Blog
Let’s Play a Game — And Learn, Too!
- October 3, 2018
- Posted by: The Teachers Academy
- Category: All Blog Postings
The school year is just getting underway, and you’re still getting to know all of your new students. However, you’ve probably already met a few students who you know will need a little extra effort to help them stay engaged and on-task. The squirmers. The chatterboxes. Even the most well-behaved students in your class probably aren’t thrilled about spending the entire day at their desks. So, how do you make sure that you’re getting everyone involved in your lessons?
We know that you’ve probably already got more than a few tools in your kit to keep everyone involved and add some variety to your lesson plans. But if the usual tactics aren’t working, we’ve got a course just for you: Game-Based Learning.
Why Do Games Work?
If there’s one thing that is guaranteed to get just about everyone involved in your lesson, it’s a game. Here’s why games are a great motivational strategy:
- Foster Friendly Competition: You might be surprised how much even some of the quietest members of your group will want to get involved. While not everyone is enthusiastic about scoring well on a test, many people like to be able to show off their knowledge and skills in front of the group.
- Create a Sense of Achievement: There’s a certain undeniable rush that you get from being able to stand in front of your peers and proclaim, “I win!” To sweeten the deal, you can also throw in small prizes.
- Improve Classroom Management: When students are engaged, they are less likely to be off-task or cause disruptions, which translates into a better learning environment for everyone.
- Increase Memory Retention: The more involved that students are in your lesson, the more likely they are to retain what you taught them.
Game-Based Learning Basics
- 18 hours of professional development for Philadelphia and PA teachers
- Prerequisites: basic file management, computing, word processing, and internet skills — and a desire to bring a little fun into your classroom!
- Materials: a computer, internet access, Adobe Reader, and Microsoft Word
When you complete the course, you’ll have more than just the knowledge of how to use games in your own classroom. During the course, you’ll be creating your own games that you can use in your classroom, tailored to your specific curriculum, as well as your students’ ages and ability levels.
Can’t wait to get started? You can enroll in the course here, or browse the rest of our catalog for more courses that help Philadelphia teachers get the professional development that they need to continue to be successful.