Once again, I find myself as a lapsed blogger. Truthfully, there were many times when I really tried to find the will to sit down and reflect but... (insert poor excuse here). If I'm being honest, though, the biggest inspiration as of late has been my own wife who has really taken a liking to the craft. While I can take credit for helping to introduce her to the bells and whistles of blogger, and regularly provide valuable tech support, she has an ability with words that I remain envious of. Feel free to check out her thoughts here.
Gamer Brain
I recently came across an article on Edutopia that addressed some of the bigger ideas behind gamification and how they can be effectively used within the classroom. In particular, the author address four main points:
- Leveraging the Gamer Brain... identifying the types of games that students enjoy and crafting learning objectives that can tap into that interest
- Embracing Failure... recognizing that most games provide regular and timely feedback about what is going well and not-so-well; evaluating assessment practices to ensure that students can learn in the same efficient manner
- Celebrating Epic Wins... getting excited over 'Fiero' or the feeling of triumph over adversity; students need to be challenged but they also need to feel the win
- Fostering Voluntary Learning... most of us play games because we want to and not because we have to; teachers need to strive to create an environment that invites wilful participation in spite of being so regularly mandated and structured
There is a tremendous demand in my school for gaming. I continue to host my school's eSports Club several times a week and the numbers continue to steadily grow. In addition, a 'Gaming 101' option as FLEX Learning for Middle School received likely the greatest number of interested students.
The challenge remains to have this be about more than just playing games. This needs to be about recreating the learning and interaction found in most board and video games.
More to come...
Oooo... A New Toy!!
It's no shock that I've been into gaming for most of my life. And I'm a sucker when it comes to new experiences that allow me to continue enjoying the pastime in ways I couldn't before.
Despite some initial reservations, I managed to secure a pre-order for the Nintendo Switch. Of course I have selfish reasons to do so, but I'm also intrigued by the portability aspect and ways that I can share the experience with others, including my classroom.
Less than a month to go...
~Mr. T
