While I don't watch very much TV, I do enjoy listening to TED Talks. Jane McGonigal's "Gaming Can Make a Better World" talk from 2010 has been a recent favorite of mine. As an educator, I'm fascinated by the possibilities of gamification within the classroom. McGonigal's enthusiasm is refreshing, so take twenty minutes to watch it...now!
I recently purchased McGonigal's book, Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World. Although I'm not very far into the book, I can sense her enthusiasm in her writing. So far, her definition of a game is what has stuck with me the most. She states,
"Playing a game is the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles."
After listening to Charles Souza's experiences with using Knowledge Quest in his classroom, I am pondering the implications of gamification in my own locus of control. As a K-6 computer teacher, I have many options for incorporating a gaming mentality and am seriously considering doing so next year. I'll keep blogging as I read McGonigal's book!
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