Interview with Greg Toppo
Greg Toppo is USA TODAY’s national K-12 education writer. He’s been with USA TODAY since 2002 and was a 2010 Spencer fellow in education reporting at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Previously, Toppo was a reporter for the Associated Press in Washington. Toppo has worked as both a high school English and writing teacher and as a fourth-grade teacher. He is the author of the book:The Game Believes in You: How Digital Play Can Make Our Kids Smarter.
Join us as we discuss:
- What is happening in the classroom with video games
- Greg’s influences
- Going beyond “if” games can be used to teach, to the “How” they do
- The importance of asking how
- What it means for the “game to believe in you”
- The not-so subtle difference between movies and games
- How games are not a substitute for teachers
- What technology is in the classroom Clara Cuban
- What games offer technologically that other teaching technology does not offer
- Gamifications place in the classroom
- Dragon Box the game that I’m using to teach my 4 yearold algebra
- The difference between types of screen time (TV vs Video Games)
- The social element of video games
- …and more!
Individuals & resources mentioned:
- James Paul Gee Website What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. Second Edition
- Drew Davidson Website
- Constance Steinkuehler More Info
- Kurt Squire Website
- Marc Prensky Website Teaching Digital Natives: Partnering for Real Learning
- Ian Bogost Website How to Do Things with Videogames (Electronic Mediations) Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Videogames
- Heather Chaplain Website Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution
- Ed Castronova Website
- Glued to Games: How Video Games Draw Us In and Hold Us Spellbound (New Directions in Media)
Greg Toppo’s website:
Greg Toppo’s book: The Game Believes in You: How Digital Play Can Make Our Kids Smarter
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I’m excited and honored to be speaking at this year’s Podcast Movement THE event for podcasters!
