1. Online Simulations and
Video Games
having fu
n is a goo
d thing!
Glenn Wiebe
glennw@essdack.org
©2009

2. sticky idea?

3. video games help to
rewire brains

4. this is Erin

5. this is Jake

6. they
think history
is boring

7. they’re not
so fond of
science,
math or
English either

8. and they’re
not alone

9. “I have to power
down when I get to
school.”
HS student

11. so what?

12. “Today’s students
are no longer
the people our
educational system
was designed to
teach.”
Marc Prensky

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

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

15. yeah . . . so?

16. sometimes we’re
just too close
to it

19. Tic Tac Toe

20. Pong

21. Galaga

22. SimCity

23. World of Warcraft

24. games
haven’t
gotten
simpler over
time

25. they’ve gotten more
complex

26. Why?

27. because the brain
demands it

28. “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

29. can I eat it?

30. can it
eat me?

31. can I have sex
with it?

32. what then . . .
is your job?

33. convince a middle
school kid that a five
paragraph essay
is essential for her
survival

34. brains
search for
patterns

39. brains work best when
emotional chemicals are
increased

42. brains want to
work with
others

43. games provide “tasty patterns of
reality”

44. games create emotional
connections

45. games encourage collaborative
learning

46. games become about
“survival”

47. “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

48. Grand Theft Childhood
Lawrence Kutner
How Computer Games Help
Children Learn
David Williamson Shaffer
Don’t Bother Me, Mom --
I’m Learning!
Marc Prensky

49. whatcha thinkin’?

52. Saving P
rivate Ry
an
of H onor
M edal

53. S Hi story
A PU

54. let’s play a little!
but . . . be thinking about
learning theory

55. www.socialstudiescentral.com

56. www.stopdisastersgame.org

57. magic.pen.fizzlebot.com

58. what are the characteristics of
a highly effective
learning environment?

59. students get to “mod” & make
choices
students become the experts
creativity & problem solving
are encouraged
receive immediate feedback

60. there’s always an answer
“cheating” is supported
trial and error works best
learning is almost always better
in groups

61. German Coast Guard?

62. what are you
“zinking”
about?

64. World F armer
Third

65. na noq uest

79. Trave ler IQ

81. what’s “true” about
video games?

82. “All child drug addicts . . . are
comic-book readers. This kind
of thing is not good mental
nourishment for children!”
Fredric Wertham, Seduction of the Innocent, 1954

83. gaming myths?

84. www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html

85. scientific evidence links violence and
video games
www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html

86. scientific evidence links violence and
video games
it’s mostly teenage boys
www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html

87. scientific evidence links violence and
video games
it’s mostly teenage boys
gaming creates isolated loners
www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html

89. www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html

90. “mini” & complex games are the
same
www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html

91. “mini” & complex games are the
same
it’s just a fad
www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html

92. secondlife.reuters.com

93. so what kinds of things can
games do?

94. • increase literacy skills
• teach problem solving skills
• simulate authentic situations

95. • creates individualized learning
• encourage collaboration
• supports intellectual complexity

96. what kinds of
stuff should I
think about?

98. it takes time
• what are you willing to give up?

99. it takes time
• what are you willing to give up?

100. it takes time
• what are you willing to give up?
standards alignment
• games are just a tool

102. takes money
• hardware / software / computer upgrades

103. takes money
• hardware / software / computer upgrades

104. takes money
• hardware / software / computer upgrades
technology issues
• not enough stations or “power”
• appropriate games
• apple vs. PC

106. peer “pressure”
• tech people, admin, parents, teachers

107. peer “pressure”
• tech people, admin, parents, teachers

108. peer “pressure”
• tech people, admin, parents, teachers
assessment issues
• PBL rubrics, participation grade,
presentations & written work

109. quick start?
read about games
play a favorite game
ask your kids about their games
start with online “mini” games

110. what’s your elevator
speech?

111. quot;People do not quit playing
because they grow old; they
grow old because they quit
playing.quot;
Oliver Wendell Holmes

112. need a great presentation?
contact:
Glenn Wiebe
glennw@essdack.org
socialstudiescentral.com
historytech.wordpress.com
View presentations at:
slideshare.net/glennw98