Interested in student-driven classrooms? Join Dr. Nancy Sulla @nsulla (author of Students Taking Charge, Its Not What You Teach But How, Building Executive Function: The Missing Link to Student Achievement, and more) and educators from all over in #LATICchat on Thursday nights at 8pm ET. We hope to bring together a community of educators to share insights, stories, examples, pictures from their classrooms, and more. We welcome all educators to join; no need to be running a #LATIC classroom.
A1 I like all kinds of games. We often have family game night and will play cards, board games, or even video games together. Games are powerful tools to bring people together #LATICchat
oooh ... sounds fun! My friends and I play Sequence but to make it more competitive, you have to put your piece down as soon as the last person finishes their turn ... very fast paced #LATICchat
students are engaged and want to learn through their activity lists but when games are used it's almost like Ss don't even realize they are learning or practicing skills, you can continue to practice skills and Ss feel like their taking a break all at the same time #laticchat
A2: So many executive function skills! Anticipating, cause and effect, holding info and applying later, self regulation, collaboration and more! #LATICchat
Q2 games facilitate social learning. It also is a great vehicle to teach collaboration and thinking your steps through and plan accordingly.
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A2 Ss are motivates to play games and they learn to persevere, think critically, communicate and collaborate. Playing games builds skills that transfer to other learning tasks #LATICchat
A2) Critical thinking, strategy, social skills, tenacity, gracefully winning and losing, executive function ... I'm a huge fan of games in classrooms ... Used to always have a few chess games going on when I taught 4th grade. #LATICChat
A1: Our students enjoy the learning platforms Quizziz and Kahoot. We use these sites to preview, practice, and review concepts in all content areas. #LATICchat
A3 For sure helps struggling kiddos feel like they’re playing instead of learning. Classroom favorite right now is fidget spinner sight words. For first graders-so many good games that can be centers w/o much modification! #LATICchat
A3 my kiddos will go nuts over @GetKahoot . When games are on the AL Ss dont even realize theyre practicing skills- teaching skills and Ss feel like theyre taking a break all at once #WIN! #laticchat
A3) I have a class this year that loves to design their own games . All I require is that the game teaches the standard that we are learning #LATICchat
A3 I use games as a way to build and develop skills. As are much more likely to put in the practice needed to “level up” if it’s framed as a game. Gamification of Learning builds intrinsic motivation. #LATICchat
Absolutely love it. My son used to get choice during the week on his homework and he thought he was pulling one over on his teacher to always do the math first. #kidsmakemelaugh#LATICchat
A4 any opened game allows for problem solving. I love sudoku or puzzle. Also ts begin to gamify instruction the addition of quests add problem solving. #LATICchat
A4) I like the Candy Crush app and others like it for building strategy. The Euro-style games tend to be more about strategy than luck (as in the roll of the dice. And CHESS ... my fav ... keeps students thinking and growing. #LATICchat
A4 I have a chemistry teacher that always has a puzzle running in the back. I find myself needed to find a few pieces every time I am there. #LATICchat
A4: Remember Angry Birds and Cut the Rope? I love how games like those encourage trial and error and problem solving to level up. That's the kind of thinking to mirror in the classroom! #LATICchat
Q3 games help create multiple neuro-pathways, teach executive functioning and provide brain breaks. What adult doesnt take a break with a quick game?#LATICchat
A5: Heads Up (app) and Snake Oil (cards) are both games that require intentional communication AND listening... seen my own child grow as a communicator in these games. #LATICchat
A5 I like games like “I have, who has”this helps get kids taking and working together. I also like simple directions following games like mother may I #LATICchat
A6) Have students study categories in advance; have them predict questions that will be asked; ensure that they are set up for some level of success! #LATICchat
A6 Turn these type games into quests where Ss try to earn points are clear a level. Incorporate growth mindset by having Ss find ways to level up and keep trying. Also have Ss compete against the selves first beating their own high score or correct answers #LATICchat
A7a incorporating games allows students to build skills that they will use in their academics, like perseverance! It also allows students a mental break while something may be challenging and frustrating them- they can go back to it with a clear mind #laticchat
A7b ...and! Using games to reinforce certain skills will have students feeling like they are taking a break! you can review standards while students dont even feel like their learning! #laticchat
A7 Multiple presentations of the same information in different ways, plus application and manipulation of informations pushes it to a deeper level of understanding. #LATICchat
A7) A well planned game can easily boost Ss sense of pride, control and achievement. Everyone loves to “win” because it activates the brains “feel good “ chemicals which boost learning #LATICchat
A7 Leveling up plays a big role here. If the challenge is always just slightly greater than the skill level, motivation to continually improve to "get there" exists. In well-crafted games, there is work to learn, but success is always within reach! #LATICchat
A7) Executive function, executive function, executive function! Games build #executivefunction Check out the list from my newest book and see for yourself! #LATICchat
A8 I include lots of games as part of Ss choice for practice on my activity lists. I also accomplish much of my spiral review through the use of games. #LATICchat
A8) Allow students to schedule up to "x" minutes a week on games ... whenever they like. You might require some number of minutes for pairs or group games; others can be individual. Students can organize a game time, just not teachers (except maybe in K/1). :-) #LATICchat
CQ its something I've used but not as much as I now realize I want to and should be! Providing students with more activities to build those skills in games #laticchat
CA I think the best is yet to come for the use of games in my classroom. As I begin to research gamification for my dissertation I’m seeing that there are ways to unlock the power of games or game based elements that I didn’t even think of yet. I want to write a quest #LATICchat
