Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Education: Sci-Fi to Fact?


Daybook Entry: 16 Jan 2013

"Super Nerdy. Not the video but my thoughts toward it. I just place myself thinking how the future of learning will be with this system and  I imagine this 
sci-fi setting, one similar to that of the Vulcan school in the new Star Trek. The process is all of these kids get placed into these little individual concave bowls where they are surrounded by computer systems and utilize this to learn. Sci-fi is just imagination of what the future will be." 



When Gee was talking about integrating video games and the philosophy of learning together I envisioned this futuristic setting with a place swarming with computers, where you are more individually paced and setup to learn. I realize that Gee's video was more about the process by which we learn and how it should mirror that of video games, in a way which  allows the players, or in this case students, to play(learn) new things based on levels, interaction, and overcoming failure. 

I agree with this approach, I find it very futuristic, and by futuristic I mean the next logical step in education. We have a system (video games) which entice players in a way a textbook, a teacher, or a classroom can't. "No deep learning takes place unless learners make an extended commitment to self." (add citation). I feel a lot of students just don't find themselves committed to a lot of things in school for multitudes of reasons from disinterest to lack of a challenge to just uncertainty. 

My only concern with Gee's approach is the lack of concern for failure. "In fact, in a game, failure is a good thing" (ADD CITATION). I struggle with this because while yes I agree that learning from your mistakes is vital and happens to everyone, a habit of failing isn't a philosophy that should be preached. I find constructive criticism to be a better approach. Failure isn't good, but here is what you can do to improve. 

4 comments:

  1. I agree with your idea of how it is bad to preach that its okay to fail multiple times and always get a do-over. I believe that it is alright if you make a mistakes, but what I find to be a problem is if you don't learn from that mistake. Mistakes can be beneficial in life, as long as you grow from them. If yo make the same mistake over and over again, you're not proving anything to yourself.

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  2. I think that you bring up some interesting points. I agree that a lot of students find themselves disinterested in school, and I think that it's pretty cool that people are striving to find new ways to keep things interesting in the classroom. While I don't agree with video games being that new way to keep people interested, I think that there are other educational methods that can be introduced as efficient and effective in enhancing the classroom experience.

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  3. I think the thought that you get a do over is not what the point is. I think he means you learn from your mistakes and sometimes it takes some people longer to learn from one mistake than others. I do agree it seems like he's conveying a "it's OK to fail" message but in gaming you want the highest score which will only allow for the fewest mistakes and when you have that mentality failure isn't an option.

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  4. I afree with the thought about how sci-fi is imagination about how the future will be, but I always think it is funny to watch old sci-fi movies and see what they thought the 21st century would look like. Accoring to them we should be driving flying cars and live on the moon. Interesting approach to this idea though.

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