Resources

Video Games 4 Kids | 4:02 PM | | 0 comments

In addition to the many links to articles and video we have posted, here are some more websites that have ideas on how to include technology or video games in the classroom. 

Integrating Technology: Concern and Issues- The second page of this article address some of the common concerns regarding Internet use in the classroom. 

Education World: Technology in the Classroom Channel- This site has articles, lesson plans and other resources about tech in the classroom. 

The Instructional Power of Digital Games, Social Networking, Simulations and How Teachers Can Leverage Them- This is an easy-to-read article about the "technology evolution not revolution" how teachers can use them. 

Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students- An archived article on the U.S. Department of Education website. This article list the pros of using technology in the classroom. 

4Teachers.org: Teach with technology- A website dedicated to helping teachers use tech in the classroom. "4Teachers.org works to help you integrate technology into your classroom by offering online tools and resources. This site helps teachers locate and create ready-to-use Web lessons, quizzes, rubrics and classroom calendars. There are also tools for student use. Discover valuable professional development resources addressing issues such as equity, ELL, technology planning, and at-risk or special-needs students"

These websites/articles are definitely worth checking out no matter what your position is. 


Have a good day! 

~Briana 

Learning to Drive

Video Games 4 Kids | 3:48 PM | | 1 comments

Learn to drive various styles of vehicles, such as automatic, manual or commercial vehicle; under a wide variety of driving conditions. This is a very good way for young teens to prepare for driving and study for driving tests. It is also good for current drivers to bush up on rules of the road, and issues they maybe experience while driving. It is also the safest way to practice driving and will assist in forming a safer driver.




Ryan Ramage

Using Games in Education

Video Games 4 Kids | 3:40 PM | | 0 comments

Learning can be fun with games. This sarcastic kangaroo game is a cross between hangman and wheel of fortune. The Crypt is an adventure game and jumpman an arcade game that requires planning your next steps. These games are mentally stimulating and at times very historical/ triva oriented. Learning a lot of rules by reading, memory skills.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2919688/using_games_in_education_2/


Ryan Ramage

Video Games: Are we using them properly?

Video Games 4 Kids | 1:48 PM | | 1 comments

Over the years many schools have tried to integrate technology into the classroom and the educational system.  In some places this has worked, and in others unfortunately not.  However, what if people are just buying the wrong software, misusing the technology?  Is it possible that we just have not found the proper game, or way, to integrate technology into our classrooms.  Maybe the misuse of technology has scared people from using it in their classroom again. In an article written by Jenn Shreve (2005), she stated:

Instead, school districts, eager to be perceived as plugged in and afraid of being penalized for low test scores, have bought into expensive drill-and-kill software -- the kind that costs a fortune and displays a silly animation of fireworks or cheering crowds for every five correct answers -- with only minimal improvements on test scores and scant evidence of long-term progress among students. Most administrators approach new game-software purchases with skepticism and a reluctance to spend money.

After reading this I realized that maybe schools are not using technology properly, and are therefore being turned off by the results that they are getting.  Our problem then is not the technology itself, but finding the proper technology and games to bring into the classroom.


This is a game that is talked about in Jenn Shreve's article.  A teacher uses this game to help his students in his Western Civ. after school program. In this video the student discusses what he has learned, or can learn from this game.

Website: Simschool
Now students are not the only ones who can learn through games.  This is a simulated classroom, designed to help future teachers gain classroom experience.

-Ellen

Incorporating video games into the classroom

Video Games 4 Kids | 8:09 PM | | 0 comments

One cannot just decide to use video games in the classroom one say at random. Use of the games have to be well thought out and plotted. The use will have to be approved and properly explained to the principal and possibly the parents. When deciding whether to incorporate video games in classroom instruction, the content and educational benefits of the games should be of primary importance. Video games give a student instant, individualized feedback as well as providing direct control over the difficulty level of the game. Students set this difficulty level as high as possible in order to challenge themselves and feel good about their accomplishment. Although teachers would surely like to offer their classes a similar kind of challenge, it's difficult for them, given the limits of their time and responsibilities, to attend to the needs of each individual student in the same way. Because of this, video games have the capability to become valuable tools for music teachers, tapping into a special kind of excitement that might not be found as easily through traditional classroom instruction.
Here's a link to the The Educational Games Database (TEGD), "a website catering to educators who want to learn more about the educational potential of video games. TEGD is a resource for educators at all grade levels, and with all types of backgrounds related to technology and video games." This a great place to start in trying incorporate video games into the curriculum
 Here's a link to an article that describes how a teacher used video games to reduce her students reluctance about reading.
Here's a video to an extremely cute and well put together video talking about video games and tangential learning ("what you learn by being exposed to things in a context you are already engaged in" i.e video games):








Enjoy!

~Briana

Some concepts are just too difficult

Video Games 4 Kids | 2:32 PM | | 0 comments

Some concepts in education are difficult for teachers to teach, as well as difficult for students to learn.  When I was in school I remember reading about some of these concepts and immediately thinking, what did I just read?  I found that when there was something interactive then it was easier for me to learn and understand the concept.  Some ideas are just too difficult to read or talk about, rather students would better understand them through play.  The video shows how teachers can use video games to assist them in teaching concepts that are difficult for the students to understand.  We may not need video games in all aspects of our teaching, but why not use them to teach a concept that we ourselves may have difficulty understanding.  In the video you will see the teachers using a website and activity center called JASON.  This website was created by the National Geographic and can contains different labs, activities, videos, and so much more.  Teachers can even register for free online and explore at home before bringing it into the classroom.

Video: Coaster Creator


Jason Site: Jason Science: Education through Exploration


-Ellen

Video Games: More than Educational Benefits

Video Games 4 Kids | 7:36 PM | | 2 comments

When people think of video games they often think that they are stupid.  Children spend hours wasting their time playing in these virtual worlds when they could be out in the real world running around, and interacting with people.  However, who are we to judge something that we might have loved when we were growing up.  Just because we did not have video games, and may not understand their appeal, does not mean that they can't be useful.  
It is blatantly obvious that video games are not going anywhere, so why are we not trying to embrace them instead of tearing them down and taking them away.  With technology today we might just find that teaching students through the use of video games may be more beneficial than in some traditional ways.  In his own blog Brent Hunsberger (2010) discusses the use of video games to help students learn about managing finances.  In all honesty money management is something that I myself never really learned in school.  I can say that I never really learned the benefits and harm of having a credit card, how to balance a check book, and so much more that is crucial to being out in the real world today.  With the economy and job market the way that it is, it is particularly important for children and young adults to know how to manage their money.  Too often young adults buy on impulse, and the appeal of a credit card comes naturally, especially when you do not fully understand how they work.
It is time that we embrace what we have, and use technology to teach children, especially in areas of importance (i.e. money matters).  In some Oregon schools teachers are trying to use technology in just this way.  Brent Hunsberger (2010) discusses the use of the game Celebrity Calamity to help teach students financial literacy.  In fact Hunsberger quotes in his blog, " In general, we learn by doing.  We learn by getting quick feedback about the choices we pick.  The actual process of playing the game is really the better way" (2010).  I myself tried out the Celebrity Calamity game and found myself lost in the game after just a few short minutes.  It was not only informative, but it was fun at the same time, and I realized that I was no longer going through the motions, but surprisingly I got really into the game too!
Of course technology does not always work for everyone, but us humans are no where near perfect ourselves.  In an article for the Seattle Times Ben Feller wrote, "Unlike humans, the games never lose patience.  And they are second nature to many kids" (2006).  Until I read that quote I never thought of teaching in that aspect.  With a video game the students have infinite chances to work on something (solve a problem, pass a level, etc.) without anyone else getting angry or upset.  As teachers we can not help the fact that we are humans, and that we can lose patience with our students if they are not understanding a concept.  Maybe with the motivation from teachers students may find video games to be much more effective, and they can learn at their own pace and ability. 
Video games are no longer just for kids, and just for play. However, it is obvious that children are the ones that use them most often.  If we take a look at the different video games that are out there in the world we can see how beneficial they might be to these students.  We should not discriminate against something that we have yet to try, or that we might just be afraid of.  If this is what students respond to, why are we forcing them to do something else.  Like the English proverb says, "If the mountain won't come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain."  Maybe it is time we stop fighting technology, and go to the mountain ourselves. Who knows, you may find it more beneficial than you expected. 





-Ellen



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