I came across this article that I also will post at our Youth Technology Camp blog since we have a focus in the Youth Technology Camp that includes video game development for the kids. I encourage the children to think of other ideas/paradigms and reasons for video games as they learn the foundation of video game development and build games of their own. The CNN article featured a young boy named Ben Duskin whose made a wish through the Make-A-Wish Foundation and wished for a video game that other children afflicated with cancer could play to "take their mind off the painful side effects of chemotherapy."
...Johnston agreed to volunteer his time to help Ben achieve his wish.....they developed "Ben's Game."The game's central character, modeled after Ben, zooms around the screen on a skateboard, zapping mutated cells and collecting seven shields to protect against common side effects of chemotherapy, which include nausea, hair loss and fevers
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To me this is an excellent example of how video game technology can be used to as a powerful learning tool with children. Children learn differently today because of the environment they are in that differs from when I was a child. The game itself is fun and that is always the objective of a good video game - to entertain. Ben's objective was to entertain so kids could cope with their illness. In the process though it educates and opens a dialogue. I let me oldest daughter play the game and she had fun and then she started to ask questions about why cells mutate?, what is cancer? and how doctors fight that kind of sickness? and there lies the opportunity to teach. I've always felt that the key to having kids learn is to keep them passionate about the process of learning. If the passion, the curiosity, the wonder of learning disappears then kids tune out, they turn off and become disinterested. Over time I believe that we'll see more and more of this type of thing, not only available for kids to use as end products, but I believe we'll see more & more kids actually using the vehicle of creating games as part of their communication of information.
You can download the game here.
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