Our goal is to produce an eZine for educators and others who are interested in understanding the power and value of using simulations and games as instructional tools for learning and want to learn more!!

In this Inaugural issue, we include interviews with two leading researchers in educational simulations and games. Dr. Peggy Benton, Professor of Instructional Technologies (ITEC) at San Francisco State University (SFSU) tells simSchool, “Games provide powerful learning environments where the player can take risks without the “sting of failure.” A player tries over and over again, moving toward excellence, and contrasts that with what happens in school. Dr. Mike Searson, Executive Assistant to the President at Kean University in Union, New Jersey talks about his long-held interest in the complex cognitive processes inherent in play and expresses the irony that many people think games should not be part of education.

These interviews are part of simSchool’s efforts to investigate the frontier of educational games and to share information and resources with the educational community. Highlights from leaders in educational games will be a regular feature of each newsletter. We hope the insights from these pioneers will prove useful in your own work...Stay tuned!

Also, in this issue are selections of recent research, articles, conferences and presentations relevant to simulations and games for educators.  We introduce the new “simPortal” where you can find a wide variety of resources along with simulation and game information.

In this issue are excerpts from an interview with simSchool Co-PI Dr. David Gibson conducted on the Lucas Foundation radio. You can go to our simPortal to read a review of the newly released book “Got Game…How the Gamer Generation is Reshaping Business Forever" by Beck and Wade.

We are interested in your comments. If you know of interesting stories or people using simulations and games in the classroom please let us know. If you know of any research going on in this field, let us know. Or, if there is simply some interesting nugget you want to share, I am always checking my email at billh@simschool.org.

	A Call to Educational Gamers! Do you know someone working in the field of educational simulations and games or using them in the classroom. We are on the look-out for people who have exciting ideas about educational games and simulations to interview for our next issue and beyond of “simZine” .

Thanks for being part of this new and exciting era of teaching and learning…. Play to Learn!!