The reading this week of Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture, made me think of the hours my sister and I spent playing Monopoly as kids. One game would go on for a couple of days. In the process we learned about money, rent, acquiring property, geography, and that not all property has the same value. I also learned a lot about negotiating. Back then it was simply a game, but now I look at it from a teacher's viewpoint and I see practice at problem solving and using strategies. The experience was a safe environment to take risks and it didn't matter if I won or lost, because we would do it again the next day.
In the classroom, the simulation game Oregon Trail was fun. The students enjoyed becoming a pioneer on the trail traveling westward. Figuring out provisions and how they were going to make it provided more of a "hands on" learning experience.
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