Action Research Proposal

I have three ideas for an Action Research Proposal.
  1. Game Design Uses in the Classroom

• How is Game Design used in my school to enhance the learning experience
• How is Game Design used in Globaloria to enhance the student experience
• How has Game Design and Technology enhance student outlook on school in general

2. What Areas of Game Design Frighten and Intrigue the School Staff and Why?

• How can those fears be calmed
• What is the general consensus on the value of games in education among the staff
• What are the areas of technology that would have to be used in game design that could help make the staff as a whole more receptive to the idea of games int he classroom

3. Digital Classrooms through Game Design

• This topic would be interesting to just speculate what might become of the classroom as technology continues to expand
• What are some the pros and cons of a digital classroom according to the staff

For my sources I looked for general sources that I might be able to use with whatever topic I decide to move forward with.  I believe that as I choose a specific topic I will have to find other sources in order to complete the proposal.
Sources to come


http://users.soe.ucsc.edu/~ejw/papers/whitehead-gdcse2008.pdf

Double Entry 11

Learning to Play or Playing to Learn - A Critical Account of the Models of Communication Informing Educational Research on Computer Gameplay

by Hans Christian Arnseth

1. "The fact that children, adolescents and adults learn important lessons about themselves and their surroundings by engaging in game-like activities is uncontroversial. Throughout social and behavioural science discourse on social and cognitive development, gameplay is regarded as an important arena for the development and formation of thinking, identities, values and norms (Cole, 1996; Piaget, 1951; Rogoff, 1990). "

This quote surprises me because it seems the readings and other current ideas from outside of research and some in the educational community point towards a negative take on gameplay in an educational setting.  I remember from the many different psychology courses I have had over my educational career that play is an intregal part of the development process.  Yet it seems that after a certain age that idea is discarded as childish.  In my opinion, the idea of play is still relevant, even for an adult.  What changes is the types of games being played.

2. "The important point to make is that the order of words says something about focus and emphasis. Regarding playing to learn, the emphasis is on learning, which is to say that some content or skill should be the end result of game playing. As such, knowledge and skills are treated as effects or outcomes. In regard to learning to play, on the other hand, the emphasis is on the activity of playing. As such, learning might be regarded as an integrated part of mastering an activity, in this case, gameplay."

This quote makes me upset.  Like the author says, the wording makes the meaning different.  Thus Learning to play and Playing to learn are two different things.  I believe that is only true to the researcher.  If a student plays a game to learn, they will have learned something.  If a student plays a game to play, and in the process, learns how to play the game, then they will have learned something.  THe outcome is still something learned.  The only difference is how it can be twisted to sound like learning instead of playing.   The fact still remains that playing occured, and if the student enjoys playing while learning something, what matters if it was learning to play or playing to learn?  Same outcome, same goal.

3. "...according to Kirriemuir & McFarlane (2004) experience of gameplay seem to affect children’s expectations of learning, in the sense that they prefer tasks that are fast, active and exploratory with multiple and parallel channels of information. Traditional instructional methods might not meet such demands particularly well."

The student expects to learn something in school.  If they are given a math game that has nothing to learn but math, they expect to learn math, but are less likely to actually get anything out of the expereinece due to the fact that such games are often limited in gameplay, design and effectiveness.  A game where the student is free to explore a world in which they have options to control their expereince seem to interest students more than traditional teaching materials.  Surprise is not my thought when reading this, but a general, REALLY?  I would never have guessed this.  How can this be, students want to take control of their own experiences, when all they have ever heard in this life, in this country is freedom of the person to control their own destiny. It is engrained into every aspect of their lives.

Youtube video that speaks about the virtual school in Florida, which uses games to help students learn in an environment that feel most comfortable in.

Game Reflection

In a blog posing write a reflection about your project design process by answering the following questions.

1. What: What is your project? How does it work? How did you come up with the idea?

 

  My project is a game that uses the Classical and Romantic Era's of music.  When the player starts they are introduced to Mr. Pachebel and Noty.  Noty takes the player through three questions from each Era.  Each Era is a seperate level.  Since the Classical Era occured first, those questions are encountered first, thus that is level 1.  Level 2 is the Romantic questions.  The Romantic Era occured after the Classical, thus it is level 2.  I came up with this idea from looking around at the other games and projects we were introduced to through the class.  The one project from the Global 21 game winners was the science project where the player had to answer questions to continue.  I decided that this game would work well in a music history context.

2. So What: What was your process for developing the project? What was interesting, surprising, or challenging? Why? What did you learn?

 

   The process for developing this project was done in three steps.  The first step was creating a storyboard.  From thsi storyboard I was given the idea from a classmate to use the musical snippets as part of the questions, thus the player was required to use not only a knowledge base of facts, but a knowledge base of the music itself.  The second step was a rough draft.  IN this step I tested different styles of gameplay, finally coming up with what I used.  The final step was completing the project, filling the extra questions, finding the usable material and backgrounds, and putting it together.  The biggest challenge I had was the size that would be the project.  I had to cut out alot of the music and change it to be short excerpts.  THat was the longest process. I used Audacity, a free music editing tool, and had to decide what to cut and what was essential that the player would hear.  I learned that, although some activities may take longer than others, the biggest idea to keep in mind was ownership.  I also had to search for different excerpts and make sure that they were "free" and not copyrighted.

3. Now What: What are you the most proud of about your project? What would your change? What do you want to create next? Why?

 

I think I am most proud of the style of the project.  What started out as a music history game turned into a listening activity, where not only is the player introduced to information, but also to the aural and visual aspects of each musical era.  If I were to change anything it might be the style of gameplay.  One in which the player choose the composer, heard an excpert of that composer, and had to describe the music in their answer.  My next creation might be something that deals with creating music within the game. I think one of the hardest things that music teachers are expected to teach, even in the elementary level, is music creation.  Composing music is not an easy task.  It is not drawing a picture or writing a story.  It seems students have the hardest time putting their creative ideas into an aural template.  A game that is designed to help them along would be of great use.

Scratch Revisions

For revisions on my Scratch project I was given a great idea for level 1.  Instead of just general questions about the composers I would use their music as background for listening and for the questions. Thus the student would hear the sound, see the picture of the composers and have to match those with the sounds they hear.  Visual, oral cognition.  As well as knowledge being taught about the composers through their music.  I think that level 2 will continue in this process, though I might change how the music is presented.  Perhaps since it is on the Romantic period I could have questions about how the composers tried to match their musical stylings with that of visual and other performance arts of the time.

Storyboard

Jonathan Oates

Storyboard

Title:  Musical Journey

Visual Description:  
  The opening will have questions for the player given by a picture of a musical figure.  I was thinking of using the picture of Pachebel that I have.  I would then have the player assume the role of Pachebel by having them help Pachebel through the Musical time periods of the Classical and Romantic Eras.  This game will show different pictures and musical selections from each era and the players will have to identify them.  The different sprites will be the musical figures and music images.

What is Happening:  
  The gameplay will be question based, with the user assuming the role of Johann Pachebel.  The user will score points by answering questions and identifying different musical refrains.

What are the important elements:
 The important elements are 1. Choice of answers   2. Journey through history  3. Acquisition of knowledge.

How is the content being taught supported:
  It is supported through the repetition of questions, of small nudges being provided to guide the player through the game.

Principles:
 All three principles will be touched upon:
1. Assume an identity:  Pachebel
2. Two levels:  the first will be identifying composers, the second will be identifying the music that those composers created, by matching the composers to the music
3. Feedback: the player will be guided through the game when they make mistakes by clues given temporarily throughout, if a wrong answer is given.


Interaction:  If the user clicks on the correct answer then they will be shuttled to the next question.  IF they click the wrong answer then they will be given a different sprite that will give them clues as to the correct answer.

Double Entry 7

"High Tech Programmers in Low-Income Communities: Creating a Computer Culture in a

Community Technology Center"

Yasmin B. Kafai, Kylie A. Peppler, & Grace M. Chiu

University of California, Los Angeles

1. Why should programming be part of school curriculum?

" Through our observations

at the Computer Clubhouse, we found that youth have an interest in

videogames, music videos, cartoon animations, and interactive, designbased

art, which are a natural springboard into creating and programming."

This qoute sums up the culture that students are growing in.  If their interests are on videogames, music videos, cartoon animations and interactive art then it would stand to reason that programming would be a valuable tool for these students to obtain.  I know in my own classes, particularly my music appreciation classes, we discuss classical music from the Romantic period, I ask the students to compare the historical and musical facts from those periods with something that they encounter in their musical lives today.  It seems to work well because they can attach the knowledge and musical ideas that I want them to obtain with something they are familar with.  They can relate that just because this style of music was well before their time, it has had a big impact on what they like to listen to today.  If they enjoy music today they need to realize that it is in large part thanks to what was pioneered in earlier periods of music.  I believe that the students would benifit more strongly with some type of programming available to further the connection with the past. 

2. What are the barriers to implementing programming in schools? 

"Realizing that simply providing access to programming

software would be insufficient, we created opportunities for

Clubhouse members to interact with adult mentors who were learning to

program as well (Kafai et al., in press)."

This to me sums up the main barrier of implementing programming in schools.  It is not just enough to have the tools available to work on programming.  When introduced to new content the students often feel as abrehensive about it as teachers.  If teachers join in with students and show them that learning new material doesn't have to be frightening and that part of the learning process is discovering failures.  In today's society students, in my opinion, get the idea that failure is not an option and that everyone should succeed.  Everyone gets a trophy no matter the outcome.  Without failure we cannot learn from mistakes and thus students and teachers tend to repeat those failures.

3. How can barriers to implementing  programming in schools be overcome?

"For instance, normative and political structures in public schools are much

more institutionalized than in most CTCs."

The barriers to implementing anything in a school is the institution.  I myself have trouble accessing basic information on the internet because of the stringent blocks placed on the web.  If I find something that would be valuable I have to submit it to the county Technology director to get it approved before it can be unblocked.  Programs encounter the same problem, and are often more so turned down in large part due to monetary concerns.  If the monetary concerns are moot, such as with a free program, then you have to jump through hoops to show how and why the program would be valuable to your classroom.  Several teachers in my county just give up before starting the process because it can be time consuming.

Double Entry #6

Collaboration, Computation, and Creativity:

Media Arts Practices in Urban Youth Culture
by: Kylie A. Peppler, Yasmin B. Kafai

1. "Researchers interested in computer-supported collaborative learning have paid little attention to the field of arts and design education as the more prominent focus has been on science, mathematics and to a lesser degree, social studies and language arts."

   I completely agree with this assessment of the direction that most computer supported learning has been driven.  The main reason for this trend, in my opinion, has been standardized testing, and the amount of emphasis test results have been given.  My favorite line is one from Mr Holland's Opus where Richard Dreyfuss says if the arts are taken out of schools the students won't have anything to read or write about.  This article touches on that concept throughout, with the focus being on how, through creative endevours of a student whose reading level is low, could be helped by allowing the student to be creative through expression and art work.

2. "Commonly, this group of scholars posits that literacy is best understood as a set of social practices, which can be inferred from events and mediated by written, visual, and other types of texts (Barton & Hamilton, 2000)."

   I found this quote interesting in the fact that it is now being recognized that literacy is not just written word and printed word.  Literacy has evolved to include social practices that use other mediums of communication.  Any teacher who does not see at least one cell phone or other mobile device of some kind, where the students are either texting, twittering, facebooking, or some other form of social mediaing, has gone through the day with their eyes closed.  I witnessed students who could not write a coherent sentence if it bit them on the butt.  THose same students could take a cell phone and through shorthand texting, write those coherent sentences.  They understand that new medium of language better than standard English.

3. "Computation is also a learned skill that becomes useful as youth, even those like Brandy that are unable to read, can use for creative production."

   This quote goes along with the previous one, in that even though Brandy's reading level had not improved, she was able to express herself through other mediums, and become quite successful at it.  Through her successes it might be found that the likelyhood for improvement in her other academic areas also improves.  I believe that once a student has found something in which they enjoy and are successful at, their other studies are generally positively affected.  For example, some students choose to stay in school for one reason or another.  IF they were not privey to that reason they would have dropped out and become nothing more than a statistic. 

Scratch Game Idea

The idea I have for scratch is of course centered around music.  I am currently working on a unit of composers from the Baroque to the Romantic Eras in my Music Appreciation class.  My thought was in order to make the learning of historical figures more interesting, I should make those figures more interactive.  Choosing a composer to focus on from each era would limit the number of sprites, as well as give me opportunity to have more "space" to work with.  THe part I'm having trouble is deciding what to have these figures do in order to make it a game.  One thought was to have the player be a seperate figure that is trying to "Study" from these influential figures.  THey would then be posed questions where they have to choose the composer that the question corresponds to.  If they answer correctly, they may continue in the game, if not they are relegated to some other musical source to get the answer?

Double Entry #5

All I Really Need to Know (About Creative Thinking)

I Learned (By Studying How Children Learn) in Kindergarten
by: Mitchel Resnick

1. "Too often, educational technologies

are overly constrained, such as tutoring software for

teaching algebra, or simulation software for modeling

planetary motion in the solar system."

I agree with this quote to an extent.  I remember in my grade school days that these types of programs were in their early stages, still very basic.  Yet for all the humdrum of the basic programming, I seem to remember we as students jumped at the chance to use these programs.  Probably because they were new, but excited to use nonetheless.  This brings me to the point of contention with this quote.  Those tutoring softwares are only boring today because they are outdated.  If it was a "new and fancy" program those technologies might not seem so constrained.

2. "Now, edutainment companies try to provide you

with both. In all of these cases, you are viewed as a passive

recipient."

The key point in this quote is that learning and fun are being presented as having the student being a passive recipient.  I understand this completely.  A majority of learners learn through experience and not just through passive reception of knowledge. There is a push in education today to construct lessons and classrooms into learning environments where the student constructs their own learning through project based learning.

3. "In recent years, schools have adopted more “hands-on” design activities,

but the focus is usually on the creation of an artifact rather

than critical reflection on the ideas that guided the design,

or strategies for refining and improving the design, or

connections to underlying scientific concepts and related

real-world phenomena."

This quote brings to light a key ingredient to learning, reflection.  Without self-reflection students and teachers inevitably miss parts of the project that have the potential to bring the most learning.  Reflection offers the ability to learn from their mistakes, and to discover new and different options to reach their goals.


The following blog, Educational Technology and Life talks about the learning that takes place when playing games.  In the blog,  Mark Wagner explains that most students do not approach games with learning as an objective, thus they tend to miss alot of learning.  He also speaks of Thinking Worlds, another game creation engine that sounds similar to Scratch.

  

Double Entry #4

What Kids Learn That is Positive from Video Games.
~Marc Prensky  2002.

1.  "In fact, as a learning tool, computer and video games may be the most powerful mechanism ever known. "

In this quote the author is stating that games could be the "most powerful mechanism" to education ever known.  I tend to agree with this quote, however, I beleive that it should be stated as , computer and video games may be the most powerful mechanism to learning in this generation.  I think that computers and video games are an impressive tool and they are powerful, but they are powerful because the students, and society in general have invested a great deal of their entertainment "alottment" to this genre of entertainment.  THe arguement might be that if video and computer games were not as popular, this would not be the case.  In other eras of education, other devices were the most powerful mechanisms.  Tomorrow, another mechanism may come along that will make gaming as mundane as the chalkboard or even smart boards.

2. "Even infants quickly learn this and sit fascinated, moving the mouse and watching the screen with glee for long periods. This is "real world" learning. "

I found this quote funny, as it to me shows that video games in some instances are interesting for nothing more than hours of "mindless" entertainment.  The child watching the mouse move around is learning to control his/her environment by moving the mouse, however, it is to me a basic learning level, with no upper level comprehension happening. 


3. "I would argue that – unless already severely disturbed – kids don’t leave violent games with the message “I’ve got to run out and do this,” at least not in our society."
This quote is taken from the author's argument that games do not primarily induce violence in youth.  I completely agree.  I realize that some content may not be appropriate for certain age levels, I also believe that if this argument is accepted that games induce violence, it is only a matter of time before something else in entertainment and media is blamed for violence.  Violence has always been present in the human race, and to blame violent tendencies on one specific componenet of a person's life is asinine.  If games can be blamed, then I submit movies, TV, Music, and even News can be attributed to cause violence in humans. 

Video Games: An Hour A Day Is Key To Success In Life

In this article the author, Jane McGonigal, discusses how video games are actually some of the most productive ways to spend free time.  She argues that playing games helps to build relationships that have social and emotional impacts on people and their lives.    I know that this article is a stretch to compare to our article this week, however, a small portion of article was based on the idea that video games are not "wastes of time".  This article explores why it is not a waste of time, but actually productive.

Scratch Game

The Scratch game that I found is called "Sound Wave".  The point of the game is to move the cursor, or sound box around following the sound wave to keep the music playing.  If the box does not follow the wave then you get static, which causes you to lose the game. 
How does this game follow the five levels of learning?  First we have "How".  The How level is represented by the learning to move the cursor along the sound wave.  Just like the author pointed out that even "intants quickly learn this and sit fascinated, moving the mouse and watching the screen with glee" in "Sound Wave" all the action is moving the box around.  The second level "what" is contained in learning the parameters of the game.  The game gets interesting the further you go the harder it is to stay with the sound wave.  The first rule of the game that is learned is when you hear static, then the screen turns to static.  The third level of learning is the "why".  In this level the game shows that over time, a strategy is born to stay slightly ahead of the sound wave and be proactive, rather than reactive, else you risk turning the music to static.
  THe fourth level is "where". This level would seem to be the less represented of all five, however, in learning that you are really capturing sound waves, the player learns that they are seeing what sound waves look like in the real world.
THe fifth level is the when/whether level is represented in this game by the end result.  If the player continues to capture the sound wave, they get to listen to the music.  If the player misses the sound wave, then they are taught that the music dies, and their hopes and wishes for this game, with it.  I know that sounds harsh, but thats life.

Double Entry Journal #3
"Making Learning Fun: Quest Atlantis A Game Without Guns"
Sasha Barab; Michael Thomas; Tyler Dodge; Robert Carteaux; Hakan Tuzun

Each of these quotes is from the article concerning Quest Atlantis.  I chose each one for a different reason.  The first article hints at my viewpoint on video games in education.  The second discusses three areas that an educational game must have, and I for one have noticed that these areas are discussed in some manner in almost all of the articles, blogs, videos, etc. that I have perused.  The third quote was one that I found humorous.

"some advocates of game-based learning suggest that educational video games are the only way that educators can adequately engage the "video game generation" (Katz, 2000; Prensky, 2000). "

"Collectively, these three features (education, entertainment, social commitment) create an important focus for design and result in a product that is not a game yet remains engaging, is not a lesson yet fosters learning, and is not evangelical yet nurtures a social agenda. In this article, we treat our work as an example of design-based research (Brown, 1992; Collins, 1992; Edelson, 2002), "

"Numerous scholars and learning theorists have advocated experiential learning-the belief that learning involves real-world participation, the belief in the intimate relations between experience and education, the certainty that understandings are derived from and modified through experience, and the conviction that action and reflection are necessary features of meaningful learning (Dewey, 1938; KoIb, 1984)."

The first quote says that some educators believe that video games are the only way to reach some students.  I agree wholeheartedly.  The last three words of that quote sum up today's students best by labeling them the "video game generation".   For many of my own students, a large portion of their time away from school involves video games, so it would stand to reason that they are interested in video games.  If a student is interested in something, they tend to become more active in their learning of that information.  Education today cannot be black and white, core content and books.  It is our job to teach students the core content, and books are a tool to get that content to them, however I believe it is an outdated tool.  We must look to a new medium of interaction with our students.  If they enjoy video games, give them games with the core content at the heart.
The second qoute deals with three features of educational games, eductation, entertainment and social commitment.  When I look at this list, and think about the use of game design in education as a learning project, I see three responsiblities outlined.  What is amazing to me, is as teachers, we should look at it as only one of those responsiblities belong to the teacher, education.  It is the responsibility of the student to be entertained, and commit to the game socially.  If the game integrates those last two responsibilites well, then our job as educators is that much easier.
The third quote was funny.  Why, you ask?  Well, it says that learning theorists believe that experience through real-world participation fosters learning.  The funny part?  This whole article, and my beliefs themselves, ask students to learn not in a real-world environment or participation, but in a simulated environment participation.  It sounds to me as if this is an oxymoron.  I just got a chuckle out of it, that the whole point of the article is to discuss the outcome of the game Quest Atlantis by stating it was partly successful because of participation, in a virtual environment.  The real reason it was successful, in my opinion, was because students could take their experiences in that virtual environment and connect them with their real world environments.  If this does not happen, the game is a failure.

THe link is to the following article:

Resolving Conflicts in Educational Game Design Through Playtesting

by Brian Winn and Carrie Heeterhttp://www.innovateonline.info/pdf/vol3_issue2/Resolving_Conflicts_in_Educational_Game_Design_Through_Playtesting.pdf

In this article, the testing of game designs is discussed in three different case studies, with three different games being designed using the information gathered from the case studies.

Globoria Game Design

 

1. Which one do you like the best?

I liked the Paleoquest.  This game was my favorite as the levels followed a timeline, and each time you became more evolved!

2. What content is being learned?

The content being learned was the development of organisms over Earth's history.  Each time the player became more evolved you must navigate through a new environment, he or she must consume more DNA.

3. Do you think it effectively teaches the content?

I believe it does effectively teach the content, as it displays different environments that these organisms must survive in.  It also touches the matter of differences between single celled organisms, all the way up through the DNA difference.

4. Does it involve higher order thinking?

I believe it does involve higher level thinking, as it causes the player to explore environments, find DNA and meet certain requirements to evolve, the same requirements that these organisms met to evolve.

5. Does the game possess and principles of good games and learning:

• 1.They can create an embodied empathy for a complex system 
• 2. They are action-and-goal-directed preparations for, and simulations of, embodied experience” 
• 3. They involve distributed intelligence via the creation of smart tools 
• 4. They create opportunities for cross-functional affiliation  
• 5. They allow meaning to be situated 
• 6. They can be open-ended, allowing for goals and projects that meld the personal and the social

This game does meet some of these points.  THe player becomes the organism trying to survive in a hostile environment, thuse creating empathy for the system in which it is apart.  The game gets the social aspect by having the player meet his or her mate in order to continue in the game.

6. In your opinion do you think letting kids design games is productive activity for school based learning?

I believe that letting students create the games is a very productive activity for learning.  Most students play games.  Most students learn through means other than reading a textbook.  If having students take information that we which for them to learn, and put that information in a game format that creates and environment to leanr that information then I believe it is very beneficial to learning.

Gardens of Time
Post #2

The article "Good Video Games and Good Learning" by James Paul Gee uses sixteen different aspects of good games to explain what a good games should include.  For Gardens of Time I could see some of the aspects incorporated, and others would be a stretch to say they really are apart of this game.  I believe that Gardens of Time is just a simple game that is not a "Good Video Game" but has some aspects that would be "Good Learning".

1. Identity:  Gee states, "No good learning unless learners make an extended commitment of self for the long haul."  This statement is Gardens of Time in a nutshell.  Moreover, it is games in a nutshell.  Gamers, or learners only get out of the game what they commit to the game. 

2. Interaction:  "In a good game, words and deeds are all placed  in the context  of an interactive relationship  between player and  the world."  Gee states that a good game interacts with the world, and that the learning that takes place is in context with that world.  This is one of those times where Gardens of Time is coming up short in my opinion.  This aspect is more evident in MMORPG's and even in FPS's, but in GofT it takes a back seat to the main focus of the game, Item Finding.  The storyline is not extremely interactive, as the game starts on a certain path and after I have met certain criteria in the game, it brings about a new set of criteria, that is the same for all players, no matter how I go about doing it.

3. Risk Taking: Gee says that good video games offer players an environment where failure is not only "ok" but is an intregal portion of the game.  Gardens of Time really doesn't offer an environment of failure, just an environment of levels of success.  I believe this is the same idea, but some games give failures more importance than just success.  One statement Gee made was about how a player can learn and adapt in the face of failure when fighting a boss in a game.  GofT doesn't really offer this.

4. Well Ordered Problems:  "In good video games, the problems players face are ordered so that the earlier

ones are well built to lead players to form hypotheses that work well for later, harder problems."  Gee states that the problems that learners are given in video games help them form guesses at the other problems they experience later in the game.  In other words, in a good video game, the learners should gain experience from each problem they confront.  They should then be able to use that experience later int he game, and in culmination, be able to put all of their experience into a final product that they then use to succeed in each new scenario that they face.  Gardens of Time is like this to a certain extent.  I noticed that when searching for objects, each object was normnally placed in a certain area, such as am umbrella as the leg of a table.  Each level was sorted out the same way each time it is played, thus I learn and master where each item is, and should be able ot pass each level slightly easier each time I play that level.

I choose for aspects of games to look at Gardens of Time.  Each aspect of good games could be found if one looks deep enough, however, like all games, Gardens of Time is better at some aspects than others.  It is also a "low budget" game, meaning it isn't going to be as in depth as far as gaming potential, as say a game that is on the market. 

Gardens of Time Blog
Post 1
How can we Maximize enjoyment without sacrificing instructional quality?

I wanted to make my first blog posting about Gardens of Time as it concerns to this question.  The first component of Gardens of Time that I noticed was the fact that I had a structure from which I could play the game.  I was limited to how much "energy" I have.   The game iteslf forced me to concentrate on every aspect of the game, such as tending my garden, by simply placing limits on how many times I could play the different levels.  Granted, after 10 minutes or so I would always be able to continue playing my game, but for those ten minutes that I waited patiently for my energy to replenish, I was concerned with the other aspects of the game, some of which are not pleasurable, such as the constant interruption to send "gifts" to friends.  However, even that aspect is beneficial because it gives players the option to "socialize" in a sense with other players.  The socialization may be nothing more than a greating, but it is still human interaction, even at the most basic level. As far as this game as it concerns the article "Why Games are Good", it is easy to connect the author's point of a simulation to this game when one places objects in their Garden.  In order to further advance in the game the player must place artifacts in their garden.  The objects to be placed are completely up to the player and the setting of those objects can be done in a way that the player wishes.  To summarize, the game placed limits on the players options, forcing all aspects of the game be experienced, even if they are not as enjoyable or addictive as the main focus.

Blog Post 1: Video Games are Good? Get OUT OF HERE!!!

 I choose four different quotes from the article for different reasons.  This article brought about both agreement and disagreement on a variety of subjects.  I had difficulty narrowing down my selections to just four quotes, I actually printed off the article and went through highlighting whenever something touched a nerve, either good or bad.  I decided to try and get a good balance between the two, as I often found myself contemplating both sides of the arguement.  As a former "avid" gamer of the types of games that were discussed in this article I found myself in either total agreement, or morbid denial of some of the conclusions of this paper.  On one hand, I can see the great possibilities that games such as these can lend educators when trying to reach students.  The other hand though, I believe it is a far cry from making the analogy that these games are just like scientists creating a working simulation to create a hypothesis and then test that hypothesis.  I believe that is a stretch.  The very basic models would be the same, but that is where I believe the similiraties end.  A scientists is taking part in an alternate reality in a quest for knowledge, and I believe in most cases will have no trouble distinguishing the two.  A gamer I believe runs the risk of losing sight of the two differences, with the alternate reality crossing the barrier and negatively affecting the real life of said gamer.  I know that I sound as if I should be against these types of games.  I am not, on the contrary, I do agree with the author that they can offer some great rewards in education.  I am merely stating that in order to continue in this direction, a strong set of "ground rules" should be established by the teacher before any gaming is introduced in the classroom.  I also believe that the students must be informed about what is the goal of the game.  Not just the lesson to be learned, but that learning is the main aspiration of the game itself.  Fun may still be had with a game like that, but if the student is informed beforehand, I am confident they will better understand the nature of the game, and come away with a stronger graps on the knowledge that was sought out in playing the game.

"Why Are Video Games Good For Learning" 

James Paul Gee

1."Video games are good for learning (Shaffer, Squire, Halverson, & Gee, in press;

Gee 2003, 2005). For me, this claim does not just mean we should use video games for

learning in and out of schools. It also means that we should use the learning principles

built into good video games in and out of schools even if we are not using games."  (Section 1)

2. ". . .video games are a new technology in this same line. They are a new tool

with which to think about the mind and through which we can externalize some of its

functions."  (Section 3, Page7)

3.  ". . .in the massive multiplayer game World ofstags can be killed and skinned (for making leather), but only by characters that

WarCraft

have learned the skinning skill. So a stag is an affordance for skinning for such a player,

but not for one who has no such skill. The large spiders in the game are not an

affordance for skinning for any players, since they cannot be skinned at all."  (Section 3, Page 10)

4.  "Effective thinking is about perceiving the world such that the human actor sees how the world, at a specific time and place (as it is given, but also modifiable), can afford the opportunity for actions
that will lead to a successful accomplishment of the actor’s goals."  (Section 3, Page 10)

 My first quote is from the very beginning of the article.  I choose this portion because I believe it states exactly how gaming should be approached in the classroom.  In my respective area of education, music, games have been used for more than a decade, with the most visible use being in an elementary setting.  Note recognition and musical fact games have been used since my time in grade school.  A large focus of games is lost in the translation.  The small learning principles that are used in any reality based game often go over looked when a game is discussed.  World of Warcraft for example is a game where most people see colorful cartoon characters being played by grown people for hours on end.  What they miss is the social skills, computer skills, teamwork skills, comprehension skills and many others that must be utilized in a game such as WoW.
 My second quote is one that I do not particularly agree.  Gee states that computer games are a new way to think about how the brain works.  I disagree on the simple fact that the types of games discussed are not new, just the medium in which they are being played.  I remember growing up before computer games became widely used.  Dungeons and Dragons is a game similar to World of Warcraft.  The medium in which it is played is different.  The same basic principles apply, with teamwork, and other skills being utilized.  The same brain functions are used, the information that stimulates those functions is just coming through a different medium.  I would agree wthat this medium is revolutionary in the introduction of information being used in games, and can take games that once took days and weeks to complete down to mere hours.  I had several friends that played D&D and they would "quest" together.  In WoW I had friends that would "quest" together.  The difference is, the "quests" in WoW may only take minutes, where in D&D they might play on the same game line, or quest, for a week or more.
 My third quote goes along with my fourth.  Gee is discussing how these games can vary according to the players choices.  Gee says some items in game would not be useful to others, depending on their choice of professions.  This is true.  Gee also states that the world is percieved by humans in different ways, at a specific time and place, an oppurtunity can afford itself to one player that it does not to another.  This is true.  These two quotes offer some of the best examples of what these games could mean to education.  In my area, we are often taught that a certain way in music is not right or wrong, it is music.  In other words, a great quote from my High School Band Director, "One wrong note is just wrong, two wrong notes, and it's JAZZ!!!"  Some people would percieve two wrong notes as also wrong, while others would take it as Jazz, or correct.  These games mimic life like no other medium in that the outcomes of student learning in these games is controlled strictly by the learners.  I may lay out foundations that the game will run on, but the student will be responsible to move through this simulation and gain what knowledge they can, and be successful whether they are a "leatherworker" or some other profession.  What is valuable knowledge for one learner may be worthless to another learner. 

I found a similar article by Jayel Gibson from Education.com that states many of the same ideas that Gee did in his article.  Gibson states that "New information...Memorization...Context and Cognition...and Gender and Ethnic Balance..." are some the advantages that games can bring into education.  Another great feature of this article was the section on the second page about Management games, Role Playing games and Strategy Games.  In each Gibson gives the uses that education could get out of those types of games.

I would like to offer some other thoughts on this subject.  Though I strongly believe that video games, and their like are the future of education, I believe this more so not for their educational value, but because I believe technology will continue to expand into education and the two subjects go hand in hand.  Video games, in my opinion do have great educational value, but I for one will crusade for the use of moderation, in time and use of games in education.  I believe that we as educators must keep in mind that knowledge is the end goal of our journey with students.  Games can make learning fun, but fun must not make we as educators, or our children as students, loose sight of the ultimate goal, learning.

Introductions Everyone!

Hello!
  My name is Jonathan.  I am originally from Buckhannon, WV.  I attended Buckhannon-Upshur High School.  After graduation I attended Fairmont State College (it was still FSC when I started)  and graduated from Fairmont State University with my Bachelors in Education:  Music Education.  After completion I moved around a bit taking sub jobs in Marion, Harrison, Upshur and Wood Counties for a year and a half before deciding to pursue my masters.  I moved to Richmond, KY and attended Eastern Kentucky University, graduating with my Masters in Music three years ago.
  I currently teach at Webster County High School, in Upper Glade, WV.  I am the Band/Choir director, but my duties also include Dance, Theater and General Music classes.  I have been at Webster for three years, starting in 2009.
   What do you, Jon Oates, want to get out of this class?  Well, I'm glad you asked me that question Jon.  I am looking forward to learning about gaming and how that can be applied in education.  I am wanting to expand my footprint in the education world beyong music and this class is apart of an area that I interests me.
  Jon Oates, what games do you play?  Another great question.  I have been a gamer of sorts since the first Atari.  As gaming consoles came and went, the one medium that I believe revolutionized gaming was the PC.  Today games are no longer avalaible just for a certain console, they are multifaceted, with all of them having some version out on PC.  I really lost my identiy for awhile when I started playing World of Warcraft back in 2005.  I played, or should I say, lived in that environment for four years.  I spent every free moment online gaming in World of Warcraft.  I sometimes wonder how I completed my masters with the amount of time I spent in that game.  That is the first time I ever experienced something that frightened me.  It consumed massive amounts of time and would sometimes cause me to be less that personable to others.  Currently I still game, though the MMO's are out the door with my career starting off and other life happenings occuring that take priority.  I play League of Legends, a free to play PvP game where you can spend at max around hour before a game ends.  This type of game is slightly more manageable to someone with other responsibilities.
  Why do I like playing games?  Well, there is the release from responsibility. I can play a game and know that if I fail or do not do well, in the end, it was for pure amusement and I will be able to start again if I so wish.
  What is my position on children and gaming?  After my experience with WoW, I can say that too much gaming is not healthy.  I believe that it can be theraputic to a certain extent, and can even have educational value, such as typing skills.  My typing skills are no doubt better because of the chats that I experience in games.  The key to a healthy balance is moderation.  Kids gaming time should be moderated.  Place limits on children when playing games.  Make sure that they keep reality and fantasy seperate and that they get social experiences outside of the gaming environment.


A Link to a Video: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4960771n
A Link to a Blog:  http://addictionblog.org/top-10/top-10-negative-effects-of-video-games-on-children/
A Link to something not necessarily NEGATIVE towards gaming:  http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html


3 MAJOR EVENTS IN DURING THE YEAR OF MY BIRTH:
   1. I was born (I'm really not concieted, but it is a major event to me :)
   2. Falklands war between Argentina and Britian starts and ends with British victory.
   3. Vietnam Veteran's Memorial dedicated in Washington, D.C.