Gamification is a relatively new buzz word in education, but innovative teachers have been using games as powerful learning tools in the classroom for a long time now. The difference is the number of people now utilizing video games and or online games to support learning. Walking through classes this week, I was thrilled to see a healthy balance of the old and new in terms of gamification and in both arenas the adolescent contestants were wonderfully engaged and taking ownership of their learning.
The first thing I observed was students building confidence in their skill development and practicing the unbelievably difficult skill of communicating in a different language all while playing a wide variety of games. Classic battleship was capsized online to support German language skill development. Quizlet Live was demonstrated engaging Spanish and German students in team competitions online for energetic vocabulary review. Memory and Charades in full Spanish immersion had students laughing and eager to participate. Science classes were full of students accessing Gizmo to virtually race sleds, or playing old fashion card games or organizational games with jelly beans to better understand natural selection and survival of the fittest. Math classes played a touch free adaptation of Twister and Simon Says to physically represent the various types of relationships between angles while other classes explored Prodigy as players ventured through an imaginary world full of math challenges in order to progress and complete the journey. One math class organized and executed a snow ball battle of colored paper riddled with math equations that students then needed to solve as part of the recovery process. Finally, I was able to watch some students successfully solve some printer problems while preparing for their regular Friday News Quiz featuring current events from their own independent research. It made me wonder if the game wasn't dependent on the printer working if they would have been as enthusiastic about getting it to cooperate with their chromebooks. That was just one week.
One game we need not play is Mario Cart or any other type of racing game in the driveway of the school. With the increased traffic on Farmers Way, it can add to the time of dropping off or picking up students. Please be cautious and drive slowly. Students can be dropped off or picked up anywhere along the front curb of the building where the student drop off and pick up signs are located. This decreases the line of waiting vehicles, but it is very important to proceed with caution as individuals are using the crosswalk, as well.
With the special mid-week edition two days ago, I am keeping this update brief.
Try to stay dry!
Chris
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