1. I'll start this idea off by saying that it's far from perfect. But what about a point system? I realize that a. most classes are structured around some form of a point system anyway, and b. we've already been taught to avoid unnecessary extrinsic motivators. But hear me out... Many video games are structured around a kind of award system, right? Like, complete this level in x amount of time and you'll get y amount of bonus points? So maybe this isn't so much a revolutionary concept, so much as it is just a reframing of practices already in place? Say, for example, you allow 3 tardies before you start deducting participation points. Could you call those "HP" instead, and explain that you don't want to get down to 0 HP or else points start coming off?
2. It seems like your students really like the collaboration that comes with a lot of video games. For group projects, why not structure them to mimic "quests" or whatever they're being called in games nowadays. Give "Objectives" and "Checkpoints" to turn in along the way, and have fun with the instruction wording.
3. I feel like I've mentioned this a few times in various classes already, but I'm a BIG fan of simulations. These tend to work best in social studies classes, but I can see them being adapted easily for English (to explore a literary time period, for example). In 9th grade we had to re-create the Rosenberg Trial, with all class members assigned a role (witness, prosecution, defense, reporters, etc.). Everyone was given an information packet for their specific role (i.e. each witness got information relevant to what their witness would contribute), and then over the course of 3 or 4 days we carried out a mock trial (2ish days for witness interviews, drawing up strategies and speeches, etc, and then 2 days to carry out the actual trial). We were pretty much left to figure it out on our own after the initial explanation, so you had "lawyers" trying to make sure they'd talked to every witness, "witnesses" formulating statements, and "reporters" trying to piece together info from different witnesses to "break a story." For a group of 9th graders, we were surprisingly organized and invested in this, and it was very much like a game, with everyone assigned a position and trying to work together (or in the cases of the opposing law teams, in opposition to each other) in order to have everything prepared to carry out our mock trial. It must have been at least somewhat effective, because here I am bringing it up some 8 years later...
I know I haven't put together a complete curriculum in any way, but I guess I'm still having trouble visualizing a class that is ENTIRELY game-based. Probably because this keeps coming up as the first thing I think of:
Emily, you make a good point about the practicality of having, or at least visualizing, "a class that is ENTIRELY game-based." I invite you to look at Ms. Stilman's blog, which has a great pitch for a new type of school that seems to make (video) gaming ever-present. Well, almost.
ReplyDeleteAnd, as for social studies classes, I agree that simulations are useful. But, how would games change that? Or, to what degree is there a difference between a game and a simulation? How should we define "game"? Strictly as a video, computerized, or digitized game? Nevertheless, back to your point: What would the balance be of gaming and non-gaming?
I think that that is a great point. Your post, though, has made me contemplate further what my own experiences are with gaming (I feel that they are similar to Rory's, especially compared with others in our cohort) and how I might introduce gaming into the classroom with a lack of recent experience in gaming.
My idea (inspired by your post): Let's get students to create the framework for the game(s) in each content area. They are the "experts," at least in comparison to me, when it comes to gaming. By researching the content to be included in the game(s) for future classes, they become knowledge consumers, knowledge producers, and both individually and in groups, they get to introduce to each other their skills, ideas, and imaginative potential with a very basic rubric that I (or you), the teacher, has provided. Therefore, they learn/transfer the knowledge through activity and interaction with the material, they do something that is meaningful now in developing relationship and problem-solving skills, they demonstrate and transfer procedural knowledge from prior experience(s), and they have a concept of posterity and futurity with the knowledge that what they might be doing might transform the education experience of future students.
COMMUNITY! That was a fantastic episode. I like your ideas here! Some of what you are addressing is as simple as a language shift in the classroom. I like this idea and I think that it could be well received by some and not really make much of a difference on others. I guess what I'm saying is that I don't think it would upset anyone and I definitely think that it might encourage some students to work a bit harder. Simulations are a great idea. I think they are harder for certain subjects though, such as math. I definitely think that there is the potential for this to be very beneficial in a classroom though, and I like the ideas that you have here. I wonder if the idea of a video game classroom would be more effective as a slight tweak to the current classroom culture as opposed to a dramatic overhaul changing the entire appearance?
ReplyDeleteI loved that Community reference! I also had pretty much the same ideas in my blog that you had! I thought about a point system of rewards but had never thought about the idea of HP points. That's a very interesting thought that I will hold onto for the future when I get old enough in the profession where I get to experiment with things in my classroom. I also agree with you that simulations can be super fun and effective. They build this shared sense of conflict and understanding at while building a similar experience that you can reference back to as a teacher.
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