Alpine Valley School Podcast

In this episode host Missa Gallivan tackles the subject of video games at school. How do students learn what they need to know if they spend all day playing Minecraft? It's a question we get all the time! AVS Graduate Josh Mann joins in on the discussion and shares his perspective as a student who played video games for much of his time as a student at our democratic school. Believe it or not, video games actually taught him to read! Join us as we list the benefits of video games (and, yes, there are many) and talk about how growing up with great freedom also demands great responsibility.

Resources discussed in the show:

• "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal: https://www.amazon.com/Reality-Broken-Games-Better-Change/dp/145583291X
• "Why Video Games are So Important" blog post by Missa Gallivan: https://www.alpinevalleyschool.com/2014/06/why-video-games-are-so-important/

The first episode of the Alpine Valley podcast is here! Join host Missa Gallivan (AVS alum and staff member) for a march down memory lane to twenty years ago when Alpine Valley School (a Sudbury school located in Denver, Colorado) first opened its doors. This episode also contains an interview with Gina Mancuso, Alpine Valley School's first student! Gina graduated in 2009 and talks about her journey after AVS, including her time in college and the valuable skills she took away from her democratic education.