Game-Based Learning to Teach and Assess 21st Century Skills

This article is saying how teachers should use video games in and out of the classroom to teach content to students. The author says that students learn more/better through the games because its more authentic to the children. He goes on to say that the students learn to communicate, become team players, and work on problem solving skills. I agree that some video games can teach those skills but that is not how it will be in the real world once they get out of school. The students will have to learn to work with others face-to-face which is much more difficult to do because more problems/arguments come up. In video games the students also get some sort of instant gratification, which is also not what it's like in the real world. If we teach with mostly video games like this guy is suggesting, we could be setting our students up for failure in the real world. Sure they will succeed in school but the gap between school skills and work skills is widening and I think the students could end up with psychological problems. Students would want to quit work because it isn't "fun" and it isn't as gratifying as getting rid of all of the pigs in Angry Birds or killing off the enemy in Halo. I say let them play the games at home as reinforcement but keep it how it already is in school.

Miller, A. (2012). Game-based learning to teach and assess 21st century skills. Edutopia, Retrieved from http://www.blogger.com/Miller,%20A.%20(2012).%20Game-based%20learning%20to%20teach%20and%20assess%2021st%20century%20skills.%20Edutopia,%20Retrieved%20from%20http://www.edutopia.org/blog/game-learning-21st-century-skills-andrew-miller?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: EdutopiaNewContent (Edutopia)&utm_content=Google Reader