Teaching with Games: GLPC Case Study: Steve
The Joan Ganz Cooney Center released new research from the Games and Learning Publishing Council initiative. They conducted a series of video case studies and a national survey, Teacher Attitudes about Digital Games in the Classroom, undertaken in collaboration with and support from BrainPOP®. Each video case study shows an individual teacher who integrates digital games into his or her curriculum in exciting and innovative ways. This video features Steve Isaacs, a Technology Instructor at William Annin Middle School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Steve shares how he integrates video game design and development into his 7th grade curriculum. His emphasis on the design process helps students develop essential 21st century skills, while sparking students’ interest and motivation through the use of a medium they are passionate about. Using game design programs such as Gamestar Mechanic and Gamemaker enable this teacher to embed essential programming skills into a unit of study that also has an authentic purpose — his students are creating games to enter in the 2012 National STEM Video Game Challenge!