learning@school Shaping teaching and learning in the 21st century Ko te whenu hou te tau [email_address] Rotorua, New Zealand, February 2008

They’re FREE and on the Internet! Harnessing the power of educational games using web 2.0 social bookmarking Rachel Boyd, Learning@School 2008 [email_address] http://rachelboyd.blogspot.com

Harnessing the power of

educational games

using web 2.0 social bookmarking

Rachel Boyd,

Learning@School 2008

[email_address]

http://rachelboyd.blogspot.com

Why take advantage of educational games in your classroom?

excitin g find games…

excitin g

find games… engaging

engaging

enjoyable find games…

enjoyable

fun! find games…

fun!

Games cater for a wide range of learning styles… visual , auditory and kinesthetic

Games cater for a wide range of learning styles…

visual ,

auditory

and kinesthetic

Educational games allow students to enhance, reinforce and extend concepts taught as part of the learning programme.

Games create a positive association with learning and “allow for the repetition and deeper processing that strengthens neural pathways.” (Millis, 2003)

Games create a positive association with learning and “allow for the repetition and deeper processing that strengthens neural pathways.”

(Millis, 2003)

What if you could harness all that in your classroom on a daily basis ?

What if it was free and easy to implement?

Even if you only have one computer in your classroom!

Enter… Social Bookmarking!

Social

Bookmarking!

Using a social bookmarking tool called del.icio.us you can easily and simply ‘bookmark’ sites and free educational games on the Internet for your class to view and play.

Using a social bookmarking tool called

del.icio.us

you can easily and simply ‘bookmark’ sites and free educational games on the Internet for your class to view and play.

Your bookmarked games and activities will be available for students to use: at school at home from any Internet capable computer !

Your bookmarked games and activities will be available for students to use:

at school

at home

from any Internet capable computer !

With the click of a button you can add , modify or delete sites you have bookmarked and have your del.icio.us site automatically updated .

With the click of a button you can

add ,

modify

or delete

sites you have bookmarked and have your del.icio.us site automatically updated .

You can also tag your games with keywords that will enable students to access and easily locate and play the games. You choose the tags so you can even tag games with individual student names or names of reading or maths groups.

You can also

tag

your games with keywords

that will enable students to access and easily locate and play the games.

You choose the tags so you can even tag games with individual student names or names of reading or maths groups.

Social Bookmarking in Plain English (and without using ANY technology!)

A peek into my class’ world http://del.icio.us/room9nelsoncentral Used for: reinforcement games @ reading/literacy time - individual, pair and group knowledge building games @ maths/numeracy time - pair and group concept building games for inquiry topics special needs students wet day/just for fun games reward & incentive Linked to our class blog

http://del.icio.us/room9nelsoncentral

Used for:

reinforcement games @ reading/literacy time - individual, pair and group

knowledge building games @ maths/numeracy time - pair and group

concept building games for inquiry topics

special needs students

wet day/just for fun games

reward & incentive

Simply del.icio.us! Time now to find and play some cool games to add to the mix … and to create your own del.icio.us account for your students or class!

Time now to find and play some cool games to add to the mix

… and

to create your own del.icio.us account for your students or class!

Conclusion How will you implement and use this in the classroom? What changes/adaptions will you need to make to your teaching to ensure this will be successful? Now that you have made a start with your class’ educational games portal….

How will you implement and use this in the classroom?

What changes/adaptions will you need to make to your teaching to ensure this will be successful?

Thanks! Rachel Boyd, Nelson Central School [email_address] http://rachelboyd.blogspot.com http://room9nelsoncentral.blogspot.com http://room9nelsoncentral2008.blogspot.com Feel free to contact me if I an be of any assistance. I’d love to see how you’re getting on!

Rachel Boyd,

Nelson Central School

[email_address]

http://rachelboyd.blogspot.com

http://room9nelsoncentral.blogspot.com

http://room9nelsoncentral2008.blogspot.com