The Connection Between Buffalo, Gaming, and Standardized Testing

When will someone recognize the importance of interactive gaming within our schools?  When will the “Paradigm Shift” come, as Sir Ken Robinson has been proclaiming? When will we move away from standardized tests and focus on divergent thinking, which can occur in games and simulations?This reminds me of a trip…..
In the summer of 2005 I took a trip to Canada and I was introduced to the term “buffalo jump.”  This is where the indigenous people of Alberta scared the buffalo off a cliff in order to get the resources the buffalo provided.  
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EdGamer Episode 7: World of Schoolcraft

Alternate title that was not used- Kids Know What Real Games Are

 

We’ve done it again! For the second straight week we have a fascinating guest on EdGamer. This week’s episode (Episode 7) finds us chatting with Lucas Gillispie, an Instructional Technology Coordinator for Pender County Schools in southeastern North Carolina. Lucas has a history with gaming and education that eclipses 99 percent of the field.… Read the rest

Get Lost Angry Birds, I Have Zombies to Hunt….

Sweaty palms…nausea…darting eyes….racing heart…I’m in complete withdrawal. As I stare at my phone sitting on the counter I realize I am an addict…addicted to games. It all started with Pong. Pong, you were a deceptively simple game for a simple platform in much simpler times, but you had a complex hold on my heart. Years have gone by, color has been introduced, themes have developed but we still obsess over the most simple of games.… Read the rest

EdGamer Episode 6: Sending Our Kids to the Mines

You wanted more…you got it! Last week we on EdGamer we discussed a teacher from NYC who was using the game Minecraft in his elementary school classes. In this episode of EdGamer we are happy to introduce our first guest…the “Minecraft Teachr” himself…Joel Levin from Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in NYC. Listen in as Joel joins us and talks about his experiences with Minecraft, the benefits of gaming in education, and how to go about using Minecraft in YOUR classroom.… Read the rest

How to Eliminate Test Anxiety: Eliminate the Test

 

We’re all interested in what happened in Connecticut this past week: little girl goes missing for a few days, causes a state-wide search, national Amber-alert, Twitter frenzy, social media fracas, then luckily, the kid ends up being found. The caveat is the reason she gave for going into incognito mode: she was stressed over the state standardized tests.

Almost immediately, the Washington Post’s Answer Sheet blog jumped on it, and, once again, the issue of test anxiety and the merits of standardized testing are put into light.… Read the rest