Competitive gaming is making it to the mainstream! Competitions are selling out venues like Madison Square Garden and online streaming of Esports is as popular as viewing of professional athletic events. Colleges are starting to provide scholarships for competitive gaming. It is time to build the pipeline to prepare students for these opportunities while honoring their interests and valuing their skills. This chat is aimed at building a community around the growth of Esports in grades 6 though 12 which will naturally feed into the college programs. Join us for the weekly #EsportsEDU chat at 7:30 pm ET. It is a 30 minute chat that will have one question / topic each week to guide the discussion. Use the hashtag #Esportsedu or join us via participate.com at participate.com/chats/EsportsEDU
Steve from NJ - I teach Video Game Design and Development at a middle school in NJ and run our game club. Looking to start a high school #Esports club next year. Fav multiplayer game - Starcraft! #EsportsEdu
Will from GA, I teach 9th Grade English and I coach swimming. Been doing Game-based learning a bit in my class and kids have responded very well. I've been discussing with my students via Discord about how to best implement Esports. #esportsedu
Hi everyone. Ben from Atlantic Canada. I'm a grade 6-12 technology teacher and Lead of Innovative Design for my school. #Minecraft is my fav multiplayer game but the EASports NHL series and BattleFront 2 are super close in the voting. #ESportsEDU
Hey James! Great to see you. I really need to play more League just so I can be in the know and better equipped to introduce it (and talk about it) to kids #EsportsEDU
A1: Games that lend well to Competitive Gaming: League of Legends, Overwatch, Starcraft (I and II), Heroes of the Storm, Rocket League, Hearthstone, Minecraft #EsportsEDU#Esports
Hi everyone. Ben from Atlantic Canada. I'm a grade 6-12 technology teacher and Lead of Innovative Design for my school. #Minecraft is my fav multiplayer game but the EASports NHL series and BattleFront 2 are super close in the voting. #ESportsEDU
A1: Definitely agree with @mr_isaacs, it's important that there is heavy drive from the students. I also feel that team-based games lend themselves to more of the positive benefits of #esports like bettering teamwork and communication skills. #EsportsEDU
I think it will get easer here soon as more and more competitive options open up for young adults that branch nicely into future career opportunities, people will need edu but may see the positives #ESportsEDU
In reply to
@mr_isaacs, @pentaclethra, @InternallyValid, @MGrundel, @MrMillerReads, @playvscom
Andrew Byrne- I teach graduate higher ed counseling and student affairs and have been working on game design in grad school course design and some MMO research projects. Fave MMO game right now is @PlayOverwatch. #EsportsEDU
Rocket league, R6, And now that epic is dumping major funds into FN that will also open up more, though my son if finding lots of FM matches already through smaller venues #EsportsEdu
True but at the same time it is certainly important to choose games that we can get a critical mass playing in order to make competition viable #EsportsEDU
A1 - Games where violence can be hidden via toggle and games that are popular. Let the professionals hype the games and as teachers we can craft healthy competition from the games that emerge most popular. #ESPortsEDU
A1: We need to focus on games that students are actively playing. Though my students, I was able to learn about Fortnite and Clash Royale. These games are both examples of low floor, high ceiling tasks. Elements of each can be used in the gamified classroom! #ESportsEDU
I would love to see more Rocket League and also Super Smash Brothers - mainly because I have kids playing Smash EVERY day at game club. Obviously the interest is there. The $$ Epic is pouring into making FN a contender is very intriguing #EsportsEDU
Q: Have to ask... What are your thoughts about @fortnitegame in #Esports? #EsportsEDU - I know there are critics - wonder if the investment from Epic ($100,000,000) for competition prizes is helping them make a strong case?
Fortnite is interesting because I have seen incredible teamwork taking place in duo and squads and there's no doubt that the popularity is there! #EsportsEDU Many think it isn't balanced enough, etc. and question that. Time will tell...
A1 - I'm referring to blood and gore options and even live chat limitation options. If the game is in school it has to meet school standards. Even if it is a club. But like radio station playlists school standards are becoming more relaxed. #ESportsEDU
A1 - Games where violence can be hidden via toggle and games that are popular. Let the professionals hype the games and as teachers we can craft healthy competition from the games that emerge most popular. #ESPortsEDU
How hidden does the violence have to be? There's violence in Minecraft, certainly @fortnitegame although there's no blood or gore which is a plus, but still huge weapons. Definitely a top of mind issue in these discussions #EsportsEDU
A - From what I've seen there is absolutely nothing wrong with @FortniteGame being considered for #EsportsEDU in grades 8-12 at least. I am talking about Club Based playing. Not in class situations.
Q: Have to ask... What are your thoughts about @fortnitegame in #Esports? #EsportsEDU - I know there are critics - wonder if the investment from Epic ($100,000,000) for competition prizes is helping them make a strong case?
A - From what I've seen there is absolutely nothing wrong with @FortniteGame being considered for #EsportsEDU in grades 8-12 at least. I am talking about Club Based playing. Not in class situations.
Q: Have to ask... What are your thoughts about @fortnitegame in #Esports? #EsportsEDU - I know there are critics - wonder if the investment from Epic ($100,000,000) for competition prizes is helping them make a strong case?
Again, I'll point to the amazing communication skills I've seen by kids playing duo and squad - not to mention the other kids crowding around to watch as the game gets close to the finish #EsportsEDU
I think it’s a good option, battle Royale games have been huge with my kids for quite some time. It could be a good gateway game into esport #EsportsEdu
I'm optimistic about it. It's a game that resonates with the tons of students, it's one of the games students can build a community around. Heck, it crosses the barrier in terms of who plays, especially after @ninja and @drake played it together on stream. #EsportsEDU
In reply to
@mr_isaacs, @FortniteGame, @Ninja, @Drake
absolutely - it's really hard to force games on kids because it's the most widespread competitive game #EsportsEDU - I've seen that very clearly in our game club
A successful #ESportsEDU Program will capitalize on a culture that already exists and grow that culture into healthy and valuable learning experiences.
absolutely - it's really hard to force games on kids because it's the most widespread competitive game #EsportsEDU - I've seen that very clearly in our game club
#esportsedu — I asked my high school students about competitive gaming and they were split on it — however all of them were into it when I proposed they squad up and have to ride bicycles to generate the power to play the video games!!
I've gotten some of my game club kids interested in @starcraft and we play it every day in club. Some of them have grown quite a bit in the game (sadly my days of mopping the floor with them are over) Right, @FelpixTheMaker#esportsedu
Thanks for joining the #EsportsEDU chat tonight. Outro: Reintroduce yourself with name, location, role, and what share what game you are eager to start playing or introduce to your students?
#EsportsEDU Outro: Tristan from NJ, I'm going to try to show the younger kids hearthstone and league of legends this summer to see if I can build a farm team.
I know, right??? But yet we still have this horrible fear of it being played in school. That's why we need parents in this chat to share their feelings about their kids playing these games! #EsportsEDU
In reply to
@MrMillerReads, @carrie_linden, @FortniteGame
Thanks everyone. This was great! I'm really looking forward to getting all of our students on #MinecraftEDU in September and diving deep in the epic Aquatic Update that #Minecraft is taking forever to release :) #ESportsEDU
Thanks for joining the #EsportsEDU chat tonight. Outro: Reintroduce yourself with name, location, role, and what share what game you are eager to start playing or introduce to your students?
Outro - Steve from NJ - I teach game design and development, run an awesome middle school game club and am looking at starting an #Esports program at our high school. My summer homework is to play some @leagueoflegends@PlayOverwatch and @BlizzHeroes#esportsedu
Either way, I don't see a problem with shooters for kids. I played cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians as a child, and my imagination was much more vivid #EsportsEDU
In reply to
@mr_isaacs, @carrie_linden, @FortniteGame
