Mission Accomplished?

Mission Accomplished (Mission Migration)

 
Picture of Mary Ellen Morin
Mission Accomplished (Mission Migration)
by Mary Ellen Morin - Monday, 19 April 2010, 6:59 PM
 
Okay....I found this game very frustrating and not overly educational. I can see how kids would enjoy guiding the birds through the sky while trying to avoid the lightening storms and airplanes.

However, when it came time to land the birds it took me 5 tries to figure out how to do it (and after 2 tries you have to play the game again...so I had to fly 3 times before successfully landing once).

I think the idea behind the game is great. I like that they tell you what to look for when landing. What would be good for a bird to help it regenerate energy and what would be bad for its health. I also like how it prompts us to think about how we can help these birds through our choices with the enviroment.

HOWEVER.....you don't have enough time when landing to really access any of these issues and use those assessments to choose and landing spot. As I said above, it took me 5 tries just to land and trust me....I didn't spend any time choosing my spots, I just clicked.

So, overall this is not a game I would choose to play with my students (at my elementary level). Unless there was time spent before trying to land and after successfully landing when you could discuss what the sight was offering for ideas.
Picture of Jean McGuigan
Re: Mission Accomplished (Mission Migration)
by Jean McGuigan - Friday, 23 April 2010, 6:32 PM
 
Mary Ellen, I tried this also and I have to agree I did not find it easy to navigate and would not use it for the elementary level. I found it difficult to fly and zoom my targets to make good choices at the same time. I know I may not be good at multitasking but found this quite frustrating.
olga
Re: Mission Accomplished (Mission Migration)
by Olga LaPlante - Monday, 26 April 2010, 8:24 AM
 
I hear you! I also found this very difficult to play the first couple of times. Then I learned. Another thing that was also helpful, I played with others next to me, and it was a very different experience.
This game IS designed for younger grades, and you may find that they can actually handle it, and some may find it too easy. You could make it their responsibility to test it and come up with recommendation for or against using it in the classroom with their own reasons. I mean, Mario Cart is awfully difficult and frustrating, if you ask me, but my Kindergartner could play it for days non-stop, if I let him. And he is (of course) much better at it. So, I think that testing it on kids may bring about a different perspective.
Picture of Kelli Rogers
Re: Mission Accomplished (Mission Migration)
by Kelli Rogers - Thursday, 29 April 2010, 10:10 AM
 
I third this :-). It was really hard, and I think that a lot of elementary students might just end up frustrated.