Assignment #1
One of my favorite games to play is Words with Friends. I
find it extremely fun and addicting to play and it is pretty much an electronic
game of “Scrabble”. Players must use random letters to make up words with
different strategies. The goal is to have more points than your opponent when
the game is over. For each word, you get a certain amount of points, depending
on where you place them and how many points each letter is worth. Each letter
is worth a certain amount of points depending on how frequently each letter is
commonly used in words. For example, the letter “S” is worth less that the
letter “Q”. There are also certain spaces on the board that give the player the
opportunity to earn more points and strategize, such as double and triple words
and letters.
The gaming element of text is the key element in Words with
Friends. Text is what drives the game to its main concepts and gameplay.
Besides looking at the letters that you need to make words out of, there are
other features that text is the key component. For example, the scoreboard. The
scoreboard is located away from the gameboard and shows the players’ names and
the score. It’s a very good idea for the player to keep track of this because
the player can strategize what kinds of letters to use and where to put them on
the board.
The Visual-graphic elements are also very key elements to
keep the game motivating and want the player to keep playing. There is a clear visual
without any distractions to steer the player away from the game. It keeps the
player focused on the task at hand and want to keep playing.
The sound element is very limited. There isn’t any music
playing throughout the game, but there are little “blips” as the player
receives and places letters and “chimes” to let each player know who’s turn it
is.
The rules of this game are simple: make words using the
letters given to you and score more points than your opponent.
Assignment #2
Grade: 5
Common Core Standards
and Learning Outcomes:
5.RFS.3: Know and apply
grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words
5.L.1: Demonstrate
command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking.
5.L.3: Use knowledge of
language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading or listening.
Instructional
Activities:
Students will be split
up into pairs using one iPad between them. They will then go on to play a game
of Words with Friends against their opponent.
Assessment:
As an assessment, the
first few times the students play, they will be playing against their own high
scores. Even though the students are physically playing against each other,
they must keep track of their own score. The teacher will also keep track of
students’ scores for progress.
What cognitive Skills this
game helps to cultivate:
-Knowledge
-Comprehension
-Application
-Analysis
-Synthesis
What New Literacy
Skills this game helps to cultivate:
-Reading
-Speaking
-Language
I love words with friends! It has taught me so many words and I find myself looking up definitions of words I never knew existed. I never thought there would be a way to make the dictionary fun but this game certainly does!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great game I would love to try it. just one question, does the player play against the computer or peers?
ReplyDeleteWords with Friends is a great game. I use to play it all the time but then I started playing Wordfeud because I felt the game was a little more challenging. I love playing word games.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great way to build vocabulary skills and of course social skills. We used to play scrabble in Spanish Club to work on our Spanish vocabulary. Since there doesn't have to be a time component students can sit with dictionaries and have to defend the words they spell if their opponent challenges them.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like the kids would enjoy this game as it will be beneficial for building their vocabulary. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteRecently, some kids showed this game to me and and I tried it with them . It was indeed a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteDerek- What about "debriefing" and the "new literacies" skills being developed? Often time game players just play games for fun without thinking much what skills and strtegies they are using. The "debriefing" is critical in that it helps game players monitor their thinking process and strategies applied to achieve the game goals. :)
ReplyDelete