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Ashley M

Blogger: Global Citizenship in a Virtual World - Post a Comment - 0 views

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shared by Ashley M on 12 Feb 09 - Cached
  • Ashley M on 12 Feb 09
     
    My comments to the Voice Thread and the "Pros and Cons of Various Virtual Worlds"
Jennifer Motter

Blogger: Global Citizenship in a Virtual World - Post a Comment - 0 views

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shared by Jennifer Motter on 11 Feb 09 - No Cached
    • Jennifer Motter
      Jennifer Motter on 11 Feb 09
       
      My comment on the pros and cons of virtual education and technology integration in schools is posted on Pros and Cons of Various Virtual Worlds thread on Global Citizenship in a Virtual World blog.
Elizabeth Andrews

Global Citizenship in a Virtual World: Pros and Cons of Various Virtual Worlds - 0 views

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shared by Elizabeth Andrews on 09 Feb 09 - Cached
    • christine liao
      christine liao on 12 Feb 09
       
      About the discussion in voice thread about teaching Microsoft Office programs, I agree with the statement in the voice thread. Teaching the programs should not be the goal. Besides, there are a lot of other alternative options that is free to use. Only teaching the commercial programs makes educators become like sales people for big corporation. Educators need to provide other options when, for example, ask students to turn in a paper using word processing program. Unfortunately, many schools don't provide the environment for using alternative programs. But fortunately, more and more educators are aware of this and are working on providing a free and open environment of software using. Web 2.0 technologies might serve as one of the alternative.
    • Elizabeth Andrews
      Elizabeth Andrews on 16 Feb 09
       
      I agree with you about wanting to make the most of this first life. I do wonder if we can separate these lives, or if the distinctions will become academic.
Michelle Byers

Summary of Comments on Virtual Education - 20 views

Here key points from of some of your blog comments. As soon as the Voicethread comments are available I will also add them. Please feel free to add additional comments here. Main Points: ...

web 2.0 education pros cons technology learning

started by Michelle Byers on 15 Feb 09 no follow-up yet
minkyung kim

http://www.gamesforchange.org/play - 0 views

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shared by minkyung kim on 24 Feb 09 - Cached
    • christine liao
      christine liao on 24 Feb 09
       
      Akrasia This is a must-play game. I LOVE this game. It is a piece of artwork that is very thought provoking. It didn't present the intent directly, but the meaning of the game is emerging though the play. At first, you might need to spend some time to figure out what happen, and from my experience, even if I knew the goal is to find the exit, I would enjoy just play in the joyful environment. This reflects the psychology of addiction (and a lot of other things also applicable). I think the game is a good lesson content itself. It not only can function as a way to motive students, but also can provide a lot of dialogues and discussion after playing the game. BTW, This reminds me an art piece "Game, game, game, and again game" http://www.secrettechnology.com/gamegame/gamegame6.html
    • Elizabeth Andrews
      Elizabeth Andrews on 02 Mar 09
       
      Your comments really interested me in playing this game. I have tried to get this to open on my computer without sucess. The profiles I was able to access, and the demos were beautiful.
    • christine liao
      christine liao on 24 Feb 09
       
      Energyville This is a sample game about energy planning. The objective is clear and direct. I found the game not so attractive to me, because although I can choose different energy to use in my city, there are many restrictions too. This is in fact the reality for considering energy source. My score is very poor ranked in compare to other people. I think through playing it many times, people will be able to learning from the mistakes and learn how to balance energy source. In a course content, since this game provide information about energy source, it can be a good way to teach these knowledge. Students can participate in challenge with peers. This will be more fun than reading a textbook or listening to a lecture.
    • Ashley M
      Ashley M on 25 Feb 09
       
      Energyville: I also played this game. This game was based around economics, the environment, and fuel usage. It was pretty effective with communicating its view, but I think it would have been better if designed a little differently. There was a lot of text and information to be gained from this site, which I found very useful. It explained pros and cons about each of the different fuel sources and how much it would challenge your city. I didn't have a good sense of how much money I had and was more concerned about meeting demand with supplies. I found the game fun to play and was able to take away a lot more concrete information form this game then the other game. I felt like this game was directly providing knowledge, while the other game I played was indirectly teaching me something. This could be incorporated into a unit about economics, environmental science/art, social change, globalism, etc. Since this game provides direct facts and information, this game could fit into any structured educational environment. Students who play the game, as long as they read, will be able to learn impact from fuel use, what is using most fuels in cities, and possibly solutions. I agree that this would be a great supplement to reading a text book.
    • Ashley M
      Ashley M on 24 Feb 09
       
      Ayiti: The Cost of Life. It is based around the idea of poverty in Haiti and how difficult it is for families to get past it. I played this game three times, and every single time I lost, my whole family died. I could not get past the 3rd year without having my whole entire family die. I created different strategies each time. The first time, I thought education was so important, so I tried to get the three kids in school for at least 2 out of the 4 times the seasons changed. The family ran out of money, then got too sick to work, and they ended up all dying. The second time, I decided to split up the family, have one child go to school and the other 4 work. This strategy worked a little better, but same result. Last try, I worked everyone and tried to create enough money for the family to live off of, but unfortunately, once someone is sick, you cannot seem to make them better without a few seasons in the hospital, which is expensive. I am interested to see if someone else who plays this gets a different result! Anyways, I thought this game was fun, but frustrating. It really did show how difficult it can be to get a family out of trouble, especially with 3 children, living expensive, health concerns, and education. Since I played 3 times and failed all of them, I would say it is very effective in communicating its view. This game could be incorporated in a unit about social change, human rights, poverty, living conditions in 3rd world countries, etc. Students could play this game and get a broad idea on what it could be like taking responsibility for a family. I think this may be a good introduction to what people in other areas could be facing since learning is indirect.
    • Min Jung Lee
      Min Jung Lee on 02 Mar 09
       
      Right, Ashley. I also could not win if even one of family member studies continuously. I could win when I focus only on family's health and economy.
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    • Ashley M
      Ashley M on 26 Feb 09
       
      The Garbage Game: (I couldn't fit this all under Lindsay's comment so I am adding a new sticky note) I agree with Lindsay's assessment of the game not being attention grabbing enough. There is a lot of reading, which many students will get bored with. If the options aren't properly read, the student may just be blind picking or picking from previous knowledge. This limits the interactivity of the game. The images are "cartoony," but I think this is OK. I do agree that it may not reflect the amount of garbage that is produced; maybe give more then just numbers to show the sheer capacity of what is being dealt with. It may be a good supplement, introduction, or even early assessment to see what students have learned in a lesson based around the environment. The choices that were offered in the beginning are simple ways that even young students can help lessen their footprint.
    • Min Jung Lee
      Min Jung Lee on 27 Feb 09
       
      Ayiti: The Cost of Life is very fun. I think that a fun part in a game is important because fun could spur participants' learning. I enjoyed several times because of fun. However, I felt also sad because this game is over if both parents in this game die. This game deals with the issue global poverty, and human rights. This game reminds me the Need Hierarchy Theory of Abraham Maslow. Through this game, I could realize once more that without guarantying the basic right to live, human could not have even a chance of education. This game is also related to history of art education. I could consider the citizenship, the colonized people and education surrounded by economy, politics, and social interest. I think this game could be used in art class. Regarding benefits, it could provide students a chance to think and consider human rights and global poverty. However, it could influence student negatively because the character in this game die too easily.
    • Min Jung Lee
      Min Jung Lee on 27 Feb 09
       
      . Free Rice is a very simple game. The issue of this game is global poverty. I think art educators could use this game in their class by relating to the issues of global poverty, economic and consumerism. For example, using this game in class, students could realize that materials they consume or waste every day could be indispensable for the people who are suffering from poverty in the world. As a result, students could have a chance to consider their own economic attitudes and consumerism. Therefore, I believe this game could be helpful for students to consider global poverty and consumerism. In the case of that this game is used in art class, I think, merits would be that it is easy to approach to the game and student also could learn other knowledge such as mathematics, art, and language, during playing this game. However, because the answer in this game is very simple and each question has only one answer, it could make students' thoughts simplify. In addition, because the questions which are provided in this game in order to gather race are apart from the issue of global poverty, it could distract students from the issue, global poverty. Compared with the game, Ayiti: The Cost of Life, which I played above, this game is a little boring to me. I think the reason is because of age. This game is too easy for me. However, the issue of this game attracted me. I am satisfied with the issue of this game. I recognized that the age of game user is also very important to game.
    • minkyung kim
      minkyung kim on 01 Mar 09
       
      I also played this game and I agreed with Min Jung's idea. I add a few more words, this game would pursue more educational things than just fun things. So it is unfamiliar types of game. I learned a lot of vocabulary words with this game. I think that this game's 60 levels of vocabulary are used in class as an instructional tool that would helpful study to vocabulary from early childhood player to old player.
    • Robert Martin
      Robert Martin on 01 Mar 09
       
      I've played this game a number of times over the last year or two. This game gives the player pause to think about win/win situations, and how to incorporate them into enjoyable game play. Learning vocabulary while donating rice, it's a fantastic idea. The game itself rely's on a desire to better ones self though, which not all people may want to do. I do wonder if the idea of competition introduced in the vocabulary set meshes well with altruistic ideas inherent in the giving of rice. Fortunately that part is somewhat understated, and doesn't, in my opinion, affect the outcome of the game.
    • Jennifer Motter
      Jennifer Motter on 28 Feb 09
       
      Homeless: it's no game As the player of this game, your challenge is to survive on the streets while you encounter obstacles that a homeless person may face within a 24 hour period. You win the game by achieving a self-esteem level of 25 within 24 hrs. The game has a grid based design, and you use your arrow keeps to navigate through the grid. The houses function as road blocks that you cannot enter. While playing the game you must try to feed yourself, go to the restroom, find shelter, find bottles for cash, and raise your self-esteem. While playing the game, I received messages on my status as a homeless person including "You're so hungary you can't concentrate." Playing this game made me aware of how difficult it is to be homeless. It was frustrating when I couldn't enter the church because it was closed or couldn't open the recycling bin because it was locked. I tried to enter a restaurant by was thrown out because I had no money and because of my looks. The introduction to the game also mentions encountering crystal meth addicts, politicians, ferocious dogs, bad drivers, and upset citizens. I did not encounter any of the these types of obstacles, but I may have lost too early in the game. My self-esteem was not high enough within the time given to play the game. I believe that this game is an interactive instructional tool that could be used in a classroom setting when issues of poverty or class are discussed. I think this game would especially benefit younger players such as middle school students.
    • Jennifer Motter
      Jennifer Motter on 28 Feb 09
       
      After reading Lindsay's comment on 3rd World Farmer I decided to play it myself. I found the simulation of being a 3rd World farmer quite frustrating. There isn't much that you can buy with the $50 that you start with. I bought and planted crops, but couldn't afford any animals because in order to purchase an animal you have to also purchase shelter and in some cases a well for water. You can sell your animals and tools, but you receive a price that was less than what you paid for them. You also are faced with the challenge of keeping all family members healthy. You can select a family member to leave the farm and get paid $10. This game allows the player to experience the hardships faced by 3rd World farmers, and would be especially beneficial when issues of Third World countries are discussed in class.
    • Jennifer Motter
      Jennifer Motter on 28 Feb 09
       
      Against All Odds You are playing a refugee in this game. You have the choice to select: war and conflict, border country, or a new life. If you select war and conflict you experience the feeling of running from persecution. If you select the border country option you are going through the process of trying to stay there. The a new life option provides snapshots of where you will live and your school. I selected this option and went through the process of a job interview. I applied to a job at an amusement park, and selected my job application and interview clothes. I answered questions at the interview and then got to select either a cleaner or roller coaster assistant position. I selected the roller coaster assistant position, but was told that it was taken. I instead accepted the cleaner position and automatically received a bank account. I then had to buy a cell phone, which was a frustrating experience. There were no signs on the stores, and when I entered I was told that I was in the wrong store and had to leave. People in the stores made stereotypical comments about foreigners directed towards me. I never found a cell phone. This game is similar to the other games that I played because they all enabled the player to experience hardships. I found all of the games to be frustrating, which I believe is the point. I believe that this game gives the player an educational learning experience that class discussion alone cannot provide. This game will enlighten students regarding the challenges that refugees face by allowing them to experience these challenges for themselves.
    • Hongkyu Koh
      Hongkyu Koh on 28 Feb 09
       
      This game is well designed to experience odd things that happen in the world. I think this game would very good starting point to think and discuss about the global issues. It was fun to play and I could a brief sense of how people in difficult situations live with their problems. In this case, I think gaming could help a lot to understand those things.
    • Hongkyu Koh
      Hongkyu Koh on 28 Feb 09
       
      Community organizing toolkit. This game allowed me to think what the community friendly environment means. While playing this game, I could have a sense that how I can try to understand the community: How diverse people coexist in a community, what kinds of values they pursue, how they live with those values, how I can appropriately respond to them, and so forth. This game could be good source to start to think and discuss about organizing the community.
    • Hongkyu Koh
      Hongkyu Koh on 28 Feb 09
       
      Homeless: It's no game. This game is designed to experience homelessness in an urban city. I should wander around collecting bottles to sell, using publuc bathrooms, visiting a church to take a bath, and do forth. It is simple game; no storyline, no game characters, and so forth. I doubt that this game can bring up awareness of homelessness and people can really know their problems because this game only portrays oversimplified living pattern of homeless people.
    • Myoungsun Sohn
      Myoungsun Sohn on 28 Feb 09
       
      Go Goat Go: Although this game is seemingly simple and common, the message from it is very powerful. There are several issues around this game, such as poverty in our world, the aid of the poor, and the preservation of ecosystem. It is started by explaining the roles of goats as "recycling machines" at a poor village, and later the benefits of raising goats become three levels of the game, like milking goat, gathering goat's dung, and spreading dung to plant. In addition, between each level, players are guided by written conversation between two main characters. For young children, written guide seems not to be fun and effective for them to understand. As Johnson says that "all good games start off relatively simple and they get more and more challenging" in Wasik's article, the game's focus is narrow down to raise "a goat." However, guiding and playing the game seem not to be effective to young children who are not at least elementary school students. I played this game five times. As I did this over and over, I could realize that I came to focus on getting high points in each level rather than the context. The reason, I think, is that I have already familiar with the story, because the game had a fixed plot. Just depending on my points in each level, some of words in the conversation between two main characters were changed. It is amazing that students can learn social issues by doing online games. However, at first designers of games have to understand players' developmental stages and interests.
    • Myoungsun Sohn
      Myoungsun Sohn on 28 Feb 09
       
      The Great Green Game: This is a knowledge-based game to let students understand how consumer choices affect the environment by doing the quiz of multiple-choices. Most of the questions in the game have three choices. Besides the sound of clapping to hear and point to get, when we selected a right answer in each question, there is no incentive. Since the pattern of question and answer is repetitive throughout the quiz, players could get bored very easily. Even many of the questions ask the right figure like "2.5 gallon" as the answer to the question, "Installing a low-flow shower head can save a household how many gallons of water a year?" For me, this game seems to be a test which little bit fun added. This game reminds me of "rote learning" led by some of cute characters.
    • Mary Elizabeth Meier
      Mary Elizabeth Meier on 02 Mar 09
       
      I agree, Myoungson, it is like an extra fun and visually interesting test. I think that this kind of "learning object" would be useful in a classroom if it was combined with other learning experiences that complement and reinforce that content in the climate challenge.
    • minkyung kim
      minkyung kim on 01 Mar 09
       
      This game Deliver the net is a campaign game to give families in Africa free bed nets to prevent malaria. Malaria is preventable and treatable, yet it remains one of the world's deadliest diseases. Most of the victims are children and most of the deaths are in Africa. Africa suffers more than a million deaths from malaria each year. So this game effects in addressing issue and gives to gamer really important massage about malaria. But this game is too simple after 7years old students to game, they probably easily get boring when they do this. I believe that playing game's primary role is not only learn of issue about poverty and disease but also feel fun. When I play this game, I felt boring not fun. So I think boring is this game's big drawback.
    • Min Jung Lee
      Min Jung Lee on 02 Mar 09
       
      I agree, MinKyoung. I also felt boring. I also think the topic of this is very impotent thing as you state. Anyway, how could you escape from a flock of crows? Whenever I surround by a flock of crows, I could not move and then the game became over.
    • minkyung kim
      minkyung kim on 01 Mar 09
       
      The game Go Goat Go is addressing really important issue about poverty. You can play with goat and young boy in the overall wealth and health of a poverty stricken village. There are three series of levels in which the player learns the primary roles of goats and donation. I felt that it is well- made game when I played to see each level's different simulation and to hear attractive sound. Both sounds and simulations are important roles for making good games. So I believed that this game makes to students are not only learning issue about poverty but also feeling fun. In addition, I think that this game was used as a helpful educational instruction that would benefit for early childhood players.
    • Robert Martin
      Robert Martin on 01 Mar 09
       
      I was dissapointed in this game. It's reference to the online "game" Hot or Not waters down the point the game tries to get across. In the end it becomes a guessing game based on visual assumptions we make about people. I wonder if the game causes the player to consider their own misconceptions, or does it play into them? Beyond those questions, the game play rapidly become boring, and the point was reached fairly rapidly.
    • Elizabeth Andrews
      Elizabeth Andrews on 02 Mar 09
       
      Ayiti: the Cost of Life was an engaging game. The game asks the player to select a strategy, and I selected "happiness". I wanted to work to keep the family happy. Brian asks us to consider Steven Johnson's comment "Honeslty, I doubt that video games are capable of dealing with psychological depth at all..." I am surprised to report that I did feel the game accessed some of this depth. Each character had a happiness, health, education meter. Working someone harder for a longer period of time leads to decreased happiness and illness. There are difficult choices and sacrifices that have to be made. It is interesting to consider who the gamer is selecting to sacrifice and why (the father because he is the eldest male? the young daughter? etc.) I played this game with my husband and it provided a unique opportunity to talk about our own beliefs regarding health, happiness, work and family. I find video games very addicting. This is a major drawback for me. I played this game over and over trying to beat my previous "score" -- which was the happiness and success of the family. How do we deal with this quality of video games in education?
    • Min Jung Lee
      Min Jung Lee on 02 Mar 09
       
      I agree, Elizabeth, I also tried over and over. However, when I focused on health, family could be happy. I sent family to receive click in a hospital whenever their health levels go down, even if they are not sick. If then, they could survive at the end of game. Sometimes, they could be happy. However, I was so sad….
    • christine liao
      christine liao on 02 Mar 09
       
      So after reading your comments, I tried Ayiti. My first play was terrible, because four family members execpt the father died within one year of my play. I picked health as the strategy. apparently I didn't do a good job to maintain their health. I agree with you that this is a game that requried thinking to keep many things in balance, a way to learn the difficulty of real life. But I also think that it might simplify the real life in Haiti. Overall, the events and game is all programed.
    • Elizabeth Andrews
      Elizabeth Andrews on 02 Mar 09
       
      Mission: Migration is a useful game to teach players how their choices (specifically how they take care of their property) can help birds migrate. The experiential quality of a game is engaging. (I do not find this game addictive because it is easy to master -- and doesn't have new information to learn.) Younger children may enjoy this game more than older children -- the game is simple and repetitive, and teaches the same lesson. I would use this game in combination with a movie such as "Winged Migration" and perhaps a community project such as building and installing bird baths, feeders, or distributing literature on the dangers of pesticides. I am thinking of recommending this site to a local nature arts center.
    • Mary Elizabeth Meier
      Mary Elizabeth Meier on 02 Mar 09
       
      A Seat At The Table This game reminded me a little bit of Oregon Trail which I played in grade school. The user is placed in a situation to make a set of decisions that simulate the reality of a person in a particular situation. By faming learning in this way the student might "own" some of the issues in a way that will cause them to remember the facts presented. I think a summary would be helpful so that the student could review the key understandings about poverty and hunger.
    • Mary Elizabeth Meier
      Mary Elizabeth Meier on 02 Mar 09
       
      at-risk This is more like a narrated interactive slide show than a game. It is narrated by a professor who gives advice about refering students to University counseling services. Following the story, the user interacts with 6 students who may need to be referred for counseling. The goal is to decide if a student needs a referral based on academics, behavior, and appearance. The interface is really impressive. You can even meet with a student during office hours. I found this "game," or interactive educational multimedia very informative.
  • Lindsay DiDio on 25 Feb 09
     
    3rd world farmer: This game gives the user the ability to place himself or herself in the life of a farmer in a 3rd world country where having a shed or electricity is a luxury. Where $50 spent on a shed can mean your wife can't get medication. The game discusses the gamble farmers living in a 3rd world country have from year to year, when their livelihood and health depend on their crops or livestock. This came can be an asset in a classroom discussion focused around global conflicts and or an agriculture lesson. The game can be sued to experience farming through someone else's eyes. This game gave me the change to reflect on my education as a young student, and remember played the RPG The Oregon Trail. This game was similar in theory to the 3rd world farmer because the user became a character in the game, their was thought and critical analysis of a situation that went along with the play aspect of using computer games or game systems.
  • Lindsay DiDio on 25 Feb 09
     
    The Garbage game: The garbage game allows students to visually see what impact and decisions they can make even before the garbage truck is introduced as an option for trash removal. The game was interactive, and allowed the player to think, but I don't really think that it would be very effective. The images used are cartoonified, and doesn't really reflect the true amount of garbage dealt with on a daily basis. I think that is this was used as an introduction or supplement to a lesson on recycling or environmental sciences it could be useful, but don't believe it is engaging enough to keep students attention for a long period of time.
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