New Computer continued and Video Games

For those of you following my blog, you may remember that I was having problems purchasing a tablet laptop computer. I did find one, a Gateway, and that is what I have been using for my summer classes. I love how the tablet gives you another dimension of entering information. You can use the stylus as a mouse, or to write notes that are recognizable and changed into text.

I had to drag the computer away from my husband because he has been playing video games on it (our desktop doesn't have a current enough sound/video card). That reminded me that in the June issue of School Library Journal, they now have a review section on video games. Granted, video games are not the most educational of technologies, but they can have educational uses. Why did we not discuss them in class? There are some great simulation games that can help students understand concepts better than a lecture or video. Plus, students understand games and like them. I read recently about two new games, one dealt with the Israeli/Palestine conflict, and the other was about a Peacemaker game where the player learned about world change through non-violent options. Both of these games sounded applicable to secondary school social studies.

If games are used in the classroom, it would be important to understand the educational context and make sure it is applicable to the content being taught. There are many games out there that are solely for recreation. One must always remember the learning objectives and ensure that video games are the best method of meeting those objectives. And if they are, why not add them to the curriculum. The students will sure approve!