Laurie, the folks on this list are on this list because they are interested in educational applications of games. There may be several folks who are gleaning beneficial information from your posts. Anyone who finds it pointless is either on the wrong list or can easily find the delete button in their mail client. ;) In short, it's absolutely okay to post on-topic replies. :) -----Original Message----- From: edu-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:edu-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Laurie Menke Sent: Monday, April 10, 2006 12:59 AM To: Looney Labs Education Discussion List Subject: Re: [Edu] Games in the Classroom Ack! I did it again! What is wrong with me?!? I am so sorry, everyone. Hopefully this will be the last time I will post to the entire group by mistake. :o( Laurie --- Laurie Menke <laurie_menke@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Your classroom system sounds like it's going to be > great! Cool plan! :o) And I'm glad you like some > of > the ideas. Sorry about the software. :o( But you > still may want to look into the Family Game Packs. > Actually, that just made me think of something else > that I haven't thought about in years. There is a > book by Marilyn Burns called "Family Math." You may > want to check that out if you haven't already. As I > remember, it had a lot of game-type math activities > in > it. Well, good luck! > > Laurie > > > > --- "Magi D. Shepley" <magid@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > > These are seriously cool, Laurie. ;) I can't buy > > any software, because > > we can't install anything on the school computers. > > > I did get around > > that a bit by bringing in my old laptop... We > don't > > get to use it as > > often as I'd like because it is a laptop. I need > to > > get a mouse for it, > > and to bring in the printer and scanner that went > > with it. > > The classroom business/pay already exists... The > > students were earning > > checks based on their classroom behavior, but > > because only 3 of my > > students use any kind of formal point sheet, it > was > > very subjective. > > And, because of that, the students didn't respond > > very well. We tried > > doing a sticker chart (their choice), and saying > > that so many stickers > > equaled $1.00, and they'd receive classroom checks > > to spend in our > > classroom store. Nobody ever remembered to put > the > > stickers up, so that > > didn't work. Then, when we started playing > Monopoly > > and I started > > looking for some related materials, I found the > > Trend behavior charts. > > They were designed for home, though, so I > > brainstormed some ideas of my > > own. What we came up with was that the students > can > > earn up to 4 houses > > per day (1 per period they are in the room; I have > > one student that is > > only with me 2 periods every other day, so she > only > > has to earn 2 houses > > per day). Once they earn 4 houses, just like in > > Monopoly, they can > > trade their houses for a hotel. Once they earn 4 > > hotels, they can > > "save" their hotels and bank it (by depositing > $1.50 > > in their classroom > > checking account), or spend it at our classroom > > store (by writing a > > check). One of the local credit unions has a teen > > savings program and > > when I explained what I wanted gave me REAL > > checkbooks for the kids, > > with age-appropriate teen themes. :) Our > > classroom store has a > > variety of lunch-type things, and healthy snacks > > (bottled water, > > pretzels, popcorn), and then homework passes, > > magazines, computer time, > > game time, etc. And then, because we are also > > having serious issues > > with the kids working together and being socially > > appropriate instead of > > tattling, and maing up stories about each other > (if > > they don't have an > > adult with them sitting RIGHT THERE at lunch time, > > they come back > > telling us that soandso curses, kicked, spit, etc > on > > them all during the > > lunch period), for every hotel that the students > > earn on their own, the > > class gets 1 house. When the class gets 4 houses, > > they can trade it for > > a hotel... and when they have 8 hotels we will do > > something special on > > our community instruction day like going bowling > or > > going to Blockbuster > > to get a movie, or out for ice cream or a visit to > > Wegman's to watch the > > model train sets.. If we can't get off-campus, > they > > can order lunch in > > the classroom. You see, I make them work doing > > community instruction... ;) > > We're going to start it after Spring Break. I'd > > wanted to start it > > before, but so many of the kids were out with this > > bug that it wasn't > > worth it. > > > > Magi > > > > Laurie Menke wrote: > > > > >Hi, Magi! I'm finally getting back to you about > > some > > >possibilities for your class. > > > > > >First off, I was wondering if you've ever heard > of > > the > > >Everyday Math curriculum published by The Wright > > Group > > >(McGraw Hill)? I'm asking because the school I > > work > > >at uses it, and it includes a substantial game > > >component as an integral piece of the curriculum. > > > >None of the games are that amazingly wonderful, > but > > >the kids do seem to enjoy them, the instructions > > are > > >fairly simple, and they all use common materials: > > > >dice, coins, cards, etc. Many of the games are > > also > > >available on computer CD, so if you have a > computer > > >available, that's another option that tends to be > > fun > > >just because it's different. :o) Start at this > > web > > >address: > > > >http://www.wrightgroup.com/index.php/programsummary?isbn=0076038793 > > > and look specifically at the EM Games (that's > the > > >computer versions--available for $32 each in K, > > 1-3, > > >and 4-6 grade levels) and the Family Games Kits > > >(includes all boards/materials at $36 each in the > > same > > >three grade groups). Really, what you'd be > buying > > is > > >the game ideas, because as I say, the materials > are > > >all typical game components...you could use > > Monopoly > > >money and markers, Yahtzee dice, etc. You might > > also > > >look at the Activity Books and specialized decks > > ($60 > > >per book and five card decks, each focusing on a > > >different topic, such as time or money). > Finally, > > >even if you choose not to purchase anything, you > > can > > >have your students play some of the games by > using > > >their sample pages. Click on the "Learn More > About > > >This Product" link from each product's page to > get > > >sample pages, and in the case of the computer > > games, > > >actual playable sample games. So that's my first > > >suggestion. > > > > > >Other than that, here are some other ideas: > > > > > >Scrabble: Use the tile counts to determine > things > > >such as whose name is worth the most points > > (adding). > > >Or for language development, have each student > add > > to > > >a list in a category you name (such as Types of > > >Clothing or Vegetables). Then have the class > > >determine whose contribution was worth the most > > points > > >in Scrabble tiles. > > > > > >Scrabble: There is a game on the market called > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Edu mailing list Edu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://lists.looneylabs.com/mailman/listinfo/edu