Game based learning is a way to use games to teach students specific content. Students are playing, but as they are playing they are learning the desired content area. For example, iCivics where students lean about government while they are "playing". Another is Code.org where students learn all about coding. Personally I haven't tried a lot with my 3rd grade class but they do use I-Station in English and Spanish. I-Station is an adaptive reading program that adapts to each student's reading level and assesses their progress. My students use this program 20 minutes twice a week. Another tool I use as game based learning is Front Row. This is an adaptive math game where the teacher can post assignments of a specific standard and get automatic results of how students did. I really like using this tool especially after each math chapter to see what students retained.
Gamification to me is when students play gamest that might support what they have been learning in class. For example kahoot, where students can take quizzes answer multiple choice questions in real time and their answers are displayed on the screen. Another example is class Dojo where students can earn points when the teacher gives them points for behavior. It's more of a classroom management tool that students enjoy playing. Gamification doesn't have to be tied to standards it can just be for engagement. Going forward gamification is an engagement tool that gives students time for a little more creativity throughout their school day. My class currently uses, storyboardthat.com, Front Row (Freckle), Go Math, Typing Agent, i-Station, AR quiz, go noodle (dance/brain breaks) and google slides. .
5 Comments
Teresa Barron
4/29/2018 09:52:21 pm
I feel much like you do, Cindy. I have not used many games in my classroom nor have I had an opportunity to try gamification in my class. It is nice to hear of all the other things your students are able to experience in your classroom. Way to go!
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Mady
4/30/2018 06:58:03 am
I really liked the way you described the difference between game based learning and gamification. I have been struggling to figure that out all week! So game based learning is when the students are using the game to learn new material and gamification is when students are using the game to review the material. I think then that Prodigy is more of a gamification tool rather than game based learning because the students are not learning how to do the math problems through the game, they are practicing skills they have already learned in class. I feel like many of the game based learning games are aimed towards older students so its hard to incorporate it into our classes.
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Christina Schreiber
4/30/2018 12:30:49 pm
I think that 3rd graders would love to be able to play games at school! My mom is a 4th grade teacher and while she does not gamify her whole classroom, I know that she plays many online games with them. Have you looked at brainpop jr? I know Brainpop has games for almost any topic. I also think its never too early to get the kids playing some of the basic coding games on code.org.
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Diana Moore
4/30/2018 06:29:48 pm
Cindy... WOW! You are doing so many amazing things with your students. I am curious about how you use FrontRow. I have used it too, but I find that because we don't have the paid version, I can only assign certain content. I would love to use it more, but I am not sure how to go about doing that. Do you have any suggestions?
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helen
5/1/2018 04:48:59 pm
I am using the same games in my class. There does not seem to be enough time to explore the games to see what they are offering the students. I am impressed to see that gaming can raise scores but which ones are best? And maybe I have to do like I did in the old days, when we dropped everything and read. Now maybe we should drop everything and game!
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