***Summer 2023 Vacation Schedule***
 NO CLASSES July 31 - August 13

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**Before enrolling please note that Usernames/Gamer Handles will be seen by other learners enrolled.  At times gamer handles/usernames may have to be shared with the teacher to connect to each private server to participate in a specific game or class. Upon enrolling in any "Artful Gaming with Maryam Awan" classes, families are giving consent for their learners to participate in classes where gamer handles will be used and referred to by the educator and learners in class for class purposes only, as needed.  Learners are not to ask for or accept friend requests with one another per Outschool Trust and Safety Guidelines.**

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What separates Maryam Awan’s gaming classes from others? 

Let’s face it; teens get the short end of the stick. 

While children 12 and under have endless ways of socializing, teens are far too often clumped together with kids younger than them for convenience. 

The truth is teens desire a space of their own! 

While teens can get along and work well with younger kids, they are on a totally different plain. 

They have different social skills, different joking styles, different topics of conversation, and are definitely at a different maturity level than those younger than them. 

They want and deserve to have social outlets where they can be and act their age, with other teens, without holding back for younger children. 

This is where Maryam Awan’s classes come in. If you are looking for a genuinely teen-focused and relaxed safe environment for teens to exercise fundamental Life and Social Skills through gaming or to simply make friends, you are in the right place!

With Maryam Awan, teens (and mature 12-year-olds) not only spend time gaming with one another they are building genuine relationships while exercising social and life skills in ways that are entirely natural for them. 

Through supervision and the guidance of a National Certified Counselor and Bullying Prevention Specialist, teens finally have a safe place purely for themselves.  

Maryam Awan has been working with children and teens as an educator, counselor, life coach, and mod for over twenty years and has successfully helped teen after teen build social communities with one another casually and effectively through her gaming classes and social hours. 
So hit the pause button on life and enroll your teen in one of her fun classes today! 


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(Learners must have their own copy of the collaborative, sandbox, roguelike, PC Game video game "Don't Starve, Together".)

ISO: HELP! Look out! It's almost night! The only way we can survive is with a willing team. And even then... we might not. Our hunger, sanity, and health depend on each other in this Indie survival game! We need you! Join us!

Welcome to yet another fun teen gaming night! This time we meet up to enjoy the stylized and quirky survival game "Don't Starve, Together". The objective of "Don't Starve Together" is pretty much right in the name. You and your friends are in a world where darkness is your worst enemy. Your daily goal is to find enough food to eat (and share), while you work (together) to build a base camp and fight (as a team) to survive against Monsters. During each session, we will focus not only on building camp and working on "not starving" but on growing our gaming community through teamwork and strategies as well.

This is not a "How to Play Don't Starve Together" structured class but rather a forum for players to exercise their creative thinking, enhance their leadership and project management skills as well as the benefits and learning goals listed below. Please note that all levels of players are welcome but knowing the bare basics of Don't Starve Together is essential for this class. There is no instructional component so basic knowledge of how to play is helpful. That being said, learners do not need to be pros but rather they need to know how to play, craft, and build basics so they don't have a sense of feeling completely lost if they are newer players. 

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Weekly Schedule:
Each Week learners will log into class to socialize and strategize with other gamers, while working together to stay alive in Don't Starve Together, with the option of working on socializing in ways in which they prefer. The social hour is heavily learner-directed to help foster genuine social connections, independence, creativity, and a sense of autonomy through the challenges of gaming.

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Materials Needed:
Players will need to have access to the PC version of the game "Don't Starve Together." Players will need to access the Outschool Classroom and the game simultaneously throughout gameplay and may need more than one device to do so.  Please note, this is not a "How to Play" or "How to Socialize" structured class but rather a forum for players to exercise their creative thinking, enhance their leadership, project management, and social skills as well as the benefits and learning goals listed above. 

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How Do My Social Gaming Classes Work?

With me, learners are not students; they are people I take the time to really get to know and work with to help highlight their strengths and encourage their desires for growth.  With them leading the way, through gaming, art, or casual conversations, we connect, laugh, and have a great time while casually strengthening social and life skills. 

All of my gaming classes are listed in the Social and Life Skills category for a reason. With the right guidance and support from an educator, amazing progress and goals can be achieved through gamification!

Gaming with live groups, in moderated and supervised settings, offers a safe and inclusive space for learners and gamers to encounter real-life decisions, challenges, and goals. Through my classes, gamers are encouraged to take the lead and navigate these challenges safely, at a pace, and in a social way that is comfortable for them with the goal of gaining confidence, independence, and autonomy. 

Social skills like patience, empathy, leadership, conflict resolution, how to ask for help, how to help others, confidence, and being happy with being oneself are practiced as opportunities arise organically. 

Those on the introverted side are honored and respected just as much as those on the extroverted side and every type in between! No one will ever be put on the spot to present themselves or to socialize in ways that leave them feeling uncomfortable. 

We are all works in progress! And with the goal of building autonomy and confidence, learners guide the way in how they want to interact with others and how they prefer to be approached. 

As a National Board Certified Counselor and Bullying Prevention Specialist, my training includes easing children and teens into new social groups, similar to that of easing a new fish into a fish tank. This approach is used for all sessions allowing new members to get a feel for the environment, our gaming world, and the communication styles of other players granting learners the freedom to naturally gain independence and autonomy by letting *them* choose what style of socialization and gaming they prefer.

In each class, there is a wide variety of gamers with different social styles. Some are very outspoken and continually speak up during class, others prefer to communicate by typing in chat while some simply enjoy being a part of the group quietly playing along in ways that are comfortable for them. 

Learners choose how they want to present themselves in this safe space to practice and experiment with different social styles to see what clicks well with them.

As parents, please feel free to reach out any time. I always have an open-door policy! Do you have certain goals you would like your learner to achieve?  What are you and your learner hoping to get out of this class? Are there issues or situations you would like to discuss before or after class? Perhaps, your child is looking for more engagement than they are getting and need a little extra help or boost to reach this goal. 

Often, learners are shy and don't speak up so there is no way of telling whether or not they would like to join in on some collaborative action, so any communication before or after each class is always welcome. Parent/Teacher communication is very important to me, so should you or your learner have any concerns or issues, please reach out and we can discuss and collaborate on how to make things better. Open communication really helps create the quality experience that learners look for. 

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A Note About Technology and Troubleshooting During This Class

Before enrolling in this session please be aware that this is not a tech class. This is a heavily “kid-powered” Life Skills and Social Class. Out of respect for all learners and families, very little time is allotted to assist in connection/technology issues.  This includes most components of online/group gaming, mics issues, headphone issues, Zoom, Wifi connections, and all components of online/group gaming. Learners and their families:

*Must* have a basic knowledge of the technology and devices used in each individual home. Due to the wide variety of devices and technology, the teacher holds no responsibility for the troubleshooting or tech support of learners who have difficulties connecting to the games/servers used in this class. Families are welcome to do research during class to help their learners troubleshoot when tech issues arise during class. If a learner or family experiences sound, mic, and issues related to Zoom the teacher may be able to assist. If the teacher cannot help efficiently please reach out to Outschool Support.  

*Must* know how to access and effectively use and/or add the private servers and/or online games used in this class. Please do research and work with your learner *before* class on how to connect with the teacher with usernames if needed, connect to/add private servers if necessary, type in-game codes if needed, and all components of online gaming.  Many of these gaming classes are high-energy, social, and move quickly. Out of the respect for all learners who are here to game, practice life skills, and socialize, in-class time cannot be spent on extensive tech support and troubleshooting. That being said, we sometimes have helpful learners in our groups. As part of the life skills component, they may be invited to exercise their leadership skills to assist with tech to the extent of their knowledge. Please note, the teacher or learners are in no way responsible for conducting extensive tech support. 

*Must* understand that at times learners and families will experience server and in-game technical issues which are out of the teacher’s control. Additionally, to the ones listed above, other tech issues include learners disconnecting from games or servers and learners unable to connect/re-connect to servers due to unforeseen circumstances.  

*Must* understand that during a loss in a game and/or disconnection issues some learners may have to wait for one game to end before joining another round. Wait times vary as some games may take longer at times to conclude depending on the number of players and skill levels. 

*Must* be aware that out of respect of learners and their families and in order to preserve the security and safety of all learners class recordings are only shared with the Outschool Trust and Safety Teams. All Class Recording Requests will be denied. 

*Must* be aware that the “mute all” button is used at times when gaming. Please remind your learner that if they are not heard they may be muted or have mic issues. Learners are free to unmute when they are able and when mute is not required for the game. Also, note if a learner does not get a reply from other learners or the teacher there may be tech issues involved where the learner was not heard. Some learners are more soft-spoken and may need to increase their mic volumes when speaking. Another option is to use in-game chat when available. If a learner does not get a response they may also use Zoom Chat to connect with the teacher. 


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Who Am I?

As a National Board Certified Counselor, School Counselor, and Bullying Prevention Specialist I've been trained in working with teens and in creating safe social atmospheres. Part of this training includes encouraging teens to slowly become part of a social community rather than being pushed. Encouraging socialization is key whereas pushing children to speak who are not yet ready can have adverse effects possibly causing learners to become withdrawn until they are comfortable doing so. 

Due to my in-depth training, understanding of personality types, and methods of social community building, the socialization building may be gradual, for some, similar to adding a new fish to a tank. 

Learners will be welcomed, asked to introduce themselves, and asked basic get-to-know-you questions. The way learners respond and how they interact will determine the direction of socialization that fits their needs. If they are on the quiet side, learners will have the chance to adapt slowly and quietly until they feel more comfortable speaking up.  

Social communities can only be built over time and speaking up is not immediate for most children. My training has allowed me to appreciate all types of social skills and levels, therefore, respecting all learners and how they choose to acclimate themselves to our safe and inclusive space.

The diverse style of socialization in teens is always welcome. We have gamers who love to verbally communicate with one another, some who enjoy utilizing the chat feature and thrive that way, while others prefer a more quiet approach and simply enjoy being around others who are socializing until they feel more comfortable doing so themselves. True social communities are built over time and require several sessions before a true social community can be built. Depending on individuals and their preferences, some may dive right in while others may prefer a slower approach.

I will do repeated "check-ins" to see how all players are doing and will ease them in overtime. 

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What are possible learning goals? 

Learning goals may be public or private and are individual to each teen learner. In my sessions, I honor and encourage independence and autonomy by giving a safe space for teen learners to experiment with their chosen life skills.  Learning goals may include: 
1. Encouraging creativity and project planning
2. Reinforcing problem-solving skills
3. Logic skills
4. Teamwork and communication
5. Reinforces social skills
6. Resource management
7. Patience and perseverance
8. Respectful Communication
9. Collaboration
10. Idea Sharing
11. Self Confidence 
12. Public Speaking
13. Empathy 
14. How to celebrate the talents of oneself and others through Artistic Confidence
15. Learning that everyone makes mistakes and how to learn from and correct them

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A Note About COPPA Compliance:
Good Morning Parents of Learners 12 and Under,

As Outschool continues to improve their safety standards for learners, starting January 2022, classes are now required to be COPPA compliant for children 12 and under. For this class, since learners are under the age of 12 please review the following information to assure you have assisted your young learners in creating a safe account.

Klei Entertainment, the developers of Don't Starve Together,  state in their Privacy Policy for learners 12 and Under. 

"AGE LIMITS
We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal data about or direct or target interest based advertising to anyone under the age of 13 or knowingly allow such persons to use our Services. If you are under 13, please do not send any data about yourself to us, including your name, address, telephone number, or email address. No one under the age of 13 may provide any personal data. If we learn that we have collected personal data about a child under age 13, we will delete that data as quickly as possible. If you believe that we might have any data from or about a child under the age of 13, please contact us."

For the full Privacy Policy please visit the follow link:

https://www.klei.com/privacy-policy