I'm excited to showcase Mr. Judd Nielsen as a guest on the blog!
I kept hearing the letters D&D spoken in the HS halls and wanted to know more about what these letters stood for. My investigation led me to Mr. Judd Nielsen, the sponsor of the D&D After School Club. I asked him to share some insight into this After School Club. Below is our candid conversation with my leading questions.
Tell the story of D&D.
What is D&D?
Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is a table top role playing game where players work together to complete and reach a common goal or complete a quest.
Proud to share a promotional video created by club member Reagan Fritz. She did an outstanding job representing our club using multimedia. This promotional video will run on our schools TV system in hopes to draw even more members to the club.
How did it begin? What steps led you to where you are today?
I played Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) a few times in college with some friends. I began to see it more and more in educational blogs and twitter posts, so I decided to check it out. I quickly realized the impact other educators were having with their club members and even saw opportunities within the classroom. It was engaging, fun, and interactive for students. I also joined a professional learning community within our district that was looking at “student involvement in extracurricular activities.” Joining this group was another motivating factor for the creation of this club, in an attempt to draw more of the student population into non-traditional clubs or sports.
After doing my own research and purchasing a few of the manuals, I asked our high school principal if I could send a general student survey to gauge interest for a possible D&D After School Club. I had about 15 students who showed interest. So... I began the journey of starting the D&D Club. Currently, we are meeting on Tuesdays from 3:30 to 5:00.
Are students "really" participating?
It has been a blast to see how involved all club members have been. Since D&D is a “table-top role playing game,” (also known as a table-top RPG) students were first very reserved acting like fictional characters while participating. Now, students have created vivid backstories, used artistic ability to draw their characters, and have been very creative with the theatrics when role-playing as their characters.
Success and failures? What has taken place since the first day of the club?
After running the club for one semester, I truly believe that D&D offers an outlet for students to work on a variety of skills that are useful in their everyday life. D&D provides students with extra practice to work on traditional academic skills such as reading, writing, and arithmetic. Not only does it give them extra practice with the previously mentioned skills, but it allows them to work on the following skills as well: creativity, communication, teamwork, critical thinking, compromise, and how to be an active part of a community.
Most all of the successes have been student driven. Club members have told me that D&D club has given them a sense of “belonging,” or they now have new friends they interact with at school. Other students have told me that participating in the club has allowed them to come out of their shell a little more in school.
Next semester I do want to add more writing elements to the club. Members have come up with so many vivid physical descriptions, or backstories for their characters. With these descriptions, I would like to have a running journal so future members and present members can look back on memories of past characters. It would also be a good tool to show future members what it is we do in club.
Where do you see this going second semester?
I see the club being more student driven with me as a sponsor and a spectator. We have many creative individuals who attend PAC, and I would love to see more of that.
I also want to investigate how other educators are using this in their classrooms or how they are running their D&D clubs.
Can you give some direct quotes from some students?
“I have enjoyed the people and their storytelling abilities in my campaign. I enjoy the atmosphere to express myself through my character.”
“I have really enjoyed the chance to play through a very exciting and interesting story, and I am happy I got the chance to meet new people who have become good friends. I also appreciate the way D&D has encouraged me to come out of my shell and be more social.”
“It is just fun in general, funny moments. Game is very open.”
As the Technology Integrationist for our district, I have always sought out purposeful ways to bring gamification into the classroom because it motivates and captures the interest of students.
Thanks Mr. Nielsen for taking a risk, trying something new, and giving students new opportunities to learn and grow. Your efforts are speaking loudly by the enthusiasm and numbers you have in the D&D Club! You are doing a fantastic job!