ESports: New arena for sports is on a computer
From the field to the computer lab, the place where sports are being played is evolving. Esports is an up and coming venture in competitive gaming, expanding from high school to the collegiate arena.
Western New York educators have been interested to learn more about the benefits, costs and stigmas that go along with esports.
To keep educators up to date on the esports trend, New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education (NYSCATE) made esports the focus of its Digital Pathways conference held at the Western New York Regional Information Center/Erie 1 BOCES in February. Representatives from the University at Buffalo,
Daemon and Rochester Institute of Technology were in attendance alongside other experts.
“Recently, there has been a lot of talk about esports from our districts. We really wanted to educate schools on the truths regarding esports first-hand. By compiling a team of experts ranging from students to college coaches, we were able to help guide the districts in the right direction,” stated Michelle Okal-Frink, director of WNYRIC business continuity, research and innovation as well as the NYSCATE vice president, when asked about this year’s theme.
For information on support for esports, contact Joseph Roaldi, CSLO/ Model Schools supervisor, at jroaldi@e1b.org or Steven Graser, director of Professional Development and Instructional Technology Resources, at sgraser@e1b.org.