ICT in the classroom

Any one who has taught students using computers knows how quickly they end up on games sites… and often how totally engaged they become in them. Do they have a place in the classroom? Savvy 21st C teachers quickly learn to embrace the way games can be used to engage and enthuse students, and often find they are learning at a much deeper level than traditional ways.

Games can range from simple to extremely complex, and how and where you use them is up to you and your curriculum plan. It may well be a starting point to engage students and open discussions to on the topic and allow them to explore it more deeply. Such as exploring the life and culture of Ancient Egypt or Nobel Prize winners
A topic such as habitats has a wealth of resources available on the Digilearn site. You will need your Edumail login to access this. Digilearn can be searched according to a range of VELS domains, year level or keywords. The tools can be downloaded at added to Moodle, or a shared drive, for students to access them easily.

Games can be a way for the student to explain and elaborate what and how they have learned through creating their own game. Many students will already know how to use programs such as Gamemaker and will love the chance to showcase their game making skills. There are also online game creators which can be used by the novice game maker to create in interesting and effective tool for sharing knowledge.

You can use a quiz to evaluate the depth of understanding. Quizzes can be created in Moodle, through the use of a SCORM creation package such as Hotpotato or ExeLearning, or an online game generator.

What can you do when the gaming bug bites, or you have some students who really want to fly high and you don’t know where to startt with creating games??

Margaret Meijers (Tasmania) has put together a fantastic unit on game making – it is linked to the Tasmanian version of VELS, and I have used it and love it. The amount of higher order thinking which I saw in my Year 9 groups was very impressive, and gave me several AH HA moments.

Games like the Nintendo DS and now DSi are becoming used more often in classes for a range of purposes. I love the brain training games, and so do my kids, and my mum (71) The Wii is also being used in a range of subject areas, from sport to music - Wii Fit Wii Rock and Wii Idol
As far as music appreciation goes, my kids (who saved up to get their own Wii Rockband set) have developed appreciation for a range of music styles and a better appreciation of rhythm and melody. I have been told a few times now, that I “need to hit the drums in time to the music Mum”.

iTunes University has a range of online courses available for you to download to your iPod/computer/iPhone etc including one on Games in Education. I am looking forward to checking out the different units.

Second Life is used in a many secondary schools and tertiary training centres to provide students with access to a virtual world environment. Skills from social to design can be developed and nurtured in a safe environment.

Using games in your classroom is nothing new… we have all set students a board game creation task at some stage, this just takes the task into the 21st Century, and can be another way to avoid that death by Powerpoint I discussed last week. As we move towards 1:1 computing in the classroom, using games is one of the ways we can help develop a range of higher order thinking skills, and stimulate and engagestudents to WANT to learn, and sometimes to even learn without realising it.

Have you used games in any form in your classroom? What are your experiences? Positive or too complex to think about? What would engage you to take your steps towards playing a little in your classroom? What can you see as the upsides and downsides? Have I forgotten anything you feel is important? Feel free to leave your comments and generally open discussions both in the virtual online world and the real world.
Game On….

~ by Suz Arnott on November 2, 2009.