DMGC

DMGC — No Comments
17
Dec 10

Games Based Learning

Games based learning is my focus for 2011 and we have already started to plan two gaming opportunities between English and ICT. One for storywriting and games design, the other on a designing a game concept with a social benefit (eg anti-drugs game).  Most of the my thinking has focused on game design tools like Atmosphir and Kodu but there is another area of non-curricular gaming that is equally important.

Every break and lunch time at Hamble College you will see typically Year 7 through 9 boys running over to the ICT block to secure one of the 30 PCs available in Mr Sangster’s classroom to access the ‘Flash Games Selector.’ These lightweight games only run during non lesson times and now cover a range of curriculum subjects, maths, physics and English as well as a a range of thinking or problem solving activities. This extends to Wednesday afternoons, where Mr Sangster holds a Gaming Club, where the networked PCs run a range of morgueware games.

Recently we were asked to comment on the benefits of this extra-curricular activity and Mr Sangster highlighted the following benefits to the department and school

  • Improved behaviour across school and especially ICT (Carrot and no stick motivation)
  • Some problem-students who attend are interacting with different students outside their social groups as well as improving their social-skills
  • All students are communicating with each other – typically discussing complex strategy problems
  • Students are helping each other out and working as a team(s)
  • Students see the ICT is not just used in lessons
  • Good “recruiting-ground” for the Digital Leaders – Student Voice for ICT
  • Increased interest in ICT and programming / design
  • Students building up friendships with like-minded people
  • Students have a safe and secure “refuge” at break/lunch-time (they are often the sort of socially awkward student that gets picked on)
  • Improved hand-eye co-ordination
  • Students are able to use computers/gaming/multiplayer gaming that can’t afford the options at home
  • And many more I’m sure…

I am confident that gaming has a real benefit to Hamble College.

Popularity: 4% [?]

DMGC — No Comments
20
Oct 09

Powder Toy

We have been fully booked every lunchtime this week. Year 7 boys hurtling across the playground, storming the stairway, one hand clutching the handle of a barely used rucksack, the other hand, a half eaten sandwich.

But I just don’t get the attraction of ‘Powder Toy,’ an online physics simulation engine with different elements and materials that interact with each other. Yes, thats it.

I love this little game. I could spend hours experimenting with wind effects and large explosions.

I have sent the link / interest to Science but as yet, we have not heard anything in response. Despite our misgivings, Powder mania is growing, played by almost all students, high and low ability alike, in the lower school year groups. So much so, I have asked Andy to add it to our directory online, step aside Phun / Fantastic Contraption – here comes the Powder house.

Popularity: 7% [?]

DMGC / ICT — 2 Comments
3
Apr 09

Redesign the Learning Environment

We are planning to introduce students to a range off software applications during the DMGC. I was considering Google Sketchup and Draw Plus. At the same time I am very unhappy with the current classroom configuration in ICT. A rather limiting ‘default style.’ Perhaps we could match the two projects and ask the students to design the ICT rooms? Canwe partner with Technology? More importantly will we be able to act upon the designs?

Popularity: 2% [?]

Curriculum / Digital Learning / DMGC — No Comments
30
Mar 09

Edugames

Now we termed the phrase edugame when trying to decided which ‘games’ were appropriate for the DMGC students. First person shooters (FPS), tend to mean guns, blood and gore are for good reason, sensitive subjects within education. However, discount the guns and add a pinch of sexual tension, we get Shakespeare and Chaucer.

Seriously now, we gave the issue of FPS real consideration. We decided to ignore all modern / realistic FPS but did accept paintball and period shooters with historical context. This was supported by a letter to parents outlining that some games did have a ‘mature’ rating. More recently we have introduced the students to Real Time Strategy games in which the action is played out continuously without breaks, games such as Savage and Swine.

The spin off is we have used more flashbased edugames as lesson starters and as entire lessons. Flash edugames such as Lighbot, The Impossible Quiz and Fantastic Contraption. Today, my colleague Andy created a very quick and simple start menu, linked to our classroom management system. Two clicks and I change reward students with edugaming fun. Staying with the theme, I added some curriculum edugames from a article I read today to my Delicious account (and I know have 40 tagged edugame recommendations), stop disasters game simsweatshop and a referral robomind. Enjoy your learning. Enjoy watching the students learn!

Popularity: 3% [?]

DMGC — No Comments
11
Mar 09

Then There were 5

Great news, are hard work, pestering and the arrival and deployment on NB100s has paid off. Today a futher five girls joing the DMGC and also the Digital Leader group. We have sorry very keen boys waiting in the wings but we had reserved a few additional places for the girls in College.

In developing the Digital Leader group, I was surprised by how few girls joined originally. If you are thinking of launching you own DL programme here are a few thought. We have a DL curriculum, which we are happy to share, but

a) do stress the design, digital media and art aspects of ICT

b) slant your ad towards a more neutral colours – our girls associated our blue floral/pattern as ‘blue for boys’

c) identify ‘positive girls’ rather than girls with talent and sell, sell, sell – otherwise how are you ever going to change the culture of ICT.

Popularity: 1% [?]

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