A couple years ago I gave an assignment to my Freshman Algebra class to design a game to review math concepts. This was in first quarter. Then each quarter after that they could design an expansion with the new content for Extra credit. Unfortunately I left that school and the informatin is on the computer. --- miyu <xmiyux@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > I'm sure they will enjoy playing the games more than > slowly designing > something - that is why I want to outline a specific > process of steps to get > them started so even the least creative kid could > come up with a general > rule set for a working game. I also want to allow > flexibility for the more > creative kids to go to town and toss out some of my > steps to follow their > own process as long as it is something that will > produce results. > > My tentative idea is to have 1 or 2 class periods > each week of the 9 week > long class be dedicated to specifically working on > the game creation. The > other 3-4 days would be organized around playing > games/solving puzzles etc. > Then the game design bit would basically be a final > project. Thinking about > it now though it may be difficult to design > something like that in a 9 week > course - in that case I might need to adapt my > "final project" to something > like design an expansion for an existing game. It > might be amusing to have > them do the art and create new dice rules for > Buttonmen or make expansion > cards for Bang! or something along those lines. > > My audience will also be of various levels, from LD, > to BD, to gifted kids > and everything in between. I'm hoping to make some > sort of checklist for > behavior and grades to give to the LD/BD teachers > and have them evaluate a > few kids each nine weeks so I can gather some > statistics on if we see any > improvement in behavior and/or social skills after > taking the class versus > before. It might be useful data to aid in getting a > grant or other funding > down the line to either expand the program or > convince other area schools > the program was worthwhile. > > Or perhaps the data will show me the program effects > no change and it is a > waste of class time. who knows. > > -Ryan > > On 2/21/07, Magi D. Shepley <magid@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > wrote: > > > > This is fantastic, Ryan! Both I and the other > technology education > > teacher (my first year there were two of us) at > the private school I > > left did major units on game design. In my case, > it was a way of > > working on critical thinking skills (your idea, as > well, I see!), > > problem solving skills and social skills. > Students worked in groups to > > modify an existing game or to create their own > game. I allowed them to > > modify existing games because of the population I > was working with... I > > was at a private school for children with special > needs, and within the > > school, had the groups (mostly boys!) with the > most severe emotional and > > behavioral disabilities. These kids didn't leave > their classrooms, so I > > taught Tech Ed on a cart! That was tons of fun > when we had the blizzard > > in February and then all the rain we had that > spring, because half of my > > kids were in a totally separate building! In any > case, the other > > teacher had obtained a reusable kit for designing > a board game, but I'm > > afraid I don't remember the name of the kit. The > projects were > > interesting to most of the kids, but they > infinitely preferred PLAYING > > the games I brought in (Fluxx, Mille Bournes, Pit, > Uno, Mastermind, > > Sett, Rack-O, Life, and MouseTrap) to creating > their own. > > > > Magi > > > > -- > Ora, lege, lege, lege, relege, labora et invenies. > > _______________________________________________ > Edu mailing list > Edu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > http://lists.looneylabs.com/mailman/listinfo/edu > Anything worth taking seriously is worth making fun of. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Get your own web address. Have a HUGE year through Yahoo! Small Business. http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/domains/?p=BESTDEAL