Teacher turns classic video game system into educational tool

It’s not every day that a person can put the words “Atari 2600” and “education” together.

Welcome to every day in Chad Shumaker’s 8th-grade science classroom at Claymont Junior High.

A self-proclaimed “Classic Gamer,” Shumaker owns a rather large collection of classic video game systems such as the Atari, Intellivision, Colecovision and Vectrex and recently bought a 1983 game titled “Space Shuttle: A Journey Into Space” produced by Activision. The game is a space shuttle simulator, and Shumaker envisioned having his students learning about space with the help of the game.

“I am a firm believer that kids learn the most when they can work with something hands on,” Shumaker said. “Yes, lecture and notes sessions are important, as are tests and quizzes, but kids really look forward to lab days.

“They know they will get to produce, witness or experience something cool that may just teach them something in the process.”

Simply buying the game wasn’t enough for Shumaker. He wanted to take the experience to the next level.

And that level includes an actual cabinet to house the game.

So Shumaker talked with friend and social studies teacher Jordan Beebe, a woodworker in his free time, to coordinate the building of his cabinet.

What began on Feb. 15 blossomed into a very cool cockpit similar to those found in video arcades for racing games.

Eighth-grader Dylan Sterling said that the setup of the simulator made the 25-year old graphics come to life.

“The space shuttle simulator is amazing,” said Sterling. “Even though the graphics weren’t very good, it still seemed very realistic thanks to Mr. Shoe talking to you from outside (the students wear headsets inside and Shumaker guides them with a walkie-talkie outside of the cabinet.”

“The whole setup is great. I hope we keep toying with it for the rest of the year.”

Eighth-grader Kelly Tantarelli added that the experience taught her about more than just space.

“It wasn’t like a normal video game but it was really fun,” said Tantarelli. “It gave me an idea of how hard it must be for actual astronauts.”

The space shuttle simulator is 3 feet wide, 5 feet tall and 4 1/2 feet long and the cost was a meager $250.

“I have to say that Mr. Beebe did an incredible job,” Shumaker said. “I told him what I was thinking about and he took it and ran with it. He made the blueprint in his mind and it only took a day to build.

“And I have to give props to (Principal) Scott Golec because he was excited when I told him what I wanted to do and he gave us the funding we needed to complete this project.”

Beebe said he couldn’t wait to build the cabinet.

“It’s been a lot of fun seeing how excited the kids are after they are in it,” Beebe said. “They have a lot of enthusiasm for it.”

Contained within the simulator is the Atari 2600 VCS Unit, the earliest version of the system. The unit also houses a joystick that is “pilot style” and cost just $1 at Goodwill.

Finally, the coup de gras is a comfortable chair and a 19-inch Zenith Space Command Television purchased from a thrift store. “This works just fine and was what the Atari 2600 was intended to be used with in the first place,” Shumaker said.

The students sit in the chair and close a curtain to feel as though they really are in a cockpit. They put on the headphones and Shumaker guides them through space, tackling different parts of the game.

“When we talk about the concept of space, it’s very difficult for the students; they have a tough time imagining how big the universe really is,” Shumaker said. “This allows them to see aspects of space while breaking it down in a way they can understand. What is great is that now, they don’t even refer to it as a ‘game.’ They call it the simulator.”

And you can’t simulate that excitement.

The Times-Reporter (New Philadelphia, Ohio)