Game-based learning

I really like the idea of the use of gaming as an educational tool. To me, it seems to enhance the learning experience for the students. I think that in order to get messages across to students effectively we, as teachers, must first understand what grabs their attention and makes them want to learn. As technology continues to grow bigger and better by the day, it seems silly not to think that our students would not be apart of this growth. With this said, we should embrace this idea and use it to the advantage of our students.
After experiencing some of these educational games first hand, I was amazed at the wide variety there is to choose from. Funbrain.com had fairly standard games, where for instance, mathematics and baseball were connected; the more problems the player got right the more RBI's for the batter. Gameaquarium has a similar format and forces on language arts and reading concepts. Darfar is Dying and Ayiti: The Cost of Life, on the other hand, were much more complex. Each dealt with a real life situation. Darfar is Dying allows the students to be put into the position of a Darfarian and experience life as those people are experiencing it. Ayiti:The Cost of Life allows the students to understands concepts of daily life management, budget, etc. Generally speaking, I was extremely impressed with all of the games I played. This is definitely something I would use to reinforce education concepts for my students.