Lancaster, Ohio, Apr 27, 2016 WHAT: More than 100 students from across Ohio will converge in Fairfield County to showcase their game-design and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills in the Ohio Game-a-thon Challenge.
At the Ohio Game-A-Thon Showcase, students – both in person and those connected virtually to the event – will present their games with their peers and adults alike. Attendees will have the opportunity to play the games and ask questions of the student game designers. A panel of judges made up of teachers, STEM professionals, members of the business community and local music artists will be on hand to present the student game designers with awards in areas around game design, mathematics, critical and creative thinking. Attendees will be given the opportunity to select a game to win the “People’s Choice Award.” All student game designers will receive a certificate and commemorative pin for their game. The goal of the Ohio Game-A-Thon Showcase is to celebrate the work that students’ have done and to promote the connection between Ohio Learning Standards, STEM and student creativity.
For weeks, elementary students from Southern Ohio, the greater Cleveland area, and the Columbus Metro area have been reflecting on the Ohio Learning Standards for mathematics to explore concepts and create their own math games. MIND Research Institute aligned its game design process to the Engineering Design Process from Engineering is Elementary to create a Game Design Manual complete with lessons and activities developed to meet the standards in mathematics and deepen students’ use of 21st century skills. This Game Design Manual was uniquely created for Ohio as a pilot to support STEM learning and provide students with a real-world applicable approach to creating instructional math games. This game design curriculum, composed of mini-challenges and activities to lead students through the design process, may be rolled out nationally in the future.
“I am a huge fan of MIND Research Institute. Fairfield County ESC is leading the Straight A Fund grant that supports implementation of ST Math with more than 29,000 students in Central Ohio. We are very proud to host this event,” said Marie Ward, Superintendent of the Fairfield County ESC.
All entries in the Ohio Game-a-thon Challenge will advance to the National K-12 Game-a-thon, created by MIND Research Institute. The Game-a-thon challenges students to invent a card game, board game, app, outdoor game, or any other game that addresses a mathematical topic ranging from counting to irrational numbers or measurement to modeling. The Game-a-thon is designed to give students a creative, hands-on experience with math and gaming.
Follow the Game-a-thon at #gameathon and on the Facebook community.
WHEN: 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Tuesday, May 17, 2016
WHERE: Fairfield County Educational Service Center
955 Liberty Drive
Lancaster, OH 43130
MIND Research Institute
MIND Research Institute is a neuroscience and education social benefit organization, dedicated to ensuring that all students are mathematically equipped to solve the world’s most challenging problems. MIND's distinctive visual approach to math and problem-solving is the basis of its innovative, research-proven ST Math® programs for elementary and secondary schools. The visually-based ST Math program has been shown to double or triple schools’ growth rates in math proficiency. MIND's programs currently reach one million students and 39,000 teachers at 3,100 schools in 43 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, visit www.mindresearch.org.
Media Contact:
Christine Byrd
MIND Research Institute
949-345-8636
cbyrd@mindresearch.org
Will Kirby
Fairfield County ESC
740-653-3193
wkirby@fairfieldesc.org
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