Serious Gaming!

Quote playing in education 

 If I am being honest, I am NOT a gamer. I have two sisters, a sports fanatic father, and a husband who doesn't own a gaming system (GASP!). I have never played a Nintendo or PlayStation. I attempted Wii tennis once. All this to say that I am probably the farthest thing from Jonathan Best when it comes to knowing and understanding gamification. 

 I do, however, try to get to know my students and understand what makes them happy. Recently, Minecraft, Fortnight, and Five Nights at Freddys seem to be the most common terminology in my classroom. They talk about these games with intense interest. You can tell that they like the feedback and exploration... maybe even the virtual aspect of it, and allowing them to remove the stressful baggage of their life for just a little while. 

 Coding has been a hot topic too. These second graders are obsessed with Garage Band, the Osmo coding Jam, and Scratch. Those are just a few of the forms that I have gotten my hands on. This article also showed me a few new options, ranging from Quizlet to Kahoot. I also think about Sumdog, the math app that my students can't get enough of. It's not the best math app, but every correct answer they get earns coins to spend in the virtual shop and buy things for their virtual avatar. They have pets, homes, and beauty shops. 

 One thing I have heard more and more of is the power of Minecraft to engage and motivate learners. It uses an environment and a language that learners are already familiar with. I would like to look into this. Classcraft seems similar but has more of an educational purpose. Students can create their own avatars that have special powers, like warriors or healers. They play in groups. If someone ignores the teacher or a rule, it may fire back on the whole group. To get powers, they have to do kind things or get points for behavior in class. My second graders would love this!

 I realize that Gamification and game-based learning are not new concepts in education.  We use them often and in more ways than we realize.  If our learners are growing up in a more connected, instant and gamified world than ever before, maybe we should be looking to embrace the rejuvenation of gamification and game-based learning in our own classrooms.

 References:
Chen, S. (2018, March 13). Classroom Gaming: What It Isn't, What It Is, and How to Do It Right - EdSurge News. Retrieved July 4, 2018, from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-02-23-classroom-gaming-what-it-isn-t-what-it-is-and-how-to-do-it-right

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