Dh really wants to get an Xbox one for a family Christmas gift. My boys, of course, think it is a great idea. They are very much into Minecraft so the prospect of having it in that format is appealing to them. I am hesitant. I have searched for games that could incorporate some sort of education/ problem solving. I am thinking along the lines of the 39 clues online game or the Oregon trail type adventure game. I saw a zoo game that they would have to learn about the animals in order to take care of them but not sure that would keep their interest. We have a wii and they do not play it often and when they do it is Lego games. Those have taught my 8 year old observation/ problem solving skills. (They taught my 11 year old when he needs to stop due to frustration.) so they are t all wasted time. Lol. This is a long way to ask the question...Any ideas/suggestions about games for homeschool??? I am crazy, I know. Sigh.
What about this? http://whenyouriseup.com/minecraft-homeschool-server/ or google Minecraft curriculum.... We've just discovered TimezAttack which is a game that's really math facts drill. My grandkids are not gamers. We tend to play old fashioned board/table games or play outside.
Found this today: http://education.penelopetrunk.com/2015/10/27/what-if-all-they-want-to-do-is-play-video-games/
I feel your pain! We got a wii (the original one) with my blessing because of the physical activity. Well, they managed to destroy all the sports games... except for the snowboarding one, which they only want to play with the hand held controllers instead of the balance board. :/ So what do they play.... Yep, Lego games. Yes, they're cute, but I agree - not a productive use of time. They do play one game they learned about from a friend and bought with their own money -- it's an airplane simulator, but it's different models of planes from different eras of history. I am surprised at how many specs they've learned.
My son plays Minecraft a great deal, and I think it is a good thing for his creative and computing skills. He has learning disabilities, and this really brings him out and gives him a chance to be successful according to his own terms. I could see giving him some art credit for it, or possibly some science credit (a sort of STEM thing), if I stretched it. That having been said, I don't see it as an academic thing. There is just so much to learn in the academic arenas that is not touched by video games. The number of games that feature real academics (like the Oregon Trail) seemed very limited to me when I looked. And the kids did not get into the Oregon Trail when I bought it. Flight simulators would seem to be very educational to me, but I can't picture my kids really getting into them at this point in their lives. There are some good academic websites that incorporate games or game-like animations, but I find they have to be very teacher-directed; my kid can't have the choice to play what he wants (he'd not play the games he needs for real progress). That's just my experience. Joan
Thank you for the feedback. I am certain the boys would play a new system for a bit and then go back to life as they like it. They play Minecraft. Think about Minecraft at all times. They want to design new mods and new worlds and many other things I do not understand at all. They have been teaching me Minecaft. This has been comical to say the least. The wonderful thing about it is they have to try to be patient as they wonder why I cannot get it right. "I just told you how to do that, Mom. How do you not know it yet?" To which I replied, "Now you understand my frustration when you do math." I just got a giggle and eye roll. We are making it education. Ok, I am making it educational. They both are learning new ways to explain concepts they completely understand to someone who has no clue what their shorthand means. They are learning to breakdown concepts so their slow mom can understand. (I am not completely ignorant about all things techie but Minecraft kinda hurts my head.) I am not sure what we will decide about a new gaming unit but will continue to research ideas and games suggested. Thaks again!!
I know this is an old question, but my teenage son has been playing video games online quite seriously since he was 9 and 10 years old (grade 4-5). He is now almost 15 (grade 9). He has learned to type fast and accurately, his english vocabulary expanded like crazy and his spelling is incredible. He also LOVES maths!!! He knows more about computers than I do, he has read up on game theory and he wants to do comp sci or programming when he completes his HS diploma. He loves minecraft, and plays mostly MMORPG games online. But first I sit him down and make him do his school work for the day before he is free to play games. That was the compromise for taking him out of High School and bringing him home to homeschool. He got through elementary school and did quite well. He even won a medal for maths excellence when he graduated from grade 8. Just so you know that games are not all bad!!
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