Journal #9

Can Games Be Used to Teach? by Alix E. Peshette and David Thornburg

This article has two different views. Alix E. Peshette believes that games are beneficial for education. David Thornburg however believes that digital games should not be used in education. Peshette believes that digital games engage students. They also can help software companies start developing learning software, not just games in which to have fun. She believes students play digital games already and it would be beneficial for them to be playing learning games. Thornburg believes that games do not teach what students will need later outside of school. They need to learn real critical thinking skills. They do not need games that reward them for write answers. They need to study and acquire knowledge for its own sake.

Question 1:
How can these view points help me in the classroom?

Seeing the different view points will help me decide if digital games will benefit my students. I think that they can be beneficial, but I now see that I should be careful in what type of games my students should be playing.

Question 2:
What do I need to look for when designing digital game lesson plans?

First, I need to make sure I limit how many digital games my students play. I also need to make sure that the games use critical thinking skills. Games that are just practice with rewards may not be the best thing for the students. They can practice and get rewarded without using a computer. They need to learn skills that are better taught with a program. Skills that are more complex, like critical thinking and collaboration can be taught with a computer game.