The ATA Library is here to help teachers find new ways to engage their students. Now teachers can avail themselves of the library’s newest offering: classroom game boxes.
Curated by library staff, each game box includes a selection of board and/or card games that can be used in the classroom. Stand-alone games have been available through the library for a few years. Recently, ATA librarian Sandra Anderson saw an opportunity to combine games by grade level and subject to support teaching and learning.
“I’ve been interested in the gamification of the classroom for a long time,” Anderson says, “and I was thinking about what we can bring to teachers that is different and will help them keep their students engaged.”
Creating the boxes has been an interesting challenge. Sometimes Anderson starts with one compelling game and builds a set around it, while at other times the subject area is the driving factor.
“This is really an experiment,” Anderson says of the new initiative. “We have just built these kits this year and are going to see what the response is from teachers to see if this is the collection we want to continue to build.”
Currently, 11 game boxes are available to borrow in subjects such as biology, math and spelling. Teachers can peruse the new offerings, including the items included in each box, under the gamification guides on the ATA Library website.
With a loan period of one month and complimentary return postage, accessing these new resources is hassle free. The library materials can be shipped to teachers across Alberta.
“You get the same service if you are in Fort Chip or Lethbridge or across the street,” Anderson says.
This level of service applies not only to the classroom game boxes, but also to the rest of the library’s books, materials, makerspace kits and stand-alone games.
Always working to ensure that the ATA Library is serving members, Anderson looks forward to sharing surprising games with curricular connections with Alberta’s teachers and students.
So what is one of the collection’s standouts for Anderson?
“Periodic, a game in the Chemistry Games Box,” she says. “Who would’ve thought they would make a game out of the periodic table? They did!” ❚
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The ATA Library’s holdings can be searched online at https://library.teachers.ab.ca/.
