Fear is in never trying, fear is in giving up.  Never fear the unknown, never let the system win and when all else fails, back it up, wipe it out and start over... Robin

Spring 2012 Portfolio

Thinking and Games

We learned quite a bit about using video games in the classroom this semester.  I believe I mention on my Overall Reflections page parents are among the top opponents when it comes to using video games in the classroom because they do not feel they are appropriate or they teach anything.  What we learned this semester is that cannot be further from the truth.  Video games can teach a number of skills and can help students who might otherwise be struggling in areas.  Perhaps, it would be helpful to show those parents, administrators and educators, who believe video games are a waste of time or a corruption of young minds, some of the video's we were shown during class.  The video's were not only informative, but they expressed exactly how video games can be helpful.

Birth of a Word - Deb Roy - http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/deb_roy_the_birth_of_a_word.html

Fatal1ty - http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7380039n

The Art of Video Games - http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7402593n&tag=mncol;lst;2

It would also be helpful if they understood what video games could really do for students.  For instance, arcade games such as Ice Breakout - http://www.miniclip.com/icebreakout.htm, Regular Breakout - http://www.springfrog.com/games/javanoid/, Pacman - http://tripletsandus.com/80s/80s_games/pacman__.htm and Tetris - http://games.yahoo.com/free-games/shift-2 teach eye/hand coordination, thoughtful strategy (planning) and reacting to patterns and things on the fly.  Problem-solving games, such as Lemmings -   http://www.elizium.nu/scripts/lemmings/ teaches strategy and gives multiple levels to use those strategies.  Interactive Fiction such as Putt Putt Travels Through Time  and Wishbringer - http://www.xs4all.nl/~pot/infocom/wishbringer.html create an environment where stories are created.  Role Playing Games such as Decisions, Decisions: Violence in the Media allow users to take on the role of another person by playing, experimenting and taking on the identity of someone else; to walk in someone else’s shoes.  Simulation Games, such as Roller Coaster Tycoon and Hot Dog Stand represent a real-life situations which support huge risk taking ventures and make the user think about the variables that define the real-life situation and the rules of interaction.

Although it is true that not all video games are appropriate for education, those that are should be allowed and should be used in the classroom.  I have always wished that I had the skill to program and write my own video games, as there is at least one subject that I teach that I am certain would be better taught in a simulated atmosphere.  The subject is dry and all of the students I have taught this subject to need something more than what is in the textbooks and even in the hands on exercises to help them learn and retain the information they are learning.  A video game would be just the thing to peak their interest and help them as they get ready for their certification tests.