Using GooseChase in the Classroom
After seeing one of my classmates sharing the GooseChase app, I checked it out. Let me say it didn't disappoint! We are currently learning about polygons and their attributes. The students have been practicing identifying regular and irregular polygons, and I wanted to have them find these shapes in the world around them. That is where the GooseChase app came into play.
GooseChase is an interactive digital scavenger hunt. Managers of the game create missions for the participants to go on to earn points. The tasks can be completed by submitting photos, videos, text, or all three. The participants could even be required to be at a specific GPS location when submitting the evidence. The submissions are displayed in a live feed, similar to a Facebook wall. Participants can then like their friends' submissions, and the game manager can start accepting or denying submissions. The site can be used by anyone, but I can get a free basic account as an educator.
For the shape GooseChase, I had the students get into small groups and use iPads to explore inside and outside our school building to look for shapes. The kids were asked to take pictures and make videos. They loved it. The kids ran around taking pictures, arguing if their ideas met the mission criteria, and working well together.
Because I got to assign the numerical values for the missions, I was able to make some tasks harder for more points. Some teams first started with the more complex challenges, while others chose to speed through the easy missions. After giving the students a set amount of time, we met again in my classroom, and as a whole team we evaluated the evidence. The kids liked this part even more than actually looking for the evidence. The students had to support their claim while other groups countered the arguments.
I also like that after all evidence is collected, as the game manager, I can easily download the files. While I think I would use this feature more for collecting pictures of the kids to share with their families. I can also download the material for the students so they can add it to their portfolios.
A drawback to the app is the price. Like I said, I was able to get a free account, but I still want to upgrade my account. By doing that, I will be able to have the kids work in smaller groups or individually. I will also be able to host multiple live games. My next step is talking to my administration to possibly fund a more extensive account or discuss getting a school account. I see this app as an excellent tool for professional development and classroom instruction.
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