This Week in Education and Serious Games

Are you a teacher looking to use online games in the classroom? Interested in issues relating to education and technology?

Check out this week’s top links!


1)  Assessment is always a hot topic in education!

In “Looking Where the Light is Bad,” J.P. Gee and D.W. Shaffer argue that we need to revolutionize the way we assess students by making tests more like games. According to them, our current forms of assessment, such as standardized testing, are no longer a relevant or accurate depiction of progress.

Accessible and engaging!
 

2) If you’re an educator looking to use games in the classroom, you might be interested in Thorkild Hanghoj and Rikke Magnussen’s “The Role of the Teacher in Facilitating Educational Games: Outlining a Game Pedagogy.”

While most papers focus on students' interaction with games, this paper takes a different approach by looking  at how the teacher’s role changes with games in the classroom!

It’s a bit heavy going, but if you’re interested in a different perspective on gaming and teaching it makes a fascinating read.


3) For something lighter, check out Oliver J. Chiang’s article “Video Games that Can Change the World.” It's a great overview of some the advances being made in the world of serious gaming. (You might also be interested in Jane McGonigal's talk, "Gaming Can Make a Better World"!)


4) OK, it’s Friday afternoon – time to kick back and watch a video. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out Sir Ken Robinson’s classic TED talk on schools and creativity:





And finally, if you're interested in all things related to gaming, education, and technology be sure to check out the 7th Annual Games for Change Festival!


Have a link you would like to share? Let us know!

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com.

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

Interested in Online Games and Education? Check Out These Links!

All worn out from moose hunting, trapping, and canoeing on PathoftheElders.com?

Check out this week’s interesting articles on education, technology, and games!


1) Nicola Whitton’s blog about game-based learning is always a pleasure to read (Play Think Learn). This week she draws attention to a school (Quest to Learn) that has based its entire curriculum around gaming principles!


2) In a theoretical frame of mind? Check out Alex Kendall and Julian McDougall’s latest article, “Just Gaming: On Being Differently Literate,”  in Eludamos: Journal for Computer Game Culture. They examine how players understand their role in the game’s story. (It’s heavy going, but the snippets from players’ journals make it worth the read!)


3) Deidre Kelaher explores the link between games, learning, and motivation in her blog post “The Effectiveness of Educational Gaming and the New Possibilities of Engaged Learning.” This is a fairly quick read that will give you some basic information about the benefits of using games in the classroom, and point you towards other resources.


4) Looking for something classic? Take a look at Marc Prensky’s article “The Seven Games of Highly Effective People.” Here the renowned expert on education and technology looks at how gaming contributes to the development of Steven Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.”


Have you come across an interesting video or article about education and technology that you want to share? Let us know!

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com.

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

5 Free Educational Interactive Websites with an Aboriginal Focus

Are you looking for innovative ways to connect your students to Aboriginal culture and history?

While creating On the Path of the Elders, we found a surprising lack of interactive online resources for educators trying to integrate Aboriginal content into the classroom.

While there are numerous excellent websites devoted to providing information about various issues relating to First Nations, few sites try to engage directly with Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal youths.

So, to save you from further frustration, here are 5 quality resources to get you started in your search:

Launch Party for PathoftheElders.com a Success!

The public launch of PathoftheElders.com on Wednesday, March 24th was celebrated by the project’s collaborators and select members of the public at Carleton University’s Art Gallery.

Terry Hoganson, member of BlackCherry Digital Media, describes the event as magical: “It was amazing to have all of these people, who have dedicated countless hours and limitless energy into making On the Path of the Elders a reality, come together and share their stories. Really inspirational.”

Speakers included Mr. John Mark Seck, president of BlackCherry Digital Media; Stan Louttit of Neh Naak Ko; Greg Spence of the Mushkegowuk Council; Dr. Kimberly Matheson, Carleton University Vice-President (Research and International); Franziska von Rosen of Our Incredible World (formally Pinegrove Productions); Dr. Elaine Keillor and Dr. John Medicine Horse Kelley Cle-alls, co-directors of Carleton's Centre for Indigenous Research, Culture, Language and Education, known as CIRCLE.

Each of the speakers spoke with a passion and intensity that demonstrated their deep commitment and dedication to PathoftheElders.com. 

Amongst the many memorable moments were:

• Dr. Cle-alls performing a opening prayer.

• Mr. Louttit vividly describing his own experiences growing up, and the need to give today’s youth access to Aboriginal perspectives on history.

• Ms. von Rosen recounting with obvious emotion the experiences she and her team had while interviewing and recording Elders for the website.

• Dr. Cle-alls giving an impassioned speech about the disconnect in Aboriginal communities that has arisen as a result of disastrous colonial interventions such as residential schools, and the need for resources such as PathoftheElders.com to show Aboriginal youths that they are part of a deep and meaningful tradition and culture. 

• Mr. Seck unveiling the site’s stunning graphics and high-quality animation to a captivated audience.

But what was most striking about the launch party was the vision everyone was carrying for the future.

It was clear that each person at the launch believed PathoftheElders.com will make a difference in helping Aboriginal youths reconnect with their culture and history.  

And of course, during the reception everyone was eager to play the role-playing games, and explore the archival photographs, watch the videos, and listen to the audio clips!

Visit PathoftheElders.com today and let us know what you think!

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

On The Path Of The Elders Launches Today!

We’re pleased to announce the launch of PathOfTheElders.com!

What:

PathOfTheElders.com is a free online educational resource exploring the culture and history of the Mushkegowuk Cree and Anishinaabe Ojibway of Northwestern and Northeastern Ontario, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Ideal for youth aged 13-17, PathOfTheElders.com reconnects Aboriginal youths with their past, while developing leadership, negotiation, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.

Features: 

• Six innovative role-playing games

• Video and audio clips of Elders 

• An essay about Treaty No. 9 written from an Aboriginal perspective

• Over 300 archival photographs

• Downloadable Teachers' Kits and Curriculum Connections

Visit PathOfTheElders.com today and let us know what you think!

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com!

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.