We must view young people not as empty bottles to be filled, but as candles to be lit.
Robert H. Shaffer

Saturday, March 24, 2012

2201 No Class Activity #2 Gardens of Time


The Garden of Time game is so addictive! It definitely reflects five things schools could learn from video games.

1.       Production.- The student gets to design their own garden. They can purchase items of their own choice making it more personal than a textbook.

2.       Ordered Problems.-The game starts by having you find hidden objects then progresses to making you find the differences between two pictures. This is building difficulty.

3.       The Cycle of Expertise.- I feel this is a big bonus to the video game. The next scene doesn’t unlock until you earn all four stars of the scene you are on. This is great because the students get the right amount of individual practice before continuing. They can simply enjoy playing and not feel rushed on to a level they are not ready for.

4.       Context.- This game has characters that pop up and tell you the directions when they change (kind of like a story).  There are also characters that prompt you to do things that help you succeed and progress.

5.       Taking Relationships into consideration.- You are encouraged to invite friends from your circle to be your neighbor. There are also times when you can help out a friend or give them hidden gifts. These gifts enable your friends to solve problems (like helping them with energy).

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