The Center for Media & Community held a live webcast event on July 27, 2005 entitled "Kids, Video Games & the Classroom." The presenters, Professor Chris Dede, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Michelle Halsell, CEO & Founder of Missing Pixel and Marc Prensky, CEO & Founder of Games2Train, discussed compelling research to encourage the use of video games as an engaging tool for teaching and learning. A record-breaking number of participants from across the country represented a range of educational research organizations, public media outlets and schools. Ultimately, the panel delved into the core of the issue: different kids have different learning styles, and video games can often engage otherwise unmotivated kids.

If playing games in the classroom isn't a convenient option, then games can at least be discussed in the classroom. Content, teacher training, gendered material and issues of access each play an important role in the dialogue of educational gaming. Finally, from a global perspective, other countries are moving to the next generation of gaming as an educational tool, and the panel noted the importance of keeping up with the pedagogy already favored by kids and now being highly developed abroad.

The session, moderated by DDN editor Cedar Pruitt, was recorded and is archived here:
http://home.learningtimes.net/edc?go=909457