Gaming Blog - 12/6
I really enjoyed Jane McGonigal’s Ted Talk. I’m trying to understand the benefits of gaming, but I can see both sides. From her side, there’s the strive for the epic win. She highlights the four benefits that create the ‘super-empowered hopeful individuals’; urgent optimism, social fabric, blissful productivity, and epic meaning. I see these students in my classroom. Any time technology is used, they are locked in, engaged and focused, but remove the screen and then attention lapses. I also see the side that believes their kids seem to just sit around all day wasting their time ‘playing games’. We’ve started incorporating gaming into our curriculum in small ways with programs like ST Math and Fast Math. They’re improving their math skills and reinforcing the curriculum while playing games and leveling up. Many students are highly motivated to move through and finish these programs, while others struggle.
I looked at one of Jane McGonigal’s ‘A world without oil’. It looks very interesting and I would love to incorporate it into an Earth Day PBL in the spring after some further research.
I see the potential for gaming, but I’m still working out how to work it into my teaching.
I really enjoyed Jane McGonigal’s Ted Talk. I’m trying to understand the benefits of gaming, but I can see both sides. From her side, there’s the strive for the epic win. She highlights the four benefits that create the ‘super-empowered hopeful individuals’; urgent optimism, social fabric, blissful productivity, and epic meaning. I see these students in my classroom. Any time technology is used, they are locked in, engaged and focused, but remove the screen and then attention lapses. I also see the side that believes their kids seem to just sit around all day wasting their time ‘playing games’. We’ve started incorporating gaming into our curriculum in small ways with programs like ST Math and Fast Math. They’re improving their math skills and reinforcing the curriculum while playing games and leveling up. Many students are highly motivated to move through and finish these programs, while others struggle.
I looked at one of Jane McGonigal’s ‘A world without oil’. It looks very interesting and I would love to incorporate it into an Earth Day PBL in the spring after some further research.
I see the potential for gaming, but I’m still working out how to work it into my teaching.