In the age of iPads and Fitbits, how should educators harness new technology to improve student learning? In his new book, The Game Believes in You: How Digital Play Can Make Our Kids Smarter, Greg Toppo recounts how innovative educators are changing traditional classroom instruction by incorporating digital play.

Citing cognitive research and visiting schools that have incorporated gaming, Toppo dives into the many questions and concerns of parents, teachers, and policymakers: Does incorporating games improve student achievement? Should students be reading Thoreau’s Walden or does an online game where students follow in Thoreau’s footsteps suffice? How can the use of games complement classroom instruction rather than distract from it? How can we ensure that students have access to these tools regardless of income? And is all of this truly effective or merely trendy?