Hi everyone!
This week I'm back with another post for my technology grad class!
This post will focus on Gamification and Play in the classroom.
Research studies have shown that play is crucial to children's development and learning!
And there are underlying theories of learning that support play as well:
When I originally thought of gamification, I didn't think that it was anything that I might already be doing in my classroom...but now I realize that I am!
Here are a few ideas for incorporating play in your classroom.
You can hover over the ThingLink image below for brief overviews of each one, or continue reading for more detail below!
You can hover over the ThingLink image below for brief overviews of each one, or continue reading for more detail below!
My student teacher recently started using this with our students. She has been using it during guided reading. She creates quizzes to help students with vocabulary and story comprehension. They *love* it! They get so excited when they answer a question correctly. The game aspect is definitely motivating for them.
Similar to Kahoot. You can create quizzes for students and create some in class competition while learning!
Using Quests, teachers can overlay their course content and learning activities onto interactive maps, essentially making their lessons a choose-your-own-adventure experience. I have not tried myself, but it looks like it would be *really* fun!!
My students love using Osmo! We have Osmo Numbers, Tangrams, Words, and Coding! We use Osmo Numbers and Tangrams during our math stations. They love completing levels and unlocking new ones...while learning at the same time! We use Osmo Words during readings workshop stations. We haven't used our Coding games yet, but I'm hoping to include them soon during our STEM time!
Games Students Already Know
Another way to incorporate play is to use games that students already know!
I found a Candy Land gameboard at Goodwill for about $3.00 (or you can get them on Amazon). Then I made a set of cards for the game with addition and subtraction problems on them. The students choose a card and answer the problem. If they are correct, they can move that many spots. If they are incorrect, their game piece stays where it is. I also included an answer sheet so that students can look it up after they have given an answer. It provides a way for them to self-check!
Since my students loved it so much,
I decided to make a few more sets that you can find {here}.
Gamification and Play is a great way to keep students engaged, motivated, and learning!
I'd love to hear ideas for how you incorporate play and gamification in your classroom in the comments below!
I love this! I love turning learning activities into games. Thanks for the fun suggestions.
ReplyDelete