Convention Panels
I run educational panels at conventions or independent workshops focusing upon using video games and other media as mediums as a way to teach a wide variety of subjects. Below I list what I have currently done. Contact me if you would like me to run one of them for you!
My Teacher Just Told me Video Games Will Teach Me to Read: Literacy is one of the most important skills someone can have. Good reading comprehension allows for someone to adapt to nearly any job that you would need to do. In this panel I’ll go into great detail about how video games are not only teaching children to read better, they are doing it in ways most people did not even think about. I will go over studies that have been run, and talk about how video games have affected me personally, as well as how they can teach every child how to enjoy not only the mechanics of a game, but the story the game tells.
The PS4 is a Time Machine: History is not all about learning dates and the names of great men and women who helped change nations. History is about understanding the complicated reasons as to why events occurred in the first place. By using video games and board games we can simulate these complicated reasons that allows anyone to understand and learn from history, in the hope we don't repeat the same historical mistakes and mishaps of the past. In this panel I will talk about evaluating popular media for educational value and then demo games for the audience to try.
Board with History
History is not all about learning dates and the names of great men and women who helped change nations, nor is it just about video games any more! This companion panel to "The PS4 is a Time Machine," focuses on the use of board games and card games in modeling complex systems and introducing students to new historical periods. Similarly, I will talk about evaluating popular media for educational value and then demo games for the audience to try.