1. Using Games to Inspire Creativity in Your Digital Natives Timothy Lewis, J. Elizabeth Gibbs, Margaret L. Rice and Richard L. Rice, Jr. Presentation for the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) annual meeting, June 28-July 1, 2009, Washington, DC.

2. Gaming Research Today’s children are bombarded with multimedia based experiences everyday. “Reinventing Schools” Report National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, Students are described as the “Nintendo Generation” (http://www.nap.edu/html/techgap). They have been engaged with a variety of technologies most of their lives, including television, computers, video games, digital music, etc. They are often the ones to assist their teachers or parents in using technologies. Jenkins and Hinrichs (2006) View games as resources that offer teachers a way to “make their subject matter come alive for their students, motivating learning, offering rich and compelling problems, modeling the scientific process and the engineering context, and enabling a more sophisticated assessment mechanisms” (¶ 15). Research has shown that games can support skill development in a variety of areas: strategic thinking, planning, communication, application of numbers, negotiating skills, group decision-making, problem solving, sequencing, deductive reasoning, and memorization (Kirriemuir & McFarlane, 2004; McFarlane, Sparrowhawk, & Heald, 2002). In many computer games, users must learn a skill or concept to advance, whichmakes the user responsible for how the game progresses. This is different than when using other media for learning.

3. National Summit on Educational Games http://www.fas.org/gamesummit/Resources/Fact%20Sheet.pdf Research Supports Educational Games http://www.gamesforeducators.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=131:research-supports-educational-games&catid=34:forteachers&Itemid=11 Microsoft, Universities Fund Research on Educational Games http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2008/10/07/microsoft,-universities-fund-research-educational-games Understanding Video Games http://game-research.com/index.php/articles/understanding-the-educational-potential-of-commercial-computer-games-through-activity-and-narratives/

4. Benefits Promote collaborative decision making Foster Creativity Promote learning through authentic and engaging play Motivate learning Make learning fun Promote problem Solving skills Promote critical thinking skills Promote organization Promote visualization Provide quick and specific feedback Enhance the curriculum

5. Types of Games Edutainment educational entertainment provides learning as a form of entertainment Adventure game user plays the role of the protaganis interactive story exploring and solving puzzles Simulation representation of activities or real life situations. used for training, analysis, prediction, problem-solving

6. Preschool Games Fisher Price http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=2601&e=gamesByAge&mcat=game_preschool&site=us Preschool Music, phonics, alphabet, memory games Nick Jr. http://www.nickjr.com/index.jhtml Preschool Alphabet, numbers, reading, music, matching, art, etc. PBS Kids http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/index.html Early Childhood All subject areas $9.95 per month/$79 per year Sesame Street http://www.sesamestreet.org/games Preschool Alphabet, reading, science, Spanish, music, art, etc.

7. Preschool and Elementary Disney http://tv.disney.go.com/playhouse/index.html Ages 2-5 Variety of early learning skills, including cooperation, counting, reading, compare and contrast I Know That http://www.iknowthat.com/com Preschool to 6th Grade All subject areas Jumpstart www.knowledgeadventure.com Preschool-2nd grade Math, Reading, Science, Spelling, Phonics Starfall http://www.starfall.com/ Primarily designed for first grade, Starfall is also useful for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and second grade. Reading and writing UpToTen http://www.uptoten.com/kids/uptoten-home.html Ages – 10 and under Variety of subject areas

8. Elementary ABCya http://www.abcya.com/kindergarten_computers.htm Elementary Alphabet, Counting Earobics http://www.earobics.com/gamegoo/gooeyhome.html Kindergarten and 1st Grade Early Reading Skills Funschool http://funschool.kaboose.com/ Kindergarten to Grade 6 All subject areas Getty Games http://www.getty.edu/education/for_kids/ Elementary Art, Recognizing Details Kinderweb http://kinderwebgames.com Elementary Alphabet, Numbers, Animals, Money Primary Games http://www.primarygames.com/ Elementary All subject areas Skatekids http://www.skatekidsonline.com/ K-5 U.S. Fire Administration for Kids http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/kids/flash.shtm Age 10 and under Fire Safety

9. Elementary and Middle School Fun Brain http://www.funbrain.com/ Grades 1-8 Math, English, Reading Scholastic http://www.scholastic.com/kids/stacks/games/ Elementary and Middle School Variety

10. All Ages Aplus Math http://www.aplusmath.com/ All ages Math Games Kids Numbers http://www.kidsnumbers.com/ All ages Math Games Learning Planet http://www.learningplanet.com/act/abcorder.asp K-12 All subject areas Squigly’s Educational Games – Math http://www.squiglysplayhouse.com/Games/LearningWord.html All ages All subject areas Shepard Software http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games_menu.htm All ages All subject areas

11. Preschool/Elementary Reading Games 30 Alphabet Sites A B C Clean A Spring Time Alphabet to Print ABC Order Game ABC Printouts Activities for Alphabet Letters Alphabet Action Alphabet and Number Strips Alphabet Chart to Print Alphabet Coloring Pages Book Alphabet Dot to Dot Alphabet Game Alphabet Games Alphabet Online Alphabet Scrapbook AlphaBites Animal Alphabet Coloring Arthur Games Arthur Goes to School Aven's Corner Barney Games BBC Preschool Games Bear Wear Beginning Sounds Bemboo's Zoo Big Bird Goes Camping Blending Words Together Clifford's Sound Match Game Colorful Alphabet Charts Compass Rosie Connect the Dots Copy the Alphabet Create Tracing Paper Create-a-Book Coloring Book Cut and Paste Alphabet Fun Digby Mole's Word Games Dragon Tales Draw On Dress the Teddy Fifteen-Minute Reading Activities Find the Pairs Flash Coloring Free Printable ABC Worksheets Frog Jump Fun in the Deep Blue Sea Fun With Letters Funschool Games and Activities Gawain's Word Get An Ear Full Good Night Stories Help Build Pinocchio I Spy Games Ice Cream Kids' Korner Network Kindergarten Literacy Activities Kitty Wants a Box Online Story KookerKids

12. Preschool/Elementary Reading Games Learn Beginning Letters Learn to Read With Starfall Learning Activities Let's Make Words Letter Chart Letter Match Letter Sounds PowerPoints Letters of the Alphabet Online Letters of the Alphabet Online Story Letters to Big Bird Literactive-Teaching Children to Read Literacy Center Education Network Literacy Center Learn and Play Little Explorers Little Red Riding Hood Rhyming Words Make an Alphabet Scrapbook Making Faces Mother Goose Mouse House Jr. Nick Jr. Noggin Online Long Vowel Game Online Stories Picture Match Poisson Rouge Games Practice Worksheets Pre Kinders Teachers Page Printable Alphabet

13. Preschool/Elementary Reading Games Printable Alphabet Coloring Pages Printable Alphabet Fishing Game Printable Books to Read Printing Activities Rapid Naming Rats! Letters Reading and Writing Skill-Builders for Kindergartners Reading and Writing Skills Reading Rockets Reggie Loves to Rhyme Rhyming Game Online RoliePolieOlie School-Home Links Reading Kit Kindergarten Activities SeeNSpell- Short Vowels Silly Books Online Sound Domino Game Speakaboos Stanley Games Story Bear's Stories Storyplace Teddy Bear ABC Chant The ABC Game The Animated Alphabet The Book Game The Book of Pooh The Playground Center Tiny Planets Type Me Vowel Letter Combinations To Hear Sounds Welcome to Inkless Tales What Did Toby See What's In the Bag? Wild World of Words Word Wizard Write the Alphabet Online Writing Guide and Alphabet Activities Writing Skills Practice ZES Sight Words Zoboomafoo ZParadise

14. Preschool/Elementary Math Games 1 2 3 Order AAA Math Kindergarten Add'em Up Game Alphabet and Digits Astronomy Shape Match Billy Bear Stickers Billy Bear's Math Games Bobinogs Break Out Build With Shapes Online Bungalo Books Connect the Dots Color Online Color Quiz Coloring Online Concentration Game from Inkless Tales Cookie Dough Count Hoot's Number Games Count Us In Games Count Your Chickens Counting on a Cloud Cuckoo's ClockWorks Decorate the Dollhouse Doodle Pad Enchanted Learning Connect the Dots Fisher Price Games Give the Students a Head Start Golden Books Print Factory Grade One Math Worksheets Harold's Crayon I Spy Game Ice Cream Impossible Patience Interactive Color Book Kelly Club Kindergarten Math Book Kindergarten Think Math Kinderweb Children's Games Learn about Money Little Animals Activity Center Live and Learn Colors

15. Preschool/Elementary Math Games Maisy's Fun Club Math Games Math Skills Meddybemp's Easter Meddybemp's Ghost Walk Mix Match Moo Milk Connect the Dots Mr. Elephant's Matching Game Number Chants and Counting Songs Number Time Odd & Even Coloring Paint the Shapes Patterns Games from Inkless Tales Pick a Duck Play Online Color Game Print and Learn Math Worksheets Prongo Connect the Dots Put It on the Shelf Rats Color Game Roz's Math-a-Rama Seaside Stickers Shape Sorter Shapes and Colors Webquest Shapes Matching Game Shapes Worksheets Snakes and Ladders Online Soft Schools Kindergarten Math Space Hopscotch Spatial Concepts Take It Away Game The Counting Game The Counting Story The Counting Story The Number Game Tic Tac Toe from Inkless Tales TimeWorks UFO Game

16. Downloadable Games Quest Atlantis http://atlantis.crlt.indiana.edu/site/view/Educators# Lure of the Labyrinth http://labyrinth.thinkport.org/www/educators.php Middle School Pre-Algebra Students Discover Babylon http://fas.org/babylon/ Ages 8-14 Immune Attack http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immune_Attack

17. Games for Purchase Carmen Sandiego series http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmen_Sandiego Preteens Teaches geography, English ClueFinders http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_ClueFinders Ages 8-12 Big Brain Academy http://www.bigbrainacademy.com/ds/index.html Freddi Fish http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddi_Fish Pajama Sam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pajama_Sam SPORE http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spore_(game) Sims 3 Teens http://www.thesims3.com/

18. References Jenkins, H. & Hinrichs, R. (2006). Project: Games to teach. Retrieved from http://icampus.mit.edu/projects/GamesToTeach.shtml on June 22, 2009. Kirriemuir, J. & McFarlane, A. (2004). Literature in games and learning. Retrieved from http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:MxZBy-7aPfgJ:www.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/lit_reviews/Games_Review.pdf+Kirriemuir+%26+McFarlane,+2004&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a on June 22, 2009. McFarlane, A., Sparrowhawk, A. & Heald, Y. (2002). Report on the educational use of games. Retrieved from http://www.teem.org.uk/publications/teem_gamesined_full.pdf on June 22, 2009.