Video Games

It seems like video games are a taboo in the world of education. After all, the classroom is the haven of critical thinking and enlightenment. Video games are meant for pure entertainment and have no educational merit. While this may be the case for a majority of mainstream games, they are some video games that break this mold. The PC game series Civilization has players take charge of a nation and ensure its survival and growth. The game primarily focuses in on history, but does go over some political issues. Students can draw parallels to how their nation is doing when comparing them to ancient civilization discussed in World History classes. By using the videogame, history students could have fun and learn of ancient civilizations concurrently. However, the use of videogames in the classroom has met and will meet criticisms, and it is rightfully so in my opinion. As a future educator, I will have to make sure that my students are learning as they engage themselves in the game, and not just be playing it leisurely. Videogames can be used in a wide variety of school subjects as evident of the use of the SimCity series in classrooms. Elementary schools in Ontario, Canada have experimented with their 3rd grade class using iPads to play Simcity to help in their social studies classes. It has been reported that the students have a deeper understanding of rural and urban communities and have also unintentionally, but certainly fortunately, practiced their math skills because of the economic aspect of the game.

http://blogs.nitle.org/2010/10/06/teaching-with-a-video-game-the-case-for-civilization/

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/sci_tech/simcity-educational-ontario-grade-3s-learn-social-studies-with-ipad-game--146635525.html