I
chose this quote because I believe it is the most important part of integrating
games into the classroom. The teacher
must be able to create authentic, relevant learning experiences through the
game. What the student is learning from
the game play must be curriculum and standard related; otherwise, it is just
playing. From my experience of seeing
how technology is used in the classroom, most of the time it is just playing,
or used as busy work. The teacher lets
the students play games, but isn’t involved at all. There are no learning activities to go with
the game, and no discussions about what the students are doing. In order for the game play to be beneficial
to students, the teacher must relate it to the real world.
Additional
Resource
I
chose the article “Why Games and Learning” because I thought it made a great
point about the three key moments that happen during game play that have
important implications for learning. The
first moment is when the player approaches the game and wants to give it a
try. This has an important implication
for learning because it is the point where the learner is motivated and
interested in a new concept. The second
moment is when the player wants to save the game and return to it at a later
time. This implication is important
because it shows that the learner values the information and wants to expand on
the experience. The third moment is
where the player masters the game and is able to teach others how to play. The learning implication is that the student
has now become the expert and can share that knowledge with others.
Resource
Institute of
Play. (2013). Why Games and Learning. Retrieved from http://www.instituteofplay.org/about/context/why-games-learning/
The three key moments you described can also serve as potential assessments for teachers to understand if the activities they are implementing in their classrooms are engaging students!
ReplyDeleteI thought about this too while I read this article.... that at some point the connection between what the student is playing and what the student should be learning needs to be made, or else it is just playing. Although I also thought about the readings and videos we watched earlier in this course, about how gamers have greater responses to details and gained problem solving skills, which seemed to be without the connection being made. So, to me, it seems like higher order thinking skills are being created and reinforced regardless, but that games really have potential when lessons tied to standards are being used to complement that. Which seems very powerful for both the student and the teacher.
ReplyDeleteI like your comments about the quote. I agree that games used without curriculum and standards are meaningless within the classroom environment. However, I also want to add that if it is not a relevant or authentic learning experience, the students will continue the age-old question of "Why do we have to learn this? I'm never going to use this in real-life." I get those statements a lot in mathematics classes when teaching trigonometry or other geometric subjects.
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