Games+Rotation

=Introduction= Schools around the world are introducing game-based learning tool in the classroom, and for good reason: It’s a great way to engage students with something they participate in by choice during their downtime. “It’s a growing trend all across education,” says Larry Johnson, Ph.D., CEO of the New Media Consortium, which spearheads the annual Horizon Report: K–12 Edition. (In both 2010 and 2011, the report identified "game-based learning" as an emerging technology that will impact teaching and learning in the next two to three years.)

“Games are really ­effective for ­increasing the engagement level of lots of people,” Johnson explains. “We’re no longer ­thinking of games as something only kids do — we’re in our third generation of people who have grown up with these games.”

In this rotation you will learning more about the various use of video games as an instructional tool. To get us started, watch the following video on using games and simulations in K-12 classrooms. The presenters are a collection of experts from across the technology and education spectrum. As you watch the piece, consider the examples posed and how they related to your classroom experiences.

media type="custom" key="26239830" width="120" height="120" > The complete video is also available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8jiqnvdxdE if you are interested in the full 22 minute program. > @http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/reasons-to-play-games-in-the-classroom.shtml
 * @http://www.tubechop.com/watch/3071441
 * Optionally here is a link to Rebekah Stathakis' Five Reasons to Use Games in the Classroom

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=Play=

Below is a list of five different games created specifically for the classroom. Take a 10-15 minutes to review **ONE** of the listed titles. Play through a portion of the experience and note how the content is prepared/delivered and how you would use the title in your classroom.

Games to PLAY > Have you ever wanted to control where your tax dollars go? This is your chance to decide. See how your priorities line up with the realities of managing billions of dollars of federal spending. You’ll face some tough decisions as you attempt to align your policy choices with your values, navigating your way to a (hopefully) stable financial future. > iCivics is a non-profit organization dedicated to reinvigorating civic learning through interactive and engaging learning resources. These educational resources empower teachers and prepare the next generation of students to become knowledgeable and engaged citizens. The games place students in different civic roles and give them agency to address real-world problems and issues. They are rooted in clear learning objectives and integrated with lesson plans and support materials. > Mission USis a multimedia project that immerses players in U.S. history content through free interactive games. The game consists of three missions; “For Crown or Colony”, “Flight to Freedom” and “A Cheyenne Odyssey” and puts players in the shoes of residents of the various time periods. > The Redistricting Game is designed to educate, engage, and empower citizens around the issue of political redistricting. Currently, the political system in most states allows the state legislators themselves to draw the lines. But, this system is subject to a wide range of abuses and manipulations. By exploring how the system works, as well as how open it is to abuse, The Redistricting Game allows players to experience the realities of one of the most important (yet least understood) aspects of our political system. > Endgame Syria is a free interactive exploration of events unfolding in Syria today. It is a news-game; a simulation that uses interactivity to explore a real world event. It is available for free on iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch and is also on Android or as a HTML5 game.
 * Budget - @http://www.publicinsightnetwork.org/budgethero/
 * iCivics - @https://www.icivics.org/games
 * Mission US (A Revolutionary Way to Learn History - @http://www.mission-us.org/
 * The redistricting Game - @http://www.redistrictinggame.org/
 * Game the News -http:/gamethenews.net/index.php/endgame-syria/

Now that you’ve reviewed and reflected on how games are used in the classroom, take a few minutes to create a digital activity plan for one of your classes. Consider how the game you played could be used in your class.



This PDF document contains 55 games and simulations geared to the teaching and training audience. As you identify opportunities for games in your classroom, this list might be helpful in locating titles for your chosen subject and curriculum.
 * Additional Resourses:**

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=Analyze= Increasing research connects game play to increased student engagement and achievement. Games also meet the challenge of creating authentic and relevant learning environments and enabling creative and innovative learning experiences. Submrge is web site focused on deeper thinking about games in education. It is a a collaboration between HistoriQuest LLC and Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, funded by the Ludus Project’s Games and Learning Initiative. Submrge.org was created to collect, develop, and share information on the use of games in the classroom, especially games that are non-content specific, and “off the shelf.” The site will help you learn how to search and use game-based lesson plans.

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 * Submrge Site - @http://submrge.org/game/
 * 1) Visit the activities section of the site - @http://submrge.org/testing/activity/
 * 2) Scroll down the page and pick out a game or subject which interests you
 * 3) Review the various elements about the game titles
 * 4) Note that the games are linked to Bloom's Taxonomy, 21st Century Skills, and the HEAT Framework.
 * 5) Your goal is to locate a game which matches one of your lesson plans and indicate how you would incorporate it into your course.
 * Complete a Digital Activity Plan for one or more game titles.

Additional resources:
> The most popular board games are based on competition. Monopoly epitomizes the winner take all nature of the genre. But what happens when that model gets turned on its head in favor of a more collaborative approach which pits the players against the game itself? Cooperation, that's what. > Whether winning means saving the world from infectious disease or corralling a bunch of puppies, it's all or nothing in the land of cooperative board games. And, because you are never too young — or too old! — to start playing well with others, there are choices for all ages. Here is a list of the top six.
 * 6 Awesome Board Games that teach Cooperation

=Build a Game (teachers or students)= In some situations you might not be able to find an existing game which meets your needs. In those cases it might be better to build your own game. Below are two options for creating your own game. Gamekit is for creating analog games while Gamestar Mechanic is a digital tool. Pick one of the sites to review. > There’s no one way to learn how to become a great game creator. There is only practice, practice and practice. Each game designer and developer has their own approach to honing their craft. In this spirit, Gamekit collects the best in game development and game design exercises from designers and teachers around the world. Each month, Gamekit brings a new game development challenge to stretch and build your creative muscles. Some challenges may match your personal interests more than others. Some you may like so much you’ll find yourself repeating them over and over. But each offers an interesting insight into designing and developing games.With each new challenge, Gamekit will grow and offer new approaches and exercises. Join the community in tackling the current challenge or dive into the archives to discover past exercises.If a Gamekit challenge inspires you to create a great game, share it in that Gamekit’s comments section. Have a question about how to tackle an exercise? Post your question to the community. Found a great solution? Share advice with other designers.Do the challenges on your own or grab friends and tackle the challenges as teams. Some challenges require technical know-how; some require only dice. What is important is the practice of making games, whether you’re a newbie or seasoned pro. > Gamestar Mechanic is a game-based digital learning platform geared at 4th to 9th grade students that is designed to teach the guiding principles of game design and systems thinking in a highly engaging and creative environment.This tool teaches the skills of interdisciplinary thinking, user-center design, specialist learning, and meta-level reflection and for many students it is a pathway to programming. >> View the 2 minute introductory video
 * Gamekit
 * Choose one of these four CHALLENGES:
 * 1) Find Play in Things
 * 2) Mod a Board Game
 * 3) Mix Strategy + Luck
 * 4) Create Competition
 * Complete the CHALLENGE by creating a new game.
 * Document your new game idea using the [[file:Digital Activity Plan.docx]].
 * Gamestar Mechanic
 * 1) What is Gamestar
 * 1) Play Teacher's Quest
 * 2) Teacher's Quest is part of your introduction to using Gamestar Mechanic. Click on the large "Play Teacher's Quest" button to begin and follow the on-screen instructions.
 * 3) The experience is broken up into mission with comic book style instructions.
 * 4) Play through the first 4 mission to get a feel for how students would interact with the tool. (This will take 15-20 minutes)
 * 5) Mission 5 requires login credentials so this is a good place to stop.
 * 6) Close the gameplay window by clicking on the "X" in the upper right corner.
 * 7) Click on the "Sample Lessons" link to review debriefs from other teachers using the tool.

> These are just two of the hundreds of game building tools. For more idea, visit this link to keep learning.
 * Other Game Building Resources