Reviews
"Deep learning, technical learning, learning that leads to the ability to innovate: these are the most important natural resources in our global high-tech world. Will our children be able to compete with kids in China and India? David Shaffer shows us how to mine the potential of video game technologies to transform learning at home, in communities, and in schools."--James Paul Gee, University of Wisconsin-Madison, author of What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy, 'This totally enchanting book shows what education in the 21st century could look like if we are willing to expand our notions of learning in ways that foster productive inquiry and design. An extremely readable book....' -John Seely Brown, Former Chief Scientist of Xerox Corp. and Director of its Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), Senior Fellow, Annenberg Center, USC, Co-author, The Social Life of Information and The Only Sustainable Edge 'You may have asked yourself if computer games are destroying the minds of our nation's children. How Computer Games Help Children Learn shows that the exact opposite is true. Parents, educators, and computer game makers take note: by combining years of research and his front-line classroom experiences, Shaffer makes a cogent and compelling argument for the educational power of intelligently crafted games that can serve as tools to help children think and learn about real world problems and their solutions.' - Michael McCormick, designer, SimCity 4(tm), game producer of Star Wars - Gungan Frontier(tm) for Lucas Learning, founder of Learning Friends 'Shaffer's book moves from vivid case studies and accessible accounts of key ideas from the learning sciences to practical advice on how parents can help their kids learn more from the games they play. This book represents the logical next step in a conversation started by James Paul Gee's What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning and Literacy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2004) .' - Henry Jenkins, Director, Comparative Media Studies Program, MIT 'Shaffer offers practical advice to assist parents and educators to respond to his call to radically transform an increasingly outdated educational system...' - Barry Joseph, Online Leadership Director, Global Kids 'Like Dewey, Piaget, and Papert before him, Shaffer challenges us to rethink learning in a new age. He uses vivid examples - backed by solid research - to show what education should look like in the 21st century.' - Kurt D. Squire, Assistant Professor of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Game Designer 'A must read for anyone who cares about learning. Game designers depend on having millions of people voluntarily learn more than anyone would dare put into a school curriculum. So studying games - how they are designed and how they are played - is one of the best sources of insight about learning, and Shaffer is an excellent guide to making the most of it.' - Seymour Papert, Professor Emeritus, Media and Education Technology, MIT Media Lab, "Shaffer offers practical advice to assist parents and educators to respond to his call to radically transform an increasingly outdated educational system..."--Barry Joseph, Online Leadership Director, Global Kids "This totally enchanting book shows what education in the 21st century could look like if we are willing to expand our notions of learning in ways that foster productive inquiry and design…An extremely readable book that should be on the bookshelf of anyone who cares about having schools that help young people prepare to compete in the global economy."--John Seely Brown, Former Chief Scientist of Xerox Corporation and Director of its Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), Senior Fellow, Annenberg Center, USC, and co-author,The Social Life of InformationandThe Only Sustainable Edge "Beautifully written...How Computer Games Help Children Learnbreaks new ground in exciting ways. What a treat! A book about the development of innovative thinking that is refreshingly innovative...A tour de force."--Deborah Lowe Vandell, Chair, Department of Education, University of California, Irvine "You may have asked yourself if computer games are destroying the minds of our nation's children.How Computer Games Help Children Learnshows that the exact opposite is true. Parents, educators, and computer game makers take note: by combining years of research and his front-line classroom experiences, Shaffer makes a cogent and compelling argument for the educational power of intelligently crafted games that can serve as tools to help children think and learn about real world problems and their solutions."--Michael McCormick, Senior Designer, Backbone Entertainment, and Lead Designer ofSimCity™ 4 "Shaffer's book moves from vivid case studies and accessible accounts of key ideas from the learning sciences to practical advice on how parents can help their children learn more from the games they play. This book represents the logical next step in a conversation started by James Paul Gee'sWhat Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacyand Steven Johnson'sEverything Bad Is Good For You."--Henry Jenkins, Director, Comparative Media Studies Program, MIT "This well-written and important book will introduce parents and teachers to a radical idea: video games can be good for children. When children play games likeSimCityorThe Oregon Trail, they learn about urban planning or the American West in spite of themselves. But these games are just the tip of the iceberg; Shaffer describes a wide range of fascinating new learning games that are just now emerging...Because these games give children the chance to creatively manipulate a virtual world, they can teach creativity and innovation, abilities that are more important than ever in today's competitive global economy…Shaffer advises parents how to pick out a good learning game, how to play it with your children, and how to make sure they are learning from it."--R. Keith Sawyer, author ofGroup Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration "Shaffer's book points out forcefully a paradigm of future schooling: to better prepare our kids for a globally competitive world, we have to bring the thinking, practices, and cultures of various professions into school learning. With convincing examples of simulated professional games that can integrate learning, working, and playing, he proves that this is feasible."--Tak-Wai Chan, National Central University, Taiwan "This groundbreaking book raises fundamental issues concerning the goals of education and highlights the need for innovative thinkers in the 21st century. Written in a clear, lucid, and direct manner, Shaffer makes his ideas easily accessible to professional as well as lay readers. The book will benefit educato, "Shaffer offers practical advice to assist parents and educators to respond to his call to radically transform an increasingly outdated educational system..."-- Barry Joseph, Online Leadership Director, Global Kids "This totally enchanting book shows what education in the 21st century could look like if we are willing to expand our notions of learning in ways that foster productive inquiry and design... An extremely readable book that should be on the bookshelf of anyone who cares about having schools that help young people prepare to compete in the global economy."-- John Seely Brown, Former Chief Scientist of Xerox Corporation and Director of its Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), Senior Fellow, Annenberg Center, USC, and co-author, "The Social Life of Information" and "The Only Sustainable Edge" "Beautifully written..."How Computer Games Help Children Learn" breaks new ground in exciting ways. What a treat! A book about the development of innovative thinking that is refreshingly innovative...A tour de force."-- Deborah Lowe Vandell, Chair, Department of Education, University of California, Irvine "You may have asked yourself if computer games are destroying the minds of our nation's children. "How Computer Games Help Children Learn" shows that the exact opposite is true. Parents, educators, and computer game makers take note: by combining years of research and his front-line classroom experiences, Shaffer makes a cogent and compelling argument for the educational power of intelligently crafted games that can serve as tools to help children think and learn about real world problems and theirsolutions."-- Michael McCormick, Senior Designer, Backbone Entertainment, and Lead Designer of "SimCity(TM) 4" "Shaffer's book moves from vivid case studies and accessible accounts of key ideas from the learning sciences to practical advice on how parents can help their children learn more from the games they play. This book represents the logical next step in a conversation started by James Paul Gee's "What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy" and Steven Johnson's "Everything Bad Is Good For You,""-- Henry Jenkins, Director, Comparative Media Studies Program, MIT "This well-written and important book will introduce parents and teachers to a radical idea: video games can be good for children. When children play games like "Sim"" ""City" or "The Oregon Trail," they learn about urban planning or the American West in spite of themselves. But these games are just the tip of the iceberg; Shaffer describes a wide range of fascinating new learning games that are just now emerging...Because these games give children the chance to creatively manipulate a virtual world, they can teach creativity and innovation, abilities that are more important than ever in today's competitive global economy... Shaffer advises parents how to pick out a good learning game, how to play it with your children, and how to make sure they are learning from it."-- R. Keith Sawyer, author of "Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration" "Shaffer's book points out forcefully a paradigm of future schooling: to better prepare our kids for a globally competitive world, we have to bring the thinking, practices, andcultures of various professions into school learning. With convincing examples of simulated professional games that can integrate learning, working, and playing, he proves that this is feasible."-- Tak-Wai Chan, National Central University, Taiwan " This groundbreaking book raises fundamental issues concerning the goals of education and highlights the need for innovative thinkers in the 21st century. Written in a clear, lucid, and direct manner, Shaffer makes his ideas easily accessible to professional as well as lay readers. The book will benefit educators, school administrators, policy makers, and, most importantly, parents." -- Yam San Chee, Associate Professor, Learning Sciences & Technologies Academic Group &, "Shaffer offers practical advice to assist parents and educators to respond to his call to radically transform an increasingly outdated educational system..."-Barry Joseph, Online Leadership Director, Global Kids "This totally enchanting book shows what education in the 21st century could look like if we are willing to expand our notions of learning in ways that foster productive inquiry and design…An extremely readable book that should be on the bookshelf of anyone who cares about having schools that help young people prepare to compete in the global economy."-John Seely Brown, Former Chief Scientist of Xerox Corporation and Director of its Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), Senior Fellow, Annenberg Center, USC, and co-author,The Social Life of InformationandThe Only Sustainable Edge "Beautifully written...How Computer Games Help Children Learnbreaks new ground in exciting ways. What a treat! A book about the development of innovative thinking that is refreshingly innovative...A tour de force."-Deborah Lowe Vandell, Chair, Department of Education, University of California, Irvine "You may have asked yourself if computer games are destroying the minds of our nation's children.How Computer Games Help Children Learnshows that the exact opposite is true. Parents, educators, and computer game makers take note: by combining years of research and his front-line classroom experiences, Shaffer makes a cogent and compelling argument for the educational power of intelligently crafted games that can serve as tools to help children think and learn about real world problems and their solutions."-Michael McCormick, Senior Designer, Backbone Entertainment, and Lead Designer ofSimCity™ 4 "Shaffer's book moves from vivid case studies and accessible accounts of key ideas from the learning sciences to practical advice on how parents can help their children learn more from the games they play. This book represents the logical next step in a conversation started by James Paul Gee'sWhat Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacyand Steven Johnson'sEverything Bad Is Good For You."-Henry Jenkins, Director, Comparative Media Studies Program, MIT "This well-written and important book will introduce parents and teachers to a radical idea: video games can be good for children. When children play games likeSimCityorThe Oregon Trail, they learn about urban planning or the American West in spite of themselves. But these games are just the tip of the iceberg; Shaffer describes a wide range of fascinating new learning games that are just now emerging...Because these games give children the chance to creatively manipulate a virtual world, they can teach creativity and innovation, abilities that are more important than ever in today's competitive global economy…Shaffer advises parents how to pick out a good learning game, how to play it with your children, and how to make sure they are learning from it."-R. Keith Sawyer, author ofGroup Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration "Shaffer's book points out forcefully a paradigm of future schooling: to better prepare our kids for a globally competitive world, we have to bring the thinking, practices, and cultures of various professions into school learning. With convincing examples of simulated professional games that can integrate learning, working, and playing, he proves that this is feasible."-Tak-Wai Chan, National Central University, Taiwan "This groundbreaking book raises fundamental issues concerning the goals of education and highlights the need for innovative thinkers in the 21st century. Written in a clear, lucid, and direct manner, Shaf
