I have been using the Get Smart website created by the Copacabana Public School for the past few years now and find it a fantastic resource in the primary classroom. The website is a compilation of web-based games and resources organised into school developmental stages and subject areas according to the N.S.W curriculum. The site has been created, and is maintained, by teachers at the Copacabana Public School in N.S.W. This means that the links are usually fairly appropriate for both primary students and syllabus requirements. As a busy teacher it is so helpful to have a lot of resources in one place that can be trusted for quality and appropriateness and that are already linked to the suitable grade level and subject area. However, it is still important to carefully look at the games and resources before deciding to use them with students. In my earlier post in response to the journal article by Scanlon, Buckingham & Burn (2005) I have discussed the importance of this evaluation by the teaching professional. Although the games and resources on the Get Smart website have been evaluated by a group of teachers I have found that not all of the games are highly educational. In addition different games suit different purposes such as revision, basic fact development or initiating new learning topics and engaging students through narrative. As result I would recommend that any teacher looking to use one of the games or resources should conduct their own evaluation. It is important to ascertain whether the resource suits a particular group of students in terms of their needs, capabilities and interest as well as determine if the resource will assist the students to achieve the desired learning outcomes. When evaluating the game or resource it may also be relevant to consider the school setting and technological facilities available.
By Kathleen Magann
By Kathleen Magann
Scanlon, M., Buckingham, D., & Burn, A. (2005). Motivating Maths? Digital Games and Mathematical Learning. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 14(1), 127-139. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
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ReplyDeleteI too find websites with multiple games and activities on it very useful. As a relief teacher, I am often asked to work in a school the morning I am needed and as a result have very little time to prepare, so sites with multiple activities and games saves a lot of time.
ReplyDeleteEvaluating computer/video games is a necessity. It is important to know the game’s educational purpose before launching it onto students. Should the decision rest with the teacher of the educational purpose and benefits (if any) of a computer/video game? I feel that there is a rich scope of learning if students evaluate computer/video games themselves. How credible is the game? Is it worth playing and learning from? Allowing students to ask such questions helps them to understand the credibility of the game they are evaluating (Dezuanni, 2010a), while also building critical thinking skills through game analysis (Hobbs, 2011). Allowing students to evaluate the games they play is important as it helps students to build skills needed to making wise and responsible decisions (Hobbs, 2011). This will require students to think for themselves and rely on their own judgement, thus helping them to become independent learners, which, I believe is the fundamental goal of teaching.
(Jacqui Long)
references:
Hobbs, R. (2011). Empowering learners with digital and media literacy. Knowledge Quest (39)5, 12-17.
Dezuanni, M. (2010a). CLN647 New Challenges for Young People and Learning: Lecture 3 [Lecture Notes]. Retrieved from http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_75617_1%26url%3D