Reviews of Alphabear and Fake It to Make It

[Kalyn Tounzen]

I played Alphabear, mostly because the thumbnail was adorable. It was free, and I could download the app on my phone or computer. The game was easy to figure out - the player gets a few random letters and needs to make a word out of any amount of those letters in order to get new letters. The game ends when no words can be made out of any of the letters left. I did not care about the amount of points I had, the different powerups, or which size bear would give me the most points. I just wanted to make a word using as many of the letters I had still left. I wouldn't personally use it in my music class, but for a K-1st grade, I could see it being used as an enrichment activity!

Next, I chose to participate in Fake It to Make It. I loved this simulation because fake news is everywhere in social media and the web in general. I believe it is so important to teach children how to use the Internet in a safe and mature way, and figuring out what fake news is will help them steer clear. I could use this in a skill-building class time, where I'll teach my students (junior high level and up), skills that will help them in real-life after high school ends (resume-building, researching, civilization on the Internet, etc.). The only thing I wish the game did was teach the player why it is so easy to get people to follow your "fake posts" and the damage it can do, but that can also be something I inflect during the lessons.