I remember my 5th grade teacher had a box of video game magazines in our classroom that she would let us read if we finished early with our work. It blew me away that she would allow us to do that, and it was a huge part of why I respected that teacher so much - because she respected the things that we valued, and allowed us time to explore them. This, of course, was before the internet or even computers in the classroom (besides a single apple IIe in the corner). But I think that if it was possible, this teacher would've welcomed the idea of using video game programming as a tool to tap into our interests to teach us valuable content.
Thinking about using video game programming as a way to integrate content area teaching is something most teachers get a little apprehensive about the second they hear the word "programming" involved. I completely understand the sentiment, and fortunately we live in an age as a teacher (most of the time) where if there is a will, there is a way. A good example of a teacher that took on this idea is Kevin Hodgson, a sixth-grade writing teacher, who put together this unit of video game programming incorporating elements of science content. He used Gamestar Mechanic as the program that was used to create the video games. For his purposes, Gamestar Mechanic seemed to be a great platform to guide the students through this process. Lucky for us, Kevin published every aspect of this project online with videos and handouts, as well as reflections to use as a resource.
This is definitely something to think about. I know that I got excited thinking about the possibilities of seeing this in some capacity at a 1:1 school. Even if it is just an after school club - it seems like there is too much interest on the part of students not to take advantage of this resource. If any teacher would like to take a shot at incorporating this idea in their classroom, I would definitely be happy to be involved in any way.
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