The “Gamified Classroom”

Promoting student motivation and engagement in the curriculum

Background

“My goal for the next decade is to try to make it as easy to save the world in real life as it is to save the world in online games.” (Jane McGonigal author of the book Reality is Broken)

“As I confronted the game I was amazed. It was hard, long, and complex. I failed many times and had to engage in a virtual research project via the Internet to learn some of the things I needed to know.” (James Paul Gee “Good Video Game and Good Learning”)

What are we becoming Virtuosos at?

1 Urgent Optimism (Extreme Self Motivation combined with a reasonable expectation of success)

2 Social Fabric (“it takes a lot of trust to play a game with someone”)

3 Blissful Productivity (happier working hard when playing a game then when we are laying around)

4 Epic Meaning (2nd biggest Wiki in the world is the World of WarCraft wiki)

What are gamers then?

SUPER EMPOWERED HOPEFUL INDIVIDUALS!

“People who believe they are individually capable of changing the world!”

The problem…

“The problem is they only believe they are capable of solving problems in the VIRTUAL world.”

“We have to start making the real world more like a game”

“So what happens next?” Our goal is to grab the ball in an

attempt to move it forward

Our Background

Jon Cassie EdD in Educational Leadership from UCLA

MA History from Ohio State University BA/BA in History and Classics from UMass

Amherst Teaches at Milken Community High School

in Los Angeles, CA (been teaching since 97)

$30,000 per year tuition based Jewish private school just outside of Beverly Hills (Approximately 95-99% Jewish students)

Our Background (cont.)

Mike Irwin BA from MSU: IDS: Social Science with

minors in History and Psychology 1st year teacher at Henry Ford Academy:

School for Creative Studies A public charter school in downtown Detroit Approximately 70-80% Free and Reduced

Lunch 99.2% African American, approximately

50/50 gender split

General Set Up and Rules Students are given a list of categories or

trunks, each trunk contains a certain number of levels that must be completed (knowing vs. doing)

Last level for each trunk is the Boss Battle! Students are NOT required to complete all

trunks and therefore have some CHOICE in the curriculum that they are studying.

Therefore all content standards must be covered by all levels that students MUST complete

Questions?

Key Tool: Interactive Student Notebooks (ISNs)

A way for students to keep their materials from the game in an organized way

Also represents its own teaching strategy or reminder to make sure that students are not just RECEIVING the information but that they are also INTERACTING with the information.

A great tool for continuous assessment of a student’s understanding of the material

Time to Critique!!!!!!!

Within your small group discuss the game board and rules in front of you.

3 questions: Likes? Dislikes? Questions or Clarifications?

Adjustments I made…

1 Game was way too big! (Now 4x4 instead of 6x5)

2 Combined the “knowing” and the “doing” trunks (separate in real life?)

3 Management (check in every assignment vs. notebook checks)

4 Less structured (no more guided notes)

Assessments

1 Observation (much more freedom to do so with this teaching structure)

2 Interactive Student Notebooks (ISNs)

3 Assignment(s) check ins4 Testing at the end5 Effort Rubric and Reflection Rubric

Our task…

In each of your groups you are going to be assigned a segment of the Michigan Social Studies Curriculum

Your group will be responsible for creating an entire category worth of activities (3 regular levels and a boss battle)

Try to incorporate tactics of the Interactive Student Notebooks (Right side receiving material, left side doing something with it)

Disclaimers

Extremely Low Res Use your imagination (ideal

situation) Make it meaningful to you (subject

matter) About 20-30 minutes Be ready to present the general

ideas you have for your category to the large group

Wrap up

Questions? Constructive Criticism?

Useful Websites

TED: http://www.ted.com/ Jon Cassie’s blog:

www.joncassie.com My blog:

http://mikeirwin.tumblr.com/ Interactive Student Notebook

websites Doug Sander’s:

http://nonags.org/members/dasaunders/index2.html

Wikispace: http://interactive-notebooks.wikispaces.com/