Generation YES Blog

In many schools GenYES remains a popular class or program due to the hands-on experience technology can bring to many students. Though technology can be engaging, sometimes students and teachers get tired of the same type of technology lessons and use of PowerPoint. A solution to ending repetitive use of PowerPoint is engaging the students on many different levels of technology integration.

GenYES teacher Scott Parker of Longfellow Middle School in Hill City, Kansas has opened up the universal sport of soccer to help his students stay engaged in topics such as math. Mr. Parker allows this GenYES students to participate in a worldwide online fantasy soccer league as a “mini project” in his GenYES class. Check out the Longfellow Middle Schools Fantasy Soccer League results

The Schools Fantasy League is designed strictly for students and teachers. More then 2,200 schools in the UK took part in this fantasy league last year alone. This league is designed just like a real fantasy league with responsibilities like trading players, tracking statistics and managing finances. These responsibilities promote the use of math, research and technology skills. In the UK called information and communication technology (ICT) skills . The students are benefiting by applying math and ICT skills in a fun, interactive and competitive environment. So rather than asking the GenYES student to create a PowerPoint on math equations and probability, encourage the GenYES student to create a classroom soccer team profile for a math teacher. The class can then set up individual accounts and each student will help accumulate points for the over all team ranking. Then the student can use the PowerPoint presentation to present the results for discussion. So many real math situations can come out of this one classroom activity.

Check out Schools Fantasy League to get your school involved in their very own international fantasy soccer league. The cost for your school to participate is 25 Euro equaling about 34.00 US Dollars (See, one math conversion already!)

Megan