CATCA 2022

Games and culturally relevant stories that deliver a lesson can capture our students' imagination and inspire emotional engagement while also providing context for the lesson. We will cover how to use cultural stories and gamification in your classes or staff training program to improve engagement, comprehension, and retention – as well as active utilization of the new information. Step by step how-to can make your teaching more emotionally engaging starting tomorrow.

Key Takeaways:
* How and why culturally relevant stories improve interest, comprehension, and retention of the lesson
* How to improve emotional engagement in your classes using cultural stories and gamification
* Key components of a good cultural story to inspire your students
* Tips on integrating cultural stories and gamification into your classes starting tomorrow and see the difference immediately

A lack of emotional engagement is a significant factor in attention span as well as interest level on the part of the student – in both virtual and in-person learning environments. We have all heard students say “when will I ever use this?” or “this is so boring” because they feel that it doesn’t apply to them or their interests. However, there is a way to captivate their interest and inspire excitement.

Three powerful motivators for passionate learning and any having an enriching experience are: Autonomy (the ability to choose how you navigate a situation), Progress (and sense of improving in your performance), and Belonging (being a part of something that is bigger than just you).

Culturally relevant stories provide context for experiences, motivate students to learn more about the subjects being explored, and create ownership over the outcome due to a sense of belonging to something larger than themselves. Gamification (adding game elements to a lesson) helps focus students by providing a strong sense of tangible progress as well as a level of autonomy in how they navigate the event.

Teachers and curriculum designers are provided with step-by-step instructions on how to design, plan, and run story-based "adventures" that excite students and provide applicable context for the experience or lesson.