GIRLS - Gaming in Real Life Situations

Drexel is hosting a summer learning program for high school students about video game development. While there's not much information on the page linked, it is an interesting idea, reaching out to students who are into video games and want to learn more. Plus, it is a nice recruitment tool if you show the students what they can learn by coming to Drexel, though I'm not aware of an actual game development program there.

Video Games are the new drugs.

A biased report against games. It creates the impression that once you play game - you are addicted. There's some interesting discussion about the piece at the bottom of the page.

Soapbox: World of Warcraft Teaches the Wrong Things

Interesting article written about elements in World of Warcraft and what it teaches, good or bad.

Innovate - February/March 2006 Volume 2, Issue 3

Innovate is a journal on the uses of IT in educational settings.
The latest issue has some articles on role-playing games.
Innovate - February/March 2006 Volume 2, Issue 3

Here is the schedule for the webscasts (all of which get archived in the webcasts section for later viewing. There are a lot of interesting topics in there):
February 23, 2006, 1:00 PM EST
Susana Sotillo
Using Instant Messaging for Collaborative Learning
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=170

February 23, 2006, 2:00 PM EST
Pamela G. Taylor
Critical Thinking in and through Interactive Computer Hypertext and Art
Education
http://www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=41

March 7, 2006, 1:00 PM EST
P. G. Schrader, Dongping Zheng, and Michael Young
Teachers' Perceptions of Video Games:
MMOGs and the Future of Preservice Teacher Education
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=125

March 9th 2:00 PM EST
Richard Van Eck
Using Games to Promote Girls' Positive Attitudes Toward Technology
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=209

March 9th 3:00 PM EST
Sean Gouglas
Neverwinter Nights in Alberta: Conceptions of Narrativity through Fantasy
Role-Playing Games in a Graduate Classroom
http://www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=172

If you cannot attend a webcast, note that it will be archived within the
features section of the article itself shortly after the webcast.

FYI: Gaming in libraries sessions in May

It looks like the Public Library Section of NLA will have Russ Harper of Omaha Public speak on gaming in libraries in May. They will have a session in Gering, Lexington, & in LaVista. What little information there is now is available in this PDF Registration Form.

Child's Play Part II from 1UP.com

Some old-school gamers had some 11 year old kids try some classic games. Something like this reminds me that no matter what "state-of-the-art" things that we may come up now, if it doesn't keep with techology and other trends, it will eventually come off as "lame" and not hold their attention.

Water Cooler Games

This is a site I found that's supposed to be about "games with a purpose." They have some interesting information from time to time and sometimes games to try out.

Wired News: U.N. Game Wins Hearts and Minds

A Wired News article on how a new game teaches people about UN relief efforts.