Teaching in the Game-Based Classroom: Practical Strategies for Grades 6-12

Teaching in the Game-Based Classroom is a hands-on guide to leveraging students’ embrace of video games toward successful school performance. Evidence tells us that game-based learning can help teachers design classes, develop transformative learning tools, and assess progress on multiple levels not dependent on one-size-fits-all bubble sheets. Authored by game-savvy teachers in partnership with classroom-experienced academics, the highly varied chapters of this book are concise yet filled with sound pedagogical approaches. Middle and high school educators will find engaging new ways of inspiring students’ intrinsic motivation, skill refinement, positive culture-building, autonomy as learners, and more.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: The Urgency of Innovation 1. Improve Student Engagement with Gameful Learning 2. Videogames, Feedback Loops, and Classroom Practice 3. Minecraft and Socially Situated Student Learning 4. Minecraft and Transformative Teaching 5. "The Whole Enchilda" a Game for Teaching Mathematical Fluency 6. Level Up Science: Design Thinking, Games and Project-Based Learning 7. Cellverse: Using Virtual Reality to Learn About Cells from the Inside Out 8. "Living in Media: Why Teach the World’s Most Controversial Video Game?" 9. Engaging History through Student Authored Text Adventure Games 10. An Overview of Live Immersive Social Interactives and their Educational Value for Grades 6-12 11. Don't Split the Party: Using Games to Enhance Social-Emotional Learning Strategies 12. Promoting Student Health and Well-being with Digital Games 13. Using Games for Empathy, Compassion and Care 14. What We Learned from Games to Make Assessment Playful Conclusion: Once We Defeat the COVID-19 Boss Battle, What then?" Afterword

About the Author :
David Seelow is Founder of the Revolutionary Learning blog and an education service provider. He is Senior Adjunct Professor of English at the College of Saint Rose, U.S.A., and was Founding Executive Director of the Center for Game and Simulation-Based Learning.

Review :
"From Pre-K to senior year of high school, play is the most essential component for deeper learning. By mixing theoretical foundations with practical examples, Teaching in the Game-Based Classroom ought to be the go-to text for current and future educators to learn about effectively incorporating games into their classes. The backgrounds of the contributors, ranging from expert scholars to innovative classroom teachers, ensures that David Seelow's book will improve the educational experience for teachers and students alike." —David Sherrin, NCSS award-winning teacher at Harvest Collegiate High School, New York, and author of Authentic Assessment in Social Studies: A Guide to Keeping it Real and The Classes They Remember: Using Role-Plays to Bring Social Studies and English to Life "This is the book I wish my team and I had when founding a gaming-themed high school. The case studies not only allay the common concerns that parents and educators have about the appropriateness of combining gaming with education—they cast doubt on the sincerity of any current learning institution that is not doing so." —Travis Miller, English teacher and cofounder of the Critical Design and Gaming School at Augustus F. Hawkins High School, Los Angeles Unified School District "From Pre-K to senior year of high school, play is the most essential component for deeper learning. By mixing theoretical foundations with practical examples, Teaching in the Game-Based Classroom ought to be the go-to text for current and future educators to learn about effectively incorporating games into their classes. The backgrounds of the contributors, ranging from expert scholars to innovative classroom teachers, ensures that David Seelow's book will improve the educational experience for teachers and students alike." —David Sherrin, NCSS award-winning teacher at Harvest Collegiate High School, New York, and author of Authentic Assessment in Social Studies: A Guide to Keeping it Real and The Classes They Remember: Using Role-Plays to Bring Social Studies and English to Life"This is the book I wish my team and I had when founding a gaming-themed high school. The case studies not only allay the common concerns that parents and educators have about the appropriateness of combining gaming with education—they cast doubt on the sincerity of any current learning institution that is not doing so." —Travis Miller, English teacher and cofounder of the Critical Design and Gaming School at Augustus F. Hawkins High School, Los Angeles Unified School District "Engaging and informative . . . allows the reader to understand both the benefits and the challenges of incorporating games into the classroom." —Learning Ladders, Best Books for Teachers and School Leaders – Summer 2021"David Seelow has culled the best teachers, researchers, and games to provide hands-on guidance for adults looking to introduce games into their classroom . . . the strategies offered within span empathy-building and support for wellness to project-based learning and useful feedback loops. A useful book for educators who want to use games to transform learning." —iThrive Games "Look[s] at the various ways in which games are engaging, fun, and instrinsically motivating for players and discuss[es] how educators can leverage games' potential for classroom learning . . . a quick and worthy read for newcomers to GBL and gameful learning." —Teachers College Record