I had the pleasure of reading my book, Video Games and Education, by Harry Brown by the duck pond today, in the shade no less. It was nice. I read through some good stuff that I think you’ll enjoy the below quotes as food for thought.
“If videogames, like literature would transform consciousness
and enthrall both critical and popular audiences, its creators must be artists
as well as artisans, trained in the craft of writing, as well as the use of the
complex tools necessary to tell stories in this new medium” (p.19).
Last year my middle school students were all over digital
literacy. They really wanted to know how game designers write code and compose
plot lines. This was great because as much as my students used digital
literacies, they did not know much about how they were created. Players can
turn into game designers. Just like a reader can turn into an author.
“This presence within a virtual world, Ryan explains, allows
us “to explore an environment, and the ability to change it”. Like Baroque
frescoes, video games stimulate a world beyond view, but as interactive environments,
they also simulate a world that is responsive to the player, the illusion that
our actions as well as our vision extends into their world” (p.46).
I’ve talked to two social studies teachers who have used
Assassin’s Creed games in their classroom to help teach certain points of
history. The idea is not for kids to play games all day in class, but to relate
the digital literacies in their everyday lives to your curriculum.
“Ludologists, those who study videogames as games, insist
that playing a game differs cognitively from reading a novel or viewing a film.
While the emotional satisfaction we derive from a narrative relies on following
a sequence of events and identifying with characters, the ludic or gameplay experiences
relies instead on the mastery of puzzles and problems” (p.4).
I’ll save these quotes for a paper down the line… I think it’s
funny to think with all I have going on in my life, I still want to play my
Super Nintendo for a little bit. All this talk about video games makes me want to play one. I think I’ll play Pilot Wings - classic! This game was made in 1990. I remember playing it when I was four years old.
This sounds interesting. since we are in 2015, I think using technology is very important to teach students. I like when you mentioned connecting students real live with what they have in curriculum.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds interesting. since we are in 2015, I think using technology is very important to teach students. I like when you mentioned connecting students real live with what they have in curriculum.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting topic. I have a student in may class that wanted to look into gaming as a career and I did not really have to much information to share. The only thing that I could think of is that there would be a lot of math involved. I took a class last semester about computer integration in the classroom and learn a great deal of strategies. I never knew the importance until I took that course.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting topic. I have a student in may class that wanted to look into gaming as a career and I did not really have to much information to share. The only thing that I could think of is that there would be a lot of math involved. I took a class last semester about computer integration in the classroom and learn a great deal of strategies. I never knew the importance until I took that course.
ReplyDeleteI think your author is correct. These guys are artists. But, I'm not sure they are linguistic artists. Graphic artists yes. Action organizers yes. But, where 's the poetry in racing or "shoot 'em up?"
ReplyDeleteI think of coding as a language of itself. That language is complicated, and if you know it, you are part of a different "semiotic domain" as James Gee would say.
DeleteI agree, not every game can be used at any time to make this concept of video game usage a reality.
I think gaming and learning are important. I am not sure how we can combine them in the classroom. I loved playing Nintendo as a young girl, but I would not have loved it as much if it was at school instead of in front of our plaid couch at home with Dr. Pepper and Cheetos. I wonder what role the setting plays in all of this?
ReplyDeleteOne comment that you stated really caught my eye but also shocked me! The comment where you stated some teachers used the assassins creed video game to help teach students about some points in history! That video game, i thought was a very graphic and violent game! What parts of history are these teachers teaching the students? I am not saying its bad but i think it is an interesting way to teach the class!
ReplyDeleteI agree, there is mild to high violence in the game; however, so was war. I'm on your side about it all though Karisa. Video games cant be too graphic, just like any movie, or book. I have not played it in a long time, but there are different games based off the eras of conflict. From my understanding, the clothing, buildings, and technology in the game really immerses students into that era. Students can play as a character and roam around for example during the french revolution as a commanding officer, or common soldier, and it just sounds fun, too.
ReplyDeleteIt would go well with lessons on whatever historical piece you thought connected. The goal is to use video games, when you can, not all the time, just in common good practice of digital literacies and content-relevant curriculum.
Miles, I think kids are so fascinating. They are so into technology and the latest devices. I am like that myself and couldn't fix any of it if my life depending on it (I mean that). There are so many different programs out there and games to. Why not use them to teach our students? Give them a fun time in the classroom. This is a little off-topic, but my husband has two daughters (5 and 7). All they want to do is watch Netflix. They love going outside (once they get there), but sometimes it's so hard to get them to take the first step out there because they are so drawn to technology. There are options there though. They love the show Wild Kratts. I don't mind at all letting them watch an episode of that a day or so. It is so educational. They walk around the house educating us on different animals, it's so comforting.
ReplyDeleteThe point I mean to make is that there is bad stuff out there (profane, violent, etc.) in anything you do, not just video games or technology. What we need to do is show them the other possibilties. Learning can be fun.
I believe video games like everything else has its pros and cons. They help enhance the reflections of the players, and maybe used to education them on certain aspects of history, if all the facts check out. However, the biggest concern I have from video games is they are addictive and comes on the expense of literacy. As we can see a changing trend in our kids, they spend more time with video games than reading books. The real question should be: are the benefits of video games overweight their harms?
ReplyDeleteI believe video games like everything else has its pros and cons. They help enhance the reflections of the players, and maybe used to education them on certain aspects of history, if all the facts check out. However, the biggest concern I have from video games is they are addictive and comes on the expense of literacy. As we can see a changing trend in our kids, they spend more time with video games than reading books. The real question should be: are the benefits of video games overweight their harms?
ReplyDeleteSo I'm a little older--Super Nintendo was around when I was a teenager. I am married to a guy that has a long-time affair with his XBox, though, and I have to admit, this is certainly a cool revelation--video games can be used to teach social studies! However, since I plan to teach art, it would serve me well to become digitally literate. I know I'll have some gamers in my classroom that are planning careers in video game design. It's kind of like becoming literate in street art or other more recent forms of artistic media--you need to be relevant to maintain credibility in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteChildren approach the world in a different way now because all the technological advances. Games can be a new venue to teach students about different things. They also make a big impression and will stay with you for a long time. To pass levels requires to play many times, make connections, use analytical thinking, and the cool thing is taking into the identity of the main character (Gee)
ReplyDeleteWow this book really sounds interesting! I like the idea of relating to students outside of class curriculum and if that means bringing in video games then that is awesome! I also want to cringe thinking about students thinking they could replace video games with reading or writing (even if that's not what the novel is saying I would be afraid that the students might think that).
ReplyDeleteWow this book really sounds interesting! I like the idea of relating to students outside of class curriculum and if that means bringing in video games then that is awesome! I also want to cringe thinking about students thinking they could replace video games with reading or writing (even if that's not what the novel is saying I would be afraid that the students might think that).
ReplyDeleteI'm really thinking about creating a class on learning math strictly from video gaming. LOL. Every time I read your blogs It makes me think about it more. Truly though it's important to have more than one way to teach any class and if you can teach parts of history from a video game, well that's just really cool.
ReplyDeleteI'm really thinking about creating a class on learning math strictly from video gaming. LOL. Every time I read your blogs It makes me think about it more. Truly though it's important to have more than one way to teach any class and if you can teach parts of history from a video game, well that's just really cool.
ReplyDelete