Are you in the Game? Webinar: Get in the Game: The Magic Circle of the Gamified Classroom by: jonathan cassie Adobe slate BY: Danita D. Sanders
1) Primary Informational Text: ( 3-5 take aways and reflection on webinar experience)
Teachers can use the power of gaming to sustain interest and commitment of students and change the game of instruction. 1) When designing gamified lessons, teachers must make sure that the game and instructions are clear, so that the learning outcome and objectives that you want for your students is achieved. 2) There are four kinds of fundamental games: AGON-games that encourage confrontation and high value of personal responsibility. Examples of these games would be chess and checkers. ALEA- games of luck or change; MIMICRY- gives an imaginative player an opporunity to demonstrate understanding of relationships; ILINX- games that give the elements of surprise; cannot be really designed. 3) There are 8 benefits of allowing games in the classroom: Sense of Empowerment, Encourages and Motivates students, Persistence, Establishes Self-Direction, Sociability, Community. Meritocracy, Playfulness, and Flow. 4) Make sure that parents and students are aware of how the game will be graded by providing a rubric, help with state standards and testing, and identify its purpose in enhancing student learning.
Reflection:
This was my first experience with a webinar. I really enjoyed watching and listening to the webinar and wish that I could have experienced it live. Just from the opening of the webinar, I felt comfortable viewing it. There were webinars tips and Q & A helpful icons, handouts provided, certificates of attendance provided just incase you had to submit evidence of your attendance. What really impressed me it that you could actually group chat with the presenter and all those viewing during the webinar. The presenter would reply to your questions or comments as the webinar continued and those viewing the webinar were from all over the world! Using social media, such as twitter, as a way to encourage his viewers to etweet the webinar, leave comments, questions, and suggestions was a way to help promote gaming in the classroom.
2) Secondary Informational Text: (3 additional resources in relation to webinar)
Students play games all of the time on their computers, internet, smart phones, tablets, and laptops, but they seldom play them in the classroom. Some teachers use games faithfully as apart of their instructional practice, but many do not. This text share the experience of academic games and the influence on student achievements from more than 60 studies conducted by classrooms teachers. Studies show that using games in the classroom was associated with a 20 percentile point gain in achievement.
Games are a great tool for teaching and learning. They are fun, interactive, and can enhance social skills. Teachers can design standards based games to encourage student engagement, motivate and energize students, promote healthy competition, and review for tests or labs. Games can be played with all age groups, with varying degree of difficulty from kindergartners to high schoolers. The only things that make a difference to the students playing the games are the subject matter and materials used.
A lecture at FACCS- Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools- is presented by Tom about using games in the classroom. Majority of the games discussed were the use of board games, why people don't like the play board games, how board games help teach students Engligh who are ELL learners, help students think critically, and enhance logical and social skills.
This text discusses the five reasons of why teachers should use games in the classroom. Games are being referred to learning through active play, engagement, and fun. The five reasons given are: 1)Students learn through the process of playing the game, 2)Games provide a context for engaging practice, 3)Through games, students can learn a variety of important skills, 4)While playing games, students develop a variety of connections with the content and can form positive memories of learning, and 5) Games grab students’ attention and actively engage them.