Gaming in the Classroom?

Today's post will be a quick sketch of how & why I'm going for a D&D classroom this year. I'll be responding to my fellow educator Ycore Rixle's blog as well, seeing as how we seem to be on opposite sides of this particular chestnut.

Or are we? See, here's the thing that I need to make clear from the get-go: I don't recommend my exact methods or procedures for any classroom but my own. Every classroom and school is different, and what works in one classroom may prove disastrous in another. My hope is that some portion of my experience may prove helpful to other educators out there. Maybe it'll be inspirational; maybe it'll be a cautionary tale of woe. Time will tell.

Before I dive into specific points of my teaching philosophy, I need to explain a bit about my school structure. My school covers grades 1-12, and uses mixed age classes within specific range bands. I tend to teach jr. high/high school level classes, though I do teach a handful of classes to the little 'uns as well. The school divides subjects into 'core academics' and 'enrichment' categories, with the day divided into four class segments per day, with individual classes ranging from 1-2 hours, depending on subject and student age. The idea is that students will take a number of core classes to cover their educational bases and then work out a schedule of other classes around those, much like college students with elective classes. The enrichment classes allow students to delve more deeply into areas they are particularly interested in, and these classes are meant to supplement the learning that goes on in the core classes.

My D&D classes are enrichment classes. That means I'm free to focus on a specific narrow topic rather than having to cover a more typical broad survey of (in my case) history and literature. So bear that in mind as I go on.

I've got some ideas about using games in more traditional classes, but I'll save those for another time. For this year, I'm specifically using D&D to teach only highly focused history with a dash of literature.

Okay, enough scene-setting. On with the debate! I wanted to reply to some of Ycore Rixle's points from his blog:

Class time is indeed valuable, but I am convinced that with my 1-1.5 hours per class, each of which meets once or twice per week, I can run a profitable rpg campaign. Students will have a fair amount of reading, writing and research to do outside of class, and we will occasionally spend our classes on student presentations and quizzes on reading assignments. But I anticipate the majority of class time will be spent roleplaying. I disagree strongly with the notion that roleplaying in class is somehow more alienating or unsatisfying to students than traditional classroom teaching methods. Likely, there will be some students less thrilled with the experience than others. However, based on past experience, I anticipate much higher involvement across the board among students than I would have in a standard classroom teaching environment. When using boardgames and miniatures in my classroom in the past, I've seen students use game rules as an access point to engaging subject matter they'd otherwise show no interest in at all. I'm hoping to see this trend amplified this year.

I think games can work very well as after school programs, but I'm honestly more interested in putting them front and center as a teaching method as often as possible. My first use of gaming in a school environment was through the after school club model, and it was quite successful. But it always left me with the feeling that I was preaching to the choir. I had lots of fun with my club kids, but the kids I really thought might get a whole new angle on learning through games never came. I'm wanting to cast a larger net, and getting games into the daily class routine is now my goal.

I do admit to some worry over parent reactions. There is certainly the potential for someone to suspect I'm pushing a covert agenda for Satan, I suppose. But at this point I know I've got my administration behind me (they've been thrilled with my past classroom gaming and parent responses to it), so I'm damning the torpedoes and going full steam ahead. At the end of the day, the negative stereotypes towards D&D will only be defeated by putting positive experiences with gaming out there to replace them. Judging by the number of students at my school who enjoy Magic, WoW, and other similar hobbies, I think the Regan era fantasy-gaming paranoia is fading fast. I hope to drive a few last nails into that particular coffin.

One place that Ycore Rixle and I are in complete agreement is our belief that D&D is inherently educational. It doesn't need to be 'made educational'. It may need to be modified a bit for purposes of play speed or ease of learning, but the game itself is a solid educational experience if you can get students into it. By using historical and literary settings for student gaming, this educational potential is broadened further still. After all, if you're going to explore a map while your party adventures through the wilderness, why not make it a map of medieval France or ancient China?

That's enough for now. Like Ycore Rixle, I appreciate thoughts, comments, and experiences from others. Hopefully by comparing notes, we can all improve our gaming and educating!