Games

GAMES Learning Games for Kids [|http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/] This technology offers a variety of games for students in reading, language, math, science, social studies, art, music, and technology. The selections offer a fun style of drill and practice for the elementary aged learner. These games offer a great review for students that would otherwise find the review of these subjects boring. This also offers a one stop place where the elementary student can navigate easily through each subject necessary for them. Librarians and teachers can help students navigate through each subject covering all needs at once. For example,Student A could be working on addition review while Student B is working on keyboarding practice. The librarian or teacher can also cover a topic with whole group participation. Librarians could help in the assistance of drill and practice and they can also help teachers in their research for curriculum expansion on these topics. Amanda Hawes

Online Educational games for Kids [] Poptropica funbrain is a site that offers fun games for kids of all ages. There are games for math, grammar, science, spelling and history. The site allows the students to create their own character and takes that character on a jouney through a variety of games. The levels are age specific and grade specific. They offer students a chance to advance as they succeed in each stage. The games have clear instructions and students can choose the path that they want to take. The games are fun and exciting and many challenge students to learn basic skills in math, and reading. The site also provides a link to upcoming movies that are appropriate for students. Librarian and teachers can assign specific games that give students practice in a variety of skills. In the reading section there are games that are related to books. The books are then used to create fun and exciting games. The students can also read the blogs section of the site and read what others students are posting about the books that they are reading. The site incorportates many skills that are grade level specific. Librarians can set up these games as a tutorial for struggling students. This would be a good motivational tool that is fun and exciting for all students. Irene De La Torre

Roller Coaster Game [] This game shows students what potential and kenetic energy is and what they do by having them build a rollercoaster with loops and hills. If their rollercoaster crashes it had too much energy, but if it cannot make it up a hill and through a loop it does not have enough energy. There is a video character that offers "how-to" videos as well as tips while they are building the rollercoaster. The game is especially good for special needs students in that it is hands-on and there is no reading required. It has the equation for potential energy and kinetic energy that changes as the student adds more cars (increases mass) or adds more hills and curves. Once successful the game gives you a score. It rates your rollercoaster on its creativity as much as its' success. Students may redesign their rollercoaster to try and get a higher score. The librarian could set up a contest for all the students in a particular section that were using the rollercoaster game by recording the top 10 highest score and keeping it displayed in the library. This game would make it much easier for the teacher to later discuss potential and kinetic energy once the students actually see and manipulate energy using this game. Tracy Rees

River City Project[] This technology has been used in elementary classrooms to teach scientific concepts based on state and national standards. It was established by the National Science Foundation in hopes to give children a fun way to understand scientific concepts. Teachers can collaborate with librarians and using the tools and concept from the game to start up research assignments and projects. The library can be a tool to further assist the student in learning Librarians can help teachers with building curriculum based assignments and projects. Also based on the subject matter and curriculum taught in the game the teacher can help the librarian build a usable collection of books that will supplement the game. Carol Bennett

Peace Corps Challenge Game [] __SCHOOL LIBRARY USE:__ The Peace Corps Challenge game prepares students to address 21st century global concerns by incorporating activities which integrate modern themes with a variety of academic disciplines. · School libraries can use this website to help in the exploration and resolution of the real-world challenges faced in the virtual community of Wanzuzu. · Librarians can direct students to school library resources which would help them research the community’s issues such as water contamination, barren fields, financing and educating girls. · Using the information collected in the library students would then go directly to a specific challenge and take the role as a Peace Corps volunteer to work with the community members. · To foster collaboration and analytical discussion the game could be completed as a class or in groups. · In order to develop problem solving and critical thinking skills the game can be undertaken by students individually. __EDUCATIONAL LESSONS:__ This technological game can be incorporated into an educational settings in a multitude of ways. Each issue the community is facing can yield an incalculable number of instructional opportunities. More lessons can be found on the Peace Corps website. The below suggestions are examples of how the game is designed to enhance learning while focusing on just one of the challenges. Water is one of the few things we must have to survive. Problems with water availability/quality affect an entire community. Issues surrounding water must be solved quickly. // 1. Students will create a letter from a fish in the polluted lake. // // 2. The letter must highlight the current situation and be a plea from the fish. // // 3. Student’s can read their letters to the class or place in the above newspaper. // // 4. // //An additional exercise could be a response from the mayor to the fish.// Tammy Garza
 * Newspapers are one of the main sources of information about local and world events.
 * 1) //Students should look through newspapers becoming aware of parts and information.//
 * 2) //Have students develop a newspaper focusing on the current situation.//
 * 3) //Articles in the newspaper will cover how each area of the village is affected.//
 * 4) //Interviews, drawings, and recommendations should be included.//
 * Water pollution affects much more than just the lives of the humans.

This elementary educational website is used to promote reading, writing, and family/community involvement. Students are offered 4 main areas to explore:
 * Reading is Fundamental, Inc.**
 * []**

1. Activity Lab-illustrate a story, print and make bookplates, reading calendar, and print a coloring book. 2. Game Station-Story Maker, Super Sorter, Poetry Splatter, Writer's Block, Word Builder, and bilingual games are available 3. Book Zone-Search for books and read/write reviews 4. Express Yourself-create an e-postcard, write to authors, review books, and create art

This interactive website also offers a Featured Author section that allows students to learn about their works and personal life. Throughout the site there are many polls and results from previous literary polls. It is very kid friendly and inviting. Librarians and teachers alike could utilize this site for lessons, literacy centers, and making connections between home and school. Erin Hammett

**Role Playing Games**
[] The technology being used is Role Playing Games (RPGs). The first example of gaming in the library on this website discusses having older students create and programming a role playing game where younger students can learn how to use the library. The specific things the students will learn when playing is: 1. how to find a book 2. using a general database 3. asking for reference help 4. navigating the library website 5. developing time management plan

You can incorporate the technology of role playing games by using it as a teaching tool to teach new students how to navigate through the library and research by role playing a simulation through a game that seems similar to a video game. You can also use RPGs as a storytelling tool. Students can use role playing games to tell stories. Students can create their setting and characters in their game and share their story with other students in the library setting. There could be a library special event featuring students' storytelling using Role Playing Games. Tracy Spence

This educational website is part of the Bardonia Learning Media Center. The games found on this site are user friendly and easy to navigate. We know that games provide an excellent opportunity for students to become familiar with parts of a library and educational resources that are offered in a library. Games open up many exciting possibilities to share information in a fun way. Students are offered many fun games to explore the library. They range from "Library Millionare" to "Name that Genre". These games can be used with a librarian as a lesson taught in a teacher-centered class or as independent stand alone games. When you hit the return to Library Page, you find many other technological opportunities. There are wikis, blogs, and book clubs also offered at this wonderful website. Norajean Cardiel
 * Learning Games and Activities**
 * []**

Class Brain [] This is an excellent resource for a variety of games suitable for the library. The site could be used by patrons in a library but also a resource for teachers. The site has is easily navigated and the categories are diverse. One could chose from some of the following games: arcade, cooking, sports, brainy, word games, in addition to other categories. The site also has a extensive selection for early childhood. Also included is a newsletter, question/ answer, and plug ins that can be accessed on the side bar. The plug ins leads you to a page that has all the plug ins needed to run the games. Because of the variety of games, it would be a useful site for a librarian to reference. For example, the social studies teacher might find "Lewis and Clark Adventure" helpful, while the economics teacher might use "Bad Credit Hotel" for a study on the effect of credit card use. Debbie Endres

Starfall http://www.starfall.com/ Starfall is a wonderful website for elementary use in a library. The site offers interactive stories to build student alphabet and reading skills. Starfall offers four steps of difficulty for students to progress to. Step one begins with the alphabet and step four ends with longer, more difficult stories. Students are able to choose to read on their own or have the stories read to them. This site could easily be integrated into an educational setting. Starfall offers a calendar feature which visually and verbally walks through the calendar routine each day. This could be used to start off the day in a classroom. There are also interactive stories offered for many holidays such as Thanksgiving and Earth Day. These can be tied in to discussions about these days and what they mean. An educator could use the alphabet featured in step one to teach students the letters and phonograms as well a build reading confidence with reading along with the stories. Melissa Quisenberry

**Professor Garfield** [] This site is an interactive learning environment for children in kindergarten through 8th grade. It was created based on the comic strip character “Garfield”. It incorporates traditional subjects such as reading and math. Music and art are included, as well as activities for children with learning disabilities. This site motivates children to learn and express themselves creatively in multiple ways including sequencing, comprehension, creating your own comic strip, and knowledge box with games and trivia in math, language arts, science, and social studies. The teacher’s lounge provides materials by grade level and subject, which include lesson plans, downloads, printables, and links. It is fun filled entertainment, but is also education based. This technology can be incorporated into the classroom and library setting as a fun way to support and enhance learning in multiple subject areas. Activities can be completed individually, in partners, a small group, or as a whole class. Diana Pemberton

**PBS Kids** **[|http://www.pbskids.org]** PBS Kids is great site for early elementary aged students to use to learn various information. It utilizes the characters off of their favorite Public Broadcasting Channel shows and the characters guide the students through the instructions and playing the games. There are different levels of difficulty so it caters to higher achieving students and students that may need to work a little slower. The variety of games covers everything from attacking antibodies with Sid the Science Kid to Bingo with AlphaPig. You can even pick the games by subject instead of by character and as you scroll over the game links, the topics covered in the game are displayed in the top corner. This site has so many options that it would be good for home or school use. In the classroom, the games would be really great for letter recognition and review. Some of the concepts introduced can help students understand harder subjects they may have covered in classes, like how a virus is killed in the body with one of Sid's games. The games make understanding the concepts much easier because they have participated in the learning. Amy Dykes

LURE OF THE LABYRINTH **[] ** **HOW THE TECHNOLGY HAS BEEN USED AND INCORPORATING THE TECHNOLOGY INTO AN EDUCATIONAL SETTING (Math classes):** **This technology has been used in math classrooms to teach math content and problem solving skills on the middle school/pre-algebra level. The math is embedded in a story line that engages students in an eerie world where monsters want world domination, gained by stealing people's pets, and leading the unsuspecting pet owner on a journey. Some monsters are totally new and invented for the game, while others are rooted in various world mythologies.** **Students prevent monster domination by playing the game and solving the puzzles, and rescuing their pets.** **In the world of //Lure of the Labyrinth//, students progress through three sections, or "wings." Each is related to a different math strand that is part of a the typical pre-algebra curriculum.** **Levels progress from easy to hard. And, continuing with the "rule of three," students have to successfully solve each puzzle three times before they can eliminate a room.**
 * //Lure of the Labyrinth// can be played as a full-fledged game or its puzzles can be played as separate,standalone activities. The game operates best when teams of students collaborate. In game mode they can use the TPC (Tasti Pet Communicator) to communicate with other team members and score points. Teachers have administrative privileges over the game so they can set up teams and watch their communications.**
 * Graphic novel sequences get players started in the game, give them important game instructions and motivate their journey through the strange world. "Lure" starts out like this......**

**Your beloved pet's gone missing and you've got to find it - but how?** Before you know it, you're dropped - a little like Alice through the looking glass - into a strange (and extremely smelly) world where your only friend is a mysterious bean-loving girl with wings. She calls herself Iris, and she says there are others ... Others? Other pets? You're not sure yet. But she tells you that you'll need a disguise if you have any hope of finding your pet. You don your new, exceedingly bizarre disguise, take some beans from Iris (beans?) and find your way to a place called the Tasti Pet Factory. What's going on here? You're not sure, but you do know that the whole dump is overrun with monsters. They're all over the place, stinking up the joint and sending you to the Horrible Resources Department where they sign you up to work for them. They seem to make pet food here ... sometimes out of ingredients like carrots and eyeballs! You're not sure how any of this is going to help you find your pet, but you go along with it (since it's really the only option you've got). And eventually some things become clear. At each stage of your journey, your work in the factory involves solving puzzles that feel a little like math ... only different. And after awhile, you understand that you're being paid at these "jobs" (that is, solving the puzzles) in tokens ... tokens that might prove

1) The game can be used as a means of luring math classes to the library given enough computers. Math classes are the least likely to use the library as part of their instruction. **﻿** 2) The use of team games in the library has been suggested in our readings. They a. foster collaboration and the development of social skills. **﻿** b. help students develop their problem-solving skills and systems thinking **﻿** c. help students use the scientific method of gathering information and making and testing hypotheses until they find the solution to a problem, **﻿** d. required repetition once reinforces learning **﻿** e. encourages students to develop repeatable strategies rather than guessing **﻿** f. sharing strategies for solving the puzzles develops communication about learning that enables students to solidify and deepen learning. **﻿** **﻿****﻿** []
 * SCHOOL LIBRARY USE AND INCORPORATING THE TECHNOLOGY INTO AN EDUCATIONAL SETTING (the library): **

**﻿Diane Gorman**



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 * * The TPC is also students' link to a vast amount of game information. They will receive messages there about the rooms they are to visit. They can also
 * Review any of the graphic novels they have encountered in the game.
 * Review the biographies of any monsters they have met in the game
 * Change their profile. ||
 * Review the biographies of any monsters they have met in the game
 * Change their profile. ||