Online Educational Game - Reflection

Indeed, one learns something new everyday.  I will never look at an online educational game, or any online game in the same manner.  There is so much to offer students when they are engaged and waiting to learn.  Online educational games are a must-have tool in every educator's  toolbox.  I loved this assignment for a couple of reasons:  first, I witnessed a variety of educational games in different genres , and learned about efficient technology tools  at the same time; and second, it was just a lot of fun!  Like many of my students would, I favored this activity because this is how I learn, by simply doing.  If I were to utilize online educational games everyday, all year long, all my students would come running to class and never miss one!  Go figure.  So how does one incorporate this fun, but useful, entity wisely? 

In creating the rubric for our online educational game, I believe the most difficult task was deciding which categories to use for the rubric itself.  When evaluating an online game, one is presented with many facets and it was not easy to narrow the points down.  In retrospect, I realize now that we could have used more categories and not have been so pressured to just 4 or 5.  Our game, Penguin Hop, hails from an excellent website:

http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com

It is one that I would recommend to teachers and parents, alike.  There is a good choice and range of games to choose from, and all of them are user-friendly, educational, and fun for all ages.  With this in mind, I plan to use some of the games on the website for my content area to target certain skills and standard objectives.  Though the games don't focus on specific science skills, many of the math games would enhance knowledge needed in the process of the scientific method, such as unit conversions.  Also, I figure online educational games are great for breaking the ice, warming up for a class activity, a reward for a good day's or week's work, and extra credit.  My preference would be to engage students in games specifically aimed at science skills, however, I don't discourage the use of online games in promoting interdisciplinary learning.  After all, if they can read, write, and do math, then they will be able to do science, and a lot more!

In reviewing the NETS*T standards with regards to this assignment, I bring to the forefront two of these standards as how I feel they affect or could affect my application of technology in the classroom.  Because the assignment involved creating a rubric, Standard 4 as it concerns itself with Assessment and Evaluation, allows the idea of incorporating a technology tool and a rubric.  An assignment such as the evaluation of an online game can be edited into many different versions in any educational content.  Through a rubric, teachers can provide effective guidance in ensuring that students are using technology for the most appropriate and best learning opportunity possible.  Standard 6B which promotes the application of technology to empower and recognize diversity in student populations, (International, 2011), speaks for itself.

Of course, in the realm of safety and children, we must ensure that parents and educators are aware of any risks involved before the benefits of online educational games are realized.  It is the primary responsibility of any adult in charge of children using online educational games that it is a safe and child-friendly environment.  It is also a priority that games are educational, and not just online.  As one blogger puts it, "The important thing here is to choose educational games, musical games, word games, etc. and not free online games, which does not serve any purpose." (Trent, 2010).  Funny, I think we covered all those mentioned in class the other day, check!

References

Trent, M. (2010, December 28).  Advantages for Kids By Playing Online Educational   

     Games.  Retrieved June 15, 2012 from

      http://morgantrent.blogspot.com/2010/12/advantages-online-educational-games.html.

International Society for Technology in Education. (2011). Retrieved June 14, 2012 from

http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx