SEL Games: Learning Life Skills through Games

The harsh reality of classroom life is that students and teachers both report lower motivation and morale right now. We must reengage students! Games can help us! SEL games can help you teach social-emotional learning skills and life skills. Today’s expert, Dr. Matthew Farber, gives us an interesting twist on games by integrating them with SEL. He has practical ideas for understanding and using game-based learning in the classroom. 

Games make a great addition to every teacher's toolkit. From board games, in-class games, or video games, students love them! So, let me encourage you to take some time to learn about SEL games today in this podcast.

 

8 Actions Teachers Can Take After Reading this Post and Listening to This Podcast

1. Understand that parents do not typically like the term social-emotional learning and prefer the term “life skills” but as you teach life skills, they want to partner with teachers in the process.
2. Understand games can be a powerful way to teach life skills
3. Find some games to try with students in class
4. Understand the concept of asymmetrical game design and how it can teach teamwork. Educators should look for games with asymmetrical design as they test games for the classroom.
5. Understand the concept of situational game design and how it can open up conversation in the classroom.
6. Understand that the Nintendo switch can be hooked to a projector and passed around the room to create conversations about situational games.
7. Check out 16 links for game-based learning resources.
8. Look at practical classroom resources to dig deeper into game-based learning and SEL

Resources Transcript and Show notes: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e771

Thank You Advancement Courses:

Thank you Advancement Courses for sponsoring today’s show. This month, Advancement Courses is kicking off their annual Tournament of Teachers bracket challenge where educators can win up to $2,000 in prizes. This year’s “Mischief-Makers Edition'' features some of the most incorrigible students from literature and film, including Draco Malfoy, Veruca Salt, Bart Simpson, and Ferris Bueller. From now until March 20, choose which mischief-maker you’d rather teach and submit your bracket in order to play. Then from March 21-30, you’ll have a chance to come back and vote for your favorites to advance. Enter now and you could win prizes like a $1,000 Amazon gift card and more. Visit www.coolcatteacher.com/tournament/  to learn more and submit your brackets!