M7: Games and Simulations

 https://www.mathplayground.com/ASB_IslandChaseSubtraction.html

I chose a math game that we use very often at my school. This website has games for almost any skill you can imagine for grades k-6. "Island Chase Subtraction" is an engaging, multiplayer online game available on Math Playground, designed to help students practice and master subtraction facts up to 12. In this wacky water race, students mentally solve subtraction problems to propel their boat forward, making it an excellent tool for developing mental math fluency. Its interactive and competitive nature, whether played as a whole group activity or independently on Google Classroom, significantly boosts student engagement. You can find the game here: Island Chase Subtraction. The visual appeal of the race and the immediate feedback on answers make it a dynamic way to reinforce mathematical concepts. This game can be seamlessly integrated into a mathematics unit focused on subtraction within 20, particularly for Grades 1 and 2, aligning with New York State Next Generation standards. I love knowing that these games directly link to the skills we need to teach young students. Our learning objectives for such a unit would include students being able to fluently subtract within 20 using mental strategies, understanding subtraction as an unknown-addend problem, and applying properties of operations as strategies to subtract. "Island Chase Subtraction" directly supports these objectives by providing repeated practice in a fun context, helping students to quickly recall subtraction facts and develop their mental arithmetic skills in a way that traditional worksheets might not. The competitive element can also encourage students to improve their speed and accuracy. There is a column at the end that shows the students accuracy, rate per minute, and missed questions so we can use this to make data informed decisions if needed as well. I can then use this to make a worksheet of commonly missed questions for students to do as practice using a strategy other than mental math or quick count on/count back strategy. 

Using games in the classroom are very helpful for students. Not only are they engaging and reach learners that have a different learning style but according to Gee and Schaffer (2010) "digital technologies-including games- are letting young people produce projects and knowledge and to participate in learning communities as never before" (p. 4). I have found that integrating games has allowed for students to build a deeper understanding and connection to the concepts we are learning about. 

To implement "Island Chase Subtraction," I would introduce it as a fun challenge, perhaps by playing a round as a whole class on an interactive whiteboard to model the gameplay and expectations. Students would then access the game independently via Google Classroom on their devices

A way to scaffold this is to partner students up so they can work together. Another way I might scaffold this is to provide students with manipulative to use. Another differentiation technique I can incorporate is a punch card. If a student is struggling with subtraction with numbers greater than 8 I can have them practice those ones more using the game and give them a punch for every time they get a certain number correct. This can help build up confidence as well. 

There are many ways I can use this to assess students literacy practices as well as the objective of subtraction facts. Beyond observing their in-game performance (speed and accuracy), I would incorporate reflective practices. Students could be asked to verbally explain their mental math strategies for specific problems, either to a peer or to me, fostering mathematical communication. They could also write short sentences about the game, developing their written mathematical literacy. Furthermore, small-group discussions after playing the game would allow me to assess their ability to articulate mathematical concepts and engage in collaborative problem-solving. Finally, traditional formative assessments, such as exit tickets requiring them to solve a few subtraction problems without the game, would gauge their retention of facts and strategies. Games require students to problem solve thus allowing for assessment easily from a game (Shaffer&Gee, p. 12, 2010). 

References: 

Shaffer, David & Gee, James. (2010). Looking where the light is bad: Video games and the future of assessment. Phi Delta Kappa International EDge. 6.