Q What place do Games have in the classroom?
Games have an important place in the classroom. They can engage students and draw them into learning. Games offer an opportunity for students to work together and collaborate while exploring content. Because of students' past and lifelong experience with games in general, both digital and non-digital games (e.g. board games) provide an atmosphere that helps students focus for longer intervals and stay engaged in a way that helps with classroom management.
Q. What challenges can be anticipated when using Digital or non-digital games in the classroom?
It is important to find games that deliver or emphasize the content you are teaching. It's important that students know how the games connect to learning and to circulate and be present while they play so you know how students are learning, and also can provide structure and answer questions where needed. Providing rules and roles for game playing is also helpful.
Q. What opportunities do Games provide for the classroom and learning?
Games provide meaningful opportunities for engagement, collaborative goals and familiarity.
Engagement: Games engage students and that is important for differentiated instruction. Games may be one way to engage struggling students or students who don't focus during classwork time. I love games myself, so I have a built-in appreciation for the engagement and motivation factors discussed.
Collaboration: The collaborative and cooperative nature of games is a complete fit for todays 21st century skills.
Familiarity: In terms of classroom management, and related engagement and collaboration - kids are familiar with the social structure of games. I can see how this creates a positive setup for classroom management. Though they may need reminders, students have experience with games. For example, students know that in games people have roles, it is important to take turns, and giving it your best shot is how to have fun with the game
Q What place do Games have in the classroom?
Games have an important place in the classroom. They can engage students and draw them into learning. Games offer an opportunity for students to work together and collaborate while exploring content. Because of students' past and lifelong experience with games in general, both digital and non-digital games (e.g. board games) provide an atmosphere that helps students focus for longer intervals and stay engaged in a way that helps with classroom management.
Q. What challenges can be anticipated when using Digital or non-digital games in the classroom?
It is important to find games that deliver or emphasize the content you are teaching. It's important that students know how the games connect to learning and to circulate and be present while they play so you know how students are learning, and also can provide structure and answer questions where needed. Providing rules and roles for game playing is also helpful.
Q. What opportunities do Games provide for the classroom and learning?
Games provide meaningful opportunities for engagement, collaborative goals and familiarity.
Engagement: Games engage students and that is important for differentiated instruction. Games may be one way to engage struggling students or students who don't focus during classwork time. I love games myself, so I have a built-in appreciation for the engagement and motivation factors discussed.
Collaboration: The collaborative and cooperative nature of games is a complete fit for todays 21st century skills.
Familiarity: In terms of classroom management, and related engagement and collaboration - kids are familiar with the social structure of games. I can see how this creates a positive setup for classroom management. Though they may need reminders, students have experience with games. For example, students know that in games people have roles, it is important to take turns, and giving it your best shot is how to have fun with the game
Resources:
Readings:
http://edtechreview.in/dictionary/298-what-is-game-based-learning
http://www.instituteofplay.org/
Example of game based learning for a climate change lesson: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/climate-change-and-gbl-matthew-farber
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/schools-students-digital-badges.shtml
https://credly.com/badge-builder
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/video-game-model-unit-andrew-miller referencing a game for 21st century skills and this Open Badges project: http://www.digitalme.co.uk/.
Videos:
User: tedxyouth - Added: 6/9/11YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2N-5maKZ9Q
User: tedtalksdirector - Added: 3/17/10YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE1DuBesGYM
User: edurevolution - Added: 3/9/14YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrh2kqT3XPQ