Looney Labs Educators Mailing list Archive

Re: [Edu] Class development

  • FromKevin Welch <kawelch@xxxxxxxxx>
  • DateThu, 22 Feb 2007 07:33:50 -0800 (PST)
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.


 
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