The year is 2037, and 2040 is looking to have one of the most important presidential elections in U.S. history. The country is facing some of the most challenging times it has ever seen. It is recovering from World War III, has people leaving the country in record numbers to go live better lives elsewhere, and there is a growing division between the people in this country, with which way the country should head. You understand the challenges facing the country, but also feel confident in knowing how to overcome them. Your mission is to try to become a difference-maker in a country that has seen better days. You may simply be a mayor, helping one of the many towns around the country, or maybe you will do so well at more important, but more challenging jobs, that you wind up becoming the next President of the United States of America. Do you have what it takes to save your nation, and go down in history as one of the greatest of all time? Gamification: explainedMany of us have played the “Oregon Trail” computer game growing up, and that is of course, a fun game, that also teaches you things about America’s most famous trail. However, playing games like that in class that are both fun and educational are not necessarily what gamification is all about. Instead, gamification is about turning something that is not currently set up like a game, into one. In the spring of 2016 I took an ISU class on “Curriculum,” where I did quite a bit of research on this idea, including its benefits and weaknesses, and how it can best be implemented in classes. I even came up with a year long “game-plan” of how I would “gamify” my class. This is meant to be a starting point for any students, parents, or fellow educators to know the basics of what this will look like in my class.
So what is my plan for my 7th grade classes in using gamification? There will be a year-long game, called “Become the President.” The ultimate goal all students are trying to achieve in this year-long game, is to complete all of the objectives, pass all of the levels, and have the most “followers” (points) on Election Day (which will be set towards the end of the year). There will only be one President in the entire 7th grade, but there are other ways to win, as well. All students will be members of a “Party,” or a small group of 3-4 students, and the Party with the winning Presidential Candidate will be the winning Party. The entire class section, or “Region” that has the winning Candidate will also be awarded. Students will learn more details of how this game will work as class begins, and just like a game, they will continue to learn more and more about what they need to do to progress in the game throughout the year. Overall, students will progress in the game by completing extra projects and tasks, completing work in class, as well as many other ways. My class will be almost the same as it has been, just with a layer of competition and outside projects added to enrich what students learn. Why am I doing this? Games are fun for everybody, whether you play video games, card games, sports, or any others. Therefore, I am trying to use the things that make games fun, in my classroom, to encourage higher levels of engagement for all students, from the “high achievers” to the “barely-passers.” Besides creating a class that is more engaging, I also am hoping to encourage more collaboration by implementing competition between individual students, but also small groups, and full-classes. Working well with others is an important skill that every student will need in the future. Lastly, I am hoping to inspire outside learning, by including optional “side missions” & "challenges" which aren’t required for a grade in class, but can further a student’s progression in the game, or their rankings on the leader board. I am a life-long learner, that has all kinds of interests, from music, to politics, to sports and travel. It is my hope that this will encourage students to explore more on their own both now and in the future, and not just do what is required to pass the class, or to get an “A.” Hopefully this has helped clarify things a bit for you, and if you have any questions or thoughts on this throughout the year please let me know!
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