WHAT WORKS IN EDUCATION The George Lucas Educational Foundation
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Blogs on Game-Based Learning

Game-Based Learning

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Get tips, techniques, and tools that apply the principles of game design to the learning process -- engaging kids and helping educators assess learning.

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Build Reading and Writing Skills with Music
Jeffrey PflaumJune 6, 2012
Tags Game-Based Learning, Literacy, , Student Engagement, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), English Language Arts, Music, Visual Arts

As an inner-city elementary school teacher for 34 years, I made up and tested my original curricula in emotional intelligence, character education, values clarification, writing, reading, thinking, creativity, poetry and vocabulary. Call me an educator, developer, researcher and experimentalist in the classroom.

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Ideas for Using Minecraft in the Classroom
Andrew MillerApril 13, 2012
Tags Classroom Technology, Game-Based Learning, Integrated Studies, Lesson Plans, Project-Based Learning, Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), English Language Arts, History, Math, Visual Arts

Minecraft in the Classroom is a recent addition to the field of game-based learning. It is a sandbox game where players can create and build, fight off enemies and explore vast landscapes.

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Five Future Technologies That Will Shape Our Classrooms
Nick GranthamApril 10, 2012
Tags Classroom Technology, Game-Based Learning, Media Literacy, Primary (K-2), Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Teleporting, flying cars and Back To The Future style hover-boards. These have all been promised to us within the next few years, but there is little hope of seeing them any time soon. These far-fetched technologies fill us with excitement about what the future may hold, inspiring generations of dreamers to learn math, science and engineering.

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A New Community and Resources for Games for Learning
Andrew MillerMarch 30, 2012
Tags Classroom Technology, Game-Based Learning, Primary (K-2), Project-Based Learning, Student Engagement, Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

You knew it was coming, didn't you? Edutopia has officially launched its new Games for Learning Community, and I am honored to be its facilitator. I'm excited to have a space where teachers can share best practices, ask questions around implementation and nerd out on gaming in the classroom.

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James Gee: What Do Video Games Have to Do with Project-Based Learning?
John LarmerMarch 21, 2012
Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Game-Based Learning, Project-Based Learning, Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)
David Ross

It was September 13, 2011, and we were just about to hear a talk by James Paul Gee, author of What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. The talk was part of our annual community meeting of the Buck Institute for Education. Here's a summary of our conversations -- before and after watching Gee speak. (Please scroll down for a video of highlights from Gee's presentation.)

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Program or Be Programmed
Mary Beth HertzFebruary 14, 2012
Tags Digital Divide, Game-Based Learning, Media Literacy, Project-Based Learning, Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Just recently I was lucky enough to attend a Hackjam session at the wonderful Educon conference here in Philadelphia. After we hacked Monopoly by reinventing the game, we were introduced to the tool Hackasaurus, which allows students to not only see, but manipulate the code on a website.

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Use Game-Based Learning to Teach Civics
Andrew MillerJanuary 27, 2012
Tags Game-Based Learning, Student Engagement, Technology Integration, Middle (6-8), High (9-12), History

Game-Based Learning (GBL) is another great pedagogical model for engaging students, and the term is more expansive and complex than you might think. It can range from pencil and paper games to massive online games like World of Warcraft to everything in between. Overall, it's about balancing gameplay with the learning of important content. The focus is on retaining the information learned, and applying it. This application can take place within the game itself or outside of it.

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Reflecting on Video Games, Learning and Nutrition
Pamela C HowardJanuary 6, 2012
Tags Game-Based Learning, Health, Nutrition, Primary (K-2), Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Physical Education, Science

Last May, my school started using an "educational" video game to teach our disadvantaged, overweight, and obese students about nutrition. I put "educational" in quotes, as I was pretty skeptical at first.

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The World Peace Game
Betty RayDecember 23, 2011
Tags Digital Divide, Game-Based Learning, Project-Based Learning, Student Engagement, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), Geography, History

Happy holidays from all of us at Edutopia. This video is about a wonderful teacher who is helping fourth graders understand world peace. Enjoy!

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The Gamification of Education: What School Can Learn from Video Games
Terry HeickDecember 15, 2011
Tags Game-Based Learning, Media Literacy, Project-Based Learning, , Technology Integration, All Grades

So recently this idea of "gamification"i has been jumping around in my head. There's something simultaneously immature and brilliant about it, but I haven't been sure exactly what.

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