In talking with Matt Miller for his awesome #DitchSummit, “the Netflix for PD”, Matt asked if I might share some ways to seamlessly infuse play into everyone’s learning day starting right now. Of course the answer was a resounding yes and…
The “and” is a special surprise. I’ve invited a brilliant doctoral candidate from Northeastern University and fellow lover of games, Scott Silver-Bonito (@SrBonito1 on twitter), to join me in sharing some of our favorite low-stakes ways to use play for learning in class during remote or in-person learning.
You may remember that huge pile of games I shared last month? Well, today I wanted to do a quick how-to for creating (or just borrowing) these games and a few more of our faves for use in your own learning space tomorrow.
Today’s post is about Level Up 21: Boss Level from Game On? Brain On! This final “Level Up” is a culmination of the myriad ways play taps into our innate cognitive architecture to enhance and extend learning (see image above).
Chapter 8 in the Game On? Brain On! shares simple and concrete ways to 1) use existing games, 2) hack those very same games, or 3) create entirely new games specific to our own classrooms or living rooms for teaching and learning today.
Two lucky Ditch Summit attendees will win some swag to accelerate gameful learning in their space and EVERYONE can level up through play starting right now with a few simple tools from a set of dice, some index cards, markers, or just an internet connection.
SET: Cognitive flexibility on warp speed
A game of SET
Online or in person, SET is a game of visual perception that will have your brain feeling buff and brilliant in no time. The goal seems simple: find a set of three cards in an array of 12 cards (see below).
But what constitutes a set? I’m glad you asked… Cards have four features: color, shape, pattern, and number of items. Each set of three must include cards where each of the four features (color, shape, pattern, and number of items) is all the same OR all different. Below are four SETs of cards:
The first line is a set because they all share a color and pattern and they are each completely different in shape and number of items. Line one’s set includes three cards (from left to right):
Card 1 = Red (color), Squiggle (shape), Solid (pattern), and Two (number of items)
Card 2 = Red (color), Diamond (shape), Solid (pattern), and Three (number of items)
Card 3 = Red (color), Oblong (shape), Solid (pattern), and One (number of items)
Line two is a set because they are each different in each feature, color, shape, patter, and number of items. Line two’s set includes three cards (from left to right):
Card 1 = Red (color), Squiggle (shape), Striped (pattern), and Two (number of items)
Card 2 = Purple (color), Oblong (shape), Clear (pattern), and Three (number of items)
Card 3 = Green (color), Diamond (shape), Solid (pattern), and One (number of items)
SET is a great example of an EXISTING game you can infuse into your in person or remote learning classroom tomorrow. If your learners are engaged in online learning they can play in a breakout room, on a shared screen, or even as a warm up. If you’re feeling competitive ask them to track how long it takes them to find all six SETs!
If your learners are meeting in person or if you want to use this with your own kiddos at home, SET is an EXISTING game that invites conversation about flexibility and growth, patterns and mindset. Try asking your kids these questions as you play:
What are some strategies you’re using to find solutions to SETs?
How could we calculate the probability of finding SETs in each group of 12 cards?
Which types of SETs are most easy or difficult to identify?
The conversation alone is worth the exercise in play.
Apples to Apples: Sweeten the game with words, images, or both
Apples to apples is the PG version of Cards Against Humanity. Each player begins with seven red apple cards (noun) and the winner is the player to collect four green apple cards (adjective) first.
Players take turns as “judge” where they flip over the green apple cards and read the prompt aloud , flipping over green apple cards (adjective, for instance: squishy) and all other players play their red apple card (noun) they think the “judge” will choose as the best match (ear wax).
Apples to Apples is an example of a simple existing game you can HACK to with your learners to bring more play into your classroom specific to YOUR content area by inviting your kids to co-create with you.
If your learners are meeting in person or remote, some creative brainstorming allows students to create their OWN list of words for both sets of cards. If you’re meeting in person a set of index cards will do the trick. If you’re learning remotely you can use a host of tools to share play (think: Quizlet) and brainstorm together (think: Google Sheets or Jamboard).
Make the game your own by swapping out words on the red apple (noun) cards for images, or memes (above). I can’t think of a more fun way to learn phrases in a new language than by trying to match them to a meme!
Heads Up!: Challenge learners to practice circumlocution
Heads Up! is a game of old fashioned charades. And it’s a great game to build interpersonal communication and collaboration while honing vocabulary skills. Even better news? There’s a free app for Heads Up! available for both Android and iPhone devices, but it’s also a fun game to play using index cards or even projected on the smart board (remember to have the ‘guesser’ face AWAY from the word!
Scott uses Heads Up! in his world language classroom to help students practice circumlocution (e.g., describing a word without saying the word) a way of enhancing vocabulary by reducing his student’s tendencies to use circular definitions.
In this game, students are given a notecard to put on their forehead (no peeking, of course). The rest of the class has to use their vocabulary terms to help the student guess what word is on their head.
For example, one student in Scott’s class drew a card with the term “El abuelo” (grandfather). The student placed the card on their forehead and it was up to the other students' mission to get their classmate to guess the term without using any form of “abuelo”. Students had to get creative in their guessing and said things like: “El padre de tu padre” (father of your father) or “muy viejo” (very old) to help their classmate guess the term correctly.
Heads Up! Is another example of a game you can HACK to use in person today. If you’re learning in person, a stack of index cards is all you’ll need to get started. Get your students in on the action by having them create a list of words.
Lindsay plays Heads Up! to conclude PDs and workshops where participants each get an index card to write down a new word they learned (e.g., epistemology). Crowdsourcing the new words means at least ONE participant will be able to prime others in guessing correctly (e.g., the nature of knowledge and knowing)!
The consummate pro, Scott has played this with remote learners while using Zoom. The only catch? Make sure the student who is guessing lowers their screen to hear the clues from their peers, but not see them.
Tenzi: Luck and Strategy
Photo Credit: J. Portnoy (Lindsay’s 12-year old)
Tenzi is a game of strategic thinking where each player aims to be the first to get all ten of their dice to land on the same number. Once every player gets ten of the same colored die (green, yellow, pink, and white) it’s anybody’s game.
Used in the traditional way, Tenzi is a quick and fun way to get everyone laughing and focused. But follow this link to a channel of countless HACKS to the traditional game and you’ll see how many creative iterations await.
A favorite at Lindsay’s home is even-zi where you have to roll all even numbers, or pyramid-zi where the goal is to stack the dice in a pyramid once you roll four 4’s, three 3’s, two 2’s, and one 1.
Battleship: Strategy meets World Language
Another staple of Scott’s world language classroom is Battleship. Verb conjugation becomes a very laborious, rote task for students, but it doesn’t need to be. This version of Battleship is another example of a game you can HACK to bring more low-stakes but more engaged learning to the classroom each day through play.
Source: https://conjuguemos.com/verb/battleship/133
In this iteration of the classic, students practice conjugation and their “gameplay interpersonal vocabulary” as an added bonus. What’s more? This new take on an old favorite can be played in the classroom or online. The version of Battleship called Barco de Batalia that Scott uses in his classroom can be found here. But this game can be HACKED to fit your classroom learning just like Scott has hacked it for his learners.
For in person learners, students each receive a game board and place their ships in the bottom half of their game board. Once the ships are placed it’s time to begin! It’s a race to see who can sink the battleships of their opponents first. As an added bonus Scott provides an on-board glossary of terms such as “hit”, “miss”, “sunk” and the names of the different ships.
Students take turns guessing the location of their opponents' ships by attaching a subject (on the left) with a verb (across the top), and conjugating the verb. The first to sink their opponents battleships, er, Barco de Batalla, is the winner!
For remote learners or those who want to play a simple digital version of this fan favorite, the good folks of conjuguemos have a digital version called Frog Battleship ready to go right here. Even more exciting? You can play against a computer or log in and play against a friend at home. Game on!
Boss Level: Create a New Way to Play!
If you’re ready to beat the ultimate boss level, it’s time to throw away the old rule book and invent your own kind of play. Will you CREATE a new card game hacking together pieces or actions from your favorite games?
Can a game like Uno be used to categorize living things in the same genus, group fractions, or assemble favorite authors by genre?
Can you use MineCraft to recreate the Colosseum, the chambers of parliament, or the city of Atlantis?
Can you make a whole new video game that your friends can play using a tool like Gamefroot?
The sky’s the limit so let your creativity fly. Most importantly, ASK YOUR KIDS to decide where they’ll begin.
Source: Makey Makey Invent Everywhere: https://makeymakey.com/pages/how-to
And in the spirit of sharing and ultimate creation, our good friends at Makey Makey have shared some of THEIR tools for creative play.
The folks at Makey Makey never fail to disappoint and today they’ve shared eight lessons for learning in class or at home for those lucky folks with a Makey Makey Classic.
Follow this link to find lessons on how to craft a circuit, code using scratch, and even learn to make your own two-player arcade game.
And if that’s not enough inventive fun, check out their Invent Everywhere page here where educator extraordinaire Colleen Graves shares dozens of lessons for using Makey Makey to create from PreK to 12th grade.
These are just a few of the MANY games that are:
simple to play,
easy to begin,
can be played in your living room or classroom,
are easily hacked to YOUR learning goals, and
are guaranteed to delight learners of any age from 7 to 77.