Virtual Environments and Games in the Classroom

The use of games in the classrooms is one that has been under scrutiny, yet is proving to be very beneficial to today's students and teachers.  We can all understand why one would question whether it is appropriate to be playing games in the class, a lot of people think their children have way too much "screen time" at home through their computers, electronic devices as well as tv.  However, with so many educational games and environments available today, they are proving themselves worthy to be utilized in the classrooms offering the students a kinesthetic/hands-on approach to what they are currently learning about.  In a CNN.com report it states, "More interactive and absorbing than passive forms of entertainment like movies and TV, video games promote higher levels of engagement because observers are actively and enthusiastically involved with on-screen activity."  If teachers do enough research into games and use them at the appropriate times (and for appropriate amounts of time), it will enhance the learning for their students and their lessons.