This week we learned about gamification, and how subjects such as Math and Literacy can be integrated into a video game. From what I understand gamification is a way to “enhance” students learning in areas such as Math and Lit in order to get kids engaged and “hooked” by making these types of subjects fun through a way that kids are so interested in and have fun with. I think like with anything to do with technology there are always pros and cons to gamification. One of the websites we learned about was called https://pbskids.org/games/, when we experimented with it I decided to create my own pinkalicious story. I thought it was a fun way to be creative and have the opportunity to take the story where you wanted it to go, and I can see how students could have a fun time with it too. Something that concerns me is that I think many students already spend quite a bit of time on technology at home, and a problem that comes with that is missing out on communication skills. I can see how it can be beneficial for students learning in a classroom, however I don’t think it should be something used on a regular basis.

Above is the PBS kids games website and I found there are so many options of stories and activities to choose from, you can find it using this link https://pbskids.org/games/.

Another math gaming website we learned about is Prodigy (I believe they also now offer games for Lit/Lang, however we explored the math focussed one). Something I liked about this website is that it keeps track of where a student is at in their learning and sets the math questions to where they are at in their ability. The only thing I did not like was that when you got an answer wrong it just gave you the answer instead of explaining how to do it properly and I can see this being a problem, as in math class we have talked a lot about the importance of students understanding the entire process of how they are getting to the answer rather than just focussing on the correct answer. Additionally, as I already mentioned, I think many kids already spend enough time on technology and video games at home and I’m not entirely sure if a classroom really is an appropriate place for video games. I understand they are learning, however they are not really being taught and they are missing out on communication skills by sitting behind a computer screen (I think they already did enough of during lockdown). Overall, I do think I would use these online gamification resources in my classroom, however I don’t think I would use it very often and I would only use them for occasions where it is appropriate to use them in my classroom.

Prodigy Link: https://get.prodigygame.com/math-prodigy-member-canada/?utm_source=googlesem&utm_medium=membership_cpc&utm_campaign=parent_memberships_brand&utm_term=us_netnew_all__&utm_content=product_na_pe_text_632416023723-prodigy_petg&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=13833434832&ag=124265349253&keyword=prodigy&network=g&placement=&device=c&device_model=&gclid=Cj0KCQiAyMKbBhD1ARIsANs7rEE_z0fA7TeIn96OS8JjvVbxCvfdEKWM0myY7LEjdUo5A1-D3trt09saAkpkEALw_wcB

*I should also mention that it’s free for teachers and students.

*When you sign in you can choose between Math and English.

*I also found that the instructions are really clear to follow and easy to use.

*Feature image by Henry Be on Unsplash