When does gamifying your classroom lead to unintended outcomes:
I can get behind a lot of the different types of items you have outlined here, and I am absolutely amazed at the level to which you have gone to explore the practice and share that exploration. The one that I am having the most trouble with, however, is the “tipping point”. While I agree that many students do end up looking at their final grade and looking for a quick fix, I am not convinced that they should be able to exchange something for the grade rather than demonstrating mastery in the content area. How would you answer to someone who would say you are allowing grades to be changed for a modern-day version of “bringing in kleenex” to the classroom for extra credit?
Again, I really love the ways in which you are encouraging students to own their learning and work together to achieve common outcomes. I also think the transparency with which you can share “how your classroom works” makes it easy for kids to navigate. I just wonder if they are simply playing a different “game of school” now and whether or not this allows them to learn the broader scope of intrinsic motivation for learning. What do you think?
Gamify Your Class Level IV: The Item Shop | Teched Up Teacher.
