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The Game Believes in You: How Digital Play Can Make Our Kids Smarter
What if schools, from the wealthiest suburban nursery school to the grittiest urban high school, thrummed with the sounds of deep immersion? More and more people believe that can happen - with the aid of video games. Greg Toppo's The Game Believes in You presents the story of a small group of visionaries who, for the past 40 years, have been pushing to get game controllers into the hands of learners. Among the game revolutionaries you'll meet in this *A game designer at the University of Southern California leading a team to design a video-game version of Thoreau's Walden Pond. *A young neuroscientist and game designer whose research on "Math Without Words" is revolutionizing how the subject is taught, especially to students with limited English abilities. *A Virginia Tech music instructor who is leading a group of high school-aged boys through the creation of an original opera staged totally in the online game Minecraft. Experts argue that games do truly "believe in you." They focus, inspire and reassure people in ways that many teachers can't. Games give people a chance to learn at their own pace, take risks, cultivate deeper understanding, fail and want to try again-right away-and ultimately, succeed in ways that too often elude them in school. This book is sure to excite and inspire educators and parents, as well as provoke some passionate debate.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published April 21, 2015
23 people are currently reading
399 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 30, 2020
A brilliant book about how gaming can help children learn by breaking the monotony of (current) education system which had its origins in the Industrial Age. In the last 200 years, education is the field least affected by technology. The book looks into cognitive science, pedagogy, game design, and other fields about how humans (and especially children). The book also delves into how games can be used to treat ailments such as ADHD, PTSD, and Schizophrenia amongst others and used an effective learning tool at the same time.
Also, computers are "infinitely stupid and infinitely patient" so they can be good companions to teach children at their own pace, unlike teachers and parents who will tire easily. Also since learning is assessment (because you can only go to the next level after mastering a level), testing is inbuilt. This makes learning less tedious for children and ensures that the learning sticks.
The book also chronicles several milestones in games and learning and contains interviews of several people associated with those milestones. I especially liked the descriptions of how several games were designed and the idiosyncrasies of many of the game developers most on whom stumbled upon this discipline by chance. The book bust many myths about kids learning and gaming both. A fantastic book that I will go back to read after a few years.
Some quotes I loved from the book:
1. If the computer is, as Jobs once said, “a bicycle for our minds,” the video game is a Vespa, pure stylish pleasure.
2. “The brain, it seems, does not make much of a distinction between reading about an experience and encountering it in real life,” wrote Paul. “In each case, the same neurological regions are stimulated.”
3. “Everybody, in common parlance, was seeing kids in terms of ‘readers vs. gamers,’” he said. “You were one or the other. The majority of kids are actually readers and gamers. They don’t see a dichotomy—they don’t feel that they have to choose.”
4. The conceit is straight out of “mindset” research by the Stanford researcher Carol Dweck, who found that praising children for hard work encouraged them to work harder, while praising them for being smart actually had the opposite effect. It made children put the brakes on their academic risk-taking for fear of jeopardizing their “smart” label through academic failure.
5. Thoreau’s main point was that life is not about not working or playing, but about finding the sweet spot between the two
6. “Media is most powerful in our lives when it reinforces our existing values,” he wrote, “and least
powerful when it contradicts them.
7. When we worry that a violent game is going to turn our kids into killers, aren’t we the ones who fail to grasp the difference between fantasy and reality? Kids already know the difference. We’re the ones having trouble separating the two.
8. Computer pioneer Alan Kay once observed that any technological advance is “technology only for people who are born before it was invented,”
Also, computers are "infinitely stupid and infinitely patient" so they can be good companions to teach children at their own pace, unlike teachers and parents who will tire easily. Also since learning is assessment (because you can only go to the next level after mastering a level), testing is inbuilt. This makes learning less tedious for children and ensures that the learning sticks.
The book also chronicles several milestones in games and learning and contains interviews of several people associated with those milestones. I especially liked the descriptions of how several games were designed and the idiosyncrasies of many of the game developers most on whom stumbled upon this discipline by chance. The book bust many myths about kids learning and gaming both. A fantastic book that I will go back to read after a few years.
Some quotes I loved from the book:
1. If the computer is, as Jobs once said, “a bicycle for our minds,” the video game is a Vespa, pure stylish pleasure.
2. “The brain, it seems, does not make much of a distinction between reading about an experience and encountering it in real life,” wrote Paul. “In each case, the same neurological regions are stimulated.”
3. “Everybody, in common parlance, was seeing kids in terms of ‘readers vs. gamers,’” he said. “You were one or the other. The majority of kids are actually readers and gamers. They don’t see a dichotomy—they don’t feel that they have to choose.”
4. The conceit is straight out of “mindset” research by the Stanford researcher Carol Dweck, who found that praising children for hard work encouraged them to work harder, while praising them for being smart actually had the opposite effect. It made children put the brakes on their academic risk-taking for fear of jeopardizing their “smart” label through academic failure.
5. Thoreau’s main point was that life is not about not working or playing, but about finding the sweet spot between the two
6. “Media is most powerful in our lives when it reinforces our existing values,” he wrote, “and least
powerful when it contradicts them.
7. When we worry that a violent game is going to turn our kids into killers, aren’t we the ones who fail to grasp the difference between fantasy and reality? Kids already know the difference. We’re the ones having trouble separating the two.
8. Computer pioneer Alan Kay once observed that any technological advance is “technology only for people who are born before it was invented,”
June 9, 2021
This was an interesting book. At first glance, it looked like it was just going to be another book about how education can be improved if we just add a dash of gamification ("Look Mom! I'm a level 34 Math Wizard!"). While the merits of adding "leveling" and "quests" to education can be debated, this book discusses the real positive effects of interaction between the core mechanics of gaming and education, rather than just the superficial façade of gaming.
Games at their core are just a really tight feedback loop. The game is a system of rules that interact together to produce an environment. Each player is dropped into the system where they are then free to learn the rules and experiment with them. For example, if a player learns that the game they're playing allows the to move their avatar, they'll pretty quickly move their avatar up to the edge of a cliff. Depending on how adventurous the player is, they might just jump their avatar off the edge of the cliff (How much will this hurt the avatar? Will my avatar magically fly? Will I re-spawn with all of my stuff, or are there longer-term penalties for this type of behavior?) or more likely they'll try to avoid the cliff but fall off on accident and still learn the same lessons. The point is that the system has rules (both explicit and implicit) and the only way to learn how to interact with the rules of the system is to come face to face with the rules and see what happens when you run into them. The other key point, is that even if the game/system inflicts the most severe penalty that a game can inflict (you lose your entire state and have to start over from nothing), there's still no (or at least very little) real impact to the player's state. The avatar may be reduced to nothing, but the player has only learned from the experience (and maybe gotten upset). Overall it's a safe environment to fail and to fail quickly.
Compare this to school (and life even). School is a system where there are rules and if you follow said rules (go to class, turn in your homework, make sure the answers that you put on your homework assignments are the answers that the teacher is looking for, etc.), then you are rewarded in the system with good grades. The general problem with the "school game" is the feedback loop. When I was in school, it often took days between when I did a homework assignment and when I got the grades for those homework assignments. By the time the assignments came back, I had already moved on, so I barely looked at the comments that my teacher left. For the most part, I had already forgotten about the assignment because I was already stressing/thinking about the next assignment. This type of slow feedback loop makes it really difficult to learn the rules of the game.
Of course, schools aren't there to teach people how to "win" at school. The main reason we go to school is to learn life skills and to expand our knowledge of different subjects. This is another area where games provide a really great model that education may be able to emulate. I remember often thinking, "When am I ever going to use this...?" during my school days. Although it's not a perfect analogy, games often provide "skill trees" where players can only acquire advanced skills after they have mastered/acquired easier skills. The important part, though, is that the tree is often visible for the player from day 1. From the beginning they can start drooling about the most advanced skills and then relatively easily find their way back to their current point so that they can plot their path to the skills that they want to advance to. I remember the university I went to provided me with a "skill tree" of the classes they offered, and I don't remember ever getting more excited about school in my life. "If I want to take the class on programming language compilers (I studied computer science, in case it wasn't already obvious), then I have to take these other classes to get there. I better get on that." This sort of "skill tree" can not only help students have a better sense of direction, but it also encourages lateral movement ("You've had your eyes set on one career, but with some small changes you can also switch to do a different career that is a little bit different but still utilizes a lot of the skills you've been honing over the years.").
Overall I thought this was a pretty good book. It could've had a little bit more polish as the writing didn't really grab me as much as I expected it would, but the subject matter was interesting.
Games at their core are just a really tight feedback loop. The game is a system of rules that interact together to produce an environment. Each player is dropped into the system where they are then free to learn the rules and experiment with them. For example, if a player learns that the game they're playing allows the to move their avatar, they'll pretty quickly move their avatar up to the edge of a cliff. Depending on how adventurous the player is, they might just jump their avatar off the edge of the cliff (How much will this hurt the avatar? Will my avatar magically fly? Will I re-spawn with all of my stuff, or are there longer-term penalties for this type of behavior?) or more likely they'll try to avoid the cliff but fall off on accident and still learn the same lessons. The point is that the system has rules (both explicit and implicit) and the only way to learn how to interact with the rules of the system is to come face to face with the rules and see what happens when you run into them. The other key point, is that even if the game/system inflicts the most severe penalty that a game can inflict (you lose your entire state and have to start over from nothing), there's still no (or at least very little) real impact to the player's state. The avatar may be reduced to nothing, but the player has only learned from the experience (and maybe gotten upset). Overall it's a safe environment to fail and to fail quickly.
Compare this to school (and life even). School is a system where there are rules and if you follow said rules (go to class, turn in your homework, make sure the answers that you put on your homework assignments are the answers that the teacher is looking for, etc.), then you are rewarded in the system with good grades. The general problem with the "school game" is the feedback loop. When I was in school, it often took days between when I did a homework assignment and when I got the grades for those homework assignments. By the time the assignments came back, I had already moved on, so I barely looked at the comments that my teacher left. For the most part, I had already forgotten about the assignment because I was already stressing/thinking about the next assignment. This type of slow feedback loop makes it really difficult to learn the rules of the game.
Of course, schools aren't there to teach people how to "win" at school. The main reason we go to school is to learn life skills and to expand our knowledge of different subjects. This is another area where games provide a really great model that education may be able to emulate. I remember often thinking, "When am I ever going to use this...?" during my school days. Although it's not a perfect analogy, games often provide "skill trees" where players can only acquire advanced skills after they have mastered/acquired easier skills. The important part, though, is that the tree is often visible for the player from day 1. From the beginning they can start drooling about the most advanced skills and then relatively easily find their way back to their current point so that they can plot their path to the skills that they want to advance to. I remember the university I went to provided me with a "skill tree" of the classes they offered, and I don't remember ever getting more excited about school in my life. "If I want to take the class on programming language compilers (I studied computer science, in case it wasn't already obvious), then I have to take these other classes to get there. I better get on that." This sort of "skill tree" can not only help students have a better sense of direction, but it also encourages lateral movement ("You've had your eyes set on one career, but with some small changes you can also switch to do a different career that is a little bit different but still utilizes a lot of the skills you've been honing over the years.").
Overall I thought this was a pretty good book. It could've had a little bit more polish as the writing didn't really grab me as much as I expected it would, but the subject matter was interesting.
November 1, 2017
The book is a set of authors insights into different persons/companies/methodologies for teaching, and overview of gaming in society as such. It shows how gamification of study reaps benefits if done right (as with anything really :)). Some chapters dedicated to how individuals tried and do revolutionize learning and school systems. Other parts of the book deal with society views about video games, with enough information to back up that some generalization about video games is not right, and similar parallels can be drawn about other media/activities. The book is an indirect (some chapters more direct than others) criticism of societies inability to look beyond games as a filler activity, praising individuals who see gaming as a helpful tool.
May 15, 2024
Incredible read, more proof that we know what our education system needs to look like to help students thrive so the question is why doesn’t it?
July 21, 2015
This book was thought-provoking and does not only address the value of video games but all types of play.
September 24, 2017
Education reporter Greg Toppo details some of the many and varied ways in which digital games, both digital and otherwise, are being used for educational purposes in school environments, for subjects such as mathematics, history, social studies, reading and vocabulary, as well as how games are being successfully used therapeutically to treat mental and developmental disorders such as ADHD, PTSD and schizophrenia.
While this title was immediately available at my local library, I was hesitant to pick it up off the shelf for some time, deterred by its cheesy, unappealing cover (I know, breaking cardinal rule of reading #1, right?). However, the overwhelmingly positive reviews at Goodreads finally convinced me to give it a go. The first third was interesting and encouraging, but somewhat slow going. The bottom line, that kids are more likely to learn/absorb when they are having fun, is both a no-brainer and potentially game-changing (no pun intended!). Anyone who has read The Power of Play understands that play is the work of the child and it is important; it is how children learn to navigate the world. Toppo reminds us throughout the book that even if a game is highly educational and bursting with knowledge, if does not meet minimum criteria for "fun," kids simply won't want to play it. Mark Twain noted, "Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that play consists of whatever a body a body is not obliged to do." However, our K-12 public education system revolves around increasing standardized testing scores, rather than allowing genuine interest, creativity and inspiration foment understanding of the subject matter.
Toppo briefly addresses the debate surrounding violence in video games and whether it correlates to increased or reduced sensitivity to physical violence. I found the following quote, with respect to the manner in which video games are collectively vilified as (at best) worthless or (at worst) dangerous, worth noting: "Billions have been killed because of what's in books, and no one but the most spit-flecked zealot wants to ban books."
My enthusiasm peaked in the latter half, particularly when the topic turned to therapeutic use of games. As a parent of a child newly diagnosed with ADHD, I'm quite excited by the research being done in improving working memory and wonder how can I get my hands on a copy of NeuroRacer??? All of this promise is alluring; sadly, after the Columbine tragedy, it became difficult to fund cognitive research on video games. Beyond all this, my biggest takeaways during this experience were a yearning for my "golden days" of gaming, a distinct longing to return to playing video games immediately, and a new list of games to research.
While this title was immediately available at my local library, I was hesitant to pick it up off the shelf for some time, deterred by its cheesy, unappealing cover (I know, breaking cardinal rule of reading #1, right?). However, the overwhelmingly positive reviews at Goodreads finally convinced me to give it a go. The first third was interesting and encouraging, but somewhat slow going. The bottom line, that kids are more likely to learn/absorb when they are having fun, is both a no-brainer and potentially game-changing (no pun intended!). Anyone who has read The Power of Play understands that play is the work of the child and it is important; it is how children learn to navigate the world. Toppo reminds us throughout the book that even if a game is highly educational and bursting with knowledge, if does not meet minimum criteria for "fun," kids simply won't want to play it. Mark Twain noted, "Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that play consists of whatever a body a body is not obliged to do." However, our K-12 public education system revolves around increasing standardized testing scores, rather than allowing genuine interest, creativity and inspiration foment understanding of the subject matter.
Toppo briefly addresses the debate surrounding violence in video games and whether it correlates to increased or reduced sensitivity to physical violence. I found the following quote, with respect to the manner in which video games are collectively vilified as (at best) worthless or (at worst) dangerous, worth noting: "Billions have been killed because of what's in books, and no one but the most spit-flecked zealot wants to ban books."
My enthusiasm peaked in the latter half, particularly when the topic turned to therapeutic use of games. As a parent of a child newly diagnosed with ADHD, I'm quite excited by the research being done in improving working memory and wonder how can I get my hands on a copy of NeuroRacer??? All of this promise is alluring; sadly, after the Columbine tragedy, it became difficult to fund cognitive research on video games. Beyond all this, my biggest takeaways during this experience were a yearning for my "golden days" of gaming, a distinct longing to return to playing video games immediately, and a new list of games to research.
December 26, 2023
Educational gaming has come a long way since Oregon Trail and Number Munchers. Games have always been a great way to engage children, but the problem of adapting them into effective educational tools remain. The current educational system was built 100 years ago for a different end goal, so could games be the way to refresh it? This book does a decent job in outlining various attempts and places where educational games and non-electronic game play has made inroads, whether being pushed by individual teachers or million dollar software companies.
This book focused on a more systemic view, where the games are implemented at a class, school, or district level, as opposed to individual parenting. It would have been interesting to see various failures as well, to determine why they failed. While the book name drops various games and apps, I'm still left wondering, what type of games/methods are the most effective? The book does a decent job in explaining why games work, but not as much in how to choose existing games, or develop new ones to fulfill this process.
Definitely a fun book, that feels like it will be a reference for anyone trying to create educational gaming that engages kids and teaches them.
This book focused on a more systemic view, where the games are implemented at a class, school, or district level, as opposed to individual parenting. It would have been interesting to see various failures as well, to determine why they failed. While the book name drops various games and apps, I'm still left wondering, what type of games/methods are the most effective? The book does a decent job in explaining why games work, but not as much in how to choose existing games, or develop new ones to fulfill this process.
Definitely a fun book, that feels like it will be a reference for anyone trying to create educational gaming that engages kids and teaches them.
October 26, 2017
Review - The Game Believes In You - 5 out of 5 stars Where do I begin? This book took me some time to read because.. well... life. But I'm a gamer, and I was determined to make it through this one, and I'm glad that I did. You don't have to be a computer gamer to be able to read this book. It's very accessible and covers non-computer gaming as well, because it discusses the whole learning and creative process.
In many respects there are a number of conflicting elements. One is that people learn better when at a machine (and machines were being used to teach before computers as we know them) because a machine goes at the pace of the student; whereas learning in a class everyone goes at the same pace (some get bored while others drop behind) but the class teaching is social whereas the game teaching is not social.... except in the cases where it is.... and in game world there isn't the restriction of who's wearing the latest branded trainers... but in the real world, talking with a child about what they're seeing on screen can deepen learning and having real consequences to actions can make things more thrilling and engaging...
You see... this can be sliced and diced so many ways, and I've read a good chunk of wisdom about learning... or more appropriately HOW we learn... in this book.
If you're interested in children and learning then I believe that this book is well worth reading, even if you're not a gamer. As well as discussing the learning and exploratory process, it has a section that deals with the long argued issue of violence and games as well as the topic of addiction, and it offers some sensible viewpoints that I believe are very much worth considering.
For parents, there is definitely a strong message to get involved with your child's game play and discuss it.
What most adults fail to realise, he said, is that as safe as they are, kids today are dealing with anxieties that previous generations didn't. 'We're exposed to things going on all over the world,' Schleifer said, 'A hundred years ago, children were only exposed to what was on the block, what was around the corner. Maybe something bad would happen in the neighbourhood, but if it wasn't in the neighbourhood, then nothing happened.' Now, he said, they've got access to news of the world, to bad things happening everywhere. 'How does a child get their head around something like a tsunami? How would you deal with that? For adults there's no way to deal with it.'
There's no getting away from the fact that playing games affects the mind and can actually be more effective than medications.
"So for the past few years, a small group of psychiatrists, researchers, educators and game designers have run a quiet but intense footrace to become the first to earn FDA approval for a medically sound, prescription-strength video game for ADHD. That's not a metaphor. They are seeking approval for a game that a doctor can actually prescribe. The problem with drugs like Ritalin or Adderall , researchers say, isn't just that they have side effects. It's that they're almost entirely hit or miss. They activate 'your entire brain, in a very blunt way,' said Dr. Adam Gazzaley, a psychiatrist and founding director of the Neuroscience Imaging Centre and the University of California, San Francisco." ... "Gazzaley began wondering if he could develop a game to enhance this switching in older adults. At the time, a few of his friends were working for the game developer LucasArts, so he asked if they'd be interested in helping him out. They said they'd be delighted. 'Their perspective was that they'd been teaching teenagers how to kill aliens for fifteen years now - most of their professional life - and they were looking forward to the opportunity to work on games that might have a different kind of impact.' "
I learned so much from this book, that it gave me some new perspectives on learning and game processes. Some might find that this book needs to be read in multiple sittings, but in my humble opinion, it is well worth it.
Rev-Ends
In many respects there are a number of conflicting elements. One is that people learn better when at a machine (and machines were being used to teach before computers as we know them) because a machine goes at the pace of the student; whereas learning in a class everyone goes at the same pace (some get bored while others drop behind) but the class teaching is social whereas the game teaching is not social.... except in the cases where it is.... and in game world there isn't the restriction of who's wearing the latest branded trainers... but in the real world, talking with a child about what they're seeing on screen can deepen learning and having real consequences to actions can make things more thrilling and engaging...
You see... this can be sliced and diced so many ways, and I've read a good chunk of wisdom about learning... or more appropriately HOW we learn... in this book.
If you're interested in children and learning then I believe that this book is well worth reading, even if you're not a gamer. As well as discussing the learning and exploratory process, it has a section that deals with the long argued issue of violence and games as well as the topic of addiction, and it offers some sensible viewpoints that I believe are very much worth considering.
For parents, there is definitely a strong message to get involved with your child's game play and discuss it.
What most adults fail to realise, he said, is that as safe as they are, kids today are dealing with anxieties that previous generations didn't. 'We're exposed to things going on all over the world,' Schleifer said, 'A hundred years ago, children were only exposed to what was on the block, what was around the corner. Maybe something bad would happen in the neighbourhood, but if it wasn't in the neighbourhood, then nothing happened.' Now, he said, they've got access to news of the world, to bad things happening everywhere. 'How does a child get their head around something like a tsunami? How would you deal with that? For adults there's no way to deal with it.'
There's no getting away from the fact that playing games affects the mind and can actually be more effective than medications.
"So for the past few years, a small group of psychiatrists, researchers, educators and game designers have run a quiet but intense footrace to become the first to earn FDA approval for a medically sound, prescription-strength video game for ADHD. That's not a metaphor. They are seeking approval for a game that a doctor can actually prescribe. The problem with drugs like Ritalin or Adderall , researchers say, isn't just that they have side effects. It's that they're almost entirely hit or miss. They activate 'your entire brain, in a very blunt way,' said Dr. Adam Gazzaley, a psychiatrist and founding director of the Neuroscience Imaging Centre and the University of California, San Francisco." ... "Gazzaley began wondering if he could develop a game to enhance this switching in older adults. At the time, a few of his friends were working for the game developer LucasArts, so he asked if they'd be interested in helping him out. They said they'd be delighted. 'Their perspective was that they'd been teaching teenagers how to kill aliens for fifteen years now - most of their professional life - and they were looking forward to the opportunity to work on games that might have a different kind of impact.' "
I learned so much from this book, that it gave me some new perspectives on learning and game processes. Some might find that this book needs to be read in multiple sittings, but in my humble opinion, it is well worth it.
Rev-Ends
March 20, 2017
It doesn't really matter how good this book was. I could have given it anywhere from 3-5 stars. I chose 5 because this book for me was a portal to someplace special I didn't know existed; a place where teachers use regular old games to teach real stuff, the same games that parents, teachers and media experts bemoan as wastes of time. This book is a portal to a place where other people see the potential for games as teaching tools, more than they already are, and agree with me that almost everything on the 'educational games' market is completely useless, if not harmful. This book is a portal to a world where someone else has had my ideas for games and simulations, and made them. (!!!!) This book is a portal to a world where dedicated teachers and game designers are working together to make the world a more fun place. This book is a portal to a place where games literally change the world, and the people who play them. But the best part? The place where this book happens, the stuff of dreams and nonsense? It's real.
October 11, 2019
A little bit outdated already, and a little bit scattershot, and a little bit utopian, but thought-provoking nonetheless. Also, likely, a needed step forward in the conversation about this new and much-villainized medium in our cultural landscape.
April 16, 2018
A fantastic look at the possibilities of gaming in the future (and the present). So many ideas in making learning effortless and important to kids (and adults) now instead of some future time.
March 16, 2017
Mostly interesting, but at times unnecessary verbose.
April 27, 2015
See all of my reviews @ https://gloriouspanic.wordpress.com/
I love gaming so this book instantly stood out to me. As much as I love playing games on my computer and tablet I hadn’t really thought of them on a level of learning. After reading this book I’m realizing how the various games we play can actually improve how we think and interact. I’ve always known some games were great for school – I remember a game called Number Munchers clearly in school when I was growing up. What I hadn’t expected is how wide of a population games can reach – including children with limited English. Interestingly enough, this book brought up the idea that gaming can in itself erase the need for these standardized tests that dominate schools in America now. It was great information but at times it felt like I was reading an enjoyable text book and I got a bit lost in names and dates. My favorite part of the whole thing was how it emphasized the need to make students want to learn, to enjoy learning.
Disclosure: I received this free from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I love gaming so this book instantly stood out to me. As much as I love playing games on my computer and tablet I hadn’t really thought of them on a level of learning. After reading this book I’m realizing how the various games we play can actually improve how we think and interact. I’ve always known some games were great for school – I remember a game called Number Munchers clearly in school when I was growing up. What I hadn’t expected is how wide of a population games can reach – including children with limited English. Interestingly enough, this book brought up the idea that gaming can in itself erase the need for these standardized tests that dominate schools in America now. It was great information but at times it felt like I was reading an enjoyable text book and I got a bit lost in names and dates. My favorite part of the whole thing was how it emphasized the need to make students want to learn, to enjoy learning.
Disclosure: I received this free from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 28, 2015
I received this book as an ARC from goodreads. The author writes well and I appreciate his survey on games. As an educator, I am trying to get students focused on instruction in online learning instead shoot em up. I have noticed that companies behind Achieve 3000, Study Island, Edgenuity have included the game element in assessment. Sometimes the problem with games is the constant need to make sure the right add-on is on the computer, tablet etc. It stops the benefit of games if the game doesn't game.
I liked his take on boredom in students. What is hard to be an educator know is the constant need to design or deliver in entertaining way. So much planning now has to go into planning each minute.
I have forgotten how some games realistic in setting that it can prepare an individual to visit places like Venice.
I liked his take on boredom in students. What is hard to be an educator know is the constant need to design or deliver in entertaining way. So much planning now has to go into planning each minute.
I have forgotten how some games realistic in setting that it can prepare an individual to visit places like Venice.
May 30, 2015
"The Game Believes in You" provides a glimmer of hope to anyone who's thrown their hands up in despair at the sorry state of U.S. schools.
Greg Toppo's examination of digital play and its intersection with a failing U.S. school system is important and de-stigmatizing.
It's a sober criticism of deeply-held educational ideas in the U.S., but coupled with a willingness to embrace bold new ideas for ensuring our children grow into creative, responsible adults.
Toppo not only traces the evolution of video games. He examines the ideology and history of our current educational system.
This isn't a condemning work. For every problem, Toppo highlights examples of educators and institutions that employ 21st century solutions.
Ignore the goofy cover. "The Game Believes in You" is a serious work that belongs on the shelves of educators across the country.
Greg Toppo's examination of digital play and its intersection with a failing U.S. school system is important and de-stigmatizing.
It's a sober criticism of deeply-held educational ideas in the U.S., but coupled with a willingness to embrace bold new ideas for ensuring our children grow into creative, responsible adults.
Toppo not only traces the evolution of video games. He examines the ideology and history of our current educational system.
This isn't a condemning work. For every problem, Toppo highlights examples of educators and institutions that employ 21st century solutions.
Ignore the goofy cover. "The Game Believes in You" is a serious work that belongs on the shelves of educators across the country.
December 30, 2015
As a gamer and educator, I had a lot of good feelings getting into this book, and was not disappointed. Throughout the chapters I found myself excited and making connections to my own work, and what I could do to begin making video games and gaming a part of what I do. School counselors already do so much with role play, using games to teach social skills, and more. This book gave me a sense that there's more to do, as well as ways to do it. I came away from this book hopeful, excited, and motivated. To me that's the mark of a great book, and I think most of my other summer study books will have trouble living up to this.
Read this if you like games. Read this is you know nothing about games. Read this if you are currently an educator. Regardless of how we feel, our students are quite proficient at media and we need to understand that.
Read this if you like games. Read this is you know nothing about games. Read this if you are currently an educator. Regardless of how we feel, our students are quite proficient at media and we need to understand that.
October 29, 2016
Books about education can often depress the reader. This one is ultimately hopeful and uplifting, as Toppo describes the power of video games to draw young people into active, engaged learning on any subject. Consider this passage from the epilogue, about teenagers using the game Minecraft as the basis for an elaborate opera performance.
Toppo writes: "This isn't the same old thing done more efficiently, or, heaven forbid, the same old _stupid_ thing done more efficiently. These aren't better flash cards or gamified toothbrushes with points attached. This is cutting-edge technology applied to something totally new and strange and beautiful."
Toppo's passion for the topic comes through and I came away convinced that video games really can help all of us learn.
This is also a fast read and frequently funny. Worth your time!
Toppo writes: "This isn't the same old thing done more efficiently, or, heaven forbid, the same old _stupid_ thing done more efficiently. These aren't better flash cards or gamified toothbrushes with points attached. This is cutting-edge technology applied to something totally new and strange and beautiful."
Toppo's passion for the topic comes through and I came away convinced that video games really can help all of us learn.
This is also a fast read and frequently funny. Worth your time!
July 18, 2015
Toppo has the light, breezy style that you would expect from a USA Today reporter, but he also covers all the bases in this highly readable survey of educational gaming. There's a lot of praise for clever game designers here, but it seems pretty clear that the most successful experiments are driven by professional teachers creating better tools for themselves.
The book sags a little at the end with the inevitable "But are games bad for our kids?" discussion, but until then it surveys all sorts of projects that I would love to get my hands on. It's a good guide to one of the most exciting areas in game design today.
The book sags a little at the end with the inevitable "But are games bad for our kids?" discussion, but until then it surveys all sorts of projects that I would love to get my hands on. It's a good guide to one of the most exciting areas in game design today.
July 15, 2015
Toppo offers readers an overview the use of gaming in education its present and possible future roles. For those interested in education or gaming, “The Game Believes in You” speaks of how gaming can serve the education of students in many exciting ways. If you are discouraged by the state of education today, Toppo introduces many teachers, gamers and more who look to the promising uses of gaming in engaging students and aiding real learning and critical thinking.
My copy came through Goodreads First Reads.
My copy came through Goodreads First Reads.
August 14, 2015
You need to read this book. Rather than attempt to apologize and rationalize and give into the idea that the screen is the boogeyman that will turn the generation du jour into an army of fill in the blank negative adjectives, Toppo dares to suggest that screen time, video games and the like might actually be good for the children.
As a member of the Nintendo Generation, I found this book to be uplifting and inspiring. It is a challenge to the educational system that has not changed since it began in the early 1900s as a way to train up the next generation of factory workers.
As a member of the Nintendo Generation, I found this book to be uplifting and inspiring. It is a challenge to the educational system that has not changed since it began in the early 1900s as a way to train up the next generation of factory workers.
November 3, 2015
Fascinating book about the state of educational games today, covering a wide swath of examples. The analysis seems pretty sound and the examples were almost all new to me and terrific. Even when they weren't new, I gained a lot of insight into them. My only wish was for more coverage of more types of games, such as language learning games, my own hobbyhorse. I was pretty disappointed when the main text ended at 70% of the ebook, followed by copious endnotes. I wanted it to be longer!
June 29, 2015
I'm not much for books about real life topics that are actually going on, but this book I could not put down! It was informative but not boring to the point that I felt like I needed to be writing a paper about it for school all over again. I truly enjoyed this book and it also made me get more teaching/ learning games for my daughter so she can have fun and enjoy learning before she really gets into school.
October 9, 2015
Intriguing accounts of how games -- and not just electronic -- are being successfully integrated into classrooms and more. I think my son would probably enjoy school a lot more if he had teachers like the ones Greg Toppo profiles.
I've met the author (he and his family are good friends with my sister-in-law's family), but this is the first time I've read any of his work. A very enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
I've met the author (he and his family are good friends with my sister-in-law's family), but this is the first time I've read any of his work. A very enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
April 25, 2016
For me the chapter on the Quest to Learn school in NYC is worth of price of admission. I also wish that many of my friends with kids would read Greg's book - as well as school teachers and district personnel. Yes, technology is not the silver bullet for effective teaching and learning - but, darn, it can engender in young people some powerful stuff, and we need to rid ourselves of old technology tropes and see new ways to engage kids. Technology and games can be just that.
September 14, 2015
I bought this book on recommendation at a Games in Education conference. Was not disappointed. A must read for anyone interested in games in Education. I would also recommend it to parents concerned about their kids playing video games. The author gives just enough research and detail to make a point.
October 23, 2015
An interesting look into how games can benefit children of all ages. While it does appear to be mostly about video games, there are definitely references to how games in general can help kids learn.
The book goes chapter by chapter with different games they are trying around the world. I really enjoyed this book, even though most of the information wasn't new to me.
The book goes chapter by chapter with different games they are trying around the world. I really enjoyed this book, even though most of the information wasn't new to me.
February 9, 2016
I enjoyed the brief but informative history of gaming and the use of technology in the classroom. The real gold in this book comes from the narratives of how some companies and individuals are approaching the use of technology and gaming in therapy and education. Some of these are pretty inspiring.
May 13, 2020
A wonderful documentation of case studies of the top educational game case studies and companies through the last several decades. Presents some compelling new perspectives about how we think about games and the powerful characteristics inherent in gameplay. This was exactly what I was looking for in a book as an overview to the modern educational game landscape.
April 24, 2015
If you have any interest in games in classrooms, this book is simultaneously very accessible and covers the research thoroughly. This one falls into my professional realm and I wrote a full review here:
http://researchnetwork.pearson.com/el...
http://researchnetwork.pearson.com/el...
May 16, 2015
A very interesting read!!! Highly recommended for any parents of video game playing kids, and even more so for anyone who cares about the future of education (and isn't afraid to think outside the box).
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