By Lauren Wanko
Correspondent
During a math lesson at New Road School of Parlin, students play video games created by other kids.
“We’re helping kids improve on their grades so they can do better in school, but then eventually later in life they’re going to have knowledge to be able to get past everything else,” said Daniel Rohrer.
New Road is a private school for students with disabilities. On this day, sixth graders Daniel and Aidan McGovern watch for the first time as students learn while playing their games. The boys are part of Millstone Township Middle School’s Future Problem Solvers Club.
Sixth grade teacher, Dan Kazanjian, said, “We want to make education a way in which kids can actually look into problems that exist in their community and say, ‘Hey, I may be 11, 12, 13-years-old, but what can I do to make a difference?'”
The kids thought of all sorts of ideas.
“We live in a town where there is a lot of deer crossing the road. So, we tried to think of a way to stop that, but overall this was our best idea,” explained Aidan.
Aidan and Daniel are part of a club that includes Millstone Township Middle Schoolers too. Together they built original video games and created others using educational gaming websites, says co-advisor Kevin Norris.
He said, “Our goal was to make supplemental material that the kids can use outside of the classroom when their at home to help them study and reinforce what they’re learning.”
New Road students completed a survey on how they learn best while teachers provided Millstone students the topics they were discussing in class. The club members used that information to create the games.
So far, the Millstone students have created seven different video games in three different subjects: Earth science, social studies — which covers famous historical figures — and math that focuses on basic addition, subtraction and multiplication.
The middle school students created the game question and answer options.
“The questions were mainly focused around grade level, so what we would have learned in that grade. We tried to use that and tried to push them further then they could have gone,” said Aidan.
For Aidan, the project is personal. His sister Molly McGovern attends New Road.
“It’s really fun and it’s really interesting getting to know how these kids get to learn so fast,” said Molly.
She mentors other students as they play the video games.
“I love helping them learn. I just love seeing their smiling faces every day,” Molly explained.
“We’re hoping by doing this it will get the best out of them so that they will embrace education,” said Eric Iannaccone.
“It’s great to see them like, they may be struggling a little bit, but then they stop and suddenly feel great about it,” explained Joey Forte.
Executive Director of New Roads, Annette Hockenjos, said, “Our students also have a problem sometime with attention span, so looking for various programs that could address those needs. And because of technology — which is the way of the future — it’s engaging to our students. It’s able to hold their attention and it’s what the typical population does, so that is where our children are responding and we’re seeing gains in their academic skills.”
New Road teachers use the video games in their classrooms weekly.
“I think it makes it more fun for the students. I think it motivates them a lot more to want to learn,” said science teacher Amy McVey.
“It’s repetition. So the concepts help them retain the information better,” explained teacher, Anne Marie Bogel.
The middle schoolers have a lot more work ahead of them. They’re in the process of creating new video games and an educational video that they happen to star in.