Game Based Learning is not a new concept. The Everyday Math program really opened my eyes to this form of teaching style when my old district adopted the program in 2002. Instead of rote math facts done over-and-over again to promote mastery, games were created to practice math facts and computations that were inspiring, engaging and exciting to the students. I learned first-hand as a third grade teacher that students were picking up on these skills much faster with game play then using more traditional methods of work sheets and practice papers.

Not only had Game Based Learning taken on a new shape in my classroom, but it was a great  way to bring parents into the communication at home as well. It was a difficult sell at first, presenting the new math program and how we had changed from traditional methods to more games. We received criticism about how we were just letting students play games, and they weren’t going to learn it as fast, but the data within a few years proved otherwise. It also became a great way to have students engage their families in homework. Instead of working through papers that they learned previously in their school day, they were teaching their parents, siblings and other family members how to play a new game that was reinforcing these math concepts.

Game Based Learning can be highly beneficial within your classroom routine, but just like anything else, how do you fit it into your already crazy schedule? “Sandbox” time allows students to play and investigate new websites with embedded games, and is a great way for them to help you build your online library of wonderful Game Based Learning resources and links. This could be done during a fun computer lab time, or a center within the classroom.

With the overly popular iOS devices in classrooms, iPads and iPods can be used to allow students to work on particular skills by playing games. Games also provide solid feedback to the child and a raw score to the educator as another form of data of the students’ learning.

Routes to Intervention and Individualized Student Learning can be highly enhanced with Game Based Learning. Imagine a classroom in which every student is individually or within a small group playing a game on the iPad, computer, or on the floor with other students. Each game is designed to work on a particular skill that the student(s) need in order to “catch up” with the standards aligned to that grade level. The teacher can than freely walk around the room and monitor not only if students are developing these skills, but how they interact within a group and access some 21st century skills as well.

Game Based Learning can take a bit of time to plan and construct, but in the long-run can truly be the catalyst that engages all of your learners and individualizes their educational path to meet their individual needs.

-Eric Lawson