Games in School!

My side: I believe that instructional games are very useful for students in school. Some reasons for this are because some students have different learning tactics, pay attention to something they enjoy, and sometimes because they just need a break.

Being in school is hard from not being at home to making new friends but figuring out your learning style makes it even harder. There are some students that retain information if they're doing hands on experiments or projects because they are able to see the lesson come to life, while some students have to listen to the information in order to retain it. By integrating online educational games, students can participate in listening, hands on, and even reading in order to retain new information. By having technology, students are able to retain knowledge using their appropriate learning style, while also learning how to adapt to other learning styles. This skill could be utilized when they get to higher level grades that don't necessarily cater to every student's needs.

Having online informative games also allows for students to pay attention. As a student, I never wanted to just sit and listen to my teacher talk about the lesson, especially when I was younger. I would talk, play with my papers, doodle, and overall, just be a disruptive student. Most teachers don't realize that children need something to do, especially at a younger age. Being told to sit still and be quiet for a long amount of time is a big thing to ask of them. By have games that still teaches the lesson, students are able to pay better attention and retain more.

Sometimes kids also just need a break. Like I stated earlier, it's hard for kids to just sit still and be quiet. Offering informational games allows kids to take a brain break and have fun like they want. If you work with children, it important to understand where they are coming from, so as a teacher, you need to understand that kids need breaks during long lessons. It's possible the teacher teaches the lesson and then a way to review the lesson is by playing mini games that apply to the lesson. This can also be a way to see what needs to be gone over again and what students have fully grasped.

My response: Kennady, I totally agree with you. I think that having educational games is important because not only does it keep the children engaged, but it also teaches students that it is okay to learn in different ways. As a teacher, especially elementary level, children's brains are still forming and constantly learning. I totally agree on wanting school to be a positive environment. Growing up, I can specifically remember teachers that would incorporate educational games, and how fun it was to learn that way! Learning can be fun; it is just a matter of how you decide to teach and incorporate learning into your everyday life.