http://education.mit.edu/papers/GamesSimsSocNets_EdArcade.pdf
Viewing this article really opened my eyes and provided me we a new opportunity to get to know gaming systems more throughly and provide new ideas to not just use Jeopardy or "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," but link what I am teaching to gaming systems. I see a lot of interesting connections that this article could help with, but more importantly, connecting with boys and boy writers. Boys in the classroom can difficult, especially in English because students think reading and poetry are "girl" things. I feel as though implementing even gaming terminology would help make new connections. Page 5 of this article actually lists all of the talents of a "guildmaster" in World of Warcraft and how the skills provided actually are the same that are desired in the workplace. I found this interesting...and also thought back of to the time I worked in an urban district and referred back to "Call of Duty," my male students paid attention and understood. Ironically enough, that led to other good connections pertaining to "Walking Dead" the comic and TV show. If nothing else, enhancing the gaming cultures influence on the classroom and recognizing the importance of being aware and facing the "white elephant" in the room.
Gaming terminology. This is seriously interesting! It's a bit out of my comfort zone because I don't play video games, nor am I very knowledgeable about them (though I do watch my husband play routinely--eye roll!). But what a great way to target the interests of students- boys AND girls! I also find it interesting that the video games our students play all the time are teaching them legitimate skills. Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteIt is always good to find a way to connect the boys to writing/literature; they're the hardest to get to "buy into" this stuff usually! I think you'd really like this blog I found that we've all (in my English dept.) passed around and given to kids to read/respond. http://interestingliterature.wordpress.com/2013/08/20/guest-blog-are-video-games-literature/
ReplyDeleteThe idea of creating alternate realities and following (or sometimes creating) storylines is SO connected to what we do, it's actually scary in a way, because the kids don't stop to think about that. I love this concept. Oh, and we were also making "The Walking Dead" connections the other day, talking about criticizing others who are acquaintances versus allies or sometimes both (in preparing them to write personal essays).
Cool stuff!
This is an excellent connection to make given the point about multimodality that Bailey makes in Chapter 4 of our reading this week about the "nature of texts" (49)-- that we can "read" music, video games, and other texts just as intelligently as we read print texts. I've never considered before that the RPGs (role player games) that boys play are really just interactive stories with plot lines; it would be interesting to take that knowledge and use it to help them understand the elements of fiction.
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely out of my comfort zone too! Thanks for the feedback, I love that blog "Teacher Kitty" suggests!!
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