Gaming as a New Paradigm

As I entered into an elementary classroom for the first time I wondered how I would arrange my classroom, what I would plan for my students, and how I would keep them interested and entertained while learning.  After meeting my students I began to realize that the students needed more than just pencil, paper, and lecture teaching.  I began to realize that the students needed technology because that is what surrounded them at home.  Many of my students could not wait to go home and play video games.  At this point I knew games would have to be included in my plans if I truly wanted to keep my students entertained.

I think gaming can be beneficial in any circumstance because people are learning when they are playing games.  People are thinking through situations, exploring new things, and in some circumstances socializing with others. Gaming does not just start off with knowing everything and “conquering” something without thought.  Gaming involves exploration, experiment, and challenging oneself. I think Clark Aldrich’s article, Virtual World’s, Simulations, and Games for Education: A Unifying View  (Aldrich, 2009), gave a perfect example of these steps by comparing them to a swimming pool.  A swimming pool is new to children when they first encounter it.  The children begin by exploring what it is by starting off in the shallow end.  The children then begin experimenting with what can be done with and in the swimming pool by holding their breath and doing tricks.  Finally they challenge themselves to go to the deep end and then take it further from there.  A child can do this with gaming.  They first explore what the game is about then they experiment with different things that can be done.  Finally they challenge themselves to reach new “levels” through exploration and experimentation. 

Are we ready for the new gaming paradigm?

In allowing children to explore, experiment, challenge, and entertain themselves I believe we should be ready for the gaming paradigm. The students are able to use devices and have grown up with technology surrounding them therefore I feel we are ready.  Computers and smart devices are what students feel comfortable with.  However, one thing mentioned in the video Game Changers was financial constraints that may block school systems from having technology available for gaming in the classroom.  As we notice in education the finances available is one the biggest challenges we face. I thought it was very interesting that there were tablets available for $35 in India that was similar to the iPad and an Android.  If we had this available for all of our students I think we would be able to afford the technology for classroom use.

Another factor that can hinder gaming in the classroom would be teacher education of technology and their comfort level with the use.  I hear all too much in my elementary building that technology is not used because teachers do not know how to use it.  A trend is noticed amongst the older teachers in the building who did not grow up with technology around them.  These educators are used to teaching with paper, pencil, and lecture and are afraid of change.  They are afraid of change because they are not given the opportunity to experiment and learn about the benefits of technology in the classroom.  I thought the article Immersive Learning for Teacher Professional Development (Burns, 2012) was very interesting.  I have never heard of an interactive classroom for pre-service teachers to practice teaching with.  Even though this program is expensive I think it would really help with all teachers to become more comfortable with trying new things without the thought of failure in front of an actual classroom. 

If the school systems start providing professional development opportunities to gain knowledge about the benefits of gaming and also allow a hands on approach to make educators feel more comfortable then I think every district will be ready to approach the new gaming paradigm. We as educators need to be open minded, notice the benefits, and allow change in the classroom. I feel the overall results would be more engaged students, student centered learning, and students reaching higher level thinking (bloom’s taxonomy). Teachers, with proper professional development, will feel more comfortable with technology and will not have to struggle to meet the different levels of students and struggle to engage students with their learning.  As for a district, I think you would notice a whole new morale of student engagement, participation, and enthusiasm.  You will have students who will want to be at school rather than feel they have to be there.

Overall, I feel we are ready but we need to make the steps to make it a reality. We need to start using the knowledge and resources we have to get to that reality.  We can easily create $35 devices, make an importance of professional development for technology, and educate on the benefits of gaming and technology use in the classroom.  We cannot accept that paper, pencil, and lecture are the way that has always worked and will always work.  The era has changed from that, we are now in a technology driven world that students know a lot about.  It is time we put their knowledge to use and challenge them to reach new levels while engaging them.

Aldrich, C. (2009, 12 12). Clark Chart. Retrieved 1 15, 2014, from Virtual Worlds, Simulations, and Games for Education: A Unifying View: http://www.clarkchart.com/2009/12/12/virtual-worlds-simulations-and-games-for-education-a-unifying-view/

Burns, M. (2012, 4). elearn Magazine. Retrieved 1 15, 2014, from Immersive Learning for Teacher Professional Development: http://elearnmag.acm.org/featured.cfm?aid=2181208

Game Changers. http://www.livestream.com/nytschoolsfortomorrow/video?clipId=pla_f5879bc8-7e85-435c-be01-17737bd28c6b