In 2010/11 a fella named Dan Ballantyne started using Civic Mirror. We noticed immediately how involved his students became with their simulated nations. This is usually a sign of a good-to-incredible teacher who is able to capitalize on the many teachable moments Civic Mirror provides. Dan’s a little more than just good.
Today, two years later, Dan has run 6+ Civic Mirror countries, has been showcased on our blog for his beta-testing contributions, co-authored two of our newly released learning modules, facilitated CM Workshops in his own district (WRDSB) and others, and has quite likely Tweeted more about the program than anyone else. We’re writing this post because, just the other day, we learned an article he submitted on how Civic Mirror successfully “gamifies” the curriculum was showcased on the TVO website. Definitely check the article out. Excerpt below:
Gamification is currently a buzzword in education and the Civic Mirror exemplifies the best of this trend by harnessing the potential of a game but linking it with sound pedagogy to enable students to meet the majority of the Ministry’s curriculum expectations. What makes it indispensible is that it does this in a way that is centered on student inquiry and problem-based learning; in short, the students are given agency within a broad framework created by the Civic Mirror. As Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown describe in their book, A New Culture of Learning, “when play happens within a medium for learning… it creates a context in which information, ideas, and passions grow” (2011, p.18).
Great article Dan! Thanks for the kudos! Indeed, the group of WRDSB educators using Civic Mirror are a special breed. We really couldn’t say it any better than @CorbettBall, another WRDSB educator, did when he tweeted:
