|
Shall We Play A Game? Home Learn More Standards Inspiration About the Author |
Player One IS Ready
I LOVE playing video games! My students always found this fact to be surprising, and were especially surprised when I told them which games I like playing. They would respond wide-eyed, "I play those games," to some of my statements. One of the things that I really appreciated about gaming is the way that completing a level always leads to another new level. I am always curious about what is going to happen next. It was this sense of always wanting to discover the next level that I wished I could bring to my classroom. What if students were always eager to discover the next skill in that same way? What if my classroom was built like a video game?
BACKGROUND AND NEED
Educators everywhere are trying to find ways to engage their students. Students who are interested in the activities in the classroom will have better focus and put forth more effort when creating projects and learning new things. Even the briefest search regarding increasing student engagement will bring forth hundreds of results. However, when it comes to the engagement and interest of young people, no one has done more thorough research than the video game industry. They have found the most effective ways to keep students interested. 
SITE When considering my project with the SITE model in mind, both my original driving question, and the current research that I am doing is deeply tied into equity, and making sure that all of our students have access to quality, effective computer science instruction. When considering things from a socieocultural perspective it is obvious that access to technology has become the dividing line between those who have and those who have not. Making sure that all students are engaged in this instruction then becomes all the more important and essential. Every child deserves the opportunities presented by a strong and thoughtful digital education. Building digital citizens who are not only safe, but also able to build a positive, effective digital footprint is at the forefront of thinking behind this project. Students require instructional methods that incorporate digital solutions. Exposure to multiple ways of creating content through digital means increases students' ability to participate in the digital world. Developing sound computer science skills not only exposes them to future career options, but brings awareness to how the digital world can be both navigated and harnessed. This will enhance their technical skills so that students are better able to analyze the information they are bombarded with on a daily basis. |
Research
Design Process
Support and Next Steps
|
Want to Learn Even More?
You can see some of the teachers and videos that inspired me at the Learn More section of this site or click on picture to read my blog.