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Saturday, October 22, 2011

How is Gaming Different for Boys and Girls? (TED Talks)

Games for Girls
Brenda Laurel

Brenda Laurel explores her research into designing games for girls.  She questions what games for girls need to contain and how they might be designed to benefit girls.

Do you agree with them?  How does this align with your experiences?  If you were a girl once, do these finding match your feelings?

This is a 1998 TED video. Does it still apply? Find updated information and include it in the comments section of this posting.

Gaming to Re-Engage Boys in Learning
Ali Carr-Chellman

Ali really digs into the effect of today's classrooms on boys' engagement in learning. She
shares stats that show boys have 3 time the difficulties of girls in succeeding in the typical classroom. She advocates using gaming in schools to make learning relevant to boys' learning styles. She says that gaming is not the problem but a symptom of boys trying to make life relevant.

Ali identifies 3 reasons that school cultures are out of synch with boys' cultures:
  1. Zero Tolerance
  2. Writing
  3. Fewer Male Teachers
It is a video that makes you rethink how learning should engage boys.

3 comments:

  1. Brenda Laurel has got to be kidding - no girl is going to buy that last product - it's got fire and a name that alludes to war. C'mon all the girls I know like Barbie.com for a reason.

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  2. Ali brings up valid points but on the other side of the coin - did Einstein survive elementary school? Did Stephen Hawkings survive elementary school? Indeed, did Leigh Zeitz survive elementary school?

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  3. Durff,

    Can't believe that you included me with Einstein and Hawkings, but I assume that you are dealing with contrast. Did I survive? Yes, but I don't know if the elementary school survived me. I was on a first name basis with Denny Cooms, the principal. =-)

    Thanks your input.

    Z

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