Parents often ask how their child can be challenged in and after school. I have decided to offer my students the opportunity to use their creative thinking in a new way that is not traditionally taught in school – video game design.

What is Gamestar Mechanic? According to their website, “Gamestar Mechanic is a game-based digital learning platform designed to teach the guiding principles of game design and systems thinking in a highly engaging and creative environment.” The idea is that by successfully integrating technology into the day, students have greater opportunities to express themselves as researchers, designers, filmmakers, photographers, songwriters, and engineers.

What do students learn on Gamestar Mechanic? “Gamestar Mechanic allows students to learn about how systems work and how they can be modified or changed. Students learn to think analytically and holistically, to experiment and test theories, and to consider other people as part of the systems they create and inhabit. Through the game design process, students cultivate skills involving:

• system-based thinking
• creative problem solving
• art and aesthetics
• writing and storytelling
• STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics)”

How do I get started? First, go to this page (http://gamestarmechanic.com/join/redeem/Buxtonians653) to join my class. Then you can begin playing through the Quest, where you will earn the tools and learn the terms needed to be able build your own games. In the Workshop, you can build games from scratch, or build from several templates provided. Once you’ve finished building your games, you can publish them to the website so others can play them.