Video game

Teacher making use of video games – easternnewmexiconews.com


If you are ever around kids, it’s likely you’ve heard about various types of video games.

There is a whole complex field of research called “game theory” where mathematical models are studied to determine the various types of reactions to decision-making, physical response, critical thinking, motor skills, and other cognitive processes.

There are considerable implications from not only the areas of social sciences, logic, and computer sciences, but also for education.

One particularly popular game is “Fortnite,” which took off when a free version was released, and now it’s estimated that many tens of millions of players are active, not to mention the additional millions who can observe online.

The idea is a fantasy save-the-world concept, building forts and structures, shooting monsters, always strategizing different ways to survive; generally believed to be fine for kids, the graphical user interface has a cartoon-like appearance.

Since it is so popular with kids, one of our award-winning Mesa Elementary teachers, Silvia Miranda, decided to take advantage of a high-interest topic to engage her students in an analytical process.

One exercise was an evidenced-based opinion and informational writing activity with two different, but detailed overviews of the computer video game. After studying the two, students then had to write an essay in which they gave their opinions, specifically, whether kids should be allowed to play the game. They had to use evidence from the passages read to support their response in a multi-paragraph essay.

Another activity Miranda did with her students was the “Fortnite-Themed Escape room.” This activity contained five academic puzzles that students had to complete to earn numbers as part of solving the puzzles, working their way up to getting free of the virtual “escape room.” Covered was multiplication and division facts; nonfiction articles and questions; two-digit multiplication word problems; fiction articles and questions; and one-digit divisor division word problems.

A background story was woven throughout, to set the scene throughout the sequences of puzzles, keeping students engaged during the project, which may take a week or so to complete.

Looking through the puzzles, I quickly realized my skills were too rusty to try to compete with these students. More importantly, it’s obvious that we have amazing teachers who never cease to amaze with their unique and innovative educational methods.

And, the reaction of the students? Thrilled and absolutely engaged with the whole process, sinking their teeth into solving the puzzles, honing their math and language arts skills in the process.

Cindy Kleyn-Kennedy is the instructional technology coordinator for the Clovis Municipal Schools. She can be reached at

cindy.kleynkennedy@clovis-schools.org



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