These three articles on video games were particularly interesting to me, seeing as the last video game I thoroughly enjoyed was Super Mario Brothers 3. It’s been a while since I have hunkered down and played a video game for hours on end, but I do know that’s what most of my students (as well as many school age children of the world) are currently doing! We are living in a world where technology is a way of life…machines have replaced the human factor while trying to make things simpler and easier for all. I can recall my grandfather telling me of the days where ice cream cones were 5 cents, a pack of gum cost a penny, and there were men at gas stations who would fill up your tank for less than what a gallon of gas costs today. Where are those people who provide services hiding today?! Gas stations now have machines to do all the work, collect the money and YOU get to fill up your own car…make it quick because there will be a line if there is a “sale” on the price of gas and you probably are running late to next commitment. And what about grocery stores? More and more are replacing the check out clerks with machines so that YOU can scan your own food and you can be on your merry way. Why do we view face time with other humans, as “bad” time?
Regardless if you are on board with the technology craze, this train is moving and you better get a ticket. I feel fortunate enough to have grown up where new and improved technology was the norm. I did not get my first cell phone until I was in college, but I do feel comfortable in texting and downloading apps…or helping my mother set up her voicemail for the 13th time! Computers are another technology avenue I feel comfortable navigating…only because I have always had access to one, and have had to use computers for my own school work, as well as my teaching. Kids today also have a knack of understanding technology (probably having a better understanding than the generation ahead of them!) And with this love of technology, we as teachers would be crazy not to incorporate it into the classroom!
The article by Scot Osterweil is information I am going to bring to my director and school board as a way to bridge the gap between school and technology to enhance student’s learning. I think the game Labyrinth sounds just fascinating and exactly what our school needs. Our kids come form underprivileged homes, many of them being homeless. And this game sounds like the right link of building math, reading, and writing skills AND still using technology, even if you can’t afford the newest gaming system. As a teacher who works at a school who is now on AYP, I can relate to Osterweil’s quote:
“Teachers recognized the attraction of games to their students, but they can’t justify games-with all the social baggage the word carries-to administrators and parents.”
This is so true! We feel bogged down by trying to hit all the standards and trying to teach so that our kids can pass a standardized test, but what happened to making learning fun? I think this game would do an excellent job in justifying games for learning, means fun for all! The one other quote that was an “Aha” moment for me in Osterweil’s articles was:
“We expect teachers to be talented professionals while paying them low salaries and even lower levels of respect.”
Ain’t that the truth?! So my question is, why do we as teacher keep coming back to hard work, for our little pay and littler respect…it’s because of the kids, and we need to remember how to teach to these kids in this technology craze, while still making learning fun, and still hitting the standards. Wow, that’s a tough order to fill!
The second article about “genderplay” made me chuckle. It is true that many games are geared towards young men and boys, and the scantily clad women as advertisements are very enticing to the horny male population. In a world where sex sells, advertisers would be crazy not to use sexy ladies to help sell their games. Do I agree with it, or think it’s right, of course not, but until the men on this earth get re-wired and think only with their brains, and not their personal “joysticks,” I do not think sexy vixens will be going away any time soon! It would be nice if the women in video games could be seen as pioneers, but chances are, a guy is the one creating the video game, so why not have something nice to look at?!
The last article by James Paul Gee, made me reflect on my own teaching skills and how learning happens in my classroom. I have always wondered how can my students play video games on end, or take hours to update their MySpace accounts, but they can’t hunker down with a good book and read for 20 minutes?! This insider look at video games, and how it challenges the player is great information to use in the classroom. Gee mentions,
“Video games operate on the principle of “performance before competence.” That is, players can learn as they play, rather than having to master an entire body of knowledge before being able to put it to use. Research shows that students learn best when they learn in context—that is, when they can relate words, concepts, skills, or strategies to prior experience. In fact, many students are alienated from what they learn in school because those connections and experiences are absent.”
I was taught in my teaching classes at the U of M, to relate lesson to my personal life so that the kids can see real-world connections to what they are learning. How many times have we heard students say, “Why do I have to learn this? When will I use this in my life?” And if we as teachers can show them all the real-world connections, it gives more meaning to what they are learning. I have even learned to take it one step further, and not just relate lessons to my own life, but asking the students how they can be connected to what we are learning. When kids are able to make that connection, their learning is taken to a whole deeper level.
Technology is a way of life, and this craze does not seem to be losing any speed, in fact it’s just the opposite. Technology is getting faster, cheaper, and more accessible. Teachers from the past may have gotten a way with simple lessons of text books, notebooks paper, and pencils. But today’s teachers will need to master Smart Boards, websites, and LCD Projectors to keep their students learning fun, exciting, and on the cutting edge of technology to make sure everyone is entertained.
No comments:
Post a Comment