I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions. I work in the Philadelphia School District and it is a very frustrating experience. And as hair pulling as it is for me I wouldn't trade it for what a full time teacher has to deal with. Some of the classrooms are so out of control. It is no wonder why so many teachers in urban schools get burned out and why the turnover rate is so high. It is really difficult to be effective counselor in a classroom setting with over 30 kids in a cramped classroom without support from teachers. I know video games is not the ideal method for teaching, but if it gets them to do their other work is it really such a horrible idea? Thanks again for your input.
[quote name='dtcarson']As a parent, I don't think I'd like this.
I think videogames can certainly have benefits to kids, but many of those same benefits can be obtained using other methods that won't raise as many questions. And I'm sure it wouldn't take too long before a student brings in a 'cool' game [ie, ultraviolent.]
Board games, card games, group projects, etc.
Why not have your class make up their own version of Jeopardy, and play it 'live' in the classroom [in teams]?
I think the challenge most teachers deal with nowadays is trying to make education 'fun', because learning for learnings sake is out of fashion. I don't necessarily mind that, but it still needs to be focused on learning.
And as a taxpayer, I'd also be thinking, "Wait a minute, didn't my taxes just go to hire bunches more teachers and counselors and assistants etc? Don't they have degrees, education, etc? What are they doing sitting my kid in front of a video game?"
And as the son of two teachers and grandson of a third, I'm slightly offended by the implication of your phrase: "scream at kids (like most tachers do to deal with unruly kids)". "Most" teachers don't do that, in fact, I haven't seen a single one of my teachers 'scream' at their kids, nor has my mom shared any similar experiences. And she taught the 'borderline' kids, who needed extra help to succeed in 'regular' school [more than once the police came to her classroom--she taught second grade].
As for game suggestions, if you were to do this, maybe things like:
Culdcept
Hot Shots Golf
Super Monkey Ball Deluxe
if you can find a relatively non-violent tactics game, that might be good
Katamari Damacy
Graffiti Kingdom/Magic Pengel
that new game coming out with the Japanese calligraphy thing
Basically games that are a little 'different', that may have some reasonably manageable competition, mostly non violent, and require some 'lateral' or active thinking.[/QUOTE]