This document discusses engaging today's students through various games and tools. It explores using Twitter, Facebook, Second Life, Warhammer, films like District 9 and Star Wars, tagging trains, and the card game Magic: The Gathering. Students wrote comparisons of the films' hero's journeys and their own versions of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." Playing games allowed applying course concepts, socializing, and competing or cooperating with each other. The document concludes that using popular games and tools can help engage students.

1. Playing the Games and other Tools of
Engagement
Cherriethel (Cherry) Emerson, Ph. D.
TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY
FRONT RANGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE (LCC) BP 116
May 17, 2011
What does it take to engage today’s students?
Twitter,
Facebook, ANT 163-100
Anthropology
SecondLife, of Folklore
WarHammer,
District 9 & Star Wars,
Tagging Trains
Magic (MTG)
© Cherry Emerson, 2011

2. Difficulty of getting Project
Approval for Twitter and Facebook
crappygraphs.com

3. TWITTER
• Twitter was made available and all students were set up to use their own twitter account (25%
already had them) or we set up a new account with their choice of names or a pseudonym.
Twitter.com

4. FACEBOOK
Facebook was made available and all students were set up to use their own Facebook
account (75% already had them) or we set up a new account with their choice of
names or a pseudonym. They were required to use Facebook the first week.
Facebook.com

5. Second Life
Second Life was scheduled for two class sessions. Due to inability of
computers at FRCC in assigned classroom to run Second Life, they did
this on their own at home. Other gaming/avatar sites were explored with
the hhelp of Kae Novak.
SecondLife.com

6. WARHAMMER
WarHammer was scheduled for two class sessions. Due to inability of computers
at FRCC in assigned classroom to run WarHammer, they did this on their own at
home. Other gaming/avatar sites were explored with the help of Kae Novak.

7. District 9 & Star Wars
Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey was studies and they saw both films in class,
then they wrote a comparison/contrast of the Hero’s Journey in both films.

8. District 9 & Star Wars
“Hawkye” (Student ANT 263-100 SP 2011 FRCC BCC).
One respect where the movies are very different is in terms of how “clean” they are. In Star Wars, the
laser-based weaponry leaves no blood behind. Even when limbs are severed, they are instantly cauterized.
When the cast finds themselves in a garbage smasher, they fall in the garbage water and should probably be
covered in goop, but they come out of looking just fine.
District 9 is the polar opposite of this. Everything is incredibly gritty and visceral, and there is so much
over-the-top violence, brutality and gore that it sometimes seems as if the producers of the film are
compensating for a lacking story. Instead of just causing blood spurts or leaving visible wounds, the alien
weapons literally blow apart the victims. In addition to being unnecessarily gross, it isn’t even particularly
realistic as the bodies just fly apart into chunky kibble bits with no bones or organs.
Marisa Newbery (Student ANT 263-100 SP 2011 FRCC BCC).
Writing the Compare/Contrast paper on Star Wars and District 9 was a learning experience for me. I had to watch
both movies three times to really understand what I was looking for in similarities and in differences. Once I got it,
everything became obvious. I had never done a compare/contrast paper before this. Shortly after turning in this
paper, I was required to to write a compare/contrast paper for my English Composition class. I felt fortunate that I
had the basics to do the second project. I got an A on both papers. Rah!

9. Who is BOZO TEXINO
(tagging trains)
Out of a garage sale book in San Francisco, this lesson was born! It was one of the
most popular assignment for the class as reported on feedback and discussions.
Billdaniels.net

10. Who is BOZO TEXINO
(tagging trains)
.
Maciej Smolarkiewicz (Student ANT 263-100 SP 2011 FRCC BCC).
I really enjoyed the train tags that we put on the walls, I liked it because everyone has
diffrent creativity and it helps bring the class more together and let people feel more
comfortable in the environment.
Stewart Grimshaw (Student ANT 263-100 SP 2011 FRCC BCC).
The train cars was my favorite part of the class because it shows how each person
incorporates their own thoughts on personal folklore.
Lisa Lopez (Student ANT 263-100 SP 2011 FRCC BCC).
The train cars was my favorite part of the class because it shows how each person
incorporates their own thoughts on personal folklore.

11. Magic the Gathering (MTG)
Magic the Gathering (MTG) is a role playing game, played with cards, you are
a wizard in control of a battlefield and your forces. It is easy to learn and
difficult to master as there are new editions of cards four times a year.

12. Magic the Gathering (MTG)
• Glossary of MTG reviewed terms of folklore and magic
• MTG books involved storylines of folklore and magic
• MTG rules taught concepts and strategy
• MTG allowed personal interaction with other student s
•MTG allowed students to learn from each other
•MTG allowed socialization and competition
•MTG (two-headed giant) allowed cooperation
•MTG gave all students a starter deck courtesy of
STONEBRIDGE GAMES in Longmont, CO.
•MTG allowed role playing of folklore characters
•MTG allowed students a chance to beat the teacher
•MTG was one of the favorite activities of the class

13. Magic the Gathering (MTG)
Glossary to Highlight

14. Magic the Gathering (MTG)
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

15. Magic the Gathering (MTG)
TEACHING OTHERS – ORAL HISTORY

16. Magic the Gathering (MTG)
SHARING and LEARNING

17. Magic the Gathering (MTG)
THE AGONY OF DEFEAT!

18. More than MTG MAGIC
“For me the most interesting part of this class was the story teller. It is not a
common experience and was very enjoyable. I couldn't tell you the last time I
had had story time, probably 3rd grade. I loved how he told a history lesson in
the form of a story, would have really enjoyed hearing more
“Well, we had to leave out the motorcycles, but playing Magic in class was
still fun. I enjoyed being able to take on the role of the teacher and only
wish we had had more time”.
I really enjoyed writing the comparison/contrast paper on the two movies
(Star Wars and District Nine) a lot more than i thought i would. It was a fun
challenge to pick out different aspects of the heros journey in both flicks.
“I thought that the interview was the best part of the class thus far. I am
really enjoying writing the story for my myth. Since that is an incomplete
activity I will stick with the interview. I believe that the interview should be
used because it encourages interaction as well as the ability to attain
information from outside sources.”
“I enjoyed the writing our on versions of “T’was the Night Before
Christmas" the most. I had a lot of fun with it, and enjoyed hearing others'
versions. I definitely think this project should be continued to be used in this
class because I think it's a good introductory project to studying folklore.”
“I enjoyed writing my own folktale/fairytale the most; it was challenging.”
“I liked having a published author come and tell us how to construct a
story and doing one with us on the whiteboard (our story) .”

19. T’was the Night Before Christmas!
T’was the Night Before the Stanley Cup (Nathan Arnold, ANT 263-100 SP 2011)
T’was the night before the Stanley Cup Finals, when all through the locker room
Not a player was stirring, as tomorrow one team would meet their doom.
The equipment was all hung in the lockers with care,
In hopes that Lord Stanley would soon be theirs.
The coaches were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of hoisting the cup were alive in their heads.
And Matt Duchene in his PJ’s, and I in my Avs cap
Had just settled our brains anticipating the crowd’s clap.
When out on the ice arose such a splatter,
I sprang from my bed to see an object trying to scatter.
But it was just an octopus thrown on the ice,
By those awful Red Wings fans that will surely pay the price.
The lights reflection on the freshly Zambonid ice,
Gave a reminder that the Avs have won the cup twice.
When, what to my wondering eyes became clear,
But the Avalanche players, all skating with cheer.
•

20. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO ENGAGE TODAY’S
STUDENTS?

21. Playing the Games and other Tools of
Engagement
Cherriethel (Cherry) Emerson, Ph. D.
TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY
FRONT RANGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE (LCC) BP 116
May 17, 2011
What does it take to engage today’s students?
All
Questions
Cheerfully
Answered!
© Cherry Emerson, 2011