In the past few years games have started to play a huge role in education, particularly digital games. Sales and Zimmerman (2004) define games as "a system in which players engage in artificial conflict, defined by rules, that results in a quantifiable outcome." (p.80). Games by nature are fun, have rules, provide structure, set goals, are interactive, and also have conflict/challenges, and provide a chance for players to problem solve. Games can be used in the classroom to achieve a variety of learning outcomes. This trend is already impacting education greatly because they increase interaction, engagement, and motivation of students and digital games are an important aspect of educating students in the 21st century.
Resources for More Information:
1. Digital Games in Schools: A Handbook for Teachers: A handbook for teachers interested in using digital games to enhance learning. This handbook provides information to understand the educational benefits of digital games and to learn how to use them for educational and motivational resources.
2. Playing to Learn: An article written about panelists at Stanford University who say using games as an educational tool provides opportunities for deeper learning.
3. Will Gaming Save Education, or Just Waste Time?: An article outlining the opportunities gaming provides for engaging students and teaching them hard to teach concepts like failure and perspective.
Activity for Application:
This gaming activity was created for EIST 6135 as an introductory work day/ icebreaker activity for teachers. Because of file size limits of the free version of weekly, I am simply uploading my powerpoint as pictures of a slideshow, although the actual presentation is much more interactive and includes sounds and other effects.
This gaming activity will take place during the teachers work days at the beginning of the school year, therefore the game will be played by returning teachers, new teachers to the school, and those completely new to teaching. Teachers will be divided into groups and will follow along with the “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” questions on one of the group’s computers. They will follow through the game in slideshow mode and I will be walking around guiding them through as needed.
The subject of this game is to inform teachers about how students use technology, the Internet, and Social Media in their daily lives. The game present facts, data, and percentages to teachers so they gain a better understanding of the students that are coming into their classrooms. It is important for teachers to understand that these students have always had these technologies available to them; therefore they are a unique group of individuals. The purpose of this game is to get teachers working together in the beginning of the year as well as to help them understand why utilizing technology in the classroom is so important. This game will be coupled with video presentations and online and verbal discussions. I will be guiding the teachers through my Weebly website as a means of organizing our discussion and time together.
Resources for More Information:
1. Digital Games in Schools: A Handbook for Teachers: A handbook for teachers interested in using digital games to enhance learning. This handbook provides information to understand the educational benefits of digital games and to learn how to use them for educational and motivational resources.
2. Playing to Learn: An article written about panelists at Stanford University who say using games as an educational tool provides opportunities for deeper learning.
3. Will Gaming Save Education, or Just Waste Time?: An article outlining the opportunities gaming provides for engaging students and teaching them hard to teach concepts like failure and perspective.
Activity for Application:
This gaming activity was created for EIST 6135 as an introductory work day/ icebreaker activity for teachers. Because of file size limits of the free version of weekly, I am simply uploading my powerpoint as pictures of a slideshow, although the actual presentation is much more interactive and includes sounds and other effects.
This gaming activity will take place during the teachers work days at the beginning of the school year, therefore the game will be played by returning teachers, new teachers to the school, and those completely new to teaching. Teachers will be divided into groups and will follow along with the “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” questions on one of the group’s computers. They will follow through the game in slideshow mode and I will be walking around guiding them through as needed.
The subject of this game is to inform teachers about how students use technology, the Internet, and Social Media in their daily lives. The game present facts, data, and percentages to teachers so they gain a better understanding of the students that are coming into their classrooms. It is important for teachers to understand that these students have always had these technologies available to them; therefore they are a unique group of individuals. The purpose of this game is to get teachers working together in the beginning of the year as well as to help them understand why utilizing technology in the classroom is so important. This game will be coupled with video presentations and online and verbal discussions. I will be guiding the teachers through my Weebly website as a means of organizing our discussion and time together.