Comments on: Cross-Class Training II: The Teaching DM

By: Katana Geldar

Katana Geldar — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:22:27 +0000

And there are people who say we are wasting out time roleplaying! I do have mixed feelings if RPGs were made mainstream though. .-= Katana Geldar´s last blog ..Gaming and the Expanded Universe (Part 2): Picking up the pieces =-.

By: Tim Noyce

Tim Noyce — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:29:48 +0000

I DM a game for a six 10 to 12- year-olds and I am convinced that they learn many useful things from the RPG experience. They get to let that powerful imagination rip and combine it with their left-brain calculating smarts, they get to work as a team towards a goal that takes many sessions to achieve (we are working our way through Keep on the Shadowfell) and they get to experience structure communication: you have one minute to describe what your critical hit did to the hobgoblin guard.

I also teach courses in Getting Things Done (using Outlook) to adults and have found that skills move both ways…..
.-= Tim Noyce´s last blog ..Ave atque vale =-.

By: ChattyDM

ChattyDM — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:40:53 +0000

I just got my Course evaluation pcak back and I read my class right. 6 people loved the course and two liked it but had issues with content and/or delivery.

Now instead of dwelling on the 2, I’ll focus on the feedback (all of it is excellent and very precise) and work them into the next version of the course.

Doing the same at the table is also a good idea, like Flash mentions above.

By: Flashman85

Flashman85 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:00:41 +0000

Roll dice or say yes… Y’know, it’s a simple mantra, but a seemingly excellent one.

I always do a post-campaign questionnaire that covers the basics of “what did you like/dislike about the campaign; what was your favorite/least favorite part; what do you want to see in the next campaign,” but I don’t think I’ve ever gotten too much player input at the *beginning* of a campaign, except for one-shots that were just pure fun and entirely player-driven.

Though, the best campaign I ever ran was worked around two characters’ backstories, which certainly counts as player input, so I suppose I should try that more often…

Very nicely written, as usual!
.-= Flashman85´s last blog ..Dungeons & Dragons Spellcasting Soda =-.

By: ChattyDM

ChattyDM — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:02:48 +0000

@Scott: As I read your comment I realized that this serie of post is actually about RPG advocacy and how RPGs shape our lives. It’s one of my dreams to one day have a training seminar where we used classic RPGs to teach specific lessons about the workplace and how to acquire skills that will make our work life easier/more productive.

Thanks for the kudos friend!

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:45:30 +0000

I’ve been an aspiring creative writer since i was 15. Seven years later i’m actually taking large positive steps to getting into the industry. i spent four years writing short stories and novels that i got more than half way through.

The past three years i have been running RPG campaigns. The orginisation needed to run the games has helped me actually finish my projects and plan them out in manageable pieces. Secondly my story telling abilities have grown exponentially because i have an audience every Sunday for 3-5 hours. I get to look people in the face while i’m experimenting new methods and gauge their response.

I think RPG’s help in so many aspects of life that are normally overlooked. Conflict resolution, time management, Creativity, Social interaction, Empathy, Teaching, Mathematics, Problem Solving, Team work.

The funny thing is that without your current articles, i know alot of these aspects would have gone unnoticed by myself.

Thanks Chatty.

Congratulations on the extra classes

By: ChattyDM

ChattyDM — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:56:37 +0000

I’m certain the bleeding off cuts both ways. I’m more structured in my DMing prep and I use Management techniques like Active listening and Assertiveness at the gaming table.

I’m not entirely sure what players gain as skills as I haven’t played all that much. But I have seen that the group of teenagers I played with gained self-esteem, learned team-work, forged a sense of community and developed the ability to vocalize what they wanted to achieve in a clear manner. So I’d say that the youngest player can gain many social skills from RPGs.

By: Calvino

Calvino — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:43:09 +0000

I teach at a big university in Texas, and I do think my decade as a DM helped shape my classroom strategies and demeanor. Now, maybe my years of teaching are shaping the way I DM (Let’s hope not too much!).

I would have to wonder how the strategies players come up with affect other aspects of their lives as well. To follow the analog, what kinds of students are players?

Obviously DMing takes a certain set of skills and obtains much debate, but playing must change the way people see problems or seek solutions as well.

Remember all the old-school press about players learning math skills and problem-solving habits from RPGs? Was that all just bunk, or did people get a study underway?