Making Games: The Ultimate Project-Based Learning
Gamestar Mechanic Part 6 of MindShift’s Guide to Games and Learning. As game-based learning increases in popularity, it’s easy to get pigeon-holed into one particular way of thinking about it or one way of employing it. This is true regardless of how teachers feel about gaming in the classroom, whether they’re for or against it. One common objection to game-based learning is that students will sit in front of screens being taught at. In previous posts in this series, I’ve argued that because games involve systems thinking, they contextualize learning. “Games are just simulators with an internal incentive structure (often dopamine based). However, virtual simulations of hands-on experience are not the same as tangibly engaging with the world. Fortunately, few people are calling for games to replace school as we know it. Just as there are many apps and platforms designed to teach kids coding, there are also many apps and platforms that make it easy for kids to design their own games.
Student Reporting Labs Curriculum | PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs
Here at PBS NewsHour, we believe that journalism and storytelling are “killer apps” that use the best practices of project-based learning to build engaged and digitally-literate young citizens. The PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs program supports teachers and young people to report on important issues in their community, creating impactful video reports for the national NewsHour audience. Along with technical instruction on the use of cameras and editing equipment, this program also includes a meaningful focus on understanding the role of journalism in society and developing broader communication skills, including listening, asking questions, public speaking, and finding, analyzing and evaluating the quality of information. Our curriculum was developed with our partners at the Media Education Lab of Temple University as well as media professionals and high school teachers. Unit Resources: The curriculm, which can be downloaded in its entirety below, is divided into three units:
Le cambouis pédagogique du code
Il y a quelques jours, des animateurs et concepteurs d’ateliers de programmation pour enfants sont venus au CRI (Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire) pour nous présenter leur travail. Les démarches et méthodes de travail présentées sont dynamiques et pertinentes, de quoi nous inspirer dans notre pédagogie et notre façon de mener la classe… récit. Au delà de la diversité des types d’ateliers présentés (en famille, en classe, en périscolaire…) et des outils utilisés (Scratch, Lego Mindstorms, outils de Mozilla Webmaker…) nous avons pu remarquer des points de convergences. Se mettre en projetEn effet, tous les ateliers partent d’un projet concret, la programmation ne s’apprend pas “hors sol” elle permet de poursuivre un but, de créer, de relever un défi : animer un personnage, faire éviter les obstacles à un robot, créer un jeu… ExpérimenterIl a été aussi beaucoup dit qu’il fallait expliquer peu et laisser les enfants expérimenter, s’entraider, solliciter l’adulte si besoin. Like this:
Programming through games for Middle School students
In the beginning of 2013 I was invited to offer extra-classes for Middle School students interested on programming because of classes that I had already offered about Arduino and C for High School students. Based on my experience as programmer, teacher (of Mathematics) and Scratch user, I decided to use games as the theme for the classes. The group started with 12 students, but the number lowered to 5 after August. The dynamic of the classes were: I explained the idea of the game and, usually, gave to them a few initial steps. 1) Falling balls (version not free of bugs) The initial goal was to explore basic movements in the stage and object collision. 2) Demented pixie The game was inspired in a stage of the classic Pokemon for Gameboy in which the character has to move on a ice surface. 3) Baliza com a Amanda (Parking Amanda's car) Students asked for a game involving car movements and that was my suggestion: a parking game.
Les outils visuels de l'apprentissage
Quels outils visuels choisir pour favoriser l’apprentissage? C’est à cette question que répond de manière synthétique la très intéressante carte mentale ci-dessus. Pour chaque outil, son utilisation pratique et ses avantages sont proposés. Cliquer sur la carte pour l’agrandir. Son auteur, Renaud Keymeulen l’a réalisée après avoir participé aux ateliers de Visual Mapping de juin 2015. Chercheur en pédagogies nouvelles et méthodologue, il a mis en pratique des activités d’apprentissage différentes basées sur les intelligences multiples et la coopération dans ses classes. Renaud Keymeulen est l’auteur de l’ouvrage pédagogique de référence « Vaincre ses difficultés scolaires grâce aux intelligences multiples« . Les prochains ateliers de Visual Mapping auront lieu à Paris les 5 et 6 octobre prochains.
