-Maureen Brown Yoder
20 millions kids will be members of internet based virtual world by 2010, and for educators this should be enough supporting evidence that teaching kids to use technology is not recommended, but should be required. Kids that participate in a virtual environment learn more "creative, social, and technical lift skills." It is also a way to keeping the students engaged and playful while learning, as long as proving to help improve their self esteem. MUVE's, a virtual game that has educationally oriented varieties of iterations, while kids can make their own "virtual person" while playing games like flying, walking, learning, and traveling the world. Kids are able to make cities and fantasy lands, and having to deal with problems with in their land. It teaches kids to deal with real life experiences but in a virtual way, and giving them social responsibilities. They brought this virtual game to incarcerated teens who have not been able to experience real life situations, how are they able to go back into the world and survive? This game teaches them the situations that they may come across along with gaining practice and the ability to learn how to deal with problems.
I think this is a great way to get kids more engaged in their classrooms and learning. What kid doesn't want to play video games? With this virtual aspect of education, it teaches kids real world activities and what it's like to deal with problems that are really happening. I could easily incorporate this into classroom lessons, with the first one coming to mind of history. The kids could build their house and a community, and see what it's like to pay bills, how the government works, and what it's like to have big responsibilities. It teaches them decision making skills, which is an important thing to kids needing to get used to. It's hard to get students interested in learning about important things, but by adjusting the lesson to fit their needs would have a greater outcome. Virtual lessons here we come!
I think this MUVE's virtual game is pretty cool. It reminds me of the game SIMS, and as I was younger I did learn from that game. Not only the basic functions of the computer, but real life experiences as a human. When it comes to allowing the students make their own decisions, I believe they become more engaged into what they are doing through this virtual lessons and will relate the issues to real life situations.
ReplyDelete