ABCya: A Great Library of Educational Games

Classes, Classroom Help, Informative, Just For Fun, Technology

Published with Permission
Written by Andy Harris
www.aharrisbooks.net
www.TOSMagazine.com

Computer games are here to stay. There’s no denying it. There is something extremely compelling about video games, especially for today’s kids. Some games are not appropriate for kids, and it is right to be nervous about them. However, some games can be useful reinforcement tools for your lessons. If you can find a fun way to reinforce skills in math, reading, typing, or science, maybe you should reinforce them.

ABCya (abcya.com) is a website containing dozens of games written by frustrated schoolteachers who could not find quality educational games easily and couldn’t afford the few quality games they found. The games are available for free on the website and are grouped by age level and topic. The site does feature Google ad-word advertising, but the ads are small and unobtrusive and are mainly visible on the home page. Each game page hosts an ad, but I didn’t see anything objectionable as I used the site.

Although the quality of the games varies, they are all well made, and most are quite entertaining. They were created with the public school audience in mind, so there are a few themes (there’s a Halloween game in the K–1 section) you’ll want to be alert to. All the games use Flash technology, so they’ll work fine on any reasonably modern computer. They should play on Android devices (although many games rely on the keyboard) but sadly will not work on iPhones or iPads. A few of the more popular games have been converted to apps and are available for 99 cents each. (more…)

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Hate of Learning: One Cause and a Possible Remedy

Burn Out, Classroom Help, Informative, Organization

Published with Permission
Written by Andrew Pudewa
www.TOSMagazine.com

When one of my daughters was around 12 years old, we faced a significant problem with her motivation and quality of work. Her “school” days went pretty much like this: She would get up, do everything on her checklist with as little effort as possible (often being “finished” by 10:00 a.m.), and then spend the rest of the day snacking and annoying everyone else in the house. When confronted about the quality of her work, she would counter, “I did it—what more do you want?” When it was pointed out to her that she was “finished” in a couple of hours and that perhaps she could have a bit more added to her checklist, an ugly, hormone-enhanced argument would ensue: “I’m already doing everything I have to. More wouldn’t be fair! How come you want to make my life miserable? I’m doing enough, okay? Can you just leave me alone?”

Sound familiar? If you have a large enough family, you’re likely to have at least one child who develops this attitude at some point, which might be appropriately termed “Hate of Learning” stage. The danger, of course, is that Mom and Dad start thinking evil thoughts such as “We’re failing her . . . maybe we should put her in a good school . . . of course, she wouldn’t necessarily spend any more time studying, but at least she’d be out of our hair for a while . . . maybe we just need to be more strict . . . .” Such were the thoughts my wife and I entertained at that time. Fortunately, I came across a possible strategy that involved neither sending her to school nor using a heavy-handed approach. (more…)

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A Ship Full of Ideas: Lesson Plans on the Titanic

Classes, Classroom Help, Informative, Projects

Published with Permission
Written by Amy Nicholson
www.TOSMagazine.com

“Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth? Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death? Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all . . .” [God answering Job] ( Job 38:16–19).

 “We are all on the Titanic. The reason we cannot stop talking about the great liner is because the Titanic is about everything.”[1] —John Wilson Foster

On April 14, 1912, the Titanic, touted as the “world’s safest ship” on its maiden voyage from Southhampton,England, to New York City, collided with an iceberg, and sank. A total of 1,523 people died.[1] This event left an indelible mark in history. This year will mark the one-hundredth anniversary of that fateful night. We can commemorate it in our classrooms with lesson plans that span the curriculum.

 The lessons that follow would be most suitable for middle and high school-aged students but could be modified for use with younger children. These activities focus on research and critical thinking, urging students to delve a little deeper and see God’s hand at work. (more…)

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