My New Short Film

If anyone is interested, I just finished a short film about dogs and the YES song "Heart of the Sunrise." I made it as a Christmas present for my brother and his dog, Noby (the one catching the frisbee). I hope you enjoy it, and please feel free to give any form of feedback you like.

Reflection on 506 Presentations

First, I would like to thank all of you who made comments and questions during my presentation. My presentation was lacking in organization. There was simply too much information to present to the class. Rather than lecture on some of the aspects of my website, it might have been more constructive to explain the purpose of my website in a few sentences, and then let the audience ask questions while they explore the pages for a few minutes. This strategy would have made my presentation more effective, efficient, and interactive.

• What did you learn in the doing?

Most of what I learned in creating my website dealt with technology, which I have mentioned on my website and my reflection paper. I feel technologically empowered. In terms of literacy and video games, the discourse is expanding, so more people are taking this topic seriously.

• What more would you like to learn?

I want to find out about more ELA teachers that are using video games in their classrooms, what types of games they are using (commercial or educational; genre specific), and what teaching strategies they are using.

Now that I will be student teaching, I will be talking to more students about video games, and, as professor Stearns suggested, I could create a video game club after school. What do people think about holding a video game club during student teaching? Should I wait until I am hired?

• What pedagogical applications to middle/high school ELA classrooms do you see?

I see the use of video games in ELA classrooms working very well, but the resistance from parents, administrators, and teachers will most likely prevent me from seriously studying video games in the classroom until I receive tenure.

• What might you add/delete/do differently if you were to continue to work on this project?

Future work on this project should probably be more formal, as Professor Stearns has suggested. Since parents, administrators, and teachers are already skeptical about the role of video games on adolescent literacy, it is in my website's best interest to have a more professional look. Since my ultimate goal is to convince the skeptical of the significance of video games to adolescent literacy, I should also organize my website according to the questions that critics have about video games, and why I focus on commercial video games over educational video games. I had already done that in my 663 research paper, so I did not want to repeat myself completely this semester, but now I will go back to that.

Here is my feedback on other presentations:

Dawn, the combination of Gregorian Chant(?) and images of nature, classical art, and wave-like text, created a unique and interesting interpretation of romantic poetry. Your presentation showed how powerful the fusion of these mediums can be on the senses. Thank you for sharing.

Tamara, it was interesting see the excerpts of your constructivist approach to film production with your students. It is too bad that we were not able to see the entire film.

Chrissy, you made a comprehensive PowerPoint of our NYSEC experience. I liked that it was interactive and well-organized. I have very little experience with PowerPoint, so maybe I'll come to you with questions if you don't mind.

Natalie, that was a great presentation on cyberpunk novels. You provided a digestible summary of the genre, and I like how you showed the genre's significance to contemporary society.

Dave, your website looks good so far, and I liked your efficient and effective presentation.

Tracie and Charm, it was too bad that your presentation was cut short because your website project looked very good. I especially liked your discussion of digital portfolios. Great job.

Danielle, thank you for providing me with useful tools for navigating the web on my own and in the classroom.

James, your attempt at creating an educational video game was admirable. As you said, only a team of James' working for seven months could have successfully tackled this task. But thank you for the insight you provided.

I'm glad I have had such a good group of people to work with throughout this program, and I wish everyone luck in your future endeavors.

By the way, my blog has at least one fan in Mexico!

The Wiki: 506 and Beyond

Partially because adding to a wiki is like adding to an encyclopedia, it took me a while to appreciate the idea of the wiki; the credibility of such a collaborative work runs contrary to the traditional sense of authorship. But what I have come to love about wikis (a little too late for our 506 wiki) is the focus on substance over recognition. Wikis are not void of author recognition, but the emphasis is not on who supplied the information but the information itself. Considering that wikis can be constantly updated by anyone, and they are free, encyclopedia sets have become obsolete. Back to our 506 wiki, another problem I had was that our interests are so diverse that instead having a dozen heavily edited pages, we have a fifty pages that are hardly edited. Although I did not get much out of our course wiki, I did acquire a greater appreciation for wikipedia; I am convinced that it is a great first step for research in virtually any field. Wikis simply accumulate more information and link to more information that an encyclopedia set ever could.

Blogging in 506

Through creating a blog of my own that I was required to add weekly posts and software, I have developed a new appreciation for blogs. The autonomy of personalizing my own blog was the hook that really drew me into blogging in 506. Having my own blog encouraged me to learn a little html code, get familiar with hyperlinks, add Clustrmaps (I saw it on your website James), and apply compatible open source software for attaching video, photo, and music to my blog and websites. In summary, blogging enabled me to combine multiple literacies to communicate. I also liked that we were required to comment on our classmates’ blogs. Reading other peoples’ comments on my blog gave me a real sense of audience. I think these practices could be very useful for developing literacy at the secondary level, but only if students are required, as we were, to participate through a certain amount of posts and comments.

Movie (re-)Reflection

I had a great time making "Chaucer: Undead in the 'Burbs" for our movie project. I'm really glad I was able to use open source software to put the film on the web; take advantage of the film capabilities of my Canon Power Shot; and store all my footage on my camera's memory card. As James knows, I made three films with my friends, two in high school. Making films in today's classroom is so much easier, and it is easier for students to have a real sense of audience for their films. My concern is that there is a discrepancy of comments about my film on YouTube. I really appreciate the comments that some of you have made, but I was hoping to get some non-506 comments as well. What is it about the YouTube audience that has caused this discrepancy? With virtually any topic available to view, perhaps the zombie Chaucer market has yet to explode. Maybe I need to change my film's tags? It may be that anyone can view videos, but people have to sign up to make comments. As of today there have been 126 views of my film, but only two comments.

Chaucer for fun

Here's a post for all you Chaucer fans, who are not afraid to take your love of Chaucer beyond the classroom. Bill Baily performs a skit in the spirit of Chaucer.

Tecmo

Tecmo Bowl (1988) and Tecmo Super Bowl (1991) reinvented football video games. The controls are simple but intuitive, while the side scrolling camera angle allows the player better focus on most of the action. Recently a few friends of mine told me about an open source version of Tecmo Super Bowl complete with updated rosters. Our plan is to create a tournament through this program and create a website to keep track of game statistics. This is very interesting to me because it merges my generation of gaming (Nintendo and Super Nintendo) with the current generation of online gaming.

Here's some classic Bo Jackson Tecmo Super Bowl Action

Time

In response to Professor Stearns' interest in my previous post about a topic in 671, I have another, which probably covers the most popular topic of the class: time. Just look at the photo: James seems to be on the brink of a mental overload; he's obviously overwhelmed by the apparent rupture in the space-time continuem that occurs weekly during our class. Jack seems paralyzed; maybe he is. How else do we explain why two hours and thirty minutes becomes a marathon of cosmic proportions. How many years of life have we lost while attending the 671 time-warp? The damage is done, and I don't want to think about it anymore.

America is not the Coolest

A few days ago NPR did a show on how Japan is replacing the U.S. as the hub of popular culture. I had not really thought about it like that before, but I agree. In terms of video games, most of the good game developers come from Japan. And many games are released in Japan six months before they get to the U.S. (there are many good games that never reach the U.S. market). Some games I own are based on Japanese anima or manga. My current favorite video game, Okami, is based on Japanese mythology. I have been trying to purchase an illustration book based on Okami's Hokusai-like art work (I have a gigantic poster of Hokusai's "In the Well of the Great Wave of Kanagawa."), but there is not English translation. Last year I found the most detailed model of the X-Wing (from Star Wars) to be made by a Japanese company called Finemolds (they make the most detailed Star Wars models without question). The only problem was that the directions were in Japanese. At one point, I was looking to pay a translater to decipher the directions. Luckily, I found an English translation of most, not all, of the directions (Yes, that is the model I made in the photo). Maybe my next hobby will be to learn Japanese.

50 Ways To Leave Your Lover

Tuesday night in 671 James, Jack, and I were talking about Paul Simon's Song. Simon writes "there must be 50 ways to leave your lover," but he only lists five! I think it is a great song, but what about the other forty-five? Well, maybe if Paul Simon wrote that song now he might have been able to find all fifty ways on the internet. Apparently, we are not the only people to have discussed this topic. Thanks to technology, here is a list of 45 additional ways to leave your lover. I found 76 ways that rhymed on the internet with no intention of using any.

Project Abstract and Professional Website

The Future of Literacy is Video Games?
My project is a website that addresses topics in bringing commercial video game into the classroom. Specifically, the website is comprised of links to articles on video games in education, essays on specific video games, a brief explanation of various forms of role-playing games, video game music, and projects with video games. Visitors to the website will also be able to comment on all these topics. I can present my work on a PC or a MAC.

My professional website is comprised of work and activities that a future employer can view if he or she is interested. If any of you would like to look at my website, click here.

Will's Visit

Will’s visit was great. I’m glad I had the opportunity to talk with him over lunch and dinner. Dave and I were lucky enough to listen to Will sing a little Supertramp during the drive back to his room. On Will’s suggestion, I checked out the open-source role-playing game Second Life. He described it as more of an experience than a game. Second Life is like The Sims, a reality simulator. Second Life even lets a player purchase property. Some people are able to make real money by selling virtual items (like hats) for use in the game! Sadly, my computer cannot run the program. So the character that I created, Matt Semyorka, is somewhere in Second Life standing idly.

Professor Reid also referred me to terranova , a scholarly blog about Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG). I read an article by Aaron Delwiche that discusses the unique social community that MMORPGs create and his reflections on having taught undergraduate classes; one using Everquest and another with Second Life. One of the requirements of Delwiche’s courses is to play the game for five hours a week. While students are in the game, they are to interview other players about their gaming experience and report on their findings. Interesting idea.

Homo Ludens

In “Play,” Daniel Pink argues that laughing, video games, and humor cultivate right-brain thinking. Laughing clubs sound strange, which Pink admits, but I wonder if they could be useful in the classroom. Would it do any good to encourage today’s adolescents to be able to laugh for no reason? I think so, but students would be breaking so many adolescent social taboos that only the very brave would be willing to try it. In general, I don’t completely agree with Pink’s laughing for better productivity. I would participate in a laughing circle to see what it’s like, and I do enjoy laughing for no particular reason, but there is a difference between spontaneous and planned laughing.

Pink argues that video games have already eclipsed films in terms of popularity and that they may become the literature of the twenty first century. As opposed to traditional literacy, in video games facts are connected and manipulated, not just memorized (from Gee 193). In fact, the merging of science and art in the video game medium enables players to use both logic and aesthetic: “a whole new mind” (196). Pink does acknowledge that some games are “utter time-wasters” (194), yet he does not say which games these are or what distinguishes time-waster play and functional play.

I agree with Pink that humor is one of our highest forms of intelligence (198), and it should be acknowledged more in the classroom, for example. However, I do not think it is possible to see humor as anything but entertainment first and all other functions second. Could many a truth be said in jest if humor’s primary function were not to entertain? I guess my concern here is similar to the one I have about planned laughing. Enjoying what one does is important in order to engage in work and be productive, but do we really need “’corporate jesters’” (188)? Also, how neurologists determine the function of humor was not convincing to me. The punch-line quiz on page 196 did not seem like an accurate scale for determining someone’s humor ability. At first, I thought it was a trick question. Ironically, it reminded me of one of those meaningless regents questions. I’ve always been told that I have a strange sense of humor, but does that mean I have brain damage? Of course it does.

Some questions:
Is it true that people rarely succeed in anything unless they are having fun doing it?
Would you participate in a laughing club?
Could your class benefit from a laughing club?
Are video games not respected as much as literature, or even film, because the medium is not as complex? The medium is still very young and is still considered juvenile?
Will video games become the literature of the 21st century?
Was the neuroscience study on humor convincing(196-7)? Is it really a good measure of a person’ s ability to comprehend humor?

Movie Project Reflections

WOOOOO!! It is done! My entire weekend was devoted to editing. I consider it a special torture that I was never able to see my film in real time until I had posted on the YouTube. Yes, it is there. It is not perfect, but it is on the internet! That is so cool!

Okay, I had to get that out.

The process: First, I filmed everything on my Canon A530 digital camera. My film took up less than 1 GB of memory. All my footage transfered easily to my old PC through Windows XP Movie Maker. I saved my progress often to my PC and additional 1 GB memory stick. Movie Maker was very easy to work with. When I finally finished editing, I saved my film to a CD. It took about 5 hours for my film to be recorded. Finally, I uploaded my video from the CD to YouTube, which took about an hour. I still cannot believe it worked so well.


Complaints: Coming up with a story, writing a screenplay, and filming takes a lot of time and preparation. I am pleased with my results, but I felt very rushed. Providing students with class-time five days a week will be advantageous when I teach a secondary class to make movies. Having updated technology is crucial to timely completion of the editing process. In my situation, I was never able to see my editing progress in anything more than still images. It was ardouos to sequence video and audio the way I wanted.

Having said that, the finished product is sequeced better than I expected. I found editing to be highly addictive, but also very stressful. The most rewarding aspect of the movie project was being able to make my work available on the internet without any problems. Friedman's talk on the connectivety of software is very exciting, but witnessing it first hand is even more powerful.

I hope you all view my film, and do not be afraid to comment here or on YouTube.

movie project

So far, my attempt to film my movie on a digital camera is working great. It looks good (enough), and I still have plenty of memory left on my Gig sized memory stick. Yes, I've heard, don't rely on a memory stick. Well, I've decided to tempt fate and see what happens (I have also saved most of the raw data to my personal computer). My ultimate goal is to make a film that I can show my professors, my peers, even friends and family, without too much trouble. For me, it's all about access. If I somehow make a film that I actually enjoy, but I am unable to show others, I'm going to be really mad. I am already getting a slight headache just thinking about how much editing I'm going to do. Working with a Mac is simply way too inconvenient for me for this project, in terms of time needed to edit.
As I see it, I have two choices: I can use my camera's basic editing program or Windows Movie Maker (I can access both from home). I may be better off with the basic program since it probably uses less memory (less options = less memory needed). I don't really know what I'm talking about, just a guess.

Technology will not get the better of me!

NYSEC

Professor Stearns, Jack, James, Dave, Chrissy, Dawn and I presented at the NYSEC conference earlier today. The conference was held in a fancy hotel in Albany. Inside the hotel, it was like a little village. I attended an interesting presentation on analyzing the juxtaposition of text and image in Maus and Persepolis. Overall, their analysis was both thorough and insightful. However, it was disappointing that the presenters of Persepolis, who have been using Persepolis in the classroom, admittedly know very little about the historical context. Having an informed understanding of the historical context, especially when dealing with Iran in our current political climate, can really aid students in dispelling certain stereotypes.

We had a great turnout for our presentation; our small room was packed. Professor Stearns did a great job getting things started and bringing closure to our presentation. The bulk of the presentation consisted of us leading small group discussions on applying nontraditional topics into the English classroom. My presentation was on graphic novels. I felt satisfied with my performance in terms of answering teachers’ questions, recommending appropriate texts, and representing this expanding medium.

But my NYSEC experience also taught me how to how to crash a wine tasting:

1: Walk past the registration table at the door with authority.
2: Mingle.
3: Find a glass; it is your admission ticket.
4: Mingle, study the vender’s wines, and find a friendly wine vendor.
5: Say “that’s bold,” or swish the wine in your mouth.
6: If asked: “Do you own a store or a vineyard?” Owning a store in Binghamton or Cortland are acceptable answers.
7: When revealing any further personal information to a vendor consult James.
8: When in doubt, abort wine tasting and go to NYSEC sponsored cocktail.

Great conference

Dave, you were a good roomate, but you can't steal my jacket.

Multicultural Struggle

In Richard Rodriguez’s autobiographical novel, Hunger of Memory, the Mexican culture of his family life can never coexist with the American culture that has educated him. Rodriguez laments the necessary sacrifice of one of these cultures while scoffing at attempts to recognize both, such as through bilingual education. Yet Rodriguez was divided from his family in more than just culture: economically, he is middle class while his parents are lower class; and his sexual interests, as he later admits, are dissimilar to his parents. His belief that one cannot be apart of two cultures is based on more than just culture. I only mention Rodriguez because his bleak portrayal of a multicultural life, although despicable, is still jarring in its possible truth.
Instead of blaming society for the choices one makes, like Rodriguez does, in American Born Chinese, Gene Luen Yang tells the more introspective story of Jin Wang. Yang interweaves three distinctly separate stories of the present, future and Chinese mythology in the coming of age of Jin Wang.
Yang’s structuring of three interrelated stories is masterful. The structuring reminds me of the end of every Star Wars film. Yang gives you enough of each story to make you want to read more, but then the reader is taken to another story.
The art is awesome. Yang uses the graphic novel medium to convey detail that text alone cannot: I doubt that Wang’s transformations could be explained as well without images. Furthermore, the character’s feelings are usually expressed through setting and body language. While the story is mostly told, drawn, and inked through rectangular panels, Yang manipulates this standard form of the medium to perfection: the Monkey King goes beyond reality by breaking free of the panels; and one story’s panels are accompanied with a laugh track.
In addressing assimilation, racism, and cultural pride, American Born Chinese manages to be funny, vivid, sincere, and philosophical. Yang’s work is the first graphic novel to the win the National Book Award. I highly recommend it to anyone who reads.
By the way, I love the Transformer metaphor.

My Enhanced Podcast

Here follows my enhanced podcast assessment. Although it may not bring one to tears, likes James’, I generally liked my first attempt at podcasting. It was refreshing to combine photo and audio files into something other people could briefly view on the Internet.

Recording audio was fairly easy and fun. I was able to record, attach, and edit my narrative to my exact specifications. My attempt at humor was also successful (people laughing equals success). Initially I tried to include James’ actual voice, but the audio file he sent me was not loud enough, or I could not make it loud enough. The selection and inclusion of background music was good. I wanted to fade out the music to one of the songs, but instead of trying to figure out how to do that, I settled for the abrupt ending of the song. This problem will be remedied for the next project.

My visual choices were less rewarding. First, all the photos I collected from the Internet came out blurry. Second, I could not use the Ken Burns effect. I did try to set up my enhanced podcast on iMovie, but the file became gigantic, and I lost all my progress. Still, I am looking forward to working with iMovie again. In terms of transferring files and editing, I had no problems.

Overall, I displayed an understanding of the lessons we read in iLife ’06, and I can see how this technology can be very useful in the secondary English classroom.

Video Games and Mythology

In response to Sarah’s inquiry as how one would use video games in the classroom, my project focus has changed (again). In attempt to provide answers to your question, I will focus on applying three or four video games in the classroom. Due to the technological restrictions (not everyone has a video game console, although many do), I see the use of video games in the classroom as just one of many options for a culminating project or essay. I think video games can be analyzed on their own, but in these examples I will primarily apply them for comparison to literature or film within specific genres. The first game I will talk can be used in a unit on mythology.

Okami is a video game for the PS2 (PlayStation 2). The game is set in a fictional world occupied by characters representative of Japanese mythology. In the game, you are the wolf deity Amaterasu in the processes of regaining all your powers in order to stop the ancient eight-headed dragon, Orochi. Within the story, many Japanese legends, fables, and traditions are referenced. For example, the eight canine warriors that Amaterasu finds represent the eight virtues of Confucianism. The instruction manual for Okami contains a brief explanation of these references. Students can compare/contrast Amaterasu with wolves in Norse or Native American mythology.

Another form of comparison is through medium. Using a canonized text such as Homer’s Iliad, students can analyze the elements of each story in order to show that one text is more effective in telling a story than the other in terms of setting, narrative, characters, or plot. Narration is particularly interesting because of the stark contrast between literature and video game format. Typically, a video game has two forms of narrative: the preset story shown through cut scenes and the action of the player. How does this form of narrative affect the player/reader? This question leads to a discussion of the framework of the game (i.e. what makes a game enjoyable to play). Although narration is very different in these mediums, an accomplished work in both is characterized by the desire/compulsion to continue to play/read. Of course the more one plays or reads the more sophisticated one’s appreciation becomes.

By the way, since many students will be very excited about using video games for their project, class time should be set aside to show students exactly what they are responsible for. Hopefully this will discourage students who think that a project using a video game will be easier.

Citation of a video game is similar to film except that video games also have instruction booklets that are cited like literature (or the most applicable MLA format). In terms of which video games are appropriate for students: rather than assign video games that students can use, students choose the video games and I approve or disapprove their topic ideas. Some of these games may be rated M for mature, but as long as nothing vulgar is shown in class I see no problem with it. Students already read about sex and violence in the classics.

Complaints or comments?

RPGs

I love video games but a lack of broad band connection and an almost non-existent interest in Dungeons and Dragons-type games has limited my appreciation for RPGs (Role Playing Games). To remedy this, to expand my knowledge, to connect with one more student faction, and to have a 506 project, I intend to participate in two online RPGs. One is a Star Wars MUD and the other is RUNESCAPE. Both allow the player to write to other players during the game. The MUD seems to be like a choose-your-own-story book, but with other players interacting with you (weird, and exciting). RUNESCAPE, has numerous worlds with preset stories. Both are free and easy to sign on too. I know very little about these games at this point other than they are very popular. If anyone has tips for beginners (especially for the MUD), I would greatly appreciate them. If you don't have tips, you can still make comments.

What Does Reading Look Like, Anyway?

In “What Does Reading Look Like, Anyway?”, Kajder addresses the importance of including students in what she calls the “literacy club” by acknowledging literacy outside the traditional. She raises an interesting point: students do not believe untraditional literacy counts. I have observed this through the comments on my psmonline post. Does this mean that video games, graphic novels, film, photography, and other internet-related literacy are not as important as traditional literacy? Or, have students been incorrectly convinced, by teachers and parents who were taught traditional literacy, that traditional literacy is the only literacy worth teaching? Kajder’s definition of literacy is right on: “literacy is using the most powerful cultural tools to communicate our understandings.” Her definition does not exclude traditional literacy; in fact, it still makes traditional reading and writing the most powerful cultural tool. However, it is no longer the only powerful cultural tool for communicating. Untraditional literacy is being developed outside of school. Teacher’s need to get students to see that what they are doing with untraditional literacy (analyzing) is what teachers want them to do with in-school literacy. Providing a place for both untraditional and traditional literacy can help students to become confidant, interested, and successful in the most powerful literacy, reading and writing.

Undercover Literacy

This was posted on my psmonline post (found in a previous blog of mine.) This is what the user freespace21 said: "we started a club. we played Unreal Tournament: Game of the Year Edition. one of the new teachers last year had started it. we played after school every wednesday. it was extremely fun, the teacher actually played with us. he was really good, too. (headshots galore) unfortunately, there was a combination of two things that brought it to an end. the admin at school disliked it because it was violent. they just needed a reason to come down on us. their wish was granted when there were reports of people playing during school in one of the classes. they outlawed it and we were no longer allowed to play. it only takes one person to screw everybody else. there was an underground movement that started towards the end of the year though. several of us met in a different class room. somehow someone transfered the game to a drive that isn't checked out by the security program. with it there, we could play with each other. fragfests insued."

Students will play video games whether the administration allows it our not.

Video Games as Texts and Art

All video games that can function as textbooks (that I know of) fall into the simulation genre, as opposed to the games I discuss as art, which are within the adventure and RPG genres. There are flight simulators, sports game simulators, life simulators (The Sims Series), and history simulators (SimCity, SimEarth). Sid Meier’s Civilization Series is the best history simulation I can think of. Oregon Trail also falls into the category of history simulation. Check out Kurt Squire’s article, “Cultural Framing of Computer/Video Games”which addresses the push for educational gaming.

Aside from background knowledge, what is the point of using text books in high school English? Do we need the big Prentice Hall books or the vocabulary workbooks? I’m not sure if the video game format of these textbooks could prove to be more engaging or meaningful to the individual grammatical needs of students. However, maybe a video game based on Professor Masselink's grammar lessons would work? Root Words?

Incidentally, there’s a new game by Rockstar (the makers of the Grand Theft Auto Series) called Bully. Initially, I thought it was about a kid who goes around bullying others, but it’s actually about a kid who deals with getting bullied at a prep school. There are even classroom mini-games, which include a grammar test. At the very least, I’m interested in seeing how the most popular video game developer, Rockstar, portrays schoolwork.

As I have said before, my interest in video games pertains almost exclusively to “non academic” video games played at home on the computer or video game console. If I am to use video games in the classroom, I intend to use games that students are willing to play outside of the classroom.

PSMonline forum

As a subscriber to PSM magazine (PlayStation Magazine), I have the recently posted a topic and some comments on their online forum www.psmonline.com The focus of my first topic was to get others subscribers to comment on video games in English class. As of this post, 34 users have viewed my topic and two have commented. Here's a link to my post video games in the classroom

Would Socrates Play Video Games?

Would Socrates play Video Games?

Will video games someday replace books in classrooms?

Marco Visscher seems to think so in his article Reading, Writing and Video Gaming

I agree with Visscher that video games can inspire creative problem solving. The trial and error exploration found in gaming can help develop sound research skills. Yet these skills are neatly contained within the game’s framework. Interpreting that framework is what I find most promising for education.

I’m very skeptical about using “educational” games in an ELA classroom. For example, F. Scott Fitzgerald or Nathanial Hawthorne didn’t write their novels for the English classroom. Why should video game developers have to? A sense of artistic expression is lost when a text is specifically designed for the classroom. My future job as an English teacher is to get students to read and write critically about texts that are important to them and/or to our society. If a game is designed to be educational and is used primarily in a classroom setting, who will it be important too in the real world?

Visscher also addresses the standard arguments against gaming: they promote anti-social behavior, violent behavior, and are easy. There are now many articles that have shown these complaints to be groundless. Yet I commonly hear these unjustified accusations. First, reading a book is just as anti-social as playing video games. Second, no conclusive evidence has connected video game violence with real violence, and not all games are violent or sexually explicit. Finally, kids do not play video games because they are easy. More likely it is because good video games are challenging and meaningful. A good video game design uses an appropriate learning curve (i.e. the player is initially required to learn the game’s frame-work then apply it to more and more complex objectives). Just as English teachers traditionally critique the structure/organization of a novel, a video game’s frame-work can be critiqued. Visscher is right, video games need to be evaluated. Like attending a class discussion or a book club, evaluating a text with others improves analytic skills.

Matt

Grand Theft Education (continued)

I have already expressed my dissent to some of the opinions in this article pertaining to video games. But the authors also attack the film medium and the sci-fi and fantasy genres. This heresy must be dealt with. First, film. Zengotita writes, "I worry that games have the same effect on the imagination that movies have." Her argument is that the book version of a story is always better than the movie. With most film adaptations, I agree. However, what about original movies? "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," for example, is an excellent commentary on the Kong-fu genre. "The Matrix" is very fitting for discussing deconstructionism (the sequels are terrible). Furthermore, if movies are so detrimental to the imagination, how is it that I continue to analyze and re-interpret the original Star Wars Trilogy? Because I'm an uber-geek. But it's also because, like a good novel, a good film tells a story that leaves room for imagination.

Second, Kostor claims the sci-fi and fantasy genre's are plot driven and formulaic. According to Avrich, genre fiction (which only seems to include sci-fi and fantasy) is not very good at developing characters. At this point, their "debate" seems more like an unfounded rant about anything the authors can connect to video games. Have they forgotten that all literature falls into some sort of genre? Have they forgotten that Victorian literature is notoriously plot-driven? If the genre's of sci-fi and fantasy are so limited in terms of character, what do they think about Douglas Adam's work? Phillip Dick? Mary Schelly?

matt

Grand Theft Education

This article angered me. Although the article is set up as a debate, there is way too much agreement upon the negative portrayal of video games (even by the game developer!). Although Koster mentions some positive aspects of video gaming (a learning environment where "it's okay to fail," scaffolded play, and the social nature of gaming), some of his comments against gaming are shocking. For example, Kostor support's Zengotita's idea that, essentially, video games encourage "systems-based thinking," which means that those who play video games do not appreciate the real world as much as those who do not play. It is strange that Kostor agrees since he himself has a masters in creative writing, which probably required some appreciation of real world detail. Don't most films and novels have a system/framework? If they did not, how else would we compare and critique these other art forms? Somehow Kostor has avoided being brainwashed. What I also found repugnant was Avrich's belief that "Every year, [students'] attention spans get shorter." If that is true, how is it that some kids will play a video game for an entire day? Obviously, some students find their school work boring and meaningless. What is most problematic about this article is that the contributors seem to collectively think of video games as text books, not works of art. The authors treat video games like a new educational tool (blogs, wikis, podcasts), rather than the early stages of a new medium of art. Video games will never replace literature or film in the English classroom, but they are one more medium that engages students in a meaningful experience. Or maybe I'm saying this because I've already been brainwashed.

matt