This document discusses the importance of unplugging students from digital devices and screens to play. It notes that many students have become overly dependent on digital technologies and screens. By encouraging outdoor play and non-digital games, students can build important life skills, learn mechanisms for managing screen time, and develop themes around real-world experiences rather than virtual ones. Unplugging allows students to "get their learn on" through hands-on activities and integrating gaming into classroom lessons in a balanced way.
Where I am Coming from. Tethered to my devices. So Not an attack on digital but a celebration of the analog and the possibilities it presents.\n
Been reared on digital gaming - So this is not coming from the comfort angle where books feel good. Come up from the early days clowns popping balloons - excitebike - TSR & Ultima 7 -extends to today\n
Concern that comes in is that time was segmented - life was a mixed bag of activities in which the digital was a small part. Faced with a challenge\n
rise in screen time how to interpret the fracturing of the immediate social connectivity. Finding traditional conversations are becoming 1/2 important for our attention\nFascinating evolution of Social & Interpersonal literacy - not a judgment but it is mixed good and bad\n
Dynamics are changing as we are faced with faces that have over-heightened expectations for engagement from all of their digital time, So sometimes struggle to find meaningful & engaging unplugged experiences that maintain their attention and push their creativity.\n
Thats where modern analog games come in. Provide opportunities that engage students in a highly stimulating, fun way while fostering interpersonal and social growth. Building life skills which are still relevant work effectively in groups, problem solving and growing. \n
Social and Team building benefits just a piece of the pie. These games, these resources are saturated with curricular opportunities that address the state content standards of math, science, ELA & Global spanning pre-k to academic level.\nEven better, can often work in ways that meet the needs of the new common core standards and 21st century skills of our own library curriculum.\n
HOW? These connections are fractured between mechanisms and theme. Unfamiliar, Game mechanisms are elements and interactions that move the game forward. Rolling dice.. etc. connections found in the Application and interaction with the mechanisms.\n
\n
Curriculum can also be found through the thematic dressing layered upon the games, the story that sets the stage for play. Creates opportunities for immersion and interaction with content and skills \n
Great Contemporary example\n
Experiential skills such as Inquiry, Critical Thinking, Empathy & Problem Solving. that come from opportunities to develop, apply and practice these skills. Games present these opportunities in a dynamic, social information rich environment.\n
Lastly, the newly developing needs of the core, the shift in eduation: Non-prompted practical application math skills, engaging fluency building opportunities that are not just skill and drill, ELA experiences that oooze into non-traditional spaces.\n
Most importantly all of this takes place in an authentic, engaging game space. That doesn’t speak down or obvious in its attempt to pretending to be something it is not. Vital for drawing and maintaining engagement.\n
This has been my work for the last 5 years, helped build and develop a collection of resources that engage students and help them grow - educational, social 300 titles board, card and social games.\n
Work with school librarians & classroom teacher to integrate the resources as core part of units of study as well as bookends. \n
Centers activities & critical skill building with students with special needs. \nGross/fine motor skills\nLanguage independent curriculum engagment\n
Design students are the content creators - Building off models and utilizing game resources as reference materials to make their own representation of design.\n