Instructional Games Here is a set of Free online course materials from Utah State University on using games for learning. The course is aimed at the computer/video game end of the game spectrum although the underlying readings are of interest to any game designer. Great collection of readings as a part of the course. Many with links to other freely available materials.
I heard a story on NPR the other day entitled. Creative Play Makes for Kids in Control I thought, " great this will be about kids in control of the classroom and the value of just playing around...." When the story came on I was stunned to find out that it was really about this...
In one corner of a busy classroom, 4-year-olds Zee Logan and Emmy Hernandez want to play bookstore. (but)...before Emmy and Zee even think about picking up a toy, they sit down with their teacher at a small classroom table and fill out some paperwork.That's right. Paperwork.On a small blank form, they spell out their intentions. "I want to play bookstore," each girl writes with assistance from her teacher. (more)
Now, the story demonstrated some value in what was going on, but to me it was like they had turned play into project management work to improve the kids executive function. Executive function? these are 4 year olds! Maybe its good but why do we feel the need to make play useful? Can't play be useful unto itself? As it happens, Bernie DeKoven, a true master of fun saw a related story on the same day and wrote Of play, talking to yourself, and self-regulation
All of this got me thinking about Alan Watts and Lila or Leela, a Hindu concept of play. For some it is this "play" that creates "reality" and this thought led me (back?) to God's Nonsense.
