#games4ed discussions cover ways in which gaming can be used in education. Games mirror the way the human mind was designed to learn. They motivate players to take risks and actions, persevere through failures, set and achieve increasingly difficult goals, and devote attention, time, and effort to acquiring knowledge and skills. All this while the game is tracking the player’s actions and assessing the player’s achievements and skills. Isn’t this what we want from education?
Hi #games4ed! N from 🇨🇦, #edtech creator/cofounder/enthusiast. Favourite winter olympic sport... many of them. But top two I like watching are 🏒&🥌, which I guess makes me super 🇨🇦 in my answer.
Astabeth (Beth Bachuss) here! I teach Ceramics I-III and Game Design I-III in north Alabama. I don't have a favorite sport, but I have a dear friend who gets very excited when I agree to watch figure skating with her. #games4ed
Q1: Olympics are a classic theme to gamify units due to their multiple events.
What upcoming unit of yours is ripe for using the Olympics theme?
#games4ed
Q1: We are focusing on challenges or problems that people face around the world. We could talk about some of the challenges some of the Olympians have faced. #games4ed
A1: When I taught English, it was Poetry! I can see a game in which students score points based upon the form of poem (event) and the analysis of it using the vocabulary(score)! #games4ed
A1- I hadn't thought much about it until I saw this chat topic. Our ocean is next as is our fraction unit. (fourth grade) I'm starting to see some potential.
#games4ed
Q1: Olympics are a classic theme to gamify units due to their multiple events.
What upcoming unit of yours is ripe for using the Olympics theme?
#games4ed
A1: making the Olympics a unit of its own works! Could also fit in with social studies, science and math, great to dive into the sports to see how they work and how athletes shave time! #games4ed
A1: Not coming from an actual classroom standpoint, but I'd love to have a tech lesson where students assemble a computer from parts and demo the results only to receive scorings from the rest of the class for performance. #games4ed
A1: Not coming from an actual classroom standpoint, but I'd love to have a tech lesson where students assemble a computer from parts and demo the results only to receive scorings from the rest of the class for performance. #games4ed
I was thinking different poetry forms and Ss score each other - can even add poetry slam aspect and performance poetry with outside scorers like other classes or teachers #games4ed
i'd love to do an article about teaching the olympics for @EdSurge - science, SS, English etc - if anyone has anything to contribute, please do drop me a line #games4ed
I really like the poetry slam! And different poetry ideas. I thought about adding some other types, too, like CYOA, and teams could organize who to enter in each event...#games4ed
A2 - brainstorming some thoughts here. Olympic events usually focus on one of three aspects - speed (racing), style (figure skating), team work (hockey). Could be interesting to try to design around those. #games4ed
A2: Virtual bobsled...put a run up on the projector and have teams compete in a row of 2 or 4 and move with the turns! Can do other physical events, or academic with total score or finesse awarded. #games4ed
A2: I see the game matching the unit or assignment. Creating a proportional relationship between the detail and the event. Higher detail=an event with more finesse. #games4ed
A2: I could definitely see doing a bunch of different review events where the groups or classes each represented a country. The science teachers on our grade level did that the other year. #games4ed
A2: I'm going to stick with the computer theme (and steal that speed test idea - high jump maybe?). The fastest typed paragraph. Sprint coding - create a short program ASAP. Synchronized graphics... #games4ed
A2 - brainstorming some thoughts here. Olympic events usually focus on one of three aspects - speed (racing), style (figure skating), team work (hockey). Could be interesting to try to design around those. #games4ed
You can even bring in poetry from around the world to tap into that aspect of the Olympics - have poetry battles like princess rap battles for Ss to judge most powerful poem related to a theme #games4ed
You can even bring in poetry from around the world to tap into that aspect of the Olympics - have poetry battles like princess rap battles for Ss to judge most powerful poem related to a theme #games4ed
If you live somewhere with snow, could you do actual sled races down a hill? Try out different styles (sit up, lie down, etc) and see who can go furthest? #games4ed
Q3: The Olympics allows us to see events that we don't normally see.
Think of your current students. What unusual or "non-school-like" skills do they have that could be used in a classroom Olympics?
#games4ed
A3: Best foreign language interpretation of an ed concept. After all, the Olympics expose us to foreign cultures. Demonstrate understanding of universal concepts in a different language. #games4ed
Q3: The Olympics allows us to see events that we don't normally see.
Think of your current students. What unusual or "non-school-like" skills do they have that could be used in a classroom Olympics?
#games4ed
Q4: In the Olympics, countries use their flags and clothing to promote unity and pride.
What could your student teams create or do to promote their unity and pride?
#games4ed
I kind of want to take suggest an approach of having students pitch a bid for the Olympics in their country and then lay out the financial, architectural, etc... plans to make it happen.... #games4ed
A4 - This is the same sort of symbolism that those of us with classroom guilds work with. Crests, coats of arms, etc all allow Ss to create and define what it means to be from their “homeland” #games4ed
How about an essay arguing why X should be the next Olympic sport? Audience size, revenue, # potential athletes, participation across globe... #games4ed
Q4: In the Olympics, countries use their flags and clothing to promote unity and pride.
What could your student teams create or do to promote their unity and pride?
#games4ed
It's dicey, but I've been exposed to a lot of talk about diversity and equity lately, and I think this could be an icebreaker in those grounds to have students put out who they are on many levels to gain understanding and appreciation for each other. #games4ed
A4: Thinking of sports teams,they wear uniforms. When sports player put on their uniforms they become a different person. Think of kids and Halloween. They dress up like a Power Ranger, for that day they feel like they have powers.#games4ed
How about an essay arguing why X should be the next Olympic sport? Audience size, revenue, # potential athletes, participation across globe... #games4ed
How about an essay arguing why X should be the next Olympic sport? Audience size, revenue, # potential athletes, participation across globe... #games4ed
Oh, you could do it like a game. Where you have a bunch of skills, but only x number of skill points to divide between them all. And people have to think how they're points would be divided up. #games4ed
Q5. Most of the Olympic events involve movement, but often we overlook the importance of getting our students moving.
What kind of movement event could you include in your classroom Olympics?
#games4ed
Oh, you could do it like a game. Where you have a bunch of skills, but only x number of skill points to divide between them all. And people have to think how they're points would be divided up. #games4ed
Q5. Most of the Olympic events involve movement, but often we overlook the importance of getting our students moving.
What kind of movement event could you include in your classroom Olympics?
#games4ed
How about a study of the cardiovascular system when in motion. Have different students move. See if you can track a change in heart rate and blood flow. How can that be made more efficient? #games4ed
Q6: The Olympics contains many traditions to celebrate their teams: lighting the torch, opening & closing ceremonies, playing the anthem.
What celebration or recognition ceremony would your Olympics include?
#games4ed
A4 hey guys! Baby's fussy bit saw this Q and wanted to show my "shields"...but I deleted them... Eahmch guild makes a shield with a name. Each week most improved shield is raised! #games4ed
Phenomenal idea! What a great simulation, especially as the "heart beat" goes up! Could then compare the heartbeat required for different sports...wow, just wow! #games4ed
Depending on the grade level, elem - winning team gets to be first in all lines for a period of time; secondary - room privileges (music/snacks/phones). #games4ed
Q6: The Olympics contains many traditions to celebrate their teams: lighting the torch, opening & closing ceremonies, playing the anthem.
What celebration or recognition ceremony would your Olympics include?
#games4ed
A5 I'm thinking of working moves I to my enemies game as special skills, throw a ball hit a target = binys. Speed stacking cups = bonus. Bottle flip = bonus! Thinking up names and games for this #games4ed
A6: There's an RPG - Torchbearer where each session ends with the players determining the MVP, craziest situation, etc... I like the idea of students identifying iconic moments at the end. #games4ed
I add the XP for the group and divide by number of group members. Its helping some kids be heroes when they do their work! Also encourages supporting of each other and each week has new winners #games4ed
I know @mrmatera and others have talked about leaving a legacy as well. Love this idea! Framing in the Olympic context might help the idea stick better with my freshmen #games4ed
I should clarify. I have a battle system based on dice rolls and review qs tobrwplace quizzes. The bonus would be for attack and defense. I in the midat of a series explaining. #games4edhttps://t.co/iEwPz0yQdR
A7 - Loving the ideas that take a step back from normal olympics. Instead of races/competing, analyzing cost of putting on, arguing for including new events, analyzing effects on body, looking into how to improve performance, looking at cultural info, etc. #games4ed
I enjoyed the idea of actually getting kids out sledding and using ideas to gain speed. It would be hard to coordinate with the weather but it's real and engaging. #games4ed
I had so much fun tonight talking about the Olympics and bringing it into the classroom! Thanks to the #games4ed folks who joined in tonight--so many ideas!! I'll see you again next week!
