive but will enjoy learning and thus, want to learn more.