Friday, January 27, 2012
Gardens of Time
I really like how this game is a game in a game of sorts. While you are accomplishing missions, you are earning money and reputation to unlock and buy items for your property. A game like this is good for your memory and to try and keep your thoughts moving fast. I try to remember where things are so that the next time I go back to a board I can find them quickly and make better time. I do tend to get a little stressed always trying to speed up my time from my previous visit. I think I will get better as I continue to play the game.
DEJ #1 for Game Design and Learning
"What makes video games good for learning has little or nothing to do directly
with the fact that they are games."
I can see where the author is coming from in this quote. It may not really have anything to do with the fact that they are games, but that it is a way for the students to learn to work more independently, it is another method of teaching, and many times it is considered a treat or prize. Kids do not come to school and sit in front of a television or computer all day, if that were the case then trying to "teach" through video games would not be a real treat or would be routine. The treat in that case would be if the teacher were to actually teach.
"So the video games in which I am interested, the ones that I think are most
interesting for learning, are digital simulations of worlds that are “played” in the sense
that a player has a surrogate or surrogates through which the player can act within and on
the simulation and that have “win states” (reachable goals that the player has discovered
or formed through his or her surrogate)."
I had to use that quote because once upon a time when I didn't have a child, school, work, house, and all of the other things that life has to offer, I loved to play The Sims. It was nice to be able to make the avatar be whoever you wanted, build the house that you wanted, and have the relationships that you wanted. It was a fun way to pretend and have some control over things. I liked the goals of the game and trying to make my little avatar succeed and meet those goals. I think a game based on the same situation would maybe interest some kids if there were some type of learning basis in the game as well.
"The view of the mind I have sketched argues, as far as I am concerned, that the
mind works rather like a video game. For humans, effective thinking is more like
running a simulation in our heads within which we have a surrogate actor than it is about
forming abstract generalizations cut off from experiential realities."
He seemed to hit the nail on the head. I never would have thought of our mind as a video game but after reading this I could see how how this is true. I often try to think of outcomes for every possible scenario if I am trying to make a big decision. I think that it is something that many of us do.
Reference:
Gee, J. P., & Morgridge, T. (n.d.). Why Are Video Games Good For Learning?. In http://www.academiccolab.org. Retrieved January 27, 2012, from http://www.academiccolab.org/resources/documents/MacArthur.pdf
Link:
http://www.wv.gov/education/Pages/classroomsimulationgames.aspx
This is a simulation game that we used for one of our classes at Fairmont State. It is a teacher simulation game and gives you a classroom of students along with a variety of different scenarios. Your job is to keep your students learning in a safe, healthy environment. I thought it was fun, but you have to be on your "A" game just like in a real classroom.
with the fact that they are games."
I can see where the author is coming from in this quote. It may not really have anything to do with the fact that they are games, but that it is a way for the students to learn to work more independently, it is another method of teaching, and many times it is considered a treat or prize. Kids do not come to school and sit in front of a television or computer all day, if that were the case then trying to "teach" through video games would not be a real treat or would be routine. The treat in that case would be if the teacher were to actually teach.
"So the video games in which I am interested, the ones that I think are most
interesting for learning, are digital simulations of worlds that are “played” in the sense
that a player has a surrogate or surrogates through which the player can act within and on
the simulation and that have “win states” (reachable goals that the player has discovered
or formed through his or her surrogate)."
I had to use that quote because once upon a time when I didn't have a child, school, work, house, and all of the other things that life has to offer, I loved to play The Sims. It was nice to be able to make the avatar be whoever you wanted, build the house that you wanted, and have the relationships that you wanted. It was a fun way to pretend and have some control over things. I liked the goals of the game and trying to make my little avatar succeed and meet those goals. I think a game based on the same situation would maybe interest some kids if there were some type of learning basis in the game as well.
"The view of the mind I have sketched argues, as far as I am concerned, that the
mind works rather like a video game. For humans, effective thinking is more like
running a simulation in our heads within which we have a surrogate actor than it is about
forming abstract generalizations cut off from experiential realities."
He seemed to hit the nail on the head. I never would have thought of our mind as a video game but after reading this I could see how how this is true. I often try to think of outcomes for every possible scenario if I am trying to make a big decision. I think that it is something that many of us do.
Gee, J. P., & Morgridge, T. (n.d.). Why Are Video Games Good For Learning?. In http://www.academiccolab.org. Retrieved January 27, 2012, from http://www.academiccolab.org/resources/documents/MacArthur.pdf
Link:
http://www.wv.gov/education/Pages/classroomsimulationgames.aspx
This is a simulation game that we used for one of our classes at Fairmont State. It is a teacher simulation game and gives you a classroom of students along with a variety of different scenarios. Your job is to keep your students learning in a safe, healthy environment. I thought it was fun, but you have to be on your "A" game just like in a real classroom.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Week One- Introduction Post- Educ 6814
Step 3. An introductory post that tells us:
Children and Video Games The link that I chose discussed some of the effects that video games could have on children. It discussed the benefits of games that were educational for children, but also the negative effects games with violence could have on children. I chose this link because as parents we are the ones buying the games and we need to select and monitor games for our children that will help them in a positive way and not produce negative actions.
I was born in 1981. Three major world events that happened during that year were: Prince Charles and Princess Diana were married, MTV was introduced, and the space shuttle Columbia was launched.
a.Where you are from and what do you do.
Hello. My name is Jessica and I am currently a substitute teacher in Harrison and Taylor County. I also work the night shift in the processing department at Huntington Bank.
I hope that this class will teach me inventive and fun ways to integrate games into my classroom. I do like playing games when I get a chance. I used to be hooked on facebook games like Farm Ville, but then I got easily bored and frustrated with the way the games started running. Right now I am into playing Words with Friends on my phone. It's a scrabble type game and very addicting. I think games are a fun way to relax and have down time. I think that video games are fine for kids, but that they shouldn't consume the child's life. There should be time limits placed on the amount of time that they are played. We have an Xbox 360 Kinect which my daughter and I frequently play, we play a game with baby tigers where you control the cat and and Dance Central. They are fun and it keeps up moving in the winter time when it is too cold to be outside.
Hello. My name is Jessica and I am currently a substitute teacher in Harrison and Taylor County. I also work the night shift in the processing department at Huntington Bank.
I hope that this class will teach me inventive and fun ways to integrate games into my classroom. I do like playing games when I get a chance. I used to be hooked on facebook games like Farm Ville, but then I got easily bored and frustrated with the way the games started running. Right now I am into playing Words with Friends on my phone. It's a scrabble type game and very addicting. I think games are a fun way to relax and have down time. I think that video games are fine for kids, but that they shouldn't consume the child's life. There should be time limits placed on the amount of time that they are played. We have an Xbox 360 Kinect which my daughter and I frequently play, we play a game with baby tigers where you control the cat and and Dance Central. They are fun and it keeps up moving in the winter time when it is too cold to be outside.
Children and Video Games The link that I chose discussed some of the effects that video games could have on children. It discussed the benefits of games that were educational for children, but also the negative effects games with violence could have on children. I chose this link because as parents we are the ones buying the games and we need to select and monitor games for our children that will help them in a positive way and not produce negative actions.
I was born in 1981. Three major world events that happened during that year were: Prince Charles and Princess Diana were married, MTV was introduced, and the space shuttle Columbia was launched.
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