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Game-Based Learning Units for the Everyday Teacher

Game-Based Learning Units for the Everyday Teacher
Game-based learning (GBL) is getting a lot press. It is an innovative practice that is working to engage kids in learning important 21st century skills and content. Dr. Judy Willis in a previous post wrote about the neurological benefits and rationale around using games for learning. She also gives tips about using the game model in the classroom. Myths About Game-Based Learning First, let's clarify a couple things. Gee refers to teachers as "learning designers," and I couldn't agree more. Inspired by the work I've seen, here is an overview of components and structure for the everyday teacher to implement game-based learning Overall Structure: Individual Quests and Boss Levels A game-based learning unit should consist of both smaller quests and more robust boss levels. Boss levels are more rigorous missions that require students to synthesize the content and skills learned in the quests. Overall Theme Need to Know Game-Based Learning demands a "need to know" the content. Incentives Avatar

Create your own Interactive Fiction What is Interactive Fiction? Interactive Fiction (formerly referred to as Text Adventures) are a cross between reading a book and playing a game, where you control the main character. Rather than reading the story from start to finish, you interact with everything by typing commands at a prompt, discovering things as you go along. Well written games give you, the player, the impression that anything you type is understood by giving a sensible and meaningful response. Indeed, part of the fun of playing interactive fiction games is discovering responses to things you didn't expect to have been catered for. Most interactive fiction follows the same basic rules - these include walking from location to location using compass directions (north, east, south-west etc). How do you create Interactive Fiction games? There are several different systems for creating interactive fiction. ADRIFT is different by being a completely GUI driven application, designed to be intuitive and easy to use.

Instructional Technology - Project Based Learning Lesson Archive Use Arizona’s Common Core Standards, Technology Standards and where appropriate, Arizona Content Standards. Include only the standards and performance objectives that will be assessed, using the reference number and description. Arizona’s Common Core Standards (Mathematics) to be assessed: HS.Functions-Building Functions.PO1. Write a function that describes a relationship between two quantities. HS.Functions-Interpret Functions.PO9. HS.Functions-Linear, Quadratic, Exponential Model.PO1c. Recognize situations in which a quantity grows or decays by a constant percent rate per unit interval relative to another. HS.Functions-Interpret Functions.PO7e. Graph exponential and logarithmic functions, showing intercepts and end behavior, and trigonometric functions, showing period, midline, and amplitude. HS.Statistics-Making Inferences and Justifying Conclusions.PO5. 2009 Arizona Educational Technology Standards to be assessed:

Game based learning & Gamification Lots people want to get started with game based learning, gamification and serious games in their training. We’ve been curating game related content for over a year and a half while conducting our own research and case studies. Here are 100 articles related to games and learning. Some of them are research-based, while others just offer an interesting perspective to spark discussion. Take what you need and share this with a colleague. Game Based Learning Mobile Games for Adult Learning: What’s the Appeal? GameSites NOTE: Click on any of the anchor links you find interesting, read more about them, then click the headings to visit the website! Kindersite- List of 100s of Games The Kindersite spearheaded by Joel Josephson (@acerview54) has 1000s of educational and fun content specifically designed for preschool, kindergartens, elementary, primary schools and special needs students. Register for free for full featured access, but it’s not required. ELT Digital Play- Blog highlighting 100s of Games - This blog lists reviews various games, describes their value and how to play them. Pumkin English- Virtual World for Kids to Learn English - Love this virtual world for children to learn English through cute characters accomplishing tasks and winning points! Brainnook- Virtual World for Kids - a free online virtual world for kids to develop math and english skills with children worldwide. English Story Time Wiki- Resource of Games by Theme Nick Jr- Interactive Games English Attack-For Teens Let's Play!

For minorities, new 'digital divide' seen By Jesse Washington, Associated Press When the personal computer revolution began decades ago, Latinos and blacks were much less likely to use one of the marvelous new machines. Then, when the Internet began to change life as we know it, these groups had less access to the Web and slower online connections — placing them on the wrong side of the "digital divide." Today, as mobile technology puts computers in our pockets, Latinos and blacks are more likely than the general population to access the Web by cellular phones, and they use their phones more often to do more things. But now some see a new "digital divide" emerging — with Latinos and blacks being challenged by more, not less, access to technology. Fifty-one percent of Hispanics and 46% of blacks use their phones to access the Internet, compared with 33% of whites, according to a July 2010 Pew poll. Increased access and usage should be good things, right? "I don't know if it's the right time to celebrate.

Quest - Write text adventure games and interactive stories Quest lets you make interactive story games. Text adventure games like Zork and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Gamebooks like the Choose Your Own Adventure and Fighting Fantasy books. Watch a quick screencast ...and you're free No restrictions. This means you can download and modify the Quest source code, and do whatever you want with it. You can sell the games you make with Quest. You don't need to ask for permission - you already have it. Get started quickly You don't need to know how to program to use Quest. Everything about your game is displayed in plain English, but the source code to your game is also viewable and editable for the more technically minded. A full tutorial is included, and help is always available on the forums. Ever wanted to... Ever wanted to create your own game, but were put off by complicated programming languages? Want to get into game writing, or prototype game narrative before turning it into something bigger? Surprisingly powerful Graphics, sounds and video

New ‘Digital Divide’ Seen in Wasting Time Online Those efforts have indeed shrunk the divide. But they have created an unintended side effect, one that is surprising and troubling to researchers and policy makers and that the government now wants to fix. As access to devices has spread, children in poorer families are spending considerably more time than children from more well-off families using their television and gadgets to watch shows and videos, play games and connect on social networking sites, studies show. This growing time-wasting gap, policy makers and researchers say, is more a reflection of the ability of parents to monitor and limit how children use technology than of access to it. “I’m not antitechnology at home, but it’s not a savior,” said Laura Robell, the principal at Elmhurst Community Prep, a public middle school in East Oakland, Calif., who has long doubted the value of putting a computer in every home without proper oversight. But “access is not a panacea,” said Danah Boyd, a senior researcher at Microsoft. Ms.

SimCityEDU | A game-based learning and assessment tool for middle school students covering the Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. Far From Home Near At Hand | Living A Life Of Extremes

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