Post written by Mikaela Dwyer, a journalism student at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester. She considers herself a human rights activist and spends her time volunteering on campus and with various local nonprofits. After graduation, Dwyer hopes to join the Peace Corps and then become an investigative journalist for human rights issues.
Research has proven that children who play games have the opportunity to become great creative and critical thinkers as well as quick problem solvers, resourceful engineers, and empathetic individuals. For years, however, the media has tried to convince parents and educators that gaming is a way to escape real-life problems and a real waste of time. Jane McGonigal, game designer and author of Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World, held a session at the 2014 ASCD Annual Conference advocating that gaming can be an incredibly positive thing. It is our responsibility as the adults and role models in the children's lives, however, to focus on the benefits of gaming when talking to them.Research over the years has proven that playing video games sparks activity in the brain's hippocampus, which enlightens memory, thus creating a stronger ability to retain information as well as master new techniques or knowledge. Today, 99 percent of boys and 94 percent of girls ages 18 or younger play some type of video game. Boys are actively engaged in gaming 13 hours a week and girls play about 8 hours a week. "If these kids are spending so much of their time in such great states of learning with games, why aren’t they really successful in the classroom?" McGonigal asked. In her recent research, she has discovered what she feels is the root of the issue.
Ultimately, McGonigal discovered, children play video games for one of two reasons. The first is to escape—to tune out the real world and ignore their real lives. The other reason is to play with purpose. Children playing Gaming in the Classroom Can Be an Epic Win — Whole Child Education:
6-12-14 The Whole Child Blog — Believing in Students So They Believe In Themselves — Whole Child Education
Believing in Students So They Believe In Themselves — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGBelieving in Students So They Believe In ThemselvesJune 12, 2014 by Whole Child PodcastDownload Podcast Now [Right-Click to Save]Ask educators why they went into teaching, and the majority will respond that they wanted to make a difference in the lives of young people. That initial idealism, however, i