What is gaming & gamification? What are you playing? What are your students playing? What are examples of gamification that we encounter regularly? How might you use game-based learning/gamification in your practice? Gamification is a great strategy to use in the classroom. It turns basic daily routines into games and friendly competitions, while game based learning integrates critical thinking and collaboration into content games. We play games on a regular basis. We assign points and create mini competitions. Our school uses the "dragon dollar." Students can redeem dollars at the student store. In the classroom students can gain points through Class Dojo. My favorite feature on Class Dojo is the ability to connect with parents. I've also tried Classcraft for this same purpose but found that it had too many moving parts for me to feel like I could handle it. My students and I explored it for two days in the classroom together, but in the end I decided that it wasn't the right choice for us. This isn't concept. People have been making content into games for a long time now. Some classics are Monopoly, Scrabble, and the classic online game: Oregon Trail. Did you really grow up in the 90s-00s if you didn't die of dysentery at least once? Our kids are gamers. They play video games at home and access educational apps on their devices. Most of my kids play Fortnight, Roblox, and a few other video games. They often play online with friends or random people. The most popular educational game they play is prodigy. These games promote the idea of failure as a first try, which is great for growth mindset. All of this inspired me to download some games on my phone for the first time in years. I forgot how satisfying it is to move on to the next level. They're just some word scramble and short term memory exercises, but I feel like I'm doing something more productive than just scrolling through social media. Also, I feel like this is a sure fired way to get carpal tunnel. This week I tried a bunch of tools. The one I'm most excited and intimidated by is Code.org. Kids get to code and create their own projects. There are also great lesson templates that do not require devices! Imagine being able to talk about coding concepts without even touching a computer.
4 Comments
Scott Marsden
4/27/2019 08:13:29 am
Catie,
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Tess Giner
4/28/2019 01:17:06 pm
Oh, my goodness! I wrote about Oregon Trail, too. It was the granddaddy of the digital educational game movement. My students are currently studying the Oregon Trail, and that spark a distant memory from long ago. There's also a card game, but I heard that it doesn't have any of the pizzazz of the video version and way to hard for kids to get. Too bad.
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Jennifer Perkins
4/29/2019 08:16:57 pm
Hi Catie, great post! I loved your flashback to Oregon Trail! A 90s classic. I remember LOVING that game because…it was a game! Game based learning is engaging and motivating, while still supporting/presenting content. My students also love playing Prodigy, and I agree that this game does a good job promoting a growth mindset with providing support and encouragement when a student doesn’t get it on the first try. Code.org is awesome! When we first begin coding, we open the Hour of Code and start one as a whole class. We watch the video that comes first (it’s usually a celebrity or athlete in the video) and then I call lotto sticks to have students come up to the screen and start the coding process. It helps get them going to work individually, or in pairs.
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JP
4/29/2019 10:37:21 pm
It is cool to read about how you were willing to try out something and end up not using it. I am still too afraid to do that sometimes. I still feel that bit of self consciousness about failing in front of my students - but sometimes we have to take risks! We have to be vulnerable - makes me thing of how interesting it is when students realize we as teachers are humans too. I like that I share some of the same interests with my students. Games today help bridge that learning gap.
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Catie GoldsteinInnovative Learning Master's Student. Teacher. Napper. Dog Petter. Archives
June 2019
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