However, there were a few things that I found not as helpful on this website. I didn't like that the games were so short. In most of the games there were only a few questions, so it could be that once a student gets used to the game, it is over. Also, it was not clear to me what the exact age range these games were meant for. Many of the games were pretty basic like "What do animals eat?". In this game a character encountered various animals and the gamer had to pick if they ate meat, plants or insects. However, there were also games with multiple digit addition and multiplication.
I think that overall the website is a fun place for younger students to play educational games. I think that it could be a productive tool, but at the same time I think the website needs to add more games or more dimensions to some of the games. I think students could play all of the games in like an hour, judging by the website now. It would be cool to see more levels added on to some of the games, and have each level increase in difficulty. Some of the games do this, but on the more basic games it would be cool to see more complexity in adding more levels. Overall this website is a lot more useful for younger students than students in high school.
While I do think this website should not be used for students that are native spanish speakers in high school, I do think this could be a fun website for high school students that are learning spanish. Students can practice their spanish because in order to know how to play the game, they have to read the instructions in spanish. Also, some of the games are simple enough content wise, that while they are working hard to understand the spanish, they don't have to work as hard to come up with the answer. It could be a really cool, interactive and more hands on way to practice spanish. Students wouldn't be consciously thinking that they are practicing spanish because they would be doing it through playing a computer game.
Hey Anna! I enjoyed your insight on Super Saber as a fellow Spanish concentrator. I looked at that website as well and had similar findings. I also agree that the website is a little too simple for a native speakers if it is meant for Spanish practice, but could be fun for a Spanish learner. I am curious, how do you think you would incorporate games into your class? Would it be something you use in class, as homework, or even extra credit? I think I am less inclined to use class time on something like this, but maybe if a student finished their work early they could do something like this that is fun but they are still learning! Peace out girlscout!
ReplyDeleteHello sunshines! It's really cool that you found games in Spanish; I completely agree that this could be used in a language class and not only for native speakers. It's making me want to do some researching to see if I can find German online games. I, too, am not inclined to use class time; however, via something like Blendspace, it would be helpful as homework, or at least an option students have available for practice outside of class. I believe the more contexts students need to use the target language, the more applicable it becomes to their own lives and the more learning that will actually occur. Are there any other instances in which you would possible use online games for your students? And do you see value in the use of video games or computer games for courses in other disciplines?
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really cool! You description made me think of how this website might help younger students whose native language is Spanish not fall behind in other subjects like Math. I've seen how sometimes the only reason a student is struggling in a Math or Science class is the language barrier. So is this website can supplement the learning they receive in school (in English) with online games that teaches them the concepts in Spanish, that might help them stay on track.
ReplyDeleteI'll just throw this out there right off the bat; I am a huge fan of learning things "in situ" as it were, or to put it another way, learning things within a real-world environment. It sounds like this game, (to a certain degree) offers that. I will be honest, at a flea market in France I intentionally picked up a French copy of Pokémon, Red version (partly out of nostalgia) and to this day, I still remember that Squirtle's bubble attack is listed as "boule." I absolutely see the benefit of having students play games designed for native speakers, and in fact, would probably recommend it for the cultural assumptions the game makes about its players if nothing else. Sometimes, even if you don't learn all that much vocab, the way in which a certain culture approaches game design can speak volumes, and be really interesting (and jarring!) to non-native players.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the Scratch game, I played some of the supersaber games too because I thought maybe it would be like fun practice! I agree with you that, if these games are meant for native speakers, then they are more suited for young elementary age students. I also agree though, that these games would be fun for high school students who are beginning to learn Spanish. I found that, when I was playing the game, there were some words that I had simply never come across before. The game was teaching me how to say consumer, producer, omnivore, etc. I was not necessarily learning content, but in what other context would you realistically would these types of words be important to teach spanish speakers? They are more about content knowledge than fundamentally useful words in the language. Therefore, I think it is really cool to play these kinds of games where you may come across words that you may otherwise never have learned. I do think though that, because the games are short, and because you can repeat the same short level multiple times, that it may become less cognitive if the students are simply memorizing the correct answers rather than actually learning the content.
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