Reacting to the Past: Role-Playing for the College Classroom
Summary:
In this demonstration, participants will take on the roles of historical figures at a critical point during the French Revolution.
Description:
Reacting to the Past is a series of role-playing games for the college classroom, in which students take on the personae of historical figures during critical points in history. In this session we will play an abbreviated version of one of these games--Rousseau, Burke, and Revolution in France, 1791-2, in order to demonstrate how they engage students in the subject matter.
Roleplaying Games in the Classroom: Building Literacy through Action
Summary:
This seminar will address how both commercial and student-created tabletop and electronic Roleplaying Games can be utilized in classrooms and enrich literacy skills in ELA and ESL classrooms.
Description:
The presenters will report on data collected from practitioner-based research where secondary students responded to literature through the creation of their own tabletop RPGs. Findings will discuss the power of language and word play as language ownership, how popular culture can effectively infuse with classical literature and ELA for functional literacy skills, how electronic RPGs (video games) can be used practically in classrooms as a tool to investigate protagonists and literary archetypes, and how students can build on their understanding and critical thinking through creative (re)construction of texts through exploratory lessons. Additionally, the audience will receive lesson plans used during the study and learn how to recreate the lesson in their own classes, bringing gaming and RPGs in the classroom to enhance student motivation, investment, and learning.
Teach your students to design a strategy game. The process will be explained and all instructional and assessment materials will be provided to create complete prototypes with rule sets.
Description:
Learn how one teacher has students "engineer" strategy board games. From concept development to prototyping, playtesting, and the writing of a full rulebook, see how teaching game design to students develops critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, and communication skills. Transform your students from passive consumers of others' bright ideas and hard work into the designers and producers of tomorrow. The entire process will be explained and all instructional and assessment materials will be provided, as well as guidelines to modify the project to fit your students' needs.
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (aka STEAM or STEM) are the hot topics in education these days. Learn how to teach and introduce STEAM and STEM through games.
Description:
Sometimes the introduction of STEAM or STEM is difficult due to lack of access to technology, or low student interest/engagement. In this seminar, participants will develop ideas and projects that involve games and game dynamics with the intention of teaching STEM and STEAM without access to technology, and while fully engaging students.
The Power of Play: Cooperative Games’ Positive Impact on Kids
Summary:
Learn how cooperative games teach kids to share, build trust and work together. Gain an awareness of all of the educational skills cooperative games offer at home, in classrooms and even in-store!
Join Author & Game Designer Brian Mayer in an interactive session that explores the impact that games, design and play hold for change, impacting individuals, groups, and local & global communities.