I am sure if you met me you would not percieve me as young, but I work and have worked with varied students in the classroom and in pull out sessions all ages preschool thru college. Speech Therapists have the title of the game players. Students often reflect that they thought they were just playing a game, when they realized they were learning. Taking that a step further I now have my junior high students with Aspergers who love video games break into small groups(3-4) and design their own board games with rules and boards and game pieces. This provides for a group to improve on their social skills and learn to work towards a successful product. The students each year are excited about the idea of the game board design. Therefore, be it on line or on a board games are a valuable tool for the student and the teacher and the therapist.

[quote]You have identified a very valid point and I agree that as teachers, we need to be very carefull in selection of use of technology as learning tool. [quote]

I don't disagree here and again, I didn't have enough to go on, but for the sake of the conversation added my two cents.

Anyways, I'm really interested in the type of gaming that Dr. Jane McGonigal from The Institute for the Future speaks about and promotes through real world games. Her work on World Without Oil demonstrates how games can be integrated into our real, daily lives. Check out her TED Talk for a very interesting description of what these games are.

I wonder how similar alternate reality games might impact how we design learning experiences for students as well as how it effects student engagement and empowerment in their own learning.

You have identified a very valid point and I agree that as teachers, we need to be very carefull in selection of use of technology as learning tool.

Actually introduction of a concept is always based on first hand experience which I provided with plenty of real life activities to my students so that they could grasp the basic concept. Afterwards in second lesson they were given experience of game for friction for two reasons. One , I could assess their learning through their mutual discussion, and number two, every child has his/ her own learning need. That Game provide visual aid with additional tinch of partner discussion, which helped in strenthening or enhancing the concept.That is why I said that games could have a PARTIAL role in some lessons but they might take the full role of students learning in other cases. It all depends on how we design an experience.

I'm sure I'm missing the full experience here, but my question is why wouldn't students experience friction in the real world? Friction is readily available, why simulate it in a game? If it's simply from an engagement standpoint, I think we need to think deeper about the experiences we are designing for students.

As a classroom teacher, I taught a Video Game Design/English class. It was awesome! Check out what Globaloria is doing in WV and TX to promote wikis, games, blogs, and the integration of technology into the standard curriculum.

I think this was very interesting and helpful. I do think that younger teachers or simply any new teacher in general, would be interested in using games as a learning tool in the classroom. Games could be used in any subject to help learn any part any curriculum.

I agree with Brian C. Smith that teachers need not to depend only on games for students' learning but it can partially used to enhance the concepts. For example,I used simple PS racing game to enhance their science concept on "friction". students played the game keeping in their minds that how friction effects speed of a car while passing through a bumpy road and a smooth road. Students played the game in pairs for 10 min, and the focal point of their discussion was the core concept, i.e, speed and friction but fun in learning was the heart of ther activity.

My thoughts regarding games for learning have always been in the translation and application of skills learned inside of games to other endeavors outside of the game. The only way we can know if they can collaborate, create, be innovative and succeed is if they do it in authentic, real world situations. Simulations are great but balance is needed here. Just think of Captain Chesley ''Sully'' Sullenberger, the pilot who landed Flight 1549 in the Hudson River saving all 155 passengers onboard. Sully trained in simulators and in real flights and had landed the plane with expertise. He didn't succeed by simulation alone. I think you can extrapolate my point here... we need to design better learning experiences for our children. Simply handing them a game controller and hoping for the best is not an option. I think that Ms. Salen gets to that point in this video.

Thank you for giving me more thought about Gaming Experiences as I plan the annual STLP State Championship in Kentucky.

I appreciate the information, I feel at times I am competing with gaming. My traditional teaching practices could benefit from an integration of gaming and 'old school' practices.