Prompt: Gamification Idea There are thousands of ways to make your classroom gamified. As such, there are several online communities for gaming teachers, and gamified classrooms. Search the web for someone that is gamifying their classroom, preferably in your grade level or content area, and post a link to their class page, blog, video, or article. Then, create something that you could use in your classroom to start the gamification process. Megan Ellis’ video offers several suggestions. What could gamifying your classroom bring to the table to make your teaching life easier, and your students’ learning more engaging? How would this benefit both the teacher and the student? This learning log is meant to a brainstorm for you, and give you the opportunity to develop something that you can use. We aren’t asking you to create a completely gamified course, just get your creative juices flowing!
Why is gamification important? Gamification is not just an interactive game to grab students attention or to make learning more interactive..it is SO much more. Gamification is a useful tool that I believe can sometimes be overlooked. It is crucial that educators meet the needs of our students. Through researching what I have found is many authors describe this day and time to be different than any other. Students have been exposed to many new gaming devices that educators compete with while holding their attention. It is time that we become more creative with new online systems to engage our students and if we find just the right ones this can even help educators cut down their time in planning! Gamification is a must have in our classrooms as it boost participation from ALL students and increases the motivation of student desires. Why not give gamification a try when it is geared to making lessons more engaging and effective? This could benefit the student and teacher in so many ways. I truly believe that the teacher could find new excitement in teaching when seeing the smiles on her students' faces!
Ideas for Gamification
- Set up point systems. Allow students to earn points throughout the day for positive behaviors. Rewards will be given to those that can compete and move to the next level! - Allow students to create their own avatars to include themselves in the storyline provided in your reading lessondigital apps - I think it would be neat for students to earn patches to iron on a white shirt that I will give to them at the beginning of the year. On spirit days students could wear their t-shirt to school and encourage others to earn their patch for their shirts! -Encourage teamwork to build class morale is important. I would like to separate my students into teams and try to earn points as a group.