Participants for February 15th LiveBlog:
Dan Maas:
Dan is the Chief Information Officer for Littleton Public Schools as well as a parent of a LPS student.
Jeff Whipple:
Jeff is a technology mentor from Fredericton, NB, Canada. Jeff started teaching only five years ago and has over the course of a few years been, “… forced to readjust, rethink and relearn all that I had previously known.” Jeff moved from the rural school to Nashwaaksis Middle School where he is transforming his school to be the largest 1:1 laptop school in Canada. He comments about the entire venture, “There is a revolution taking place, and our students are the revolutionaries. We can either join them in a velvet transition, or be run over by the trucks.”
Tim Stahmer:
Tim is an Instructional Technology Specialist working in the Office of Instructional Technology Integration for an overly-large school district on the Virginia side of Washington DC. He taught middle and high school math as well as computer literacy. For the past 11 years he has helped teachers, administrators and others at all levels make sense of technology in their classrooms and, of course, repaired a few computers and printers along the way. These days he works mostly with the technology trainers in elementary schools.
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228 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 228 of 228I am so proud of these students. I love how you are taking positions, defending them and nothing is personal. There are professionals who could learn a lot from you...
For all of the world to know, Catherine does play violent video games like Super Smash bros and that kind of stuff. Also, I believe that games aren't the only things to effect our attitudes.
I think it depends on the age of the person. Maybe the reason older kids take video games and make them more violent is because they've had more experience in life. They have more reason to protect themselves and their things because they know what it's like out there. Little kids don't know about the bad things in the world.
Jennifer, think about how long it took people to except violent movies. It is like that.
Lisa, Are you sure that they know that video games are make belive?When they are actually in that same situation as they are in that video game how do you know that they will act differently in real life than they did in the game?
Just to clarify, Lisa, I don't think the increase in violence is due to gaming, I do think that one factor that has fed into games becoming more violent is society's media lean towards violence.
QUESTION!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do you guys think the reason there have been many school shootings in the last couple of years, one just happened this weekend, is because of video games? Are people thinking it's alright to shoot someone because they will come back to life?
exactly...but are there certain "jobs" where play would not be acceptable?
Jennifer: violent movies are something you watch - it's one way. Violent games are interactive and require you to commit something of yourself to it.
Amber- that's a good point, but since movies came along and they became more violent, wouldn't we be used to that kind of stuff and except the games more.
is it about competition and winning? reading a text ...there's nothing to gain...read a cheat...you can conquer!
Tim, that is a good point about movies. I agree!
Kenna- I don't necessarily think videogames are to blame for school shootings. They may contribute, but I think it is other issues that people have that drive them to do that.
I think that older kids who are more violent because they played violent video games as a little kid and since they didn't know right from wrong then the violence from the video games stayed with them as they got older.
kennaw: do you think there's more violence in schools or is it possible that we just know more about it with all the 24 hour news channels?
The bell's about to ring - we're done. Thanks Tim and Jeff.
thanks all...:)
You were great!
Thanks everyone
My thoughts on play are that it should be used sparingly and in times when you might need a break. If you play them too much, you will become addicted to them and will never want to do anything else. I think that only boys enjoy games because most of the games are appealing to them and it is hard to make a game that is appealing to girls because based on my knowledge of my sister, most of the things they like to do are shopping and talking on the phone. I think that it would be tough to make a video game where you go aroung shopping while talking on the phone.
"Pink quotes Henry Ford about keeping work and play completely separate. Is that the way we try to make school function?" (tim)
Yes. I have some teachers that will freak out if we even get out of our seats to get a tissue, and they regard joking with friends as a disrespect, even when we have nothing to do.
"ARethere different times where play ius appropriate, and time where play is not?" (alyssac)
When I hear that, my mind jumps immediately to tests. Especially the SAT, ACT and CSAP. I would not try to play during one of those tests. It's against the rules of the test, you know.
"Most painters don't being painting because they want to make money. You probably can't say that about lawyers. :-)" (Tim)
Absolutely. The same goes for people who write books, and even for some people who make video games. It's their passion, not their job.
"Play celebrates struggle and usually doesn't punish. Should our grading practices reflect that concept?" (Dan)
So much depends on grades. Almost too much. The jobs you can get and the Colleges that will accept you. If grades didn't have as much weight behind them, then maybe everyone would try and get a job that reflects what they naturally like to do.
"Video games are like anything else. They can be good or bad and they can be overused and become harmful." (Tim)
Obviously, but people resistant to change do an awfully good job of ignoring positive aspects and focusing on the negative, and both positive and negative clearly exist. Also, like cell phones, movies, and iPods, video games are now a part of our culture and are here to stay, no matter how hard you fight them.
"like delaney in the inner-circle is saying, what is the difference between violent video games and violent movies?" (Jennifer)
I would argue that the difference is that a ton of movies have more graphic violence than in videogames. It is often unrealistic (no matter how hard they try) or cartoonish in video games.
AlyssaC's first comment about laughter being the product of play are my thoughts exactly. Laughter is an emotion that is the result of a "funny"...a funny joke, comment, thought, face etc. Laughter does not just come, it is instigated in some way shape or form, and in my opinion play is something entirely different. Play is creating that in which you want to enjoy. Laughter is merely the by-product.
Kelseyl-
I completely know what you are talking about! I think the best way to incorporate play in our learning also works together with story. When I look back on my learning I remember facts and information that stick out or have more meaning than others. This year I had an easier time in History when we went over the Roaring 20's section, because we studied it in 7th grade as well and we did many activities on it. My teacher had us listen to music by Louis Armstrong and play games that incorporated flappers and speakeasies. Simple activities such as these, work together with play and story to link information so it is easier to remember.
rrapp-
I agree, laughter is not the only type of play...neither is video games. I do not understand how Daniel Pink has the power to trap our minds into thinking that the subject in which he writes his chapter is the only possible answer. I know it is hard to accept, but it is completely true! Reading these discussions as an outsider that was not a part of the actual conversations, I see that the only topics of conversation have been laughter and video games. If you think about it though, when the term play is spoken out loud in common conversation the first thing mentioned would be athletic activities or games of other kinds, and on that note games are not always enjoyable. People love athletic activity and the challenge it presents us with but in Daniel Pink's chapter the one thing on his mind is laughter...well what about when we loose games? A person that participates in sports knows that the option of loosing is ALWAYS there and yet people still play. Why is this?
To answer Alyssa's comment I believe that there should be play in everything. There are times when play is more appropriate but play should be incoperated into every aspect of our life's. Play bring us happiness in our everyday life so it is very important.
People in school shooting may play violent video games but it is not the video games alone. In most cases people in school shootings have many other problems in their life and, are mostly looking to hurt themselves.
Play is necessary to be successful. If you do not enjoy what you are doing you will not take pride in it. If you do have play in your work you will enjoy and the out come will be successful because you are not forcing your self to do it, you want to do your work.
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