Presentation at the July 31, 2015 MidAmerica Nazarene's Center for Games and Learning conference

1. glennw@essdack.org
glennw98
glennwiebe.org
c4framework.com
Glenn Wiebe

2. Having Fun is a Good
Thing: Using Play as
a Learning Tool

4. “The world is filled
with enthusiastic,
energetic people.
Too bad they’re
usually under the
age of seven.”
Esa Saarinen
Finland

5. “One by one, we file past the
teacher. As each of us passed, she
asks:
Work? Check.
Book? Check.
That is the last word uttered for
the next hour and a half.”

6. “For the entire period, we sit
silently with heads in books,
where our mouths are
conveniently positioned to be
incapable of asking questions.”

7. “We are widgets
in the machine of
school.”

14. Games haven’t gotten
simpler

15. they’ve gotten more
complex
Why

16. Because the brain
demands it

17. “The brain developed to solve
problems relating to surviving
in an unstable, outdoor
environment and to do so in
near constant motion.”
John Medina
Brain Rules

18. can I eat it?

19. can it
eat me?

20. can I have sex
with it?

21. we all
remember
this

23. neural networks

24. “If you wanted to create an
educational environment that
was directly opposed to what
the brain is good at doing . . .

25. “. . . you would
probably design
something like a
modern
classroom.”
John Medina
Brain Rules

26. characteristics of a highly
effective learning
environment

27. • students make choices
• students become experts
• solving problems is
required
• immediate feedback

28. • there’s always an answer
• failure is a good thing
• learning is collaborative

29. brain
research
effective
learning
environments

30. brain
research
effective
learning
environments
your classroom

31. characteristics of a highly
popular game

32. brain
research
effective
learning
environments
games

33. Huh?

34. increase literacy skills
improve problem
solving skills
simulate authentic
situations

35. encourage collaboration
engage students in
content
lead to sophisticated
research

36. what
next?

37. find games1

38. align to
standards
1
2
find games

39. 1
2
modify as
needed3
align to
standards
find games

40. use the game4

41. use the game
evaluate the
results
4
5

42. play more games

43. learn more
about games

44. Don’t Bother Me, Mom --
I’m Learning!
Marc Prensky
The Game
Believes in You
Greg Toppo
Libraries Got Game
Brian Mayer Christopher Harris

45. playplaylearn.com
mnu.edu
gvlibraries.org

46. socialstudiescentral.com

47. instituteofplay.org

48. Go online
#boardgamegeek
#boardgames
#gbl
@BoardgamesDaily

49. don’t be afraid to
make a pancake

52. brain
research
effective
learning
environments
your classroom

53. Erin’s classroom

54. “I don’t want to be a
professional student; I want
to be an amateur learner.”
Arthus

55. glennw@essdack.org
glennw98
glennwiebe.org
c4framework.com
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