Playing to Learn

Playing To Learn is a wonderful new addition to the world of media literacy...Because it is aimed at the elementary-12th grade audience, it would be a welcome addition to any school library media center collection. - The Journal of Media Literacy

Welcome to the official website for the book, Playing to Learn: Video Games in the Classroom by David Hutchison.

Playing to Learn is one of first practical resources that helps teachers integrate the study of video games into the classroom.

The 250+ page book features over 100 video game activity ideas appropriate for Grades 4 to 12. Virtually every subject area is addressed, including language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, history, geography, health & physical education, drama, music, visual arts, computers, and business.

The book is augmented with several discussion articles contributed by scholars, journalists, and bloggers who routinely write about video games.

Also included are dozens of activity modification and extension ideas, Web links, data tables, and photos.

PlayingToLearn.org

Updated regularly, this website features:

• a complete list and summary of each of the activity ideas in the book
• brief synopses of additional "Web exclusive" activity ideas
• PDF downloads of the book's table of contents and sample pages
• links to additional video game-related articles written by the author
• dozens of video game-related Web links
• contact information for the author

Related Resources:

June, 2009: David launches VideoGameWorlds.com, a Web portal for video game news, reviews, and previews and information about David's video game-related projects.

June, 2009: Over the last few years, David has delivered a number of invited presentations on the topic of video games and education. Download an excerpted PDF outline of one of David's PowerPoint presentations.

June 19, 2008: David is interviewed by Electric Playground on the topic of video games and learning.

June, 2008: David appears on a number of Canadian TV news programs talking about the book and video games and learning.

December, 2007: Voices of Youth Magazine publishes an extended review of the book.

November 9, 2007: David is interviewed by GameSpot on the topic of video games and education.

October 22, 2007: David is interviewed (part one and two) by Henry Jenkins, MIT Professor and media theorist, on the topic of video games and education.

September, 2007: The September, 2007 issue of GameInformer Magazine features an opinion article by David on the topic of video games and education.