#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?
Welcome to #games4ed!!
Tonight's topic: Integrating MOVEMENT!
Please introduce yourself! Share your name, location, position, and fave part of spring/spring break!
Hi all! Mr. Panda is in the house! Well, in the library, really. K-12 Librarian and game advocate in Vietnam. I love traveling on Spring Break! #gamification#games4ed
Kathy, San Antonio, TX, 1st grade teacher. Fave part of spring..the smell of mountain laurels and LOTS of outdoor fun (rivers, walks, just being outside) #games4ed
N from 🇨🇦 checking in. #edtech creator, cofounder, enthusiast. I miss spring break... Love the flowers popping up everywhere. Wish the sun would join in. #games4ed
A1) we use GoNoodle frequently! Even my 8th graders love the cheesy game dances. I also do brain breaks which usually involve giant foam balls #games4ed
A1: Funny, first I was going to say that i need to incorporate more than realized that we use the @VirZOOM bike and also all of the room scale #VR gets kids moving (and sweating) - next step is to have kids develop more geo based games #games4ed
A1: All my game actions need a physical movement. I'm the wii version of the edugaming, haha. I believe it does a better job to the brain when they can relate action to what they see to the screen. #games4ed
A1 I try to do things like "mingle and chat" with music, quickdraw where they stand back to back and then turn and answer questions, four corners, etc. within content to get kids moving. #games4ed
My kids love the variety. They are topic based, too. So you can gear towards content. Easy to use and has a competitive twist with progress bars to unlock dances #games4ed
You bring up a good point. Combining the brain with the body can really cement learning. I don't think, at least among hs teachers, that we exploit this enough #games4ed
A1: In our class we use GoNoodle when the students look like they could use a little shot of energy. I am in a special ed high school classroom, and the students really enjoying dancing and singing along.
#games4ed
Movement is a big part of theatre. Been trying ways to move out of the classroom/auditorium & into new places. Helpful for sensory & character exercises. #games4ed
A1 I use stations in my room sometimes, so that works as well as playing @quizlet live and going to teams, or when I play Zumba music and Ss get up and dance #games4ed
A1 I have to get my kids moving during content or they tune me out (like the Charlie Brown teacher) so I try to find ways to get them moving and talking about their learning. #games4ed
I hear you! I haven't taken my sweater off quite yet either! Our spring break is the week of Easter, so I am hoping for some warmer weather by then. #games4ed
Yeah. Apparently our supt. thinks our kids are really good drivers?! LOL! (I can say that being on the bus at midnight Monday night in those winds was decidedly NOT fun either...) #games4ed
In reply to
@mr_isaacs, @legendlearning, @MusingsOnEdTech
A2: Moving around a bit DEFINITELY helps wake students up during those midday hours. I also see a lot of positive energy/expressions from students when participating in movement breaks. Students return to traditional activities more engaged than before moving! #games4ed
A2: Often, moving spurs their minds, keeps their minds active. My HS kids don't get the "jitters"but sometimes they need that push to move, take a break to come up with new writing ideas #games4ed
A3 Kids can get carried away and do things that are unsafe. I just stop and revisit the rules/expectations. It happens A LOT but I think the outcome is worth the effort. #games4ed
Plus there is an excitement that comes with purposeful moving rather than meaningless milling. It helps spread the anticipation and joy of learning. #games4ed
A3 - My classroom is the library. I usually have to deal with not disturbing other users. What I do is that my movement activities are turn based. It usually works. #games4ed
A3: Sometimes, after a really fun movement activity, it can be hard to slow back down. We often have students asking for more movement and cannot always provide it for them. #games4ed
A3 - Space is a big one. Some of my best classroom memories are classes we moved outside to have the space needed for active participation. Learning about predators and prey running around a school yard in HS was tons of fun. #games4ed
A3. Getting out of the seats breaks with the traditional school contruct. Usually needs more specific guidelines, expectations, etc. It can feel chaotic, too. #games4ed
I've seen this, too, with my older HS Ss. They truly don't want to move. I don't push, but usually the rest of the Ss don't seem to be deterred by it... #games4ed
Lots of movement can mean a bit of controlled chaos. It the control goes it is easy for kids to get off task. Clear expectations and procedures make a difference. #games4ed
For me, it's only a challenge for the surrounding classrooms. I don"t mind the noise or the chaos. I start the year with the marshmellow challenge, and it really upset an adjoining teacher. #games4ed
This is true in my classroom as well. We have a wide range of ability and maturity levels in our class. GoNoodle is not exactly age appropriate for hs, but because most of our Ss love it, we allow it. The Ss who aren't interested are always given alternatives though. #games4ed
What about putting them in charge of some aspect of the game that doesn't require movement. It gets them involved and may eventually convince them to want to try the other roles. #games4ed
I have a few of these. Eventually, it seems the other students are able to get them going. Wonder if that becomes part of the game? Sometimes though it's best to leave them be. #games4ed
I have used @MetaverseApp to get my kids moving. It is somewhat fun as they all move to the same area thinking they will see it better and get to the answer faster. It can be a part of something bigger. #games4ed
For the most part, they are pretty good after just a reminder. If they still seem a little excited, sometimes we will have a conversation while walking a lap around the hallway. #games4ed
A3: Space, I have a small room and a lot of students. I try to move the desk before we do anytime of movement. I also make sure the students stay in their area because sometime we can get a little silly. #games4ed
I love the filming videos mention.Or even photography scavenger hunts. Part of me would love to be a science tchr and be taking the Ss outside to do more of this #games4ed
I'd love to see movement/acting integrated into science. I have this dream of a movement piece to explore nature cycles: respiration, water, circulation, etc. #games4ed
A4 lots of great tools to use to get Ss moving, the games, @GooseChase is a fun one, and even when Ss have recorded their @Flipgrid for our #pbl exchanges, they are out and about, showing our school #games4ed
A4 Had to think on this one for a bit. Getting kids up to use @SMART_Tech board in teams using lab activities. Using tools like @Seesaw, @PicCollage where they can travel and capture/represent learning within classroom. #games4ed
I haven't started on Scratch yet, but want to start providing some quest options with it for next year! (Or this year once speech season is over and I have time to think again!) #games4ed
A5 You can integrate movement into basically any activity/content I think. You just have to think creatively. What do I want kids moving and talking about and how do I make that happen? #games4ed
A5 - Imagine turning the hallways of the school into squares on a boardgame. And then having to play a game like "clue" by actually *moving* through the school. Roll a giant die and take giant steps forward. #games4ed
I like the repetition and movement that comes with a quizlet live. My kids really enjoy it and beg to repeat the same set to get a better score. #games4ed
Oh cool. Yeah, I can see "life" being a good one. Could pretend the school is a human body. Have to solve challenges in each room? Like diagnosing problems. Or figuring out how to get the blood to move through the heart... #games4ed
Totally agree. It does take a bit of planning to have the movement be purposeful rather than movement just for movement. Like any insincerity, the kids see through that. #games4ed
Q6: Sometimes games and activities require more room or a different environment.
How do you make/locate more room for your students to encourage movement?
#games4ed
We are lucky enough to have a basketball court and playground very close to our classroom. When it's nice enough outside, we try to spend about 5-10 minutes getting some fresh air. #games4ed
Q6: Sometimes games and activities require more room or a different environment.
How do you make/locate more room for your students to encourage movement?
#games4ed
There are a few. My challenge is using them in a new way and not just for actor training. Looking at ways to bring those into tech theatre learning, for example. #games4ed
Would love to hear any successes you have with this. We do lots of games with our actors but when we have tech kids join in, they are more reluctant and don't see the purpose. #games4ed
A7 We need to get Ss moving, more active in learning bc can lead to higher engagement, and there are lots of tools available for us to choose from or to create #games4ed
Games with a clear purpose/motivator always do better. As a shy tech kid (back in the day 😉) I always got more nervous doing stuff around those I thought were already "good" at it. I'd have been more comfortable doing acting games with only other tech kids. #games4ed
A7: I've realized I haven't done much with scavenger hunts this year...This is one idea I'll definitely be using and integrating before the end of the year! #games4ed
A7: I just enjoyed reading all the different ways everyone here implements movement in the classroom. This chat reinforced my belief that physical activity is important too, and that being glued to our seats doesn't facilitate better learning. #games4ed
Scavenger hunts are always fun! We do a trip into the community once a week,(forest preserve, park, store, mall etc..) and a lot of times our students complete scavenger hunts designed around our destination. #games4ed
And that's a wrap on #games4ed this week! Thanks to everyone who stopped by, shared, chatted, and offered their perspectives! Always a great time learning with everyone here!
