Emerging technology - game reviews

1. http://www.quia.com/hm/80390.html
I previewed a Hangman game found on gamequarium. This is an online version of an old favorite. I found that it was effective in presenting review for my content area, while not extremely engaging or entertaining. Students receive feedback for both positive and negative actions. It is easy to use, and the goal is to recall figurative language terms by use of a clue. Students love the challenge of this game even though it may not have all the “bells and whistles” that other video games may have.
2. The Nobel Prize game site was very thorough, especially the science games. I enjoyed the extra information and attention given to the literature games, although fewer than the science games, students could benefit from the information about the author. I played” Lord of the Flies” a game that required recall from book elements.
The aim of this game is to introduce some basic analytical aspects of the book and to challenge the reader's memory through play. The game is interesting if you have read the book. It is an excellent character analysis, and student can reach the goal by trial and error if he/she does not remember the character/story well. I feel this would be a great review for students after reading the story and could be used in my class. It was fun, if you had read the book, the graphics and sounds pertinent to the topic, with the goal being to analyze character and plot, by moving objects or quotes from the story to elements of characters and plot.
"Lord of the Flies". Nobelprize.org. 24 Oct 2011 http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/literature/golding/index.html
3. WordStash “Half flashcard, half dictionary, and full awesome!” http://wordstash.com/
As a language arts teacher, I found this the most intriguing game, as it may or may not be called a game. This site provides teachers with a free account, where you can create word lists and flashcards with your students or search for lists to copy and use. I found a list of figurative language terms that I can use tomorrow in my classroom. This is going on my favorites list.
Students can find the definition, practice with matching and multiple choice games. It even has a learning mode that can be set to remember what you need more practice on. It is engaging, and gives student feedback by way of further practice for missed words. It has a time component that counts up. I especially liked the Waterfall game that had fill in the blank, which is a quick comprehension element. Students can monitor their own understanding, and take charge of their own learning of content words and their meanings. It also had an audio feature that would benefit esol students.