Skip the Hopscotch! Tom Welch Delaware Ed Tech Conference April 10, ????

Know what that Hop Scotch picture reminded me of?

n 1. Raise your hand if you are a gamer. n What games? n How often?

OK, Let’s talk... n What are the negatives about on-line computer gaming?

n Did you mention loss of... n CONTROL!

n Any positives?

Some to be sure to include n You don’t become proficient at playing just by reading about it n Or passing tests ABOUT it n You learn by DOING

n Failure IS an option! n (Actually, it’s a requirement!) –(my French class syllabus) n Time isn’t the most important thing

Let’s talk about Marc n “Kids want to be engaged” n “Kids love to learn when it isn’t forced on them.”

n “Our schools have turned “learning” into such a boring thing that most kids hate it. n “Good” students are often just the ones who’ve learned to work the system.”

n [Students] “have short attention spans for the old ways of learning!” n “The cookies on my daughter’s computer know more about her than most of her teachers.”

n So how can games be used in a classroom environment? n OR n Better question... n How can they be used to help cause learning?

n Is it too early to really look at gaming?

n 1. The “perfect” game –Standards-based –Content rich –Course-bound

n 2. The mini-games –Old pedagogy –New content –e.g. Jeopardy

n 3. The “extra”curricular game –Flight Simulator

n 4. Extraction –SimsCity –Ancient History

n How could computer games be used now? n What would it take to improve their use?

So what’s a teacher to do? n 1. Start gaming! n 2. Talk to your students n 3. Read the books, papers, research

n LET your kids learn... through gaming!