Workshop 6

Title: Creativity & Collaboration: The Value of Video Games

Workshop Description:

In our ongoing efforts to engage today's students, we must provide them with meaningful ways to demonstrate their creativity, and we must encourage our students to explore a range of collaborative partnerships. One of the easiest ways to engage your students in a classroom culture of creativity and collaboration is through the use of video games. This workshop will provide participants with the opportunity to explore the use of several free and easy video game design platforms, while highlighting the curricular connections that are addressed, and the fundamental skills that are being developed, through the use of gaming in education.

Presenter: Andy McKiel

Andy McKiel is currently the Literacy with ICT Coordinator in St. James-Assiniboia School Division, where he regularly plans and implements just-in-time professional learning opportunities for all staff and students on an ongoing basis. Andy models the use of a wide range of technologies to highlight their potential use within the classroom setting.

In his former role as a Grade 4 classroom teacher, Andy’s inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning lead to the development of many innovative technology-driven projects, including website development, virtual school tours, and a wide range of video projects.

As a teacher mentor, Andy realizes the need to develop teacher literacy with ICT so that educators can effectively infuse technology across subject areas and grade levels. In his current role as President of ManACE (Manitoba Association For Computing Educators), Andy works with a dedicated team of educators from around the province to offer unique professional learning opportunities for a growing network of educators.

While Andy regularly utilizes blogs, wikis, podcasts and a wide variety of traditional technology tools in his teaching, he’ll be the first to admit that the key to engaging 21st century learners is not just found in the use of the technology itself. Rather than simply focusing on the technology, we must develop ‘literate’ participants who can effectively collaborate in a media-rich society.