Video games are not a particular enjoyment of mine, however they have been an enjoyment of every previous boyfriend and male sibling that I've ever had. So there might be a bit of a gender bias when it comes to using video games as a teaching (or recruiting) tool.
I have used games when teaching, particularly reviewing. I have downloaded templates of famous game shows such as "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," "Jeopardy," and others. Students enjoy this type of learning. I do see it as a benefit some of the time. However I don't see how there can be an entire school devoted to this type of learning. To me there appear to be many red flags, such as the reward system it creates. Students will grow accustom to considering achievement only through a form of winning. Every time I have used a game to teach, I feel compelled to give a prize to the winner, either in food or bonus points. Also, as one interviewee put it, "School has to be the only place where you are not bombarded by machines." Until now, I never realized how much machines are around me all day long.
Another interesting quote in the online video was when someone (sorry I didn't catch the name) said, "
“distinction is an adult idea." This is well phrased. When teaching, I know I have to set aside a separate
The last tidbit I found amusing was that there was a professional title called “MIT initiative on technology and self." I found the name funny. Why would the words technology and self be combined as if they were cohesive or a natural pairing?
And on the topic of Facebook. Don't friend your students. Keep it simple.
I agree that a school that uses gaming as it sole instructional strategy is questionable. On the video, all I really saw was students practicing skills. I would like to know more about their curriculum and instructional strategies.
ReplyDeleteThe video stated that it was too early to determine the success of such a school. I would like to see the demographics of the population. If it is a new school, I would like to see the scores of the students from their previous school compared to their current scores. Data can be spun very easily to support any initiative.