Blog Post #4: GAMING
/ Part Two
WARNING: Games are
ADDICTIVE!!! And you may accidentally learn something!
Games teach
students many lessons through simulation and conditioning techniques that they
otherwise would not have access or have the ability to perform in reality for
many students. I will suggest a few sites with games that
enhance the learning environment. I am sticking
to three games me family uses almost every day.
Games are great vehicles to learning and children gobble them up.
My
first example is Food Force, a video game for children about the importance,
logistics, and lessons to be learned in providing humanitarian aid in times of
crisis. Again I stress: GAMES ARE ADDICTIVE and adults may, well,
start playing a game such as this and not realize they are still playing after
David Letterman says good night. Of
course this has never happened to me. The
game is set in a fictitious environment.
This is important to acknowledge since I am against games that encourage
cultural bias like my child in Ohio running around Afghanistan shooting
insurgents or other non-healthy representations of reality [different day,
different topic, different class]. “Sudents often hold strong misconceptions be they historical, mathematical, grammatical, or scientific. Computer simulations have been investigated as a means to help students confront and correct these misconceptions, which often involve essential learning concepts." (Strangman & Hall, 2009) This game is a good example of a
simulation placing a student in an environment based on real life situations requiring
them to create ideas, think scenarios through, and strive to complete goals using
learned knowledge they can take with them into the real world. For my children I felt the simulation content
was appropriate for their learning level.
Another
example is STARFALL, a site my children have used over the years playing games
and doing exercises to make them better readers. It drew them into the learning experience
letting them make choices and fulfill their curiosity while providing them
access to materials that betters their reading.
I am not a parent that likes to put my child in front of a television or
hand them a Nintendo DS for entertainment purposes but have no problem engaging
my child in constructive educational practices.
Many multimedia experiences for students to enrich their learning
environment.
A third
site my family utilizes frequently is coolmath.com , a game site dedicated to
learning. Students learn lessons,
practice application, learn lingo, and can be introduced to rather complex algorithms
and concepts through the use of digital gaming. Game staples like “Lemonade Stand” and flash
card type games help engage students with fun activities. It’s a great resource for sparking kids Interest
and connecting students with learning math skills on a level they can
understand and ask for more.
There
are many other online resources I use educationally, within family teaching,
and for personal use. I like simulation
games personally and have found playing games like fictitious business
simulations (Capitalism) and Wall Street style old school stock games (don’t
like to spend real money!) fill a void that otherwise would be left to
fester. Games provide the opportunity to
expand one’s mind if appropriate games are found.
Bibliography
Strangman, N., Hall, T. (2009, August 24). Virtual
Reality/Simulations. Retrieved February 10, 2012, from National Center on
Accessible Instructional Materials:
http://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/virtual_simulations
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