Sandra
Lifelong learner
Game-Based Learning Can Support 21st Century Skills. By Justin Marquis Ph.D., OnlineUniversities.com I recently attended the Serious Play conference in Redmond, Washington (the home of Microsoft), and one thing that stood out to me was all the talk about “21st Century skills,” and how game-based learning (GBL) could help students acquire them. The problem with the 21st Century skills concept is that education may not be ready for it just yet.
While the Common Core and NETS standards both address these kinds of skills to a certain extent, education does very little to actually support their development. In fact, the educational model that we currently employ often works to stifle exactly these kinds of competencies. But what are these magical 21st Century Skills? Are they really more important than the traditional core subjects, and is GBL the best way to foster these abilities in students? 21st Century Skills Ways of thinking. (Partnership for 21st Century Skills) More Important than Core Subjects? Can GBL Teach These Skills? Nine questions about ’21st Century curriculum’ If you have heard the phrase “21st Century curriculum” and wondered exactly what that is, you aren’t alone. Here, veteran educator and curriculum expert Marion Brady explains. Brady, who was a classroom teacher for years, has written history and world culture textbooks (Prentice-Hall), professional books, numerous nationally distributed columns (many are available here), and courses of study.
His 2011 book “What’s Worth Learning” asks and answer this question: What knowledge is absolutely essential for every learner? By Marion Brady Willie Sutton, asked why he robbed banks, is supposed to have replied, “Because that’s where the money is.” Willie said those weren’t his words—that some newspaper reporter had put them in his mouth—but it makes a good story. “That’s where the money is” is also a major reason for Wall Street’s growing interest in public education.
Like who? Here’s an excerpt from a March 31, 2011, Harvard Business Review blog: Got that? “No.” P.S. Gamification. Www.gamifyingeducation.org/files/Lee-Hammer-AEQ-2011.pdf. Net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7075.pdf. Gamification in Education. Game-Based Learning to Teach and Assess 21st Century Skills.
Game-Based Learning, and particularly serious games that teach content, are fast becoming utilized in the classroom. Frequent success stories are appearing, from Minecraft in the elementary classroom to games that teach civics. There is curriculum that pairs World of Warcraft with language arts standards, and many other variations where the gaming focus is on content. What about 21st-century skills? Yes, games can be used to teach and assess 21st-century skills! As the conversation in education reform moves forward, and educators are increasingly leveraging 21st-century skills, we need to consider how to couple games with reform. Let's take a look at what many consider the top three 21st-century skills and how games can teach and assess them. Collaboration MMOs are hugely popular. Communication All of the games above, which require collaboration, also require communication.
Critical Thinking/Problem-Solving. Games based learning - Resources. Last Updated:8 November, 2012Section:Resources Classroom games Welcome to the Games-based learning collection of resources. Here you will find a range of ready to use resources, adaptable resources and lesson plans/suggestions for playful approaches to learning across the curriculum, as well as for encouraging learners to become creators of their own games. Why not contribute your own ideas? In the news - Gove’s computer science revolution General Resources Find suggestions for using games effectively, for display materials and for cross-curricular learning opportunities Games and learning poster A great display resource from Futurelab that offers a range of suggestions for how games can be used to enhance learning through the curriculum, as well as for developing the skills needed for future game makers.
Pupil name generator A fantastic name generator that can be used for games in class, as well as a multitude of other uses….. Games timeline Games-based learning analysis Design a game cover. SecretBuilders. Clark Aldrich Designs: Using Serious Games and Simulations: A Quick and Dirty Guide. In This Post: Learn what simulations are and aren’t.Understanding where they fit in an organizations’ flow of skills.Learn best practices in designing and creating sims. A good educational simulation may look a lot like a casual computer game. It may have stylized, fast moving graphics. There may be a timer during some part of a level, and exaggerated consequences of failure. The person engaging the sim may look very much like a gamer, hunched over with a hand tightly grasped on the mouse and eyes riveted on the screen. The student may even be in a flow state, and having a lot of fun.
This has led to a lot of people to erroneously conclude that the primary point of sims is to "make content enjoyable" often (a skeptic may further and logically intuit) at the expense of depth and flexibility while increasing of cost of production and time to “play.” As a result, students who learn via simulation can improvise better in the real world. Forcing Repetition Figure: The Flow of Skills Finding Them. Top 10 Social & Mobile Educational Games That Make You Smarter. The Hague, The Netherlands (PRWEB) September 12, 2012 Gramble’s mission statement is ‘to make the world a better place through social gaming’, so it’s no surprise that Gramble has an interest in educational games. “Gaming can be productive, educational, and time well spent,” says Gramble CEO and co-founder Adam Palmer.
“We all know students will spend many hours on their devices playing games anyway, so we are happy to offer some ideas for games that are not only fun but can also help make you a little smarter.” Here’s Gramble’s top-ten list of social and mobile games to learn from: 1- Apparatus (Engineering/Math/Problem Solving) Using the laws of mechanics, players build complex machines to perform simple tasks. 2- Words with Friends (English/Grammar/Spelling) Players take turns forming words horizontally or vertically on a Scrabble-like board trying to score as many points as possible for each word. 9- Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? About Gramble. The 20 Best Blogs about Game Based Learning. TIP: The Theories. 50 Free Online Educational Games That Are More Fun Than You’d Think | How To E-D-U. Who knew that learning could be so much fun? Using the games below, individuals from the ages of pre-K to adulthood can learn social skills, school subjects, computer literacy and so much more while having fun.
The trick, is to try a variety of games, rather than getting hooked on just one game. That way, you can build a variety of skills as well. The following games are online and they are free to use. Some need to be downloaded, and some games ask for parental or teacher guidance (or both). The games are listed alphabetically within each category by site or name game. For Kids and Parents Most of the games below are suited for home play, often with parental help or guidance (K-12).
Club Penquin: This virtual world, offered by Disney, is designed specifically for kids and parents and it’s free. For Kids, Parents and Teachers The following sites are suited for the classroom as well as for home play (K-12 and adult participation). ABC Ya! Multi-User Games Virtual Worlds for College and Higher. Games Based Learning and Gamification.