I will present several board games that I have used in class (some being MENSA-approved learning tools) to promote abstract reasoning and develop social intelligence.
Often we think of games as a diversion from the main lesson, a much-needed break from the rigors of learning, but what if the social experience of the game itself
were the lesson? What if the repeated use of a game could develop abstract thinking in the same way
any skill is developed in the classroom? In a world of 5-second Instagram videos, how do our kids learn what a "set-up" looks like before the "punchline"? Why should they practice visualizing a story when they could just as easily find a clip on Youtube and attach those visuals to the characters?
I don't have all the answers, but I do have experience. My goal is to present you with a list of games I've used in the past, have a realistic discussion about what I think they can and can't do, and then just play in the time remaining. Much of what I mean to convey in this presentation will not come from lecture.
You can find the presentation slides
HERE.
