Your Homework is Play Video Games

GuitarNeophyte writes "Four schools in the UK will be testing a new program idea to use video games for educational use. An IT researcher, along with Electronic Arts (the software game giant) are funding the proposition. 'We're looking at developing some of the softer skills that are needed for the 21st century, such as problem-solving, resilience, persistence and collaboration.' "

Comments

Drivers Ed

[rlp]

A lot of American schools have eliminated drivers ed. It would be useful for a driving simulator (not racing) that is designed to help new drivers with both normal driving (merging, heavy traffic, navigation) and emergency situations (accident avoidance, skids, bad weather, etc).

Re:There's a simple truth in all of this.

[grasshoppa]

Some work just can't be fun.

You are a product of the industrialized education system. So am I. We were taught that work wasn't fun, it was work. And it wasn't something we had a choice in, regardless.

My daughter *loves* school. She loves the work, and looking it over, so would I ( and would have, at her age. ).

When I was in 2nd grade, my math homework ( for example ) was a sheet of numbers and operators. She brings home these little booklets that have word problems, stories, with numbers. Both accomplish the same thing, but hers also teaches problem solving ( figuring out which numbers go where in the equation ) AND she enjoys it because it's a story.

I won't even get into the science. They do some awsome things with science now.

History, for some reason, they still teach like they did when I was in school. On this date, this happened. On this date, this happened. And then they test you on the dates. idiotic.

My overall point being, we were taught by our schools not to have fun while doing work. Now a days, teachers have better tools at their disposal, and kids are actually learning to have fun while working.

Now if we could only get the parents to show some interest in their child's education and get the ID people to drop it. A scary world where a teacher feels too threatened to teach science theory because of religous nuts.

Re:I beleive this to be the future of education

[neildiamond]

Actually, kids don't have more freedom. When I was a kid my parents let me walk all over the neighborhood and explore. I can't image that hapenning today. Video games just make a good babysitter and help us get fat. That's about it.

Re:How 'bout teaching the three "R"s?

[gmuller]

It worked fin in the ol' U.S.A. before we starting catering to the LCD, you know, lowest common denominator. gmuller

Re:I beleive this to be the future of education

[Analogy Man]

Right on!

I am 37 and have heard our generation refered to by some as the last "free range" generation. Some kids got out of line and ended up in trouble, but in balance kids learned where reasonable limits were and were held responsible for their behavior. I later observed in college as a Resident Assistant that the kids to watch out for were the ones who's parents tightly controlled them. The ones that had a longer leash growing up knew how to negotiate the wild wild world without going bonkers. I think the key was that other adults (besides your parents):

• where around (more stay at home moms)
• knew who the kids around the neighborhood were
• cared what they were doing
• were outside
  • people used to open windows and go outside
  • people would mow their own lawns
  • more people had gardens
  • people walked to places (yesterday a neighbor drove to our house from 5 doors down the street!)
• could step in and discipline someone else's kid (within reason) without fear of
  • kid shooting them
  • parent shooting them
  • parent filing lawsuit
  • being arrested for assault for hauling a kid home by the scruff of the neck

• It will never be the same, but I hope to provide for my 4 kids some of the life experience I had that I feel is critical.