I am pretty certain that I have some of the materials that I created to use with my class, including a webquest on games... its pretty simple material, but might be a starting point. Let me know if you'd like to see it, Ryan... I also use rubrics with my class a lot; I definitely have the rubrics from when they had to design an amusement park using Rollercoaster Tycoon, and might have the ones for games. Magi ---- Looney Labs Education Discussion List <edu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > 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 > _______________________________________________ > Edu mailing list > Edu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > http://lists.looneylabs.com/mailman/listinfo/edu >