DEJ 4/Week Five

Scratch- The game that I chose to add was Muffin vs. Cupcake. Students have to avoid the verbs in this game to gain points and not lose. I think that this game or something similar to it would be a good game in the elementary classroom. Students in grades from first to sixth grade always seem to have trouble remembering what a noun is and what a verb is.

Level one from our reading was learning how and I think that this game promotes this level because I only had a few minutes to explore the game and it is something that you have to "learn how" to do in order to play.

The second level or "learning what" to do is promoted in this level because I quickly learned that if I swallowed a verb with my cupcake that I lost the game.

The third level is learning why. In this level student will develop the best strategy to play the game. Although Muffins Vs. Cupcakes is a rather simple game, the player would have to have a strategy to avoid falling verbs.

I think that students would learn where in this game by associating this type of game that would be played in a classroom versus a game that they may at home.

I don't really feel that this game met level five of learning where the student has to choose a moral right or wrong.


DEJ 4

Quote One
"Kids learn about yet another aspect of rules at the What level: “What if we break them?” Players can be heard shouting “That’s not fair!” or “You can’t do that!” at a very early game-playing age, and this is precisely what they are learning about."

I thought that this quote was so funny because I know that many times while I've been playing certain games I've screamed and yelled as if the game could hear me or tell me why I did something wrong. Rules are something that students don't always seem to grasp. While substitute teaching this week, I had the same group of 5th graders and they were reading aloud and playing "Popcorn". A girl was called and didn't want to read, everyone started bickering and saying that she had to read because their teacher said that everyone had to if they were called on during the game or they had to up. I don't believe in making students read if they are uncomfortable, so I had her show me where she should be in her text so that I knew that she was following along while we read. She knew where we were so I didn't make her stand and asked if there was anyone else who preferred to read. A few students started with "THAT'S NOT FAIR!", but I let them know that those were my rules and if they didn't like them we could silent read.



Quote Two
"I would argue that – unless already severely disturbed – kids don’t leave violent games with the message “I’ve got to run out and do this."

I agree with the author on this quote because it seems that so many parents are quick to blame everybody and everything for the way their kids are and not themselves. It seems to be happening everyday and I think that the saddest thing is now teachers are the "bulls-eyes" for parents to push blame on and it is NEVER their child or their fault.


Quote Three
"It is interesting in light of all the criticisms we hear about computer and video games, that the most popular computer game of all time – The Sims – is one that directly and explicitly helps you learn “about life.” The Sims has extended the normal fantasy play of children and adults to a new level of explicitness and participation, and has created a “real-life” community of millions for sharing."

I love The Sims. It is one of my favorite games to play, but I haven't had the time that it takes to play. I never thought about this game as a learning tool for students to learn about real life and the consequences of their decisions. I think that this would be a great learning tool for middle school and high school.


Additional Resource:


I chose this picture from The Sims because I always thought it was funny that many times in the game it wanted you to have an enemy. Although it is not something that I would really want to teach my own child to do I guess it does have a learning aspect about it. After you make the enemy then sometimes you have to win back their affections. I think that this game would be a good tool to use to show kids ways that they could try to apologize or make up for wrong doings or that sometimes you have to watch what you do and say because people aren't so easy to forgive. I couldn't get the picture to post here so it is at the top of the page.