Pixel Gun. Now the game is Pixel Gun.
What is this game my children are so addicted to? According to Jan McGonigal, games create:
The most important lesson for me comes from my sons' urgent optimism to play the game often. This has been mostly an annoyance to me, but after this week's learning, I may change my tune a bit. Can I create and use this in my classroom? I think I can. I think it could be good. One of my students who struggles in school is well known in the World of Warcraft. His Youtube channel explaining tips and tricks in this game has many followers. In class, he is only physically there. If I could hook him through gaming, could I have an effect on him and his future? I may. Since I teach world cultures with a focus on the years 500-1750 ce, I teach about many different countries, empires, and states around the world. I am intrigued after playing a game called Nation States from Games for Change. This game, if used well, could help my students recognize how government choices, or lack thereof, affect their made up country. If I introduce this at the beginning of the year, I could use it weekly to learn about nation states as we progress. We could even create nation states that resemble our historical nations and see how the computer simulation parallels what happened in history. This could make history more meaningful. I could, even, latch on to Jane McGonigal's four effects of gaming! I will investigate this further over summer and blog about it in the future. T
5 Comments
Becky albertazzi
5/8/2017 01:22:53 pm
Todd-
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5/8/2017 04:46:15 pm
It is interesting that the whole topic for this week was about games. I mean society as a whole has such a beef with them "rotting" our children's minds/abilities. Eroding at the fabric of society. haha
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Kelley S. Miller
5/8/2017 08:45:47 pm
Pixel gun, huh? That's one I haven't heard about yet; I'll have to keep an eye out for it. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before that one's rampant among my students as well.
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Zack
5/8/2017 09:13:11 pm
Todd, I really like your title, and your take on the power of urgency. I've always heard and reiterated that urgency is one of the best motivator. Maybe that's the procrastinator in me, but also as someone who is fascinated with strategy, I love reading books like the Art of War, because on the battle field everything is urgent, and thus every choice is life or death. As you said pixel gun will not save the world, but it does make the student exercise their agency, to make a choice when facing urgency is a skill that we must practice, in the least it will expose and hopefully create some distress tolerance to deal with the face paced workplace. I think you are really lucky to teach world cultures, as that allows for easy gamification, as the themes of ancient cultures and civilizations already have the characters for the game. Wondering what you'll come up with next year based on these new, or improved tools?
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Karly Miller
5/9/2017 06:56:36 am
Todd,
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About MeAfter teaching for 20 years, I've decided to pursue a master's degree! Archives
July 2017
CategoriesThis is me working on my classwork... usually at night after the heater is off.... sitting long times makes me cold!
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