Gaming in the classroom

I am not a gamer in the traditional sense of the word.  Although I play a wicked game of Wii Bowling and I can Just Dance all night,  I struggle to drive Mario's car straight, and I don't understand how shooting massive amounts of people to win a game can be fun.  So when I saw the next topic in my Master's class was gamifying my classroom, I was a bit wary.

I decided the first step to better understand the concept of gamification would be to Google it.  As far as free, online resources, Classcraft comes up on the top of the list.  After a little bit of exploration, I decided this may not work well for me and my max class size of 4.....  It seems like quite a bit of work and I am not sure it is exactly what I am looking for to meet my classroom needs.  Additionally, we are a PBIS school and our School Counselor and PBIS team get a bit grouchy when we go rouge on behavior management systems.

My professor, Dr. Leigh Zeitz, has mentioned the book, Explore Like A Pirate By Michael Matera

 so I thought I would check it out.  Maybe I needed a new perspective! 

 

This book is definitely changing my mindset!  

Game Based Learning doesn't necessarily have to be done in the traditional "gamer" way.  In a nutshell, it incorporates collaboration, creativity, and play in a way that engages students and amps up the classroom!  When done with purpose and buy-in,  gamification can teach and assess core concepts in a way that challenge and motivate students.  Game Based Learning is a form of experiential learning:  learning by doing.  In his book, Matera discusses how games allow students to learn from mistakes, practice both short- and long-term planning, and best of all, develop informational literacy skills.  Isn't that our goal as educators?

My next question is this...  How do make gaming a positive experience in my classroom?  How do I facilitate a FLOW for my students  where they are focused and engaged at the ultimate level?  I would love to see all nine characteristics of FLOW on a daily basis, especially distractions being excluded from consciousness and the activity becoming ‘autotelic’. 

I ALREADY DO THIS at some level!  Kahoot! is one of my favorite ways to assess students.  I often eliminate the time component and use Kahoot! for reading comprehension, vocabulary quizzes, and math reviews.  Math games are built into my curriculum.  The students have iPad access and use EM Games Online: ConnectED.  I also have students create their own games as a PBL experience.  But I know I can make improvements.

I would like to use gaming to teach figurative language this year!  This is always one of the most difficult areas for 4th graders to understand.  I can't wait to explore ways to TEACH or provide the learning through gaming rather than just assessing!