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Inspiring Students With Game-Based Activities
The use of game-based activities is an active learning strategy incorporating fun, interactive games. Lumio by SMART opens up a world of possibilities for students to engage with curriculum and process it in fun and exciting ways with game-based activities and more! There are a number of benefits for student learning when games are incorporated into the classroom, such as building critical thinking, problem solving, cooperation, sportsmanship, and perseverance skills, all within a safe environment.
Games In The Classroom
Game-based activities in Lumio highlight sorting, matching, memory skills, and more. Competition-based games such as Monster Quiz, Speedup, Game Show, and Team Quiz provide students with a fun way to “show what you know” by answering questions as a team while also receiving valuable individualized feedback at the conclusion of the game.
How Our SMART Ambassadors Use Game-Based Learning
Recently, we asked our SMART Ambassadors from all over the world how they use Lumio’s game-based activities to engage their learners. Check out the inspirational ways they are incorporating game-based activities below and click the links to save each activity to your own Lumio lesson library!
Tinel Chase, Primary Teacher, Trinidad And Tobago
“I have used game-based activities as an assessment tool or checkpoint activity within my lessons. For example, I used Monster Quiz for one of my virtual trips on renewable energy; I used the Match 'Em Up! to teach vocabulary in a reading comprehension lesson, and I used Super Sort for a spelling activity asking students to sort misspelled and correctly spelled words.
Additionally, I used Speedup for a mental math activity and Flip Out for a reading comprehension oral assessment and more...”
Erin Glover, Teacher and Technology Facilitator, Washington, USA
“Coming into the physical classroom after being remote for almost eight months, it was clear we needed lots of refreshers on how to be in-person learners. I started using Rank Order for directions. I would give students instructions verbally and then ask them to rank the order quickly before getting started. This was a quick and easy way to see which students were listening and which needed a little help.
I also love using Rank Order for vocabulary, such as giving students a list of words and asking them to rank from most to least, and so on, and then having them discuss their rankings. Lots of great accountable talk happens with these vocabulary discussions too. Win-Win!”
Danesa Menge, English Language Arts Teacher, California, USA
“Game-based learning allows me to engage students. They love the competition and I love the learning that takes place. Game-based learning can be done anytime in the classroom; it could be used as check for understanding, to activate prior knowledge, for assessment, and so much more. When students are playing they are learning.
I personally love Monster Quiz! It’s a student favorite as well and they ask for it constantly. I love to use it to check for understanding in the middle of a lesson. I love letting students create their own and then challenge the class. Monster Quiz is the best!“
Erin Offerdahl, Digital Learning Lab Director, Minnesota, USA
“I use game-based learning to review concepts in a fun way with my students. They like that they can work together, complete it on their own, or turn it into team competitions.
For example, I might teach the kids about the difference between the internet, an internet browser, and a search engine. They then use a matching game (such as Match 'Em Up!) to review the vocabulary we learned."
Game-Based Learning To Model Teaching Strategies For Teachers
Not only do students love learning through games, but adults do, too! Training facilitators can use game-based learning to model best practices in workshops.
Nancy Biddinger, Instructional Technology Resource Teacher, Florida, USA
“I've started using the Ready-made Activities and customizing them for specific lessons. For example, for a "What do you want to learn?" activity, I use the image search to find icons that I can infinitely clone to use within a whole-group collaborative Workspace so that I can quickly find out what my participants want to know the most.
I use Game Show to review training with teachers. It introduces the tools in a natural way and puts these tools front and center while modeling how they can support any content for any learner level.”
Game-based activities are just one-way Lumio allows students to interact with content in a fun and engaging way. Read more about game-based learning in my first post on the topic.
I would love to learn how you are using Lumio’s game-based activities in your classroom! Tag me @JenTechSMART on Twitter or use #WeAreSMART on any social media app and share your favorites!
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