GAMING SPECIAL
living just below the surface. If they are interested in progressing their skills, you can sign them up for one of our free programmes CodeClub ( codeclub.org ) or Coder Dojo ( coderdojo.com ). As educators, we have to use games wisely. There is currently a bit of a backlash against games in educational resources, with some feeling that they alienate female students. This is partially due to the overwhelming amount of explode-y and shoot-y games that are prevalent in resources. Use your class time to create a wide range of games, including things like puzzles, quizzes and adventures. The more variety we can provide, the more students will benefit from the use of video games. If you are a gamer reading this, you may have some serious CS skills already and, if you are ever looking for a career change, you might just be able to turn that hobby into an enjoyable career.
IMAGES Video games are good teaching tools, because they are engaging and because they force you to model concepts in a computer system
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ISSUE 06
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