Gamestar and My Philosophy on Gaming

         I enjoy using games in my classroom and have for some time now.  I was very interested in Gamestar Mechanic and Quest to Learn because it was a different kind of educational gaming than I am familiar with.  I use games that align with the content.  For example, games that teach multiplication facts or verbs.  I usually use these types of games as a guided practice or anticipatory set.  I can introduce a lesson, review pre-requites for the lesson, or have students complete the games to help gain mastery.  Game Mechanics and Quest to Learn are a very different approach to gaming than I have had in mind.

            Both sites are geared towards creating games to enhance skills.  The skills focused on are system thinking, problem solving, creativity, and collaboration.  These are all skills that are more challenging to teach.  I also feel these are often the skills that require teachers to do very nontraditional teaching in order to address.  Often students need to think outside the box or be placed in projects to learn these skills.  I am a firm believer in teaching problem solving and collaborating.  I believe these are essential skills that are often not taught and developed well enough in our students.  There are a few major thoughts that cross my mind when approaching the use of gaming in this matter in my classroom.

            My initial thought was where the time is and how teachers are incorporating this into their classrooms.  There is so much content to teach these students that it would be difficult to add this to the list of things we need to teach.  Then I started to see the essential skills this would develop in the classroom and how engaged and motivated students will be in this sort of lesson.  It seems that the teachers who are using this have been successful and are designing useful lessons.  I feel that these types of lessons would be challenging to initially establish in the classroom but overall will be worth it. 

If students were able to learn problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration skills while having fun and consistently being engaged why we wouldn’t incorporate this in our classrooms?  I feel these types of lessons would be a great way to motivate students while teaching essential skills.  It would be great to use this as a reward lesson.  If the students cover all required material then they are able to create their games.  I am excited and curious to see how my students will respond to this.