Semiotic Domains: Is Playing Video Games A "Waste of Time"?

This chapter has certainly allowed me to see the positive characteristics of video games. Gee, along with all the new jargon introduced, helped me to see video gaming as something educationally legitimate. We have been programmed to believe that if something is purely entertaining, which video games have been categorized as such, then they cannot possibly be of any educational value. I tend to believe otherwise, not only from this reading, but also from my own recent experience on Club Penguin. Although I realize that many video games exhibit violence, Club Penguin is devoid of such characteristics. It is more of a lighthearted "semiotic domain," whereby children learn how to navigate through a totally new world, cooperate with an unknown group of people who are somewhat in alias, learn how to problem solve on the island of Club Penguin (through many games, etc., i.e. dance contest, cart racing, ) and become familiar with it's design spaces.
Yes, it is difficult for today's school to compete with video games - children no longer want to just sit and listen to a lecture or have us model a skill for them - they want to be involved from the minute they walk into a classroom. Video games have changed the way we have to take on our role as school, teacher, parent, etc., as we move forward.

Club Penguin

What I find most captivating about Club Penguin is knowing that for a brief moment you are connected to someone that can be anywhere in the world.
Last night I became friends with Penguin Crombieluv. As I analyzed who this person might be, I assumed it was a girl, aged 11 or 12 considering her user name may be based off of an Abercrombie shopper. Make sense?
We sent each other postcards about friendship, hanging out, going to the coffee shop and pizza parlor.

I bought a purple puffle (pet on the island of Club Penguin) and I named her Debber. Along with this comes the responsibility of feeding, bathing, walking, and making sure it get enough rest.

Anytime I am amongst a group of penguins I go the Club Penguin message box and send out a lot of hellos, smiley faces, etc. My daughter Devin is always reminding me not to stalk other penguins. A rude penguin will be blocked from the game.

I once again visited the nightclub where I entered the Dance Contest! My favorite! Your penguin is positioned on the dance floor - at that time you choose your ability level and begin. At the top of the screen are four arrows in opposing directions. When the music begins an arrow would rise from the bottom of the screen. When it hits one of the arrows at the top of the screen, you quickly match it with the correct arrow on your keyboard and click. Depending on how well the arrows match up, will determine if your score is perfect, great, good, almost, boo or missed. This game takes a lot of hand-eye coordination to match up the moving arrow to the stationary arrow.
Thus far I think Club Penguin is a positive experience. It really stresses respect, analytical skills, math skills, etc. More to come. . .

Club Penguin

I reticently approached this task with shear discomfort. How would I blog something that I had purposely avoided for years when my now eleven year old daughter had invited me to join her whenever she was "on" Club Penguin? Okay, Devin helped me create a user name, etc. She helped me through a tutorial of her own, but how did she become so interested in this make believe place? At first I took a look at the map and checked out a few places. I like the ski slope, shops, but quickly found my favorite spot, thus far, was the dance contest in the night club! What a blast! To be continued...............................

Digital Beginnings by Marsh et al

Since children studied for this report only know a digital life from birth, so obviously there is no way to follow them had they been born at a different time. I can perceive the benefits of children's use of popular culture, media, and new technologies in addition to, but not in place of human interaction. Children are so comfortable with a digital lifestyle because they are surrounded by it and therefore it is second nature to them. Children learn "media literacy" from their immediate surroundings on a daily basis. Only those of us who grew up without this input can try to analyze the pros and cons of living within a time of popular culture, media, and new technologies. Aside from enjoyment and entertainment, "media literacy" is a necessary part of moving forward for children in terms of education and then ultimately careers.

I know from my own experience, how important it is to keep current with changes in technology as an educator and parent. I see my daughters, ages 11 and 16, confidently approach assignments, never hesitating about the process to accomplish a goal. This is definitely since they know no other way - like an extension of their fingertips they can figure out anything about their cameras, webcams, ipods, video games, etc.

Also, one has to consider children that are doing well in school because of technology - for some it must lend itself to an individual's learning style and therefore enhance their progress, motivation, etc.

Are Schools Teaching The Best Way to Help Students Learn?

I truly believe most schools are trying to teach the best way to help students learn, but several factors interfere. Some of them being, depending upon the school, number of students in a class, amount of paperwork teachers are required to complete by their district, socio-economic status of school, motivation of the teacher, to name a few. School and home are interconncected and one cannot expect a child's school to fulfill all needs. A child raised with a high level of parental interaction is sure to exhibit a higher level of learning, etc. "In these reading activities, mothers are attempting to function in what psychologists call a child's zone of proximal development—to stretch what the child can do with a little assistance (see Box 4.1 above). As the child advances, so does the level of collaboration demanded by the mother. The mother systematically shapes their joint experiences in such a way that the child will be drawn into taking more and more responsibility for their joint work. In so doing, she not only provides an excellent learning environment, she also models appropriate comprehension-fostering activities; crucial regulatory activities are thereby made overt and explicit." There is clearly no substitute for the earliest stages of child development and the benefit of parental contact.

Through primary grades, most children are motivated and eager to absorb. When children begin to recognize differences in themselves compared to others, I believe their learning capabilities change also.

I am a bodily-kinesthetic learner. I train regularly at a Pilates studio and mind/body connection is the key to the entire process. I have to actually do something to assimilate it and hence be successful at a task. I believe most children learn in this same manner.

Jenkins - what is convergence?

If media convergence is "the full context of media change," and cultural convergence "describes the new ways that media audiences are engaging with and making sense of these new forms of media" - which happened first and therefore initiated the other? I see convergence everywhere, everyday. I like the reasoning of convergence - it makes sense and puts things in perspective.

McLuhan reading - difference between hot and cold media

I'm not sure if I agree with the notion of putting hot and cold media into binary categories. From my understanding, McLuhan defines hot media as having less detail and being on a much larger viewing scale, while cold media is assimilated as being scaled down with a lot of detail therefore being multi-sensory. I would have labeled them oppositely, with hot being the multi-sensory and cold media as being one dimensional.

First blog - Introducing Myself

My name is Deborah and I am a teacher at the Essex Fells School. I am taking this class to complete my ALMS certification and also to remain current in this ever evolving world of technology. I feel I know a fair amount of technological information but I realize that things change rapidly. I want to keep abreast of these changes not only for myself but also for my students. With any new class, I am somewhat overwhelmed at the start but quickly become acclimated. What I want to know about technology is how to easily integrate it into my classes and meet the levels of all my students, grades pre-k through 6.