Raising five kids during the internet era, everyone is dying to know what my thoughts on video games are! How many hours, how many minutes, how many days? Are they too violent? Is it okay if they love Minecraft? Will they lose all motivation to work? Let’s discuss all this and more!
Ash Brandin (they/them) is a middle school teacher from Golden, Colorado. After researching the use of video games in classrooms, Ash found that there was very little research about how games compel people to play, and how this can be brought into the classroom — or any educational environment.
Since 2016, Ash has spoken across the country about how academic spaces can mimic game structures to make learning compelling, motivating, and engaging. They believe games, specifically entertainment based games, can help us create better teaching, more engaged learning, and motivated lifelong learners.
Listen to the Podcast
Show Notes
How Much is Too Much?
When your kids are away at school for several hours of the day, there is less potential for video games to take up a large portion of their time. But when they are home most of the day, how much gaming time is acceptable?
With how many games being mobile, it can be tough to monitor and micromanage. In general, when kids are engaging in screen time, we need to be asking ourselves:
- What is the quality of engagement?
- What is the purpose of this activity?
- Do we see this creating a problem somewhere else?
