Dive Brief:
- Teachers at Los Medanos Elementary School in Pittsburg, CA, create lyrics and fun games students can get up to sing and play, helping these students understand and commit to memory otherwise dry topics.
- EdSource reports the creativity has paid off with higher-than-average scores on the state Smarter Balanced tests in both English and math, as well as a designation of “Top Bay Area School for Underserved Students” two years in a row.
- Administrators brought in the Center for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning a few years ago, which trained teachers using movement, rhythms and games that would engage a primarily black and Latino student body.
Dive Insight:
The Broadway musical Hamilton has been a surprise hit with its telling of the founding fathers to the tune of rap and hip hop with a cast of almost all minorities. Like the release of Pokémon Go inspired schools around the country to incorporate augmented reality into their classrooms, Hamilton’s widespread popularity has given teachers another reason to use music in their lessons.
The gamification of education has long been a trend — approached warily by some — as a strategy to better engage students. While critics argue children need to learn the self-control and perseverance required to focus on material they might not want to, learning games can provide some relief in-between these life lessons.