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28 July
2008 Video Games -
Friend Or Foe To Learning Community According to a
study conducted by the Federation of American
Scientists, 45 million homes have video game
consoles. Experts with the
National Education Association, along with software
companies, see the use of gaming devices as
beneficial in the classroom, not just home
entertainment. Parents and teachers have long
viewed video games as a corrupting force rather
than an educational tool, but, as a new generation
of parents see the educational benefits of video
games, educational gaming is becoming a
trend. Jayel Gibson,
author, educator and video game advocate, supports
the use of video games as an educational tool to
spark creativity in kids of all ages. An adjunct
professor at Southwestern Oregon Community College,
and a popular fantasy author, she often discusses
gaming in the classroom and using video games for
creative purposes. Gibson's years spent gaming
served as an inspiration for her novels, including
her newest book "Quondam". "Gaming has
enormous potential as a teaching tool," says
Gibson, an elementary school teacher for over 15
years with two Teacher of the Year awards for her
use of technology in the classroom. "Too many
people have labeled video games as a negative
influence, but as a member of the gaming community
and teacher, I have seen video games used to teach
as they entertain." Gibson says
learning does not just come from the video games
designed specifically for education, some of the
most effective teaching video game genres are
management, role-playing and strategy. These types
of games offer opportunities to develop new
learning strategies, problem solving and real-life
skills with built-in skill leveling. Aware of the
ongoing debate concerning video games and
education, Gibson incorporates her own gaming
experiences in the fourth installment of her
"Ancient Mirrors" series. Continuing to weave
elements from her gaming experience, "Quondam"
follows Cwen of Aaradan, who falls through a
mysterious portal into Quondam and must battle to
unseat the evil wood nymph queen. "Quondam"
received the 2008 National Indie Excellence Award
in the fantasy and sci-fi category. Gibson is an
accomplished author who often appears at
conferences, including Wordstock and the South
Coast Writers Conference. A regular guest on
KGBR-FM, she has been featured in FortWorth Child,
Fayetteville Observer and Grandparents.com. She
currently lives in Port Orford, Ore., with her
husband, a pet cockatoo and five sugar gliders - a
small type of marsupial. To learn more about the
first three books in the award winning "Ancient
Mirrors" series, "Dragon Queen", "The Wrekening"
and "Damselflies", visit Jayel Gibson's Tales
Touched by Magick. |
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