Page 29 - ELG2205 May Issue 480

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a pollinator garden. They’ll know what a bee Another software which is great for older never cared before for doing any reading [and]
needs, they’ll know what you shouldn’t do, like students in particular is Influent. This now he’s loving reading the diaries and writing
you shouldn’t use pesticides.” simulation game gives the gamer puzzles to his own journal.”
If you’ve taught a three-hour lesson over solve in their target language. You begin in a While a lot of parents are concerned that
Zoom, you know how tedious classes can get. bedroom looking over all your things: a cup, their children are spending too much time in
PowerPoint slide after PowerPoint slide, video a T-shirt, a rock poster, etc. Whenever you front of screens, Athay said they shouldn’t be
after unending video. A song and a dance, a look at something, the word for it pops up. worried about how much time they are online,
game and a Padlet. It’s no wonder children and While it’s a fun game, it’s probably best used but instead be concerned with whether that
adults alike can get Zoomnosis. as supplementary material rather than an in- time is beneficial or not.
Minecraft-Ed tries to resolve this issue. class activity. In our modern world, this feels like
Athay told me, “It’s not just the teacher saying Using video games as homework can be a compelling argument. As adults, it’s
what they should do anymore. They’re actually effective too. In a 2020 article in the Christian increasingly more and more difficult to
in charge. They’re responsible for it. And it Science Monitor, gamers pointed out how envision a future without time spent in front of
really changes the level of their learning.” not focusing on the language helped them screens being necessary.
Cambridge English has their own Minecraft use English more than they normally would. Minecraft Ed and Cambirdge’s Adventures
ELT course. Adventures in English is a well- An expert also suggested collaborative games in English could mark the beginning of more
built narrative-driven adventure for A1/A2 like World of Warcraft or Fortnite (squads not video games in ELT. With more edtech
students. This course could be completed with individual) were excellent ways for students companies, like BlaBlaEd, which advertises
or without a teacher in contrast to Hands On, to learn. itself as an ELT TikTok, one must wonder
Minds On. I have also used video games in the what comes next. Will entrepreneurs develop
In Adventures in English, students navigate classroom, but in perhaps a simpler way. I had a metaverse-style English school? Others may
the blocky world completing language-based students in pairs choose and play an online just be wondering how else we can reduce our
puzzles. They visit a library, fetch a hot drink game. Then they would evaluate the game on PPT consumption.
for a virtual friend and help fix a well for a certain criteria (graphics, gameplay, too many
group of virtual villagers. It’s an engaging ads, etc). Finally, they’d present and discuss
course, limited only by its focus on lower-level their games with the class.
students. Although many parents historically have Gerald Nikolai Smith is an
Both courses use Minecraft Education thought of video games as an obstacle to ESL teacher and multimedia
Edition (MEE), a particular version of the their child’s learning, Athay says they’ve had journalist. A native Texan, he
original game. MEE has courses ranging from positive responses from both students and currently lives on a houseboat
history and how to be an active citizen to parents. “Parents have been so happy about in Glasgow.
coding and chemistry. it so far. [One student’s] mother said that he

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