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Reflection of the First Month of Game-Based Learning

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After implementing Starfall.com , shown above, into the curriculum, my team and I started to see results in our students writing abilities. Since we decided to use this first month as a trial period, we only let the students stay on reading and writing games (Note: the website does have math-based games as well). To add this website to our classrooms, we looked through the games the site had to offer and chose which ones would work best in our current area of study. I gave my students a list of games they could play on the website and outlined how the class would go with the games, then let them work on their own. At first,  the students were skipping between the options, but after about ten minutes they were able to settle into a game they liked and work.  Our main concern was keeping the students on track. It was key to maintain a watchful eye, but be careful not to interfere with the students' focus. I only had one incident where a student was off-task, but a qu...
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My First Trial With Gamification

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I started implementing digital games into my lessons, with the help of some of my team members. We all decided to use the website Starfall.com  to let the students play reading and writing games, in addition to our usual group classwork. Although this is a step in the right direction, there were some issues using the site, specifically getting the administrative allowance. In the end, we had a conference in which we explained the use of the website and the importance of differentiating the curriculum delivery style, and it really helped to persuade the administrators and solved our problem. When pitching the idea to your supervising teachers or administrators some useful points that helped my team include: Using games in addition to the classic style of delivery, not in replacement Give an example of the games used and how you will use them Note that students need computing skills to take exams later in their academic career  Digital games meet ISTE standard 6A ...
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Welcome

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Hello, I'm Ms.Gee, a tenured first-grade teacher at Smithson Elementary. I have a masters degree in elementary education and have worked with students in the k-6. I'm here to help new and experienced teachers alike to spice up their old and dreary lessons with some interesting and engaging classroom technology applications. Feel free to comment your own tips or questions to share the knowledge!
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