Play2Connect

02/06/2018

Our book Families at Play: Connecting and Learning through Video Games is out. Go get your copy! The MIT Press:
https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/families-play
Amazon:
http://a.co/bcyMGlf

How family video game play promotes intergenerational communication, connection, and learning.Video games have a bad reputation in the mainstream media. They are blamed for encouraging social isolation, promoting violence, and creating tensions between parents and children. In this book, Sinem Si...

07/25/2017

Wanted to know the latest research on families and video games? We will be at the Games for Change Festival in NYC next week! Come to our session titled "Mini Talk Series: Highlights from the Latest Game-based Learning Research" on Tuesday, August 1st at 11 am!

04/22/2016

Looking for ways to engage families in learning around games and digital media? Check out the Family Casebook & Design Guide our Founding Director Sinem Siyahhan co-authored! http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/jgcc_diversefamilies.pdf

03/24/2016

Join us this Tuesday, March 29th at California State University San Marcos campus for this wonderful event that creates opportunities for intergenerational dialogues through arts and technology!

05/19/2015

PreK-3 students working on a farming challenge we designed in Minecraft

02/17/2015

This is the first video game I'll let my daughter play | The Verge | "The game isn't educational in the traditional sense: you don't have to learn the new words or letters to proceed. But I've found that the more my kid plays, the more things stick with her. She can navigate the minimalist menu by herself, and she often says the words before the robotic voice does. Even if it isn't really teaching about her words, Metamorphabet is an amazing tool that is showing her how to interact with these screens that will surround her for the rest of her life."

"Daddy, can I tickle the blue foot?" For the past week or so, Charlotte, my two-year-old daughter, has woken up making strange requests. One...

01/21/2015

gamesandlearning.org’s Top Trends of 2014 | Games and Learning | We have spent the last year reporting on a lot of developments affecting the learning game industry — from the purchase of Minecraft by Microsoft to the launch of SimCityEDU to the growing phenomena of Clever. With 2014 drawing to a close, we thought we would highlight a few of the key trends we have seen emerging this last year.

We have spent the last year reporting on a lot of developments affecting the learning game industry -- from the purchase of Minecraft by Microsoft...

01/20/2015

Communication Gaps Dog Efforts to Use Games in Classrooms | Games and Learning | The problem may be that teachers and administrators don’t have a dependable shared language with which to communicate. While the landscape of educational innovation is big on trendy concepts and buzzwords, it is short on specifics. The same term may mean different things to different ears. This lack of shared definitions makes it difficult to evaluate success rates and convey accomplishments.

You’ve probably heard all the buzzwords: inquiry- or project-based learning, blended classrooms, gamification, play, etc. Whether the cheerleaders...

01/20/2015

Designing Apps for Co-Play: Can Research and Analysis Make Learning More Fun for Parents and Kids? | Joan Ganz Cooney Center | "A few weeks ago, the Cooney Center released Family Time with Apps, which helps parents think carefully about how (if at all) they want to support their children’s app use. A central theme of that guide is “joint media engagement”: the entire family benefits when parents and children explore the app landscape together. Even the guide itself is designed to be explored by the whole family!"

A few weeks ago, the Cooney Center released Family Time with Apps, which helps parents think carefully about how (if at all) they want to support...

12/24/2014

2014: One Educator's Year in Review | Edutopia | Minecraft EDU has been a big story even with the collective gasp when Microsoft purchased it for $2.5 billion. Educators have found cool ways to connect students in Minecraft (and align with standards) while collaborating and building. QR Codes have become even more popular ways to link the physical world with the virtual world.

Vicki Davis documents 14 education trends that she observed in 2014, from disrespected teachers and data-driven schools to cool new tech and...

12/23/2014

This is why Telltale is making a Minecraft adventure game | Polygon | Keen to see the impact of their involvement, most millennials would rather volunteer than donate their money to charity – plus they don’t respond well to traditional fundraising methods. That’s why Makerble, a UK-based startup, is exploring how gamification can be used to encourage more online donations, while making sure donors know exactly where their money is going. Starting from as little as £1 per month, the emphasis is on the impact of the donation rather than the amount given.

Many people saw Telltale Games and Mojang's announcement yesterday of Minecraft: Story Mode as an indication that their worst fears about...

12/23/2014

9 Reasons Analog Games Are Awesome | The Art of Manliness | There aren’t many grandparents who are up for grabbing a controller and playing Call of Duty, but most would love to sit down with you for a game of cards. When I was younger I used to play cribbage with my grandfather. And these days when we see Kate’s Nana, engaging in many rounds of gin rummy is a given. Because of the way analog games facilitate conversation, these games are always a great way of talking about her life and memories.

Dwight D. Eisenhower played bridge with his fellow officers into the wee hours of the morning; Winston Churchill enjoyed playing mah-jongg and gin...