Educational Gaming

[Lori Holcomb]

I would like you each to share one educational game with the class and discuss its educational relevance. Provide a description of the game and how it ties into teaching and learning. Also, be sure to discuss how this game has the ability to tie into the goals and mission of the 21st century. If the game you select does not currently align with the 21st century, provide suggestions for modifications/changes that would allow for the game to be tied in with the 21st century.

[Rhonda W]

The Stock Market Game ™ is a particularly appropriate game to look at right now as Wall Street is so much in the news. The Stock Market Game uses the stock market to directly teach students real world applications of math skills, economics, personal finance, and communications and indirectly address other academic areas as well. It teaches or reinforces a number of 21st Century Skills (see attached document for a list).

The Stock Market Game ™ uses what Mitchell and Savill-Smith (2004) call “blended learning” (p. 47), which combines F2F classroom instruction with use of online media to present information and then give students a chance to see it applied in a simulated setting. The game is presented in North Carolina by the NC Council on Economic Education.

Students work in teams. Much of the work happens “off line,” but students must have access to computers to enter team decisions and access results. This is a national program, and through local and state initiatives students can participate in portfolio equity and percent return competitions and a related writing competition. All students can receive a participation certificate to recognize their work with this program.

Teacher materials are provided including lesson plans, activities, and assessments. This material is directly related to objectives in several Business and Information Technology Education and Marketing Education classes in the NC Standard Course of Study, and could also be used in social studies courses with an economics focus. In addition, teachers could work with mathematics and English Language Arts teachers to create interdisciplinary units that give the program even greater potential impact.

It costs $14 per semester or $25 per year per team to participate in the game. A free teacher review period is coming up in October.

References
Mitchell, A., and Savill-Smith, C. (2004). The use of computer and video games for learning: A review of the literature. London: Learning and Skills Development Agency.

[Karen Hughes]

Rhonda I really want to try this game in my Marketing class, but I have not had time to learn it myself. Is it pretty easy to learn and to implement in a classroom setting? I think it sounds like a lot of fun and very educational; especially with the market we are experiencing today.

[Rhonda W]

It really varies. Depends on your computer expertise and the skills of your students. I'd suggest you check out the web site (there is a free review period that starts next week). You can probably tell if it is something that you could utilize or if it will be too difficult and time-consuming for you to work in.

[Karen Hughes]

Thanks Rhonda I will check it out.

[Lauren Philbeck]

The educational game that I selected is a game called Homes of our Own. Educators can receive a free copy of this game at homesofourown.org.

In this game, middle or high school students essentially plan for building a house, build the house, and then have to sell the house. The entire program is in 3D and has animations and audio that make the situation more realistic.

This game can actually be used in a variety of classes and subjects because accompanying the CD-ROM are several lessons in the subjects of math, science, social studies, English, and technology. For example, in math the students must plan of all the finances involved with building and selling the house. In addition, in science students may have to research the building materials used in constructing the house. I think these lessons meet the 21st Century standards very well because they encourage such a variety of skills that are all needed for success in the future.

Overall, this game is extremely fun for middle and high school students and when partnered with the lessons can be very educational.

[Jennifer Cable]

Lauren,
Thanks for sharing this game. I am going to see if I can get a copy of it. I have taught careers to the 8th grade in the past and I think it would be a great resource to have. Thanks, again.

[Karen Hughes]

Lauren your game sounds very interesting. I am going to check it out. Thanks for sharing.

[Karen Hughes]

Lauren I just read about the Homes of our Own game. It sounds like a great fit for the Principles of Business & Personal Finance class taught at my school. I am going to share this information with the teachers that teach it. Thanks again for sharing.

[Staci Lyon]

Wow, those two games sound like a lot of fun and very interesting for students. Unfortunately, I haven't encountered such exciting games. As a math teacher, I can find uses for the two you mentioned. I will definitely look into them so that I can possibly incorporate them.

Anyway, the types of games I have encountered are more review type games. For example, I was looking at this game the other day to possibly use with my students. It's a game provided by the publishers of the textbook we use. The idea behind the game is to maneuver different types of triangles into the correctly labeled bucket as they are falling. If the student misses the bucket, they are given a question to answer in order to move on. If the student correctly guides all triangles into the correct bucket, then they have to answer two questions to move to the next round. As the rounds increase, the triangles fall faster and more different types of triangles are added. While the game is computer-based, it doesn't require a lot of 21st century skills. It's more about the review. But it does fall right into one of the seven individual habits mentioned in the "The Seven Games of Highly Effective People"...begin with the end in mind. I mean there I was, a high school math teacher who of course knows the material. playing this game to see if I could "beat" it or at least to see how fast the triangles would begin to fall!

[Kaitlin]

The game I chose to talk about was Leap Frog sytstem. Leap Frog can be used with children anywhere from infants to pre-teens (around 8th grade). I am a second grade teacher and have a leap frog pad in my classroom. I use the standard-based, engaging activities during my literacy center time. My students use something called the “Tag reader.” The students can read through storybooks and when they come to a word they may not know they touch the word with a pen like device and the word is spoken for them. Discovering new words helps them expand their vocabulary. It also has “games” at the end of each page where they ask the students questions for comprehension. It is a great learning tool because so many of my students struggle with retelling and since they ask the questions in the form of a game, the students love it! It also makes reading fun for the students because the books come to life. I had one student in particular who struggled with reading and didn’t find it enjoyable but once they built up confidence with this game, they felt more comfortable reading books and passages during our shared reading time. Tag also has a variety of books to choose from, starting at a lower level and moving up to higher levels. Even if you don’t have a leap frog system you can buy the tag and connect it to your computer, so it is great to use in and outside the classroom. They have a leap frog system set-up online for parents to track their child’s progress. So they can see if their child is moving up in reading and what level they should be reading on. My friend is a nanny and the four year old she works uses “the leapster.” He has a variety of games from counting, making sentences and short stories. He loves the handheld system and takes it everywhere with him. I think any aspect of the leap frog system is education, engaging and fun!

[Karen Hughes]

Kaitlin I am a huge fan of "Leap Frog" learning systems. My own children have a lot of their games and they have always loved them.

[Laura English Lewis]

Hello Kaitlin,

I went to Leap Frog and learned that parents can visit the At-a-Glance page and found a quick summary of the skills that their children have been recently engaged with. Using the At-a-Glance page parents can get a deeper understanding and learn where their children fall on their learning journey.

I also learned that Leap Frog has Crammer which is for ages 8 -14 where students can download quiz questions based on leading textbooks, which students can listen to or create digital flash cards for any of their classes’ for studying class material. - Laura