Florida Districts Testing NASEF Esports High School Curriculum
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/24/20
Several Florida districts
with focuses on STEM and STEAM are testing high school curriculum
recently developed by the North
America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF).
The lessons use esports to teach a variety of career skills. The
project, which involves schools in Miami-Dade
County Public Schools,
is being done in partnership with affiliate Florida
Scholastic Esports League (FLSEL),
a nonprofit that uses experiential learning to support teenagers and
young adults in the state. The curriculum has been credentialed by
the state.
NASEF's
career and technical education curriculum involves a multiyear
sequence of courses for students in grades 8-12, with 25 courses
designed around four esports sectors:
-
Strategists;
-
Organizers;
-
Content
creators; and
-
Entrepreneurs.
The
lessons offer pathways in careers that include event planning,
analysis, fandom art, marketing, theory crafting, shoutcasting,
streaming, journalism and web development.
"Esports
is relevant to us because it's relevant to the kids," said
Miami-Dade Superintendent, Alberta Carvalho, in a video
about the program.
"If we want to transform the American classroom, if we want to
make it...rigorous, relevant and fun, if we want to excite them about
their own learning, let's bring something to them they understand,
they navigate well, that adapts to the way they live, the way they
entertain themselves. But let's use it as a powerful tool of
education. That's why esports speaks loudly to me because it speaks
loudly to them."
In
his remarks, Carvalho acknowledged the concern parents have regarding
the amount of screen time young people are exposed to. "But
being engaged from the earlier stage of game development and
participation and competition can be productive, can be [engaging]
and can actually boost student achievement," he said.
About the Author
Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.