fantasy geo-politics

[Gweneivia]

I love this so much.


A teacher at North Lakes Academy in Forest Lake is reinventing the way he teaches students about the world. He's developed a website that works like "fantasy football" except the students draft countries to play "fantasy geo-politics."

http://kstp.com/news/stories/S3309944.shtml?cat=1

The only thing I don't like is it assumes that students will have smart phones, which I realize most do, but the ones who don't would feel pretty disadvantaged. Anyway, he has a kickstarter if anyone else thinks it's as cool as I do.

[Warriorbird]

I love this so much.



http://kstp.com/news/stories/S3309944.shtml?cat=1

The only thing I don't like is it assumes that students will have smart phones, which I realize most do, but the ones who don't would feel pretty disadvantaged. Anyway, he has a kickstarter if anyone else thinks it's as cool as I do.

When I taught government I'd run my students through something like this. I have issues with students without computers and smartphones but I do my best to encourage Kindle usage and such.

[Johnny Five]

When I taught government

This is very scary thought....

[Ker_Thwap]

They already have Nationstates.net, which is chock full of agenda driven results.

[Atlanteax]

The 'problem' is when overly idealistic people try to engage in geopolitical discussion with the perception that worldpeace/utopia is utterly achievable despite all the harsh realities negating it.

[cwolff]

The 'problem' is when overly idealistic people try to engage in geopolitical discussion with the perception that worldpeace/utopia is utterly achievable despite all the harsh realities negating it.

What problem are you talking about? Did anyone say that this is a problem? WTF are you bringing up? This isn't even tangential. The teacher's doing something good to help teach. That's the story. You're already pissing on the idea. I don't get it. Maybe I missed something but you just sound bitter.


I love this so much.

The only thing I don't like is it assumes that students will have smart phones, which I realize most do, but the ones who don't would feel pretty disadvantaged. Anyway, he has a kickstarter if anyone else thinks it's as cool as I do.

This is a great idea.

[Ker_Thwap]

What problem are you talking about? Did anyone say that this is a problem? WTF are you bringing up? This isn't even tangential. The teacher's doing something good to help teach. That's the story. You're already pissing on the idea. I don't get it. Maybe I missed something but you just sound bitter.



This is a great idea.

I'm guessing he was responding to me, and the nationstates link. If you haven't played before, you make a decision, and through some hidden algorithm it impacts your success as a country. But it's a complete crapshoot, because you don't know the political leanings of the person who posed the the question. If it was a liberal, only a liberal decision will improve your country, the "wrong" choice will result in your country going down the road of totalitarianism. If it was a conservative, only a conservative decision will improve your country, the "wrong" choice will have crime spiral out of control.

I'm just wondering how politicized this new game created by the teacher will end up. If it's just used to promote talking points, great. If it's just a simplified scoring system, it's not going to teach the kids much of anything.

[Atlanteax]

What problem are you talking about? Did anyone say that this is a problem? WTF are you bringing up? This isn't even tangential. The teacher's doing something good to help teach. That's the story. You're already pissing on the idea. I don't get it. Maybe I missed something but you just sound bitter.


I'm guessing he was responding to me, and the nationstates link. If you haven't played before, you make a decision, and through some hidden algorithm it impacts your success as a country. But it's a complete crapshoot, because you don't know the political leanings of the person who posed the the question. If it was a liberal, only a liberal decision will improve your country, the "wrong" choice will result in your country going down the road of totalitarianism. If it was a conservative, only a conservative decision will improve your country, the "wrong" choice will have crime spiral out of control.

I'm just wondering how politicized this new game created by the teacher will end up. If it's just used to promote talking points, great. If it's just a simplified scoring system, it's not going to teach the kids much of anything.

Ker_Thwap understood.

[Warriorbird]

This is very scary thought....

Eh. Unlike some people I try to give students all sides so that they can make decisions for themselves. The Virginia curriculum also demands I be fair and even handed (whether all teachers follow that is another story.)

[cwolff]

Ker_Thwap understood.


I'm guessing he was responding to me, and the nationstates link. If you haven't played before, you make a decision, and through some hidden algorithm it impacts your success as a country. But it's a complete crapshoot, because you don't know the political leanings of the person who posed the the question. If it was a liberal, only a liberal decision will improve your country, the "wrong" choice will result in your country going down the road of totalitarianism. If it was a conservative, only a conservative decision will improve your country, the "wrong" choice will have crime spiral out of control.

I'm just wondering how politicized this new game created by the teacher will end up. If it's just used to promote talking points, great. If it's just a simplified scoring system, it's not going to teach the kids much of anything.

I see what you guys are talking about now. Thank you for the clarification and apologies to Atlanteax for sounding like a dick.

[Gelston]

They already have Nationstates.net, which is chock full of agenda driven results.

I remember when my nationstate on nationstates.net had more people then Earth. My nation was a vast wasteland police state. It was awesome.