My blogging experience

The first time I ever heard the word "blog" was a couple of years ago when my brother went on a European vacation. He and his girlfriend were going to be gone for a couple of weeks, so they set up a blog to let everyone know what they were doing. Every night they would write about what they had seen and done that day, and we all got sucked into reading the posts. At that time I had no idea what a blog was, and I didn't know that I was supposed to respond to what they had written. Only a few people ever commented on his blog, so I guess most of my family didn't know that you were supposed to write back either.

I went on a similar vacation a couple of weeks later, and I didn't blog. I actually joked with him about the fact that he did. Now it is a few years later and he has a documented journal of his trip. It is complete with pictures, links, comments, and responses. He will always have his blog to look back on, and it is better than a regular journal or diary because it is interactive. Back then I did not appreciate the value of blogging; I only thought it was some new kind of thing that I just wasn't into.

I blogged for the first time last semester, and then I was very shy and nervous about posting my questions, answers, and ideas. I spent a while reading other people’s posts before I had the courage to participate. Once I got the hang of it, and felt comfortable posting, I learned to blog regularly. Now I blog just as I speak, in very long-winded posts that seem to never end. I don’t even think about what people will think when they read this. I just write.

During this semester I tried to blog at least once a week, and I was usually able to do that. I decided that the way that I was going to keep us with the assignments was to do the work on Saturday mornings as if I was in class. That method kept me focused and allowed me to schedule other activities around what I considered to be “class time”.

One of my favorite parts of blogging has become reading the comments that people have made in response to my posts. There have been times when I check up on the blog just to see if there have been any responses, and when there are, I get extremely excited to read what has been written. I guess that’s one of the great things about a blog; the feedback that you get. Also, I have enjoyed posting to my partner’s blog. I like to read how she felt about an issue or how she interpreted an article. I enjoy leaning from her posts. From reading them I am able to think about the articles in different ways, and sometimes even get clarification on information that I might not have understood.

This semester I learned that blogging is pretty easy, and that there are so many different ways that you can use a blog for educational purposes. I think what I like the most is that it is interactive, and unlike instant messaging or chatting, you do not have to be on the computer at the same time as someone else to communicate with him/her. If I had it my way, I would set up a class blog primarily as a place for students to ask and answer each other’s questions, and of course I would participate with them.

From this blogging experience I have learned different ways to learn. I have also learned how to use other people’s thoughts and ideas as resources to enhance my learning. As far as literacy goes, I think that understanding how this works is one type of literacy, and because you have to post your writing on the Internet (for all to see) you must make sure others will be able to understand what you have written. This deals with very basic literacy. Now let’s add in the fact that you have to read and write to blog and the more you blog, the better you will read and write. It sounds to me like this method of teaching/learning works, and like everything in life, the more you practice, the better you will get.

What I Have Learned From Shaun White

After a semester of trying to get better at playing a video game (Shaun White's Snowboarding Road Trip), I have to honestly say that I am still bad at it. I know that my performance is not because I have not tried, but I believe that it is because of my attitude toward playing. I am content with not completing the game and not having the highest scores. I am proud of myself for just improving my personal records and that gives me satisfaction. Playing the game took up so much of my time, so I chose not play every day. Even if I did play every day, I still don't think that I would have completed the game.

My experiences with this game have made me think about the learning process, and about myself. I know that in life I don't like doing things that I am not good at, and I think that playing video games fit into that category for me. I struggled with learning the different skills necessary to do well with in the game, so it wasn't always enjoyable for me. There were many nights when I played for over an hour and still didn't score what I needed to move on. I would not stop playing until I improved my score, but I didn’t enjoy wasting my night away doing something that I was bad at. In order to try to improve I read the manual and I watched others play, but in a game like Wii, you need to physically do the actions, so my attempts at "studying" were unsuccessful.

I’ve been thinking about it, and I wondered that if we were being graded on our progress and accomplishments in the game, would I have done better? I really think that I would have. I am definitely the type of student who is ok with not being the best, as long as I know that I have tried my best, but when a grade is involved things change. If I had to grade my performance in Shaun White’s Snowboarding, I think that I would have earned a “C+”, and the “+” would only be for effort. If that was going to be my grade for this project, I would be so upset. I don’t think that I would have let that happen, so maybe I would have stayed up late every night practicing. Maybe I would have put off the other responsibilities that I have to make sure that I did what was necessary to get a better grade.

Is doing whatever is necessary to get an “A” worth sacrificing for? I don’t know the answer to that. Is learning about getting good grades, or is it about what you have actually learned? In school, do students only work hard to get good grades, and is that why some students (who do not care about their grades) do not work at all? I have enjoyed my experiences learning how to play this game, and I have learned, isn’t that what matters? I just have to keep practicing in order to improve. Every student learns at his/her own pace. Obviously a semester was not enough time for me; someone who has not played video games since high school, and who had never even tried playing this game until the beginning of the semester. What does that tell us about how we treat students in school? We often don’t take into consideration the fact that some students need more time and more attention to learn something. If they do not learn it they get a bad grade and we move on without them ever having learned the material. We do it every day, but that is definitely not right.

This experience has also helped me realize that students spend more time doing the things that they enjoy. If I really liked playing video games, I would have gotten better at it. I think that I like writing and talking about playing more than I like playing the game. Some students might agree with me, others would probably laugh at me. We all learn differently and enjoy learning in different ways and by doing different things. I think that is what I learned most from this project. My students would love it if I brought games into the classroom. However, I already had a student tell me that the games we play, like Jeopardy type review games, are not fun games and that those don’t count.

Now I am going to try to find computer games that involve American History, are age appropriate for high school students, don’t take too long to play, and can be used as valuable instructional tools. I have searched, and so far I have been unsuccessful. I don’t know why more companies do not make such games, maybe they do, and I just have not found the good ones yet. If I do introduce these “fun games” will I lose the interest of the students like myself who really don’t care to “beat the game”? Would some students play just to win, and not absorb the valuable lessons that the game is teaching? Playing Shaun White’s Snowboarding Road Trip has made me evaluate how I approach and deal with learning situations. Maybe playing games in class would help me evaluate the same things about my students.

Even though the assignment is over, I am not giving up on Shaun White. Maybe someday, and not any time soon, I will be able to say, “I beat the game”, but if not, that’s ok with me.

Only a few more weeks with Shaun White

There are only a few more weeks in the semester, and I have not made much progress with Shuan White's Snowboarding. At the beginning of the semester I was motivated to learn how to play the game. Once I started playing regularly I wanted to improve. As time went on I realized that the only way to improve is to study the game and spend a lot of time playing it.

This week I did not spend a lot of time playing. Instead I set a personal goal to improve on one aspect of the game. When I accomplished my goal, I allowed myself to stop (even though I did not actually advance in the game). I decided that I needed to practice making my feet do exactly what was necessary for specific tricks, so that is what I practiced. Previously I would just move my feet and push buttons on the controller, and I would be happy with whatever tricks I wound up doing. Now I am trying to perfect individual tricks so I know that I can do them. This way I will be able to use these tricks to score points when I need to.

This method has given me a different kind of satisfaction. Although I haven't progressed closer to the end of the game, I now actually have the ability to do certain tricks. I'm not sure which feeling is better, having acquired knowledge, or getting closer to beating the game. I guess real gamers use what they have learned to complete the game.

It is going to take me more than one semester to finish this game, but I am ok with that. I don't know if most video game players would be.

Waking Life

I have to admit that I didn't really understand the clip from Waking Life. I tried to comprehend what was being said about existentialism and the importance of the individual, so I watched the clip many times. I get that our actions and our interactions with others help create our identity, and the identities of others, and I know that we are all interconnected, and that our decisions will either directly or indirectly affect others. What I did not get was the purpose of the film. Was it to inform, to make us think, or simply to express someone's views?

I did think that the video format was interesting. I also read some of the responses that viewers wrote and it confused me as to who the characters in the film were. Were they real people? Were they interpretations of real people? Or were they fictional characters discussing the ideas of real people?

Choosing materials for our media center

One of the things that is so wonderful about creating a media center from scratch, and in the virtual world, is that we have the opportunity to make what we would consider to be an ideal space. However, even though we do not have to worry about funding or logistics, we do need to think about what would be appropriate in a real media center.

As part of the technology group, I tried to think about everything that I would want the students to be able to have access to. I thought about programs and resources that would encourage middle school students to spend time in a media center, but I did not think about things like internet filters. I guess I took for granted that they would be there.

As educators, and creators of a space for students who are at such a critical and impressionable age, we need to make sure that we meet their needs as curious learners. At the same time, we need to make sure that we meet the needs or their parents. We need to make sure that we create an environment for their children that is safe for them to explore; and one that does not allow them to be exposed to inappropriate content or to online predators.

Intellectual Freedom

Intellectual Freedom in School Libraries
By Linda J. Shirley

School libraries and media centers need to make sure they provide students and faculty with the opportunity to access information. While students are researching, there is the possibility that they may come in contact with inappropriate or incorrect content. School library and media specialists and teachers have the responsibility to teach students how to decide between reliable and unreliable sources. As students use the internet to research topics, they should know what sources to trust and which to skip over. If a school curriculum is set up to meet the needs of the students, then critical researching skills should be included. However, use of the internet can get complicated if students are allowed unlimited access. If schools do not use filters, then students can, and will, be introduced to inappropriate materials. In order to lessen the likelihood that this will happen, school libraries and media centers have the ability to block certain websites. Is this censorship? I do not think so. Even though many educationally appropriate websites are blocked by the filters, they do their job and prevent most of the inappropriate materials from being viewed by the students. If a student absolutely needs to view the contents of a blocked website, he/she can copy the website and view it at home (hopefully with the supervision of his/her parents).

As for banning books, I think that is a completely different issue. Books are banned for various reasons, usually related to political or religious beliefs. I understand that school libraries and media centers cannot always provide students with every book that has ever been written. However, I do believe the students should have the ability to read books that may be appealing to them, even if the topics or language used in the book are opposed by the political and religious beliefs of the neighborhood or school district.

I think that the confidentiality issues involved with student library records is an interesting topic. I never realized that students’ beliefs, interests, and identity issues could be tracked by the books that he/she takes out from the library. I also think that a student may take out books to learn about different topics, and the books may have no relevance to the type of person he/she is. If circulation records were not confidential, many misconceptions could be made about students, which could lead to negative attitudes toward the school and the library, which would probably discourage the students from reading.

Software and art

Post-media Aesthetics
By Lev Manovich

In my opinion, the most interesting aspect of this article is the idea that software affects how works are created and also how we read, view, see, and hear them. If different types of software are used to create a piece, the finished product will come out differently. Software also influences how we perceive what we are viewing. Without specific software, the product may not be received as it was intended to.

The example of a DJ spinning and remixing music helped me understand how important software is. When you listen to a mix made by a professional DJ or music technician, the flow is seamless. You do not notice the transitions from one song to the next, and you have no idea that whole pieces of the original song have been taken out and then added back on later in the mix. DJs can add sound effects, combine songs, and loop sounds to create what can be considered their own work. This practice is definitely an art form. Without advanced software and machinery, DJs would be spinning records like they did twenty-five years ago, and although many were successful then, the finished products were definitely not as advanced as they are today.

If we take this same idea and apply it to other types of art and even student work, we can understand how important software is. I have received many e-mails where I could not open an attachment because I did not have the necessary programs to do so. It is frustrating for both the sender and the receiver. I have had many problems in school because of Microsoft Office 2007. My students have tried to e-mail me projects that I could not open because they saved them in Office 2007 formats. They have also had trouble printing their work in school because the school computers do not support Office 2007. All of these problems could be easily solved, but what if they couldn’t be? In this digital age, are we being forced to purchase certain software? Are decisions being made for us that can cost us a lot of money? Do the various types of artists know that the viewing of their art is conditional upon what software the viewers are using? The artists might not realize this, but the software companies do, and that is how they make a lot of money.

When I don't play regularly I get worse

I have realized that if I take a few days off from playing Shaun White, I get really bad. I guess that's why gamers spend so much of their time playing. The more you play, the better you get. I have also learned that I am ok with never finishing the game. I've been playing for a few months now, and I am not even close to completing the game. I'm sure this would bother some true gamers. When I play with others it does bother me that they are so much better than I am, but it does not drive me to spend all of my free time improving.

As for the learning process, the more times that I've played the same course on the same level, the better I have gotten at it. By repeating the same course over and over I've learned when to turn, when to jump, when to go faster and slower. Does that mean that memorization is still something that is necessary for successful classroom learning? Does that mean that in addition to all of the activity based learning that we are promoting in the classroom that there is still a place for repetition and memorization? Based on my experiences learning this game, I think that there is.

Are they really going to teach Twitter in schools?

In the article, "Pupils to study Twitter and blogs in primary schools shake-up", the possible changes in the British primary school system are explained. In addition to altering the format of the current curriculum, new skills like using Twitter and Wikipedia, blogging, and web-based instruction will be included. There is much debate surrounding this change, and many believe that it is unnecessary. Others support the inclusion of new technologies and believe that students need to be taught these skills.

Mary Bousted, said, “Children need to be enthused by learning, so they want to learn and gain the skills which will enable them to learn in later in later life." This is an excellent point. If students are taught to use programs and applications that they use outside of school, and these programs and applications are then used to enhance the school curriculum, maybe students will become more excited about the content material. On the other hand, I do not think that schools should eliminate important content in order to find the time to teach new technologies.

Linking obesity and video game use

Linking obesity and activity level with children’s television
and video game use
Elizabeth A. Vandewater, Mi-suk Shim, Allison G. Caplovitz

Is a child’s weight status related to the types of activities that he/she participates in? I would say absolutely, however this study proves that that is not always the case. It would be very easy to conclude that overweight children are those who spend their time playing video games and watching TV, but that has not been prove to be true in all cases.

I found some of the results of this study to be very interesting, especially the fact that television viewing is not proven to have a direct correlation to children’s weight, and even though there was more evidence of a connection between weight and video game use, there was no absolute connection. One of the reasons stated was that overweight girls may turn to activities such as video games because they are socially isolated from their peers. That makes perfect sense. Boys are less likely to ostracize each other from their social groups, but girls will definitely make each other feel uncomfortable and unwelcome, especially if their appearance is not considered desirable by the group.

The study concluded that in order for television watching and video game playing to have an impact on a child’s weight, the child would have to replace a physical activity with the more sedentary activity. For example, many children who play video games are athletes, and they play games related to the sports that they like to participate in. If they spend a few hours participating in their sport after school then come home and play a related video game for an hour, they are still physically active children. It is only when playing the real game is replaced by only playing the video game that weight issues may occur.

Children love playing video games, but like everything in life, moderation is extremely important. If parents do not allow their children to become couch potatoes and encourage them to live active lives, there is nothing wrong with them playing video games. However, if a child will not do anything but play their video games, there is a problem, but not one that a parent can’t solve.

Video games and violent behavior

Violence exposure in real-life, video games, television, movies, and the internet: is there desensitization?
Jeanne B. Funk, Heidi Bechtoldt Baldacci, Tracie Pasold, Jennifer Baumgardner

Video games can be directly linked to violent activities because of the intense engagement in video games and because of the fantasy play allowed for in video games. If you are exposed to violence and aggression in the game that you are playing, your ability to differentiate between what is allowed in the world of the game and what is allowed in the real world may be off. If an individual is constantly dealing with violent situations while playing video games, it is not rare that he/she may become desensitized to the magnitude of similar violent activities in real life. As stated by Farrell and Bruce, the more desensitized one becomes to violence, it is likely that increased aggressive behaviors may occur.

Also, Molitor and Hirsch confirmed that the more you view violence, the greater your tolerance is for violent behaviors. If young people spend much of their time playing violent games, their perception of what is good and bad may be affected. Also, in video games there are few realistic consequences for violent behaviors. For example, instead of being punished for attacking someone, you are usually rewarded for doing so. What does that teach our children?

An update on the effects of playing violent video games

An update on the effects of playing violent video games
Craig A.Anderson

I thought that the comparison in the study of the correlation between violent video games and aggressive behavior to condom use and HIV risk, passive smoke and lung cancer, and calcium intake on bone mass made a very strong statement. It is common knowledge of the dangers of the later correlations, but society as a whole has not yet accepted that violent video games have a strong impact on the likelihood of aggressive behavior in an individual. Violent video games are not considered to be a health risk, but that does not mean that they can not help create an unhealthy individual.

The reality is that many children, adolescents, and adults are playing video game for many hours a week. If their games of choice include those that include and promote large amounts of violence, then their leisure time activities consist primarily of exposure to violence and violent activities. If parents monitor what their children are playing and limit their ability to play violent games, maybe the effects of the games would not be so great. Right now, there is enough evidence to conclude that violent and aggressive behavior can be linked to playing violent video games, and parents need to accept that fact and do something about it.

Determination pays off

I finally advanced on Shaun White! I guess I was more determined than frustrated. Instead of giving up and skipping the downhill race that I was not capable of doing in less than two minutes, I spent about an hour or so trying different strategies to complete the task. The end result was that I accomplished my goal and I got a decent leg workout.

The benefit of playing Wii is that it is physical. When you are snowboarding you stand on the Wii Balance Board with your left leg in front. In order to go faster you need to apply pressure to your front leg. When I woke up the next day (after my success at the downhill) I felt like I had done a complete lower body workout. My left leg felt abused; I know I overdid it, but it was completely worth it.

Now that I have qualified to move on to the next country, I need to learn what is necessary to be successful at the tasks on this level. I'm still on the first challenge in Chile, and I’m not scoring enough points to complete the course and move on. I might be in Chile for a while.

What I've learned this week is that sometimes you need to use what you know to manipulate the game. For example, in order to meet the time challenge of the level I had to skip doing any tricks, so my score was very low. I can accept a low score, but maybe some players can't. I have also learned that personality and (in the case of Wii) physical ability have a lot to do with your aptitude as a gamer. If you don’t enjoy the challenge or have the desire or skill to complete tasks (no matter how much time it takes), you are not going to be the type of person to become obsessed with a game.

In order to do this project I am using my brother's games and game system. When I watch him play, he knows exactly what he is doing, and he is very good at it. I look like a complete mess who makes things up as I go along. My balance is off and I can't make my two different feet apply different kinds of pressures, like right toe and left heel at the same time. I honestly have to concentrate on making my body do what it needs to in order to do the tricks. I know that as I keep playing I will get better, but I don't know if I will ever be good.

My frustration continues

This week I found out that even though I had cleared the first level of Shaun White and got to the next country, I had not completed all of the challenges in the first country. I went back to try and complete the challenge that I hadn't finished, and I wound up spending hours attempting the same snowboarding trail over and over again. The course that I cannot complete is a downhill race and I cannot do it fast enough to earn the respect award. The challenge is to complete the course in less than two minutes, and I've come really close, but I am still not fast enough. I did this course so many times; I should have counted how many times I tried. Eventually I just gave up.

Now that I know that I have to complete this course to truly finish the first country, I cannot move on until I do so (even though the computer will allow me to do so). What I have learned this week is that practice does not always make perfect, and that playing video games can take up way too much of your time. Even though I kept failing at my task, I kept trying.

I will succeed at this task. I just don't know how long it is going to take me to do so.

Learning Spaces

Robert Godwin-Jones, in “Emerging Technologies”, wrote of the digital “third space", as a learning environment different from that of home, work, and school; but not one that is inferior. As “digital natives” use devices like iPods for more than just listening to music, the capabilities of these devices keep expanding, and our ability to use them as tools for teaching expand as well.

After reading about how iPods can be used to assist learning a foreign language, I thought about how the textbook that I use for my American History classes offers students the ability to download audio summaries of the chapters in an MP3 format. I told my students about this feature, and encouraged them to download the files and listen to them on the way to and from school. This was only a few weeks ago, and I haven’t had anyone tell me that they actually did this, but I believe that textbook companies are finding ways to mix traditional styles of instruction with new methods that meet the needs of our digital learners.

I still crash into trees

This week's attempt at getting better at playing Shaun White's Snowboarding Road Trip has been interesting. I am now pretty good at navigating through a course. I am more comfortable on the Wii balance board, so my turns are a little smoother. However, I am having a very difficult time remembering how to do specific tricks. I also seem to have very little balance because when I try to go up on my toes or heels I feel like I am going to fall off the board. As a result, I am not yet able to perform certain tricks to score the big points. The other thing I still cannot do is follow the instructions of the person talking to me telling me what to do. She gives suggestions, but I can't seem to listen to her, process what she is saying, and react quickly enough to do what needs to be done. I also still have a difficult time looking at the snowboarder (my character) and the suggested foot placement (that is displayed at the top of the screen) at the same time. As a result, I do not do exactly what I should do, and I do not achieve a high score.

Overall, I'm still having fun, even though I still constantly crash into trees.

Games and Identity

If you have three different identities involved in playing a game, then you have the opportunity to learn in three different ways. Gee gives an example of how his character in Arcanum visited a brothel, something that he (Gee in real life) would never do. Games give you the opportunity to try out other identities. They allow you to make decisions that may or may not reflect the identity that you present to the real world. Does that mean that Gee (in real life) has the desire to visit brothels? Not necessarily. Most people can separate the fantasy world of a game (and all of the decisions that are made in the context of playing that game) from the reality of the world that we live in. However, some people may use the game to try out behaviors that they are questioning introducing in the real world. I believe that as long as you learn from both the positive and negative actions of your gaming character, and do not bring those negative behaviors into the real world, then identity play in not harmful.

I believe that playing different kinds of video games appeal to different people for different reasons. For example, when Gee describes choosing and creating his character, I thought about how I choose my character in Shaun White’s Snowboarding (the game that I am learning). I know that my game is an action game and his is a role-playing game, but I still have to choose a character every time I play. Each character has different abilities, and as you get further in the game you unlock more characters. When you look at the characters to decide who you want to be, their skills and abilities are listed. I just skip over them and choose whoever I feel like playing with at that time. What does that say about me as a player, as a person? Do I not care about maximizing my abilities to have an advantage in certain situations? Am I careless? Am I too lazy to take the time to think about what is in my own best interests? I believe that the answer for me, in this situation, is that I just don’t care. I’m OK with playing the game for fun, and although I am a competitive person, I am OK with not winning. I would like to post high scores, but I am not driven to always have to win. What does that say about me as a person?

I think that having the opportunity to create an identity tells a lot about a person. Every choice you make reveals a little something about yourself. For example, while I was exploring Second Life I was acquired a new outfit for my avatar. I did not like that outfit, so instead of wearing it for now, I chose to stay in the outfit that she came with. I would rather keep the basic default outfit than wear the one that I don’t like. What does that say about me?

The ability to create or choose an identity allows people to express themselves in a desired way. Some people create identities that are similar to their own; others enjoy having the ability to become someone or something totally different. I think that this capability is beneficial for self-discovery and self-perception, but I do think that it can be harmful when individuals (and especially students) get caught up in their character. There are specific roles that characters play within the game that should not carry on into the real world. If one is not able to separate the virtual character from his/her real-life identity, then I believe there is a serious problem.

The identity play that takes place in games is different than taking on character perspectives in novels. While reading a novel you can imagine that you are the character, and you can think about what you would do in his/her situation. You can fantasize about your life in a different time or place. In a game, you can actually be that person in that time and place, and you can see and experience the consequences of your choices and your actions. This is much more real than the fantasy that you have created while reading the novel. The computer or game system allows you to find out the answer to “what if”. This kind of experience is much more meaningful and the learning is more beneficial.

I spent hours playing video games

After dinner tonight I decided to play my game, Shaun White Snowboarding Road Trip, for a little while, and that turned into about two hours worth of video game playing. When I started Shaun White tonight I replayed some of the levels that I played last time to see if I would do better. Sometimes I did, sometimes I did not. As I played, I tried new tasks that required new skills. I realized that I am getting better at keeping my balance and doing simple jumps, but I still do not understand how to do specific tricks in the air.

After playing for about thirty minutes I completed all of the tasks on the first stage of the game, unlocked the next level, and got a new character to play with. I'm definitely making progress, and I'm still having a lot of fun with it.

Next I moved on to Wii Fit. It's been a while since I played, so I decided to work on improving my scores and unlocking new games. I think Wii Fit brings out my competitive nature. They score you on everything that you do and you can always get better. I found myself retrying tasks over and over (up to 15 times) until I either improved my ranking or became the high scorer for that game. After I had logged in over 85 minutes of Wii Fit playing, I decided to call it quits for tonight. It's no surprise that students can spend hours playing video games...I just did.

I'm getting better at Shaun White

Today I spent some time practicing my snowboarding skills, and although I'm still not even close to being good, I am getting better. During my training I worked on balance, speed, and jumping. I think my biggest problems are leaning in the correct direction, putting the appropriate amount of pressure on the correct foot, and lifting the correct leg at the right time. To add to that, I'm still not sure when to use the A and B buttons.

So, obviously I still do not know what I'm doing. I've figured out that turning consists of putting pressure on my toes or heels. That's about all that I understand so far. I've been doing better jumps, but the jumps that I do are purely accidental. I don't know how to do specific jumps. I pretty much just jump and move around on the board, and I have no idea how I make the character move how it does. That's what I am going to be working on next, learning how to do specific jumps.

While you are playing, the game shows you what you should do by displaying a picture of the balance board and lighting up what you should be doing. I cannot focus on the snowboarder going down the mountain and look at the tutorial image at the same time. Maybe once I can do that I will get better.

I think that it will take a lot of practice to improve at this game, but I still think it's a lot of fun. Also, because it's Wii, I'm getting a workout from playing. After playing for about thirty minutes today I had worked up a good sweat and my ankles were a little strained (like if I was really snowboarding).

What are new literacies?

My understanding of Lankshear and Knobel’s idea of new literacies is that new literacies are the new (although not necessarily chronologically new) ways to communicate and interact with others within certain social contexts, and although new computing and communications technologies can be involve, they do not have to be. Now I may not have gotten this correct (and I apologize Dr. Knobel if you ever read this), so in order for me to understand the idea of new literacies I have to put it into my own words. I see new literacies as the new and different ways that we communicate and interact with each other, and if we are not participating in a specific social context, we may not understand the specific "language" associated with that culture.

For example, I am not familiar with much of the slang that my students use. They speak using terms that I do not know the meaning of. Therefore, I would not consider myself to be literate in their culture. In order for me to become literate I would have to learn the vocabulary and rules to their "language". I would have to watch the television shows and movies that they watch and listen to the music that they listen to. I would have to participate in their activities, dress according to their styles, and engage in what interests them. If I did all of this, maybe I would start to use their words appropriately and understand what they say.

If I make no attempt to engage in their "world" I will always be an illiterate outsider. The same is true for new literacies. If I never attempt to learn how they work, I will never become literate. I will never understand why they appeal to certain individuals or how they can be used to enhance my teaching and enrich the learning experiences of my students.

In the article, "’New’ Literacies: Research and Social Practice”, the new literacies that are discussed are Fan Fiction, Manga, Chatting, and Blogging. Each of these practices has its own set of rules that must be followed by its participants. Once you have learned the rules you can become actively engaged.

Most of my students participate in chatting. They have grown up with instant messaging and many of them take for granted that it has always existed. I have found that a negative effect of this generation of IMers is that their spelling and grammar are awful. I often read essays that include IM abbreviations, and some students even speak in “IM”. If you do not participate in IMing or chatting, you may not understand what they are saying.

The number one new literacy that I see used in my school is texting. Although the students are not allowed to text during school, they most definitely do. I have even become an avid texter. It is a way of communicating that is fast and straight to the point. There is no need for polite conversation in order to state or receive the information that you need or want, and it is extremely easy to send multiple messages out at the same time. Texting has changed the way that we communicate. It is not uncommon to see people texting while they are having a conversation with someone or during a meal. Although we should be enjoying the time that we have with those who are around us, we are also keeping ourselves connected to those who are not currently with us. Is this wrong? As much as I want to say yes, I (to an extent) would be a hypocrite. Last night I was at the movies, and during the movie I found myself texting in order to solidify plans for the week. Was I multitasking or was I doing something I shouldn’t?

If we are to embrace new literacies, learn from them, and use them as educational tools, then we need to figure out what makes them so attractive to young learners. If I think about how I can apply text messaging to my class, I have to think about the various aspect of texting that appeal to the students and apply those aspects to my teaching.

Adults and video games

In response to Chapters 1 and 2 in Gee's book, the one idea that stands out for me the most is the concept that there is some type of learning that takes place in every video game. The learning may not be the same in every game, but by learning to play a game, and by taking the time to get good at a game, children (and adults) are learning something that can be applied to other areas of their lives.

When I read what Gee wrote about the first-person shooter games I laughed at myself because I sometimes think video games can get too violent, but I love playing the shooter games. A few years ago, while working at camp, I was at an arcade with a student who needed someone to play with, so I was his partner. All he wanted to do was play shooter games, and I got addicted. If I go to an arcade now, I still want to play the shooter games. However, I have never, and would never own or shoot a real gun. I know that as an adult I can separate the concept of shooting in a game and shooting in real life. With proper adult supervision and advisement, I believe most children can too.

Looking at video games as a semiotic domain, and comparing it to other semiotic domains allows us to appreciate the language, structure, and characteristics of video games that make them unique. I believe that adults who are not gamers need to start looking at video games from a different perspective. I know that I have. I am interested in figuring out what aspects of games I can apply in my teaching because obviously children are able to learn how to play games (and play them well).

On the other hand, if I was a parent who had to constantly compete with my child’s desire to play video games instead of doing what he/she is supposed to do, I don’t know if I would be so in favor of encouraging them to play.

Shaun White's Snowboarding: The Beginning

Before last semester I hadn't played a video game in years. The only exception had been the arcade games that I played with the children in the summer camp program that I work at. Needless to say, after not playing for so long, I'm pretty bad.

A few years ago a friend of mine bought a Nintendo Wii (probably around the time when it first came out). When asked if I wanted to try to play bowling I declined. I felt very intimidated by not knowing what to do or how to do it. Years have gone by, and last year my brother got the Wii for Christmas. I watched people play, they even started bowling regularly on Tuesday nights, but I just couldn’t make myself try it.

Finally, one night, after discussing Wii in class, I decided to try. I had a hard time remembering what buttons did what (even though there are only a few), and I tried out bowling, tennis, boxing, and baseball. I wasn’t so good, but I liked baseball the best. I like pitching, and I definitely tired out my arm. I found hitting to be more difficult and I wound up either hitting it very well, or not at all. I was very inconsistent.

Anyway, I did not play again until this Christmas when my brother got the Wii Fit. I love it, but I do not play as regularly as I thought I would. Even though I want to practice and use it to help stay in shape, unlike our students, I do not let my game playing interfere with everything else I need to do in my life. So, I stepped away from Wii for a while until this class.

I decided to play Shaun White Snowboarding (Road Trip) for this project. You step on the Wii Balance Board, and use it like a real snowboard. I chose this game because I watched my brother play one night, and I could not figure out how he was doing the tricks that he did.

What I have learned is that when you start playing the game you go through training and you do not move on to different levels and unlock new characters until you have learned the necessary skills. I am still at the training stage. I have a difficult time making myself do what I am supposed to. At times my balance is off, and sometimes I do not shift my weight with the appropriate amount of pressure, but I think I’m getting better.

The goal of the game is to improve your skills, unlock new characters, and tour around the world. You do not have to play alone. The game allows you to pay with up to four players. I have not tried that yet. I pretty much play alone so I do not get laughed at. When I get a little better maybe I will let someone watch.

I have found that I ask a lot of questions. When I don’t know how to do something, rather than just trying to figure it out on my own I ask someone for help. I like to be taught what to do (in all aspects of life), so I have found that this is no different. The game is physical, so in this case I like to watch others play and try to do what they do.

I can definitely understand the addictive quality of playing this game. If you are someone who always wants to improve, you will spend a lot of time playing. However, if you are someone who gets discouraged very easily, you might give up if you find that you do not improve at a reasonable rate.

The Effect of Screen Media on Children

Based on my own beliefs and the Digital Beginnings report, screen media has a positive effect on children. I do not think that children should spend multiple hours watching TV or DVDs, but I do not believe that watching television is bad for children. There is so much that can be learned from television, and as long as parents have control of what their children are watching and how much time they watch television, I do not see a negative effect on the children.

The Digital Beginnings report provided parent comments about what their children were watching. Except for a few negative comments, most of the findings were positive. Children were learning social skills, language skills, thinking skills, academic content, and countless other lessons. Many times, if a young child is the oldest, or an only child, he may not have much interaction with other children. Many children’s television programs allow children to play along with them and children often talk back to the screen and do as the characters are doing. This, believe it or not, is social interaction. Screen media does not negatively affect children. It actually assists in their learning.

How I learn

This is a question that I thought I had a definite answer to. I know that I learn by being taught. I like to be in a classroom with a teacher that tells me what I need to know. I take very detailed notes, answer the teacher’s questions (but only when I know I am probably correct), and ask a lot of questions. Sometimes I ask too many questions. I like to highlight, underline, re-write, and discuss the information that I am learning. I also like to have the opportunity to make sure that I understand the content information by reviewing it with my teachers and my peers.

I know that this is how I learn. However, last semester I took a class where we had to pretty much teach ourselves how to do something, figure out our mistakes (and how to fix them), and complete a project using concepts and tools that we may have never used before. I was so overwhelmed by this task, and I thought that I would never be able to do it. I wanted the structure of a traditional classroom, but most of our contact with the instructor and our classmates was through blogging. We wrote about what we were doing and the troubles that we were having, and by reading each others blog postings, we were able to learn from each others suggestions and mistakes.

At the end of the semester I was so proud of myself. I had not only completed my project, but I had learned how to do it without sitting in class every week being told exactly how to do it and what to do. I never thought that I would say it, but it was so much more rewarding to have done it on my own. I did not just need to learn content, but I needed to learn skills, and these are skills that I will always possess.

I thought I knew the only way that I could learn, or at least the only way that I like to learn, but now I know that I need to keep an open mind and try new things. Sometimes, this will allow me to learn more than I could possible learn in a classroom.

Are schools teaching to help students learn?

Children learn in many ways. They are influenced by those around them and by their prior experiences. Their learning is affected by what they already know and by what they do not know. I agree that the transfer of learning is one of the most important aspects of the learning process. If a student knows facts, but does not know how, when, or why to use the information; the knowledge is meaningless. In order for a student to truly understand a concept, he must be able to apply that information in a different situation, or in a different context.

Babies have the ability to problem solve in order to get what they want, but how do they know how to do it? Do they watch others? If that is the case, and there are no other children around, how do they learn to do the “baby things” that they do? Do they watch adults and apply what the adults are doing to what they need to do? If so, they are processing what they see and adapting the actions to fit their situation. These are clearly advanced skills, and it is fascinating to think about how they learn how to do things.

When babies are born one of the first things they do is eat. Do they teach themselves to suck because they are hungry, do they learn because they have to figure out what to do with the “thing” that is in their mouth, or do they start because the milk tastes good to them? All of the theorists have their own ideas about what happens, but I think that if you keep shoving something in someone’s mouth they have to think about their options and make choices. As children get older and parents try to force them to eat different foods, many children will refuse to eat some things and continuously spit them out. Do they do this because they are no longer hungry, because they are not in the mood to eat, because they have figured out that they do not like the taste of what they are eating, or is it because the person feeding them has made negative comments about the food or made “bad faces” while feeding the child. When thinking about this situation, does the child, at such an early age, already know how to manipulate his parents? Based on the research, I believe so. I think that children learn by observation and by trial and error. If a baby gets a positive response to an action by someone that action is being reinforced, which teaches the child that they can do it again. If a child is reprimanded for doing something wrong, many times they do it again anyway. Are they testing the adults? Are they fully aware of what they are doing and just want to see if they can get away with it?
I found the theory of Lewis and Freedle to be very interesting. When the child ate the apple in the highchair, but threw it in the playpen, even when told to do the opposite, the child proved that he was doing what he believed he was supposed to do, even if he was told to do something else. As MacNamara stated, language is a clue to meaning, so the spoken words that accompany actions and requests guide children to do what they are asked. As teachers, do we model what we want the children to do? If not, we should. We should show them what we want as we tell them. This is a practice that we sometimes use, but not always, maybe if we support our words with actions, they will have greater meaning for the students.

Obviously young children are smarter than we give them credit for being. They learn necessary life skills in just a few months. As they grow we expect them to keep up with that rate. During the first few years of life the focus of learning is on how to exist in the world. The knowledge that is acquired is some of the most important we will ever have, but very little of this learning is done in a formal, structured environment. I do not believe that schools are teaching the best way to help students learn. I believe that many schools are encouraging teachers to apply various instructional strategies; however, I do not think that the school administrators are supporting the needs of the teacher to do so. For example, do we have all of the materials that we need? Do we have access to the advanced technologies that would enhance our lessons? Can we set up our classroom in a way to allow for various learning activities? If we do not have the support of the administration, how are we going to do what is best for the children?

Maybe as teachers we need to reflect on this idea and establish a classroom and a curriculum that supports the inquisitive nature of children and young adults. Maybe we should let them keep trying until they figure things out. Maybe we should correct their papers, hand them back, and ask them to try again before we give them a grade. This will give them the opportunity to not only change their incorrect answers, but also improve the quality of their work. Maybe we should establish an environment where the students can observe others, imitate their actions, and try them out for themselves. These ideas all suggest the need for a student-centered classroom where children are allowed to actively participate in their own learning, like they did as babies.

Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences teaches us that everyone learns differently. We need to support this idea and allow students to use their strengths to learn what they need to, but we, as teachers, also have to be aware of their weaknesses in order to design lessons that allow them to excel. If we constantly set our children up for failure, what are we teaching them? Is it that we do not care about them, or that we have more important things to do, or that they are not capable of doing something? Whether we believe it or not, our choices as educators not only affect what the students learn but also how the students learn.

My Journey Around Orientation Island

I just spent about an hour trying to figure out Second Life, and I have to say that I find it to be extremely frustrating. There is so much that you can do, but I'm having a difficult time figuring out how to figure things out. I know that I will get better as I become more familiar with everything.

Good morning!

Hello everyone,

My name is Christy and I am a history teacher at Clifton High School. I have a Masters degree in Educational Technology and I am currently pursuing a School Library Media Specialist Certificate. This is my third class in the program.

I am very excited to learn a game because I haven't really played anything since Super Mario Brothers (and that was a long time ago). I can honestly say that I am intimidated by all of the buttons on the controllers and by all of the options that new games have to offer.

It's going to be an exciting semester!