The document provides an overview of the Story and Game Academy (SAGA), which explores using video games to foster skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication, creativity, and innovation. It discusses how games can encourage thoughtful media consumption and building stories. SAGA also aims to break barriers by supporting any platform and providing outreach and professional development. It suggests re-thinking learning spaces and provides 12 tips for bringing video games into the classroom, such as starting with instructional goals in mind and collaborating with other professionals.

1. Story
And
Game
Academy
Presented by Lucas Gillispie - www.edurealms.com

2. Lucas
Gillispie
Instructional Technology Coordinator
Pender County Schools
Burgaw, North Carolina
On Twitter:
@PCSTech

3. www.edurealms.com

4. What SAGA Is
About...

5. SAGA...
Exploring The
Learning Potential In
Good Video Games

6. Do You Realize That Good Games Foster Many Of The
Skills That Future Employers Are Seeking?

7. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

8. Communication and Teamwork

9. Creativity and Innovation

10. Learning works best when
new challenges are
“pleasantly frustrating” in the
sense of being felt by learners
to be at the outer edge of, but
within their “regime of
competence.” That is, these
challenges feel hard, but
doable.
(Gee, 2007, p. 36).

11. Exploration Cross-Functional Teaming
Interaction
Systems Thinking
Production
Distributed Knowledge
Risk-Taking Challenge and Consolidation
Customization
Well-Ordered
Problems
“Just in Time”
Learning
Agency
Identity
Situated Meaning
Performance-Based Competence

12. SAGA...
Encouraging
Thoughtful Media
Consumption

13. “The Wall...”

14. “The opposite of work is not
play, it’s depression.”
Dr. Brian Sutton-Smith
Author: The Ambiguity of Play

15. “It is paradoxical that many
educators and parents still
differentiate between a time for
learning and a time for play without
seeing the vital connection
between them.”
Leo F. Buscaglia, USC

16. An all too common quote from kids viewing my
Minecraft in School - Student Work video:
“...But you shouldn't have fun during school. They might
get used to having fun everyday during school. This can
cause much less studying and which will result in low
grades. Low grades will decrease the chance of finding a
good job. The school needs to show them that life gets
harder every single day of their lives and not preparing
them by playing computer games during lecture time...”

17. Bring Back The Joys Of:
Curiosity
Play
Exploration
Experimentation
Creating

18. SAGA...
Encouraging Critical
Media Consumption

19. Student Game
Reviews
Written and
Published
Online

20. SAGA...
Exploring Stories

21. Journey

22. Bastion

23. Guild Wars 2

24. SAGA...
Building Stories

25. Portal 2 - Perpetual Testing Initiative

26. StarCraft II - Galaxy Editor

27. Little Big Planet 2

28. SAGA...
Breaking
Barriers

29. Any Platform!

30. Outreach and
Professional
Development

31. SAGA...
Re-Thinking Learning
Spaces

32. 12 Tips for Bringing
Video Games Into
Your Classroom

33. 1. Read What The Experts Are Saying

34. #2 Talk to your learners about the
games they play.

35. #3 Let your own children teach you about
the games they play.

36. #4 Pick up a new game and play it.

37. #5 Put on your teacher lenses.

38. #6 Don’t overlook off-the-shelf games.

39. #7 Always start with your instructional
goals in mind.

40. #8 Collaborate and share with other
professionals.

41. #9 Make cookies for your IT staff; they
can be powerful allies.

42. #10 Get your principal on board.

43. #11 Start in a safe place to fail.

44. #12 Remember how to play.