A game that turned out to be fun :)

I did this game this week in all of my classes - honors and regular. I don't have a name for it yet, so if you've got an idea for it, let me know. Maybe someone else made it up before me, but feel like I discovered it on my own. Here's what happened:

0. I split the class into teams. I prefer groups 4 or smaller. Four is even a little big. The goal of the game is to get the most points.

1. I cut some scratch paper up into 1/8th sheets and pre-made a bunch of inequalities that students need practice solving. I had enough for about 1.5 per group.

2. I handed out a paper with an inequality on it to each group. Each team's job is to solve the inequality on a SEPARATE piece of paper and then bring their solution with the card to me.

3. I then sat at a desk with my handy-dandy 10-sided die of fate and a colored pen. When a representative of the team showed up with a solution  I would quickly look over it and offer changes they need to make it right. They then had to go fix their mistakes (even little ones.) A line quickly formed. Even simple mistakes puts you at the end of the line.

4. If a solution was presented to me that was correct, I would say so and roll the Die of Fate. Whatever number showed up would be how many points I'd write on their paper and initial. I would then give them a new paper with a new problem and they would solve that one. This continued until I decided it should stop (about 5 min before the bell to take care of business.) Winners got a prize - candy.

Comments: I absolutely love the random amount of points awarded. Difficult problems can end up being worth 1 points while easy ones can be worth 9. I think it helped my "un-engageables" become involved because even though they didn't answer as many questions, they could still win the game due to the random factor. I also gave them easier questions to start and worked them towards the harder ones. I also like how this game is very general: I can put whatever problems I want on the cards. Take that! classic worksheets. Why do a worksheet when you can play a game?

Concerns: It is difficult to monitor the class while you're looking over solutions. One team member could be doing all of the work.

Resource: The Start Of A Games Library

Hello y'alls. I've started a Games Library on a Google doc. You can look at it here. You can have it if you want. You can steal all of those wonderful ideas that I stole from other people. I just ask that you don't forget to give credit to the people I took them from. I also ask that you comment on things. Try them out. How did they go? Did they fail miserably or work out? What would you change? I've made it so you can comment, so comment away :)

What makes good games?

What makes a good game to use in class? This is half rhetorical (as is becoming typical). I have a few ideas, but I'd love to hear what you think.

Here are some guidelines I like to use:
1. The game needs to involve everyone most of the time.

2. If the game is for practice, the time spent practicing math skills during the game needs to be roughly equal to or more than the time spent doing the game mechanics.

3. The game needs to be fun.

4. Competition helps, so the game needs an element of it. (Caution: competition can turn into a monster!)

5. The simpler the game, the better. The cheaper the better (since it is disguised as "fun" some schools aren't willing to pay for supplies.)

6. Ideally every person can contribute to the success of the team throughout the game. People who struggle won't ruin it for the rest.


What do you think? What makes a good game to use in class for practice, review, or learning?

Games in Class?

Yeah that's right! It's time to stop being boring and bring games back into class. For some weird reason traditional teachers stop letting kids play when they get out of elementary school. Then they proceed to suck the life out of them via "learning."

I want to bring them back!

Games make life so much better. I love games and so I want to use them in class. They really do have all sorts of uses.

Purposes for games in my Math classes are:
1. To break the ice, allow students to become strong team members, and learn life's important lessons. Students have no idea how to interact with each other. If you don't believe me, look at teenage couples. So... awkward... Games can help students learn to work together and stop being jerks.

2. To have FUN! Fun isn't a bad thing. Sometimes students are feeling groggy or down or bored even before class really gets going. Use a game to wake them up! Use a game to get students into a happier mood or to celebrate successes.

3. To practice and review. Part of hating the traditional math class to me is hating worksheets. If I ever want to crush children's delight in math, I'd give them worksheets. Why can't we turn practice into a game? Take the problems from a boring worksheet, put them into a game, and now students can practice while enjoying themselves. I don't know why teacher insist on only using games for review. Why can't we use them to practice before review time?

4. To learn Math. Some games are perfect tools for learning mathematics. Look at poker: a game of probabilities all over the place. We don't necessarily need to teach gambling games (someone somewhere will probably throw a fit over it) but we can use other games to teach mathematics. Then math becomes the tool students use to become better at something they want to be good at. Sweet!

Note: Game-Based Learning
There is a movement going on to have game-based learning in schools. I like the idea, but I'm not sure how it will pan out. I've seen some mighty bad "educational" games made. If software developers can make games that are cool that teach students real skills, then I'm all for it. If a game can engage a student so he/she is intrinsically motivated to learn more, then let's do it!

What other purposes can you see for using games in class? Are any of these purpose not okay with you? Do you think Game-Based Learning will succeed?