Gamifying the classroom #1: What does it mean to gamify the classroom?

I am very interested in adding some gamification to my lessons at school.

What is meant by 'Gamification'?

As an educator I'm very interested in how to in ways of making the curriculum relevant meaning for an interesting. every teacher would like their learners to be engaged while they are learning under them. for me gamification is the key. educators have been talking about this globally for a while now.

“In gamification, the student does not play an entire game from start to finish; rather they participate in activities that include elements from games such as earning points, overcoming a challenge or receiving badges for accomplishing tasks. The idea is to integrate game-based elements more commonly seen in video.”

-Karl Kapp http://bit.ly/2vpsFo3

Why do I want to add gamification?

For a long time now I've been interested in the concept of gamifying the classroom.  I think we all know that our learners love video games, computer games and other types of games and so I have been researching what it is that makes a game so captivating. How can I use these principles in my lessons?

The things that interest me about gamification

• The player uses facts and information as tools to solve problems in context,
• Useful feedback is given back regularly during the game
• Information Is presented in levels. When a level is not reached the player tries again and doesn’t see this as failure. The learner aims for mastery.
• Collaboration is usually necessary for success
• Badges are given to show mastery.
• Terminology such as Quests, Challenges, Missions etc are used.
• What is gamification?
• Games can be a very strong motivator for students when the same game elements are applied in an educational context. Thus, some educators have adopted the concept of Gamification, where the structure of gaming is applied to a non-game framework.

The following video on YouTube, called 'Gamification' explains the concept of gamification.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYnbapB5Yl8

How can I go about adding gamification to my learning experiences?

I thought that I would like to make a start a simple start by letting my grade 6 learners create e-portfolios in their blogs using the concept of gamification.

Ideas to Gamify Your Classroom

Here is a great list of ideas:

• Foster collaboration  Present the classroom syllabus as a form of a game and have students create classroom goals and rules with you.
• Provide instant feedback - In a game setting, feedback is essential for students to know how they are doing in the game. If a student makes a choice in a game, it is usually known immediately if that choice was the right one.
• Make progress visible - Progress bars and levels in games allow students to set goals for themselves and celebrate success once achieving them.
• Create challenges instead of homework - In games, students are constantly required to meet challenges, such as identify patterns or break codes. The same element can be applied to homework and projects in a fun, yet challenging way.
• Give students choice and a voice - Games often give students various choices. Instead of simply issuing a test, you can allow student to take different paths to demonstrate their understanding of the material.
• Offer badges and rewards - Badges or other rewards are a good way of recognizing student achievement and for giving students an incentive to continue reaching their goals.
• Allow for second chances - When a challenge is failed in a game, students are able to learn from their mistakes and try again

• Target audience: My class, improve, engage, motivate, share,
• Defining objectives: Create -e-portoflios using blogs, learning about disigtal safety online, use gaming terminology
• Structuring the experience:
• Start the term with challenges. Link each one to a badge. Prepare all the lessons. Link them to Hyperdocs.
• Apply gamification elements. Badging, challenges, instant feedback on their blogs and in the classroom as I walk around, Here is a breat post on 'How to make a badge using Google Drawing' from Alice Keeler: https://alicekeeler.com/2015/01/10/create-a-badge-with-google-drawing/

So, I am keen to get started in my classroom. 

Further reading

1. Gamify your classroom: 
https://sites.google.com/site/dbennerorg/webinars/gamify-your-classroom

2. How I make my badges:
http://usingeducationaltechnology.com/gamified-classroom-make-badges/ 
3. Create a badge using Google Drawing:
https://alicekeeler.com/2015/01/10/create-a-badge-with-google-drawing/