Are Video Games in the Classroom a Good Idea?

With the rise of video games in today’s culture it was just a matter of time before they started showing up in classrooms. The New York Times recently published an article talking about this very subject. Learning by Playing: Video Games in the Classroom follows a journalist who visits a non-charter middle school in New York City that is on the forefront of this burgeoning frontier. This particular school would probably remind you of any other middle school if it weren’t for the fact that video games play a role in their everyday curriculum.

“It is a radical proposition, sure. But during an era in which just about everything is downloadable and remixable, when children are frequently more digitally savvy than the adults around them, it’s perhaps not so crazy to think that schools — or at least one school, anyway — might try to remix our assumptions about how to reach and educate those children.”

The article raises a lot of good points and concerns. It seems that this could be a powerful learning tool moving forward, but it has some evolving to do. Definitely worth checking out if you have the time. Once you have read it swing back by AnyCollege and leave your thoughts.