UK education boss Michael Gove wants games in the classroom

Why is "Maths" in quotation marks in the article?

Math is the wrong way to use this.

Many of my foreign friends are fantastic at English due to playing games.
Lets get some mass Neverwinter Nights play sessions going ! Then I might be able to understand other people in my country.

Michael Gove is a twat.

What ever happened to the desire to learn for the sake of knowledge?

But I suppose more ways of motivating kids these days can't be a bad thing right?

Hasn't this guy ever heard of Number Munchers?

Lady on the Right, you perv. D:

Perhaps the class can team up and have a go at the Corporeal Beast? No? Okay.....

If this does happen then i could no longer become a teacher. The urge to push a kid out the way and grab the controller from him/her to do it myself because they keep failing would be to strong.

...The conservatives are still assholes.

A politician making sense when it comes to video games and seems to be bettering the country? Whats the catch?

@Elzio De Auditore

A COMMENT FROM ELZIO THAT ISN'T BLATANT TROLLING OR FLAIMBAITING

HAS THE WORLD GONE MAD

i recognize some of the scholastic values of games at times, even the health benefits from time to time. but this just seems to be a recipe for disaster. for people trying to develop and mature, it sends a mixed signal of what games are, and when they are appropriate to engage in. why not games at work? how bout while im driving? extreme examples, sure. but still. not everyone is able to develop into mature adults when things get confusing, especially when they are not receiving good parenting and are allowed to just game the day away at home as well.

@Elzio De Auditore

You're off character.

We have already had games in he classroom room here in the UK! When I was at school we had "Granny's Garden" it was awesome!

http://www.viddler.com/explore/Malorie/videos/3/

Kids could learn Japanese military history if they added Genji 2 to the school curriculum. They could learn how warriors fought giant crabs & had to attack their weak spot for massive damage.

Lol make it more engaging? How about giving teachers power to kick out and suspends little a$$hats that won't shut up and are being disruptive.

Oh heaven forbid an education minister fix the core issues as opposed to putting a shining coat on it and calling it new.

sweet gangsta lean in the photo

Someone hasn't heard of Oregon Trail I see.

Both the schools I went to (Sussex) had maths games called chefron and Cheops pyramids. Were pretty good in a maths kinda way. Anyone else play them?

Totally agree - I wish we could play games like these http://mathiqgames.com in our classrooms. FUNNEST way to learn math skills!

little big planet in creativity class anyone???

@FuriousMailman

Can we stop feeding him attention yet?

Now if only every government thought this was a good idea, because this is one of the best ideas I've heard in... Uh... Forever.

Then again, I remember playing a Maths version of Space Invaders many years ago when I was in Primary school (Grade school for you foreigners).

I've never been very good at Maths, so I'd lose quickly, because I was too busy trying to work out the sum whilst the aliens were kicking my ass. I was better a normal Space Invaders.

Ah the good old days of Mario Teaches Typing.

Hello Everyone,

We couldn’t agree more with Mr Gove. We think at this point in time, reaching students in way that they are familiar with and feel comfortable with, is critically important. Online gaming is something which is here to stay, not fade into the background. That means that educators have to accept this and use this to their advantage, and in a way which benefits students. An online forum, and in particular gaming, is something students understand, look at it in a positive way, and are very happy to do.
@Xemplar - is this the point you were leaning towards?

What we need to be careful of, is making sure that when we do give work to students in ‘shoot the aliens’ type of way, we are 100% engaged in exactly what they are doing, how they fared, where they got stuck, and what level they are at. It does not help any student if they are able to choose the level at which they learn. If I was an 8 year old, I would choose questions that I was comfortable with and found easy , so in essence I would get better at what I was already good at! No, what needs to happen is an assessment, and then the learning engine, or ‘game’ to choose this level for the student based on their ability. Getting students to learn and work without realising that this is what they are doing, is by far the most effective way to ensure progress. Times have changed, and we need to change with them. There is no point being afraid of the fun, or the technology. What we need to do just embrace it, and make sure we use it to better our teaching methods and the students for whom we are responsible.
Does anyone else share our view?

Stephanie and Gemma, Maths- Whizz (www.whizz.com)