Institute of Play's blog

Gaming SMALLab recently conducted three-consecutive workshop sessions at the campus of Parsons, The New School for Design. Participants were students belonging to grades 6-8 from various schools in New York. Working in small teams with teachers and designers, the students participated in interactive learning scenarios focused on light and optics, mapping, and language development. The students were able to play various roles during this workshop in SMALLab, for instance, they become scientists and technology specialists as they explored the space and investigated how the system worked based on observation and interaction with SMALLab objects and games. Throughout the workshop the students used the scientific method to propose and test theories, observe and gather evidence of outcome, and apply this understanding throughout the development of new theories.

See some photos and read more about Gaming SMALLab.

The Institute of Play is proud to announce the launch of Game Bucket BETA - the Institute of Play's new online tool that maps New York state learning standards to a library of digital and non-digital games. The goal of the project is to provide educators, students and parents with a selection of games that can be played in support of specific curricular goals.

Game Bucket is an extension of the Institute of Play's commitment to the strength of games as both educational tools and process-based systems. Many of the games in the game bucket database explore learning through problem-solving, critical reflection and other active "ways of doing." Still actively in development, Game Bucket does not claim that a particular game will teach a particular set of skills. Rather, Game Bucket proposes that when used in concert with regular coursework, the games included in the database have the potential to provide new perspectives and deepen current understandings of educational concepts and standards.

Quest to Learn, the new 6th-12th grade public school that will use game-inspired methods to teach both traditional and 21st-century skills, will be hosting a series of open houses to build its future community of learners and thinkers. These information sessions will introduce families to Quest to Learn, a dynamic learning space for today's digital kids, that will open this fall in Manhattan's District 2 with a 6th-grade class. This event will be hosted by the New School, one of Quest's institutional partners.

Join us for an Open House to Learn More!

• Tuesday March 17, 6:30 -7:30pm

NEW! Location of Open House Sessions:
Parsons The New School for Design,
Swayduck Auditorium, 65 Fifth Ave., NYC
RSVP: salenk@newschool.edu
Questions? 516.554.2456 or 718.935.3665

Download Parent Kit (zip)

Quest to Learn is now actively recruiting students to join its sixth-grade class in the fall.

We are looking for students who are:

• Creative
• College and Career Focused
• Curious
• Hands-on-Learners
• Technology and Media Fans
• Game Lovers
• Interested in the way things work