“That’s what games are, in the end. Teachers. Fun is just another word for learning.” – Raph Koster

If I am being totally honest, prior to this weeks class on gaming in education I was skeptical of the benefits of using video games in a classroom. I felt they would mostly be a distraction, I was naive to think this way. In fact after this week I feel that including appropriate educational video games in your classroom may actually increase your students engagement. This week I learned that by providing students with age appropriate video games you can improve their problem-solving skills, enhance their creativity and imagination, and increase their technological proficiency.

As well, there are certain video games out there that can help teach students math, or science skills in a fun and less stressful way. The popular game of Minecraft for example, this game provides students the opportunity to teach and reinforce math and science skills. Throughout the game students can conduct science experiments and use the periodic table of elements. And math is huge in Minecraft, students have to create structures using blocks of various shapes and sizes, reinforcing measurement and geometry. And in order to survive in Minecraft, players must manage their resources. Players need to calculate how much food they need to gather, or how many blocks they need to build their structures. This is reinforcing math skills in a fun way.

Of course though there are positives of gaming in education, there are always some potential drawbacks. In my opinion one of them would be the extra screen time. These days students have more screen time than ever before, and as a future teacher I feel I do not want to increase their screen time too much. Another drawback would be the potential for inappropriate content, if a video game is not vetted correctly by the teacher, there is a chance that the game may not be suitable for the age range and students may be exposed to inappropriate content. Lastly, most video games are reliant on internet connection and an electronic device. Some schools may not have reliable internet connection, or may not have the money to afford enough devices for each student.

Overall, my feelings on gaming in education have changed. I feel as long as the games are vetted by the teacher and used appropriately they have many benefits in the education of students.