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.
I will agree with you that gaming can be addictive. I think that there should be a time limit children spend gaming. Moderation is the key for a lot of things we consider enjoyable. I am a Business Teacher and agree that games are great for typing skills. Children can only do so many typing drills before they want to go crazy. Your links provided the prospective of both negative and not so negative effects toward gaming. They were interesting and convincing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your position that too much gaming can be unhealthy in numerous ways; mentally, physically, and even emotionally. As you mentioned, video gaming can also be addictive, and addiction is most typically detrimental to human development in some manner. Also, I agree that playing games can be a great way to relax and escape the chaos of everyday life, but it is necessary to follow reasonable time constraints. I believe that even time playing educationally based games should be limited. Physical activity is a very important part of the developmental processes; the mind and body are connected, and one cannot perform well without the contributing well being of the other. As for your three major world events, I cannot say that I have any particular recollection of them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your position on why you like playing video games. Yes, it's a great release from responsibility, and unless you're playing a game for class, there's not pressure to do well. I also agree that children's time on video games should be limited. My friend who has two children, ages 10 & 8, are not allowed to play video games, and in fact, have no WiFi at their house, currently. She believes that they are still at the age when they should be outside, running around, playing with their friends, and not sitting in front of the TV. And, I have to say that I agree with her. She said she would probably rethink having WiFi when her oldest son starts middle school next year, simply because he will have some papers to write, research to do, etc.
ReplyDeleteSounds like many people can learn from your experience of playing video games. I myself have been late a few times to class playing video games and didn't want to quit. I have heard of several college kids flunking out of college because of WOW. I have never heard of a game with a time limit, but I think people who love games but have a full schedule could benefit from them. I was not born the same year as you but I have been to D.C. and visited the memorial.
DeleteI'm really interested to read your reaction to this weeks reading! I've read a lot about video games and learning but have not really played serious MMORPG's except for Farmville (if that counts). I found oddly relaxing and addictive too.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely about moderation, a balance, the need for social activities and separation of reality and fantasy. We have a tremendous responsibility as educators and parents to help children make responsible choices. I remember the Vietnam Veterans Memorial dedication. My husband, son and I have bicycled in and around D.C., so we have visited the wall.
ReplyDeleteP.S. When my son got "his" first playstation, oh my goodness, I was addicted to Bugs Life and Frogger.
I am not the type of person who gets addicted to things but i have seen people spending most of there waking hours playing games. My son started down this path with Halo and although I am a pretty easy mom I did place limits on his playing and he was older. I loved your events especially the first one.
ReplyDeleteI think that you made a good point about making sure that kids need to keep fantasy and reality separate. My daughter is afraid of monsters, but it is so hard to explain that they aren't real and they aren't in her closet after she has watched Monsters Inc. and sees other wise. She loves the movie and is not afraid of those monsters. She says they are nice, but that she has mean monsters in her closet.
ReplyDelete