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Today I have Melissa Crossman as guest blogger. Please be sure to check out her unique guest post. Guest posts are always welcome, please contact me.
Instead of learning how to ride a bike or fold laundry, kids today learn how to play video games. Educators and parents question this new norm. Is mastering online games more important than learning other skills? Maybe not, but experts agree that computer games can increase a student’s ability to make decisions, judge character and follow directions. Video games actually play an important role in a child’s continuing education, and educators can harness the advantages of online games for classroom success. Video Games Provide Physical and Mental Benefits
Children who play computer games experience an increase in their hand-eye coordination, visual perception and accuracy, as compared to non-gamers. They also enjoy greater manual and mental dexterity.
Gaming Teaches Life Skills
Gaming also teaches life lessons. Playing a game from start to finish could take as many as 100 hours, which builds a child’s ability to persevere. Multi-player games teach teamwork and social skills. As kids choose associates and alliances, they learn to evaluate character traits and analyze personality strengths and weaknesses.
The pro-social aspect of games also helps students with attention deficit disorder. While violent games cause more aggression and hostility, games that include positive social interaction create players who are more helpful to their peers and less likely to fight.
Computer Games Assist Teachers in the Classroom
While teachers may feel frustrated about competing with games for a student’s attention, gaming provides students with important classroom skills. Online games teach kids to recognize patterns, think through situations and exercise patience. As they process various actions while playing the game, they learn to make decisions quickly and multi-task. With this skill, students succeed on timed tests that often require a quick answer and leave little room for second-guessing.
To find effective classroom instruction tools for today’s generation of gamers, teachers can model computer game strategy. As games require mastery of levels, school subjects rely on building blocks. For example, students must learn the number names before they can add, and adding precedes multiplication. This knowledge gives teachers a cue about effective teaching methods as they strive to provide students with a comprehensive education.
Ensuring Cyber Safety
Despite the classroom advantages of video games, student advocates and concerned parents rightly fear cyber dangers like bullying, stalking and sexting. Instead of banning computer games, parents and teachers can instruct children in the realities of online dangers. Educated children then use their critical thinking skills to make wise decisions while online.
If adults feel uncertain about Internet use or safety, educational opportunities exist for adult learners. College courses and online forums teach adults how to use technology with confidence. Thus equipped with technical knowledge and a support network, they can then assist children in making safe online choices. The Internet remains a necessary field every child must learn to navigate. Parents and teachers who talk regularly about online safety equip kids with the tools they need to remain safe.
Computer games are part of the culture. Every child benefits from learning how to play an online game. Instead of resisting the urge to limit computer time, teachers and parents cultivate the positive aspects of these games. Their children develop manual and mental dexterity while learning social skills, and everyone wants to see more of these behaviors in the classroom.
About the author: Melissa Crossman earned a Master of Education while living and working in Indianapolis. She writes on behalf of www.aiuniv.edu.
Many thanks to Melissa CrossmanEnjoy your reading!
