Games Aren’t Just for Kids

by Connor Martin ’13

I remember when going to school used to have fun aspects to it. Once in a while there would be a day when we could learn things in a new, interesting way. “Jeopardy” is always an easy way to get students more competitive and interested in their studies, so why don’t teachers do it more? When I was in middle school, I had a teacher who brought in game show buzzers to class every once in a while, and everyone in the class teamed up in groups of two or three and tried to solve math problems, buzz in, score points and hopefully win. I retained more information about math from those few days in class than I have in months of note-taking. And it’s not just limited to math. Any subject can be taught in a more competitive format so that students get excited about going to class and learning everything they can. The drive to win can also be the drive to achieve. Teachers need to utilize games more often and change the boring standard that has been set on the high school level.