PRESENTATION ON GAMING

I thought this was a great presentation with a lot of nice resources included. I learned that games don't have to necessarily be a bad thing to have in the class room. There are so many options to choose from and you can make games kids are playing now educational. I do not have much experience with gaming because I do not have an interest in it and as far as the classroom goes we have only ever played jeopardy or made up flashcard games. I think as a mid-level major that gaming the the classroom the right way would be a wonderful idea for the students. It is something they like are are used to and I think it would get them involved and wanting to participate. I think in math class the middle school students would be able to use something such as minecraft to use different blocks to build different things. The teacher can also give them certain directions and they have to build within what they are given and it is something to make them think outside of the box. I also think that teachers can create up to date games in an educational way but that would take a lot of time. I really like the idea of incorporating augmented reality into the classroom because it is like having the students on a 3D virtual field trip. There are so many different programs to create different settings and they would be able to interact with the classroom in a whole new way. Overall, gaming could be a blessing in the classroom and I believe it can actually make children want to go to school even more. They would have something to look forward to everyday and they would have something in common with the teacher. I think not only is it good for the educational purpose but also the fact that they might have better social opportunities because more kids will be willing to get involved and communicate with each other.

GAMING AND GAMIFICATION

GAMIFICATION TOOLS

Visit each of the popular gaming sites below and answer the following questions:

1. What is the purpose of the site?
2. What subject would this site be used in (Math, English etc.)
3. What grade level could this site be used in?
4. What is the cost?
5. What is your opinion?

 

GameUp -

1. The purpose of this site is to provide educational games for all subjects and grade levels
2. This can be used for all different subjects
3. This can be used for multiple grade levels because there are so many options
4. This website is free
5. I really like this website because it is free and has so many different games for all grade levels and all kinds of subjects. They look fun to play and some are more challenging than others but the students can pick where they think they would be most comfortable.

Play Brighter -

1. The purpose is for teachers to create games for the students in the classroom They are able to customize the templates with their own questions.
2. This can be used for all different subjects
3. This can be used for all grade levels because the questions are customizable
4. This website is free
5. I really like the idea behind this website for a couple reasons. It is free which is always helpful but I really like how you can customize the game with your own questions because it would then relate to the class better and if you get stuck they have over 15,000 sample questions to get you started.

Mangahigh.com -

1. The purpose of this website is to help the students get better at math by playing different games.
2. This website is mainly used for math
3. It says on the home page that is is designed for k-10
4. The site has different fees according to the number of students using it
5. I like this website after looking through some of the things. There are so many games to choose from and the teacher can track the student in how well they are doing and base that off of if they need more help or not.

The Great Behavior Game -

1. The purpose of this site is to act as a scoreboard that can be interactive throughout the whole class.
2. This site can be used for any subject as it is just a customizable scoreboard
3. This is designed for grades k-5
4. This is a free website and requires no other software
5. I like this site because I think it would get the students more engaged with the material to earn more stars. It can act as a competition for the most points and once something becomes a competitive game, the kids love it.

Kahoot! -

1. The purpose of this is to create different questions and use mobile devices throughout the classroom to try and answer as quickly to get the most points.
2. The site can be used for and subject because it is customizable
3. This can be used for any grade level however I would think that it would be more beneficial to the older students
4. This is a free website
5. I personally love kahoot, I used this is an english class at Bloom and the students had a lot of fun with it. It makes everything into a competition and whoever gets the most points at the end wins. I think it is easy and something to get the students more motivated to learn.

Classcraft -

1. The purpose of the site is to get the students more engaged in the lesson by playing a game that has real risks and rewards.
2. This site can be used for any subject because the teacher can customize it
3. This can be used for any grade level but I think it would benefit middle school the most because of the age group
4. There is a free trial but then the price goes up according to what features you want
5. I like the idea of the gaming website but it just isn't for me. Personally I do not understand games like this and I simply do not like them. However I would make it for my students if they wanted to try it. The only way I would do so is if the majority of the class wanted to play because not everyone like this style of gaming.

ClassDojo -

1. The purpose of this website is to engage all members from inside and outside of the classroom. There are many features to this website and it is very simple to use.
2. This website can be used for any subject and there are many videos for every subject
3. This can be used for any grade level as Dr. Walker used it in his class, but I think it would be more beneficial for the younger students.
4. This website is free
5. I like class dojo and everything that comes with it. I think it is wonderful for elementary and middle school because of how it is designed and the videos it has. The kids can also customize their avatar and look at pictures from the school day.

Rezzly -

1. The purpose of the site is to actually make the whole class into a game. It is a quest where the teachers can create the material and the students can keep leveling up to earn badges, points, and awards.
2. This can be used for any subject
3. This can be used for any grade level because everything is customizable
4. The site has different prices for different sized groups and features
5. I like this website a lot and it looks like it has so much potential. There are many different routes you can take and the teacher can track the students and differentiate the learning according to what they are capable of.

Construct 2 - Scirra.com -

1. The purpose of the website is to help teachers and students create higher level games for the classroom which may also be sold online. There is no coding required and the site does everything for you.
2. This site can be used for any subject
3. This seems like it is for upper level grades because the content is harder and it is designed for making higher level game
4. It has different prices according to what you want to make but it does have a free trial
5. I think this website looks really cool and it is great that it will do all the work for you and all you have to do it be creative. I think it’s neat how is you have a successful game, you would be able to sell it and I like how it is for higher levels because most gaming websites are for younger students.

GameSalad -

1. The purpose of this website is to teach students computer science by having them create the different types of games
2. This website is for teaching computer science
3. The site is mainly for higher grades because the content is harder
4. There is a price to this website and no free trial
5. I like this website and it looks like there are so many different things that are possible. I like that the website teaches by having the students make games, I think they would catch on easier because it is hands on and something that they are coming up with in their own mind.

 

Tutorial on Gaming

 

Exploring Gamification

• There was a lot mentioned about different types of games and which different characteristics are often found in gaming. There are so many different parts to a game that some of us might not realize. Games always have a desired outcome or goal so there is something that the players are looking to. They have rules and everybody must follow them in order to be fair and not get disqualified. In something as simple as a race in a pool, the kids know that that the rules are to stay in the pool and they know that whoever gets to the end of the pool first will win. Some games like this already have no brainer rules and goals which is okay. Gamification takes all  of the same rules that games have, and turns it into something else. Daily routines or exercise can use gamification to make it more interesting like different apps making you plan new outcomes or mid games for your brain. They take the material that is trying to be taught and it changes it into a game form following all of the elements traditional games have.

 

Gamification in Action

• Here the presentation was showing an actual classroom using gamification. They had a slide show about a detective and the class had to interact with it to find different clues and work against each other. The students used their phones to participate and some of the answers showed up on the screen. Even at a college level I really like this because it will keep the students involved and they won't get bored. The teacher set up the game and they all went through it together. I like how he stopped at points to discuss what was going on and the students has to type in answers. I think it is a very interesting topic because once something becomes a challenge in the class it seems like everyone wants to participate to see who can win. This allows the students to have fun in the classroom while actually learning the material. Overall I think it is important to have classes like these because it encourages everybody to participate. The students looked engaged in the lesson and everyone was either involved in the mystery or taking notes.

 

Conclusion

• This section was about gamification as a whole and the pros and cons that go with it. There is a lot of room for mistake and misuse. For example, in the classroom when there is an easy solution to a question, this method is not the best way to solve it. It would waste class time and the students would not benefit anything from the lesson. Another thing to do is to have a pilot group test your game. There are many flaws when somebody makes anything and it is smart to have peer reviewers. Before actually selling the game or giving it to the school have the pilot group play around with it to try and find any cheats or ways to skip or hack some of the games. Overall gamification is wonderful to use in the classroom and students will learn a great deal of information. They will stay engaged in the lessons and love to be interacting during the class instead of just listening.

 

Gamification Example

• I really like the game up website because there are so many different options to choose from. I would use this in my online class for the students to practice their different skills that they are learning. I would either choose the games for them to play or have them find their own. I would find games throughout the math section for grades 4-8 and have the students give me feedback to whether they like that type of game or not. I can also make these games that I choose into a competition every week and which ever student has the most points at the end of the week either wins something or receives bonus points.

 

Video Introductions from Class 8

• Everyone's video was very good and I liked seeing the different ways that people came up with. I liked how some had backround music because it added a nice touch and you couldn't hear the static. I also like how some of the presentations had animations because it made it more interesting. The only negative things I would say is to make sure the microphone is closer to the mouth so it is easier to hear. Also not to say “this slide is about” because that is just extra fluff to add time. Overall they were all great and next time I might put animations in my slides to make it more intresting.