I stumbled across this free Game Design Kit for instituting game design into the classroom. It’s a pretty comprehensive document from The Learning Games Network that is worth a gander if you are wondering about gaming and learning. It’s not so much about Video Game design, but more about game design in general, and there’s a lot to be said about finding ways to move elements of that (if not the entire unit, which stretched out weeks) into curriculum planning.
“The process of game design looks very similar to thoughtful research and and creative development activities you likely already incorporate into your teaching. It requires students to exercise conceptual, critical, strategic and creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and planning skills.” — from the kit
The kit (a pdf file) is free, but you have to join The Learning Games Network blog (so maybe it is not so free). There are some good resources and links off the site, thuogh. And this video is worth a watch as kids at Stanford explain their Game Design Jam challenge:
Peace (in the game),
Kevin