This bridge, we believe, will enhance their success in life and academics, as these literacies are essential components found in the 21st Century Learning Skills (see Partnership for 21st Century Learning Skills for more information), which many schools are still trying to conceptualize, let alone implement.
Although we are very early in the pilot program, our first goal has been to develop the MMO group into a “third place” for these boys to hang out and play together. As the group has begun developing cohesion, and the boys are becoming better oriented with the game, we’ve begun integrating content into our sessions that are not only valued “gamer” practices, but promote literacy practices as well (such as writing forum posts, for example).
