Video Games Help with School Work? True, Says Rocky Hill School's Guest Speaker Greg Toppo

EAST GREENWICH, RI—Greg Toppo's an author and education editor at USA Today. On Thursday, Dec. 8, he'll be at Rocky Hill School to explain how video gaming actually can help children do better in school.

In his talk, “Press Button to Complete School,” Toppo "will discuss how the mechanics of video games, and more broadly, play, can help us understand what might motivate young people to think about school in a different way," according to Peter Hanney, school spokesman.

Here's an excerpt from Toppo’s latest book, The Game Believes In You: How Digital Play Can Make Our Kids Smarter:

"What if schools, from the wealthiest suburban nursery school to the grittiest urban high school, thrummed with the sounds of deep immersion? More and more people believe that can happen with the aid of video games. The Game Believes in You presents the story of a small group of visionaries who, for the past 40 years, have been pushing to get game controllers into the hands of learners.”

Toppo’s visit to Rocky Hill is part of the School’s “RHed Talks” (Rocky Hill Educational Discussions), a talk series featuring thought leaders in education. Previous RHed Talks presenters have included thought leaders in technology, mindfulness, passion-based learning, and art in education.

To guarantee a seat at Greg Toppo’s free talk on Thursday, December 8, attendees are requested to RSVP by visiting www.rockyhill.org/rhedtalks.

The talk will be held in Rocky Hill School’s Flynn Lecture Hall, 530 Ives Road, East Greenwich, RI 02818 at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8.