Play School
“Soon New York City will be home to a new 6-12th grade public school that will use game design and game-inspired methods to teach critical 21st century skills and literacies. Opening in fall 2009, the school is being created by the Gamelab Institute of Play, a New York City-based not-for-profit organization that leverages games and play as transformative contexts for learning and creativity, in collaboration with New Visions for Public Schools, a not-for-profit organization that works in partnership with the New York City Department of Education to improve academic achievement in the City’s public schools. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation recently awarded a grant of $1.1 million to help with planning and development.”
Wow… this is the most heartening bit of news I’ve heard in a while. It sounds like the school is still in the beginning stages of developing its curriculum and wrapping up final school board approvals. But, if this goes through and the Gamelab Institute can really make a school founded on the principles of digital game design work, it promises to be a new frontier into the marriage of education and technology.
I wish all involved much luck.
read the Wired article here.
