Activate!+Gaming+in+the+classroom

Free software and curriculum ( check out mcarthur foundation for new media grants) - game tech for boys and girls club

If you teach gaming in the classroom, this is curriculum with gaming software that is free. The programming software is drag and drop! Not just coding. You can still use the curriculum and use any programming software. Suggested ones are game tech, game star mechanic, scratch, or Alice because they are all drag and drop instead of coding.

Basis of activate: 1. Issue literacy - using real problems and brings issues to service 2. Systems thinking - objects, inter relationships, feedback loops ( great book by denello meadows) 3. How games work - by making them and playing them, language of games, rules, goals, play space, objects, points 4. Iterative - practice over and over again, trying failing and trying again.

Starts by 1. Attempt at making a digital video game - short period of time 2. Physical programming - start by creating physical representations of the code you are trying to represent. 3. Go back and use if then statements to perfect game and write program.

Would like to get more information specifically on programming and using gaming in the classroom instead of spending more time discussing how great games are.

Questions: collenmacklin@gmail.com