While completing my Master Degree at Full Sail, the class that I dreaded the most was Game Strategies and Motivation. I'm not a big gamer... I'm afraid of the addiction, however, I have gotten over the fear and used some games this year in the classroom that created great success in a few Student Expectations in Science.
Spore is one of the games that I have loaded on the student computers to simulate everything from ecosystems to adaptation. With this game, you create a creature that you take through various stages of survival. You can add traits to your creature to make it a canivore, herbivore or omivore and then teach it to adapt to the different environments that you encounter along the way. As the environments are affected by outside variables, your creature evolves and has to adapt to the changes that are taking place while avoiding predators and consumers. Therefore, you have to teach your creature certain skills in order to compete to avoid extinction. It's a really cool game that goes on and on and can be set up in stations around the classroom. However, the lesson in adaptation becomes a real-life experience for the students...virtually that is!
Another game that I used this year was Angry Birds to teach force and motion. You've all played it, but I used it to demonstrate how speed and trajectory impacts force along with what happens when force is acted upon either by another force or the impediment of another object. I used my iPad...well my wife's at the time to project the game on the Promethean Board and the kids were so engaged. Not only did they have fun, but if I recall correctly, the questions on the Benchmark dealing with force were answered 100% correctly by all my students.
Which leads me to another game I briefly played in class, Cut The Rope. Now, are these questions that keeps floating around like the one above and some of my students were having a difficult time conceptualizing the proper response. So, I once again allowed them to play a game on the iPad, once again hooked up to the projector. Thy physics involved in the question is duplicated throughout Cut The Rope and by playing, students were able to problem solve the question and later, easily visualize how to go about answering the questions.
I know that here in Texas, we don't have time for "fun and games", but in order for this generation to obtain continued success, we have to change what we do and meet them where they are. It works for me.
What I did was download the app to my iPad and found an animal buying guide (http://tapzooguide.com/animals) to post to a Google Doc to create a discussion board. Then we held a discussion surrounding the guide about profit. We looked at the animals in each level that would allow us to make our investment back the quickest. Then we developed a strategy and timetable for making our purchases. Then I let the kids grow the zoo. The students used Google docs to collaborate on ideas and document the expansion of the zoo. As a class they decided on who the buyers would be, who would be in charge of breeding, who would cross-breeding (mixing of the animals to create more exotic creatures and sometimes highly profitable) and finally they chose designers who would be responsible for not only the upkeep of the zoo (you have to clean the zoo), but would also try to make the zoo look good. 
Spore is one of the games that I have loaded on the student computers to simulate everything from ecosystems to adaptation. With this game, you create a creature that you take through various stages of survival. You can add traits to your creature to make it a canivore, herbivore or omivore and then teach it to adapt to the different environments that you encounter along the way. As the environments are affected by outside variables, your creature evolves and has to adapt to the changes that are taking place while avoiding predators and consumers. Therefore, you have to teach your creature certain skills in order to compete to avoid extinction. It's a really cool game that goes on and on and can be set up in stations around the classroom. However, the lesson in adaptation becomes a real-life experience for the students...virtually that is!
Tired of purchasing your own technology because the school/district doesn't have the funds in the budget....I know we can't buy everything new and shiny that comes out, but come on! Sorry...where was I...Oh, a way to poll your audience is something that many of us would like to use technology for, but we don't have the "clickers" or Active Expressions for each class. Well, here is a way to get around the cost, for you personally and yet, get that coveted "exceeds expectation" for technology integration. Introducing, well for some... Poll Everywhere. 
You can even use Poll Everywhere directly with Keynote on your Mac or Microsoft Powerpoint for Macs. Just download Poll Everywhere to your applications and while you are presenting, you have access to your polls that you can put directly into your presentation. Pretty cool huh! Come on, you use for American Idol, why not use it for your classroom?
As much as I like to stay up-to-date with what the student culture is immersed in, I must admit this one slipped pass me. Now, you all know how much I enjoy integrating technology in everything I do, especially when it comes to social communication. I blog...of course, but not just for you. I blog personally also. I've gotten more into tweeting and actually socializing via Facebook among other networks. Since I've dawned upon my iPad, I truly enjoy integrating all my social networks in one application. Well, regardless of what we choose to believe, our students as young as 2nd grade are using the same social aspects online as we do, if not more. To prove it, I accidentally, by using the parental controls on my daughter's computer, found a group of young music artist that has successfully collected all the popular social media application and amalgamated them on a single website. The appalling issue is this is a group of young men who are taking the social music world by storm, regardless of their talent, or lack there of and young girls are salivating relentlessly. Because the group is so connected, 24/7 access is given to their lives and the girls are responding. Don't believe me, check out the Mindless Behavior official website.
