1. Home
  2. Teaching

Teaching

Conversations About Games-Based Learning Part 1

Submitted by Michael Fryda on Fri, 2019-01-25 15:44

Hi Spielbound audience! I recently interviewed an accomplished colleague in education about how he perceives the use of games for learning opportunities. The interview has been split into two parts, each with a theme. In this first part, Andrew will describe two broad categories in which games can be used to enhance classroom experiences. He will also recommend some resources that teachers can investigate for options and inspiration.

Andrew Easton – Personalized Learning Coordinator for Westside Community Schools (photo by Bill Sitzman, permission granted to use this photo by A. Easton)

Refining Board Games for the Classroom

Submitted by Michael Fryda on Tue, 2017-04-04 15:56
Here we can see the inner workings of a star.

Just like any curricular set piece, teachers can refine and optimize games to make sure they are meeting their learning objectives. In this article I’d like to share an example with the readers of Spielbound.org from a course that I teach at my school. What decisions did a colleague make to improve the Nuclear Fusion game to maximize student learning?

One of the critical aspects of astronomy instruction at the high school level is to help students to understand where larger elements of the Universe come from. The Big Bang produced largely Hydrogen and Helium. So where do all of the heavier elements that living things use (carbon, oxygen, and iron, to name a few) come from? The short answer is that they are fused from smaller atoms inside the cores of stars. We are literally made of star stuff, as so famously described by Carl Sagan. That fact is all well and good, but professional science educators want and need students to know the process by which this occurs. What is actually happening in the core of that star?

Summer Day Camps, 2017!

Submitted by Greg Harries on Mon, 2017-04-03 12:00

SUMMER DAY CAMPS

Summer Board Game Camps are coming!

This summer we will be hosting two camps for middle school-aged students interested in board games (June 14–16) and board game design (June 26–30).

Board Game Introduction Day Camp

From June 14th to June 16th, Spielbound will be hosting a three-day board game camp for middle school students. Board games can be an instrumental tool to grow and encourage skills in spatial reasoning, math, critical thinking, group work and cooperation. Throughout the days, students will have an opportunity to learn games from multiple genres with the help of Spielbound staff and volunteers. The games selected for the camp will give students a comprehensive understanding of the skills and fun to be gained through collaboration and play. The final day will end with a session where parents and Spielbound volunteers will learn games from the student in the camp. Lunch will be provided each day, send any dietary restrictions or ability limitations to [email protected] and we will work to accommodate them in advance.

Board Game Design Day Camp

From June 26th to June 30th, Spielbound will be hosting a five-day board game design camp for middle school students. Board games can be an instrumental tool to grow and encourage skills in spatial reasoning, math, critical thinking, group work and cooperation. Throughout this camp, students will have an opportunity to learn games from multiple genres with the help of Spielbound staff and volunteers, to identify the structures of board game design, and to then design a working prototype of their own original board game. They will get to work with members of Spielbound's Spielmason board game design group, who have printed and published multiple games. The games selected for the camp will give students a comprehensive understanding of the skills and fun to be gained through collaboration and play, and the design process will help them gain skills in graphic design, creative writing, and collaboration.

The camp will end on Friday the 30th with a demo session where students will teach their games to family, friends, and Spielbound volunteers from 3pm-5pm.

Lunch will be provided each day, send any dietary restrictions, ability limitations, or questions of any kind to [email protected] and we will work to accommodate them in advance.

Encouraging social interactions for our students

Submitted by Michael Fryda on Tue, 2015-09-15 12:27

I finally took the plunge last year and got a smartphone. It has had a big impact on my life. I now have my calendar wherever I go and can get back to students and colleagues that email me about classwork or professional development much faster. I am definitely a more efficient professional!

Smart phones are prevalent in today's social scene. Smart phones are prevalent in today's social scene.