1. Video Games & Game
Creation
having fu
n is a goo
d thing!
Glenn Wiebe
glennw@essdack.org
©2011

3. “If you wanted to
create an educational
environment that was
directly opposed to
what the brain is good
at doing . . .

4. “. . . you would
probably design
something like a
modern
classroom.”
John Medina
Brain Rules

5. Tic Tac Toe

6. Pong

7. Galaga

8. SimCity

9. World of Warcraft

10. games
haven’t
gotten
simpler over
time

11. they’ve gotten more
complex

12. Why?

13. because the brain
demands it

14. “The brain developed to solve
problems relating to surviving in
an unstable, outdoor environment
and to do so in near constant
motion.”
John Medina
Brain Rules

15. can I eat it?

16. can it
eat me?

17. can I have sex
with it?

18. what then . . .
is your job?

19. convince a high
school kid that a five
paragraph essay
is essential for her
survival

20. effective
brain
learning
research
environments

21. video games

22. “Better theories of learning are
embedded in the video games many
children play than in the schools
they attend.”
James Gee
What Video Games Have to Teach Us
About Literacy & Learning

23. so what kinds of things can
games do?

24. teach problem solving skills
simulate authentic situations
increase literacy skills

25. encourage collaboration
support intellectual complexity
create individualized learning

26. so you want to
make your own
games?

27. understand gaming
understand game design
understand your content
understand goals

28. understand that failure is
an option

31. www.scholastic.com/createvideogames

32. Free / Online
*
gamestarmechanic.com
*
gamesalad.com

33. scratch.mit.edu
alice.org

34. planetkodu.com
sploder.com

35. D Gam eMaker
3
S andbox
www.sandboxgamemaker.com
www.agentsheets.com

36. not Free
www.yoyogames.com
www.clickteam.com

37. www.rpgmakerweb.com
www.stagecast.com
*
www.adventuremaker.com

38. • Business Strategy Game
• Snack Bar Sim
• Restaurant Empire
• John Deere: American Farmer
• The Sims 2: Open for Business
• Zoo Tycoon
• Build a Lot
• tinyurl.com/3s5vytm

39. Game Creation for Teens
Jason Darby
RPG Maker for Teens
Michael Duggan

40. Level Up!: The Guide to
Great Video Game
Design
Scott Rogers
Scratch Programming
for Teens
Jerry Lee Ford

41. German Coast Guard?

42. what are you
“zinking”
about?

43. "People do not quit playing
because they grow old; they
grow old because they quit
playing."
Oliver Wendell Holmes

44. have more questions?
contact:
Glenn Wiebe
glennw@essdack.org
socialstudiescentral.com
historytech.wordpress.com
View presentations at:
slideshare.net/glennw98