Consumption of Violent Games

This weeks lecture featured a guest speaker who had some very interesting ideas to share with the class. She spoke of a study that was conducted in which students were followed for three years with their use of technology being a focal point of this research. Some of the results included that students demonstrate a great ability to fracture their focus, many thought reading was boring, and the two results I am going to focus on were that some students really enjoyed violent videogames and students were massive consumers, but not critical consumers. These two last points I do not find to be surprising, but I do find to be relevant knowledge that educators need to consider.
With children spending more of their spare time engaged in the interactive, challenging and often violent digital media of videogames than any other generation, it is important that educators learn about the effects this is having on their student's minds. The literature on the effects of violent videogames is very controversial with no clear consensus on the exact impacts that playing these games is having on childrens' development. A study conducted by Holtz & Appel (2011) tracked over 200 10-14 year old boys and found some negative repercussions of playing age inappropriate videogames. By distinguishing between the types of violent videogames played, the researchers found that first-person shooters were associated with outward displays of aggression whereas those that played fantasy type games were more likely to have internalized problems. Another study, this one by Ferguson & Kilburn (2010) found that there are many problems with the studies that have been done about violence and videogames such as using males since males tend to be more aggressive than females even without the influence of videogames. Despite these troublesome factors, Ferguson & Kilburn (2010) believe that the concern over violent videogames is legitimate.
   I have been an avid videogamer from a young age. It is only by being too busy by university life that I do not play very often anymore. I still enjoy the occasional videogame and I find them fun, no matter how unproductive they may be. The games I often played were violent in nature not because I sought the violence out, but because the games of the highest quality and competitiveness were usually violent. I predict this is not the reason why many young children play these games, but as the guest speaker mentioned, one of the students interviewed played violent videogames because he found it to be good for releasing his aggressiveness. I do think sometimes certain children need an outlet for physical aggressiveness, I'm just not convinced a videogame can provide that. I think that violence in videogames comes down to the responsibility of the parent to determine if their child can handle the images and if they are mature enough to rationalize what they see without imitating it or acting on impulses. Video games are not inherently evil, they just need to be monitored correctly and can even be educational if text or problem solving is involved.
   The second topic I wanted to comment on that was brought up by the guest speaker, and actually ties in with the first topic, is the idea of media literacy. She commented on how young people are becoming massive consumers, but not critical consumers. This is very relevant to what we have been learning in this course as media literacy is increasingly being recognized as an important competency. Potter (2010) lays out a strong argument for why media literacy is important for young people and the avenues that it needs to be learned in. It is stated that the purpose of media literacy is to "gain greater control over one's life, particularly the constant influence from the mass media" (p. 681). I definitely agree with the importance of media literacy, but am skeptical that is can be effectively learned by students within the classroom. Schools are a place where children are for the most part free from the constant bombardment of advertisements; it acts as a haven from the mass media. Since children are not surrounded by the ploys designed by marketers within the classroom, I think it is difficult for teachers to demonstrate to children the potential negative consequences of advertisements unless they are in the moment experiencing it. The strategies of marketing can be mimicked by the teacher, but it will never grab the students attention or catch them at the right moment like it does outside the school. Just like violent videogames, media literacy is something that parents should be aware of and intervene and teach their children if their child is taking mass media at face value. There will always be potentially negative influences in the lives of children, it is just becoming increasingly more difficult for parents to censor all of it for their children. As educators we need to recognize this and continually aim to present a view of the world in which students can distinguish fantasy from reality, and yet be capable of being critical of reality.
  Thank you to anyone who has read my blog and I hope that I was able to stimulate some thoughts for you on the subjects I chose to discuss as they relate to education. This will be my last post on "Integration with the Hoff" but the experience has been an enjoyable one and I could see myself blogging in the not-too-distant future. Bye for now Interweb!

References:

Ferguson, C. J. & Kilburn, J. (2010). Much Ado About Nothing: The Misestimation and Overinterpretation of Violent Video Game Effects in Eastern and Western Nations: Comment on Anderson et al. (2010). Psychological Bulletin, 136(2), 174-178.

Holtz, P., & Appel, M. (2011). Internet use and video gaming predict problem behavior in early adolescence. Journal of Adolescence, 34, 49-58.

Potter, J. W. (2010). The state of media literacy. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Meda, 54, 675-696.

Integrated education through a global lens...

I've been always been amazed with just how many aspects of life are changing simultaneously at any time in our world and in our own lives. I am someone who is always interested in what is occurring in different places and enjoy sharing current events with the people I know. As I prepare for an educational experience of a lifetime in Africa, at the same time,  Egypt enters a new era, the world is being bombed in Libya and Japan suffers disaster. It is obvious that thinking in permanent terms does not apply and is something more could benefit from truly recognizing.
   The countdown is on for the beginning of my month in Africa. I am traveling to Namibia in a little over 5 weeks to learn about this country's culture and hopefully be a positive face for a number of children living there. This opportunity to stay and learn in an environment that is radically different than where I have lived my entire life is something that I expect to have a lasting impact on my worldview. I am confident that working with these children will open my eyes to the great disparity that exists in this world as I think seeing it through the media is only part  of the picture. Understanding that I am a person who can demonstrate and teach these children some academic and life skills while at the same time them being people who are enduring a difficult upbringing is important. I am obviously not exactly sure what I will learn during this month, but I predict that keeping a positive attitude in the face of adversity is an informal educational experience that I will be grateful to have learned from these young people.
   As expressed by Dennis (2011), what is happening at a national level affects us all. Global education is an increasingly popular term, but I think many still think that a "countries of the world" geography unit or a pen-pal activity satisfies this modern educational emphasis. These short-term global education lessons do not convey to children the great international and cross-cultural opportunities that exist for them in an interconnected global world (Dennis, 2011). As educators, and as fellow global citizens, it is our responsibility to teach children about the movement of goods and people, the possibilities of technology, and the sharing of culture so that they can take advantage of this change and transcend towards being accepting, opportunistic, and widely literate learners.
   The strong connection between global education and integration of the curriculum across subjects is apparent when designing integrated units that strive to capture the valuable explicit and implicit overall understandings. Ideas and concepts like global markets, technological change in civilizations, and anthropogenic impacts on the environment  are merely scratching the surface of some of the units that can be integrated. The theme for the big understanding is not the only important part of integrating the curriculum however, as having lessons that are engaging and expressive to support the theme is probably the bigger challenge.
   While I mentally prepare to experience Namibian culture in the upcoming weeks, I recognize the positive outlook this will have on my teaching philosophy. I am confident that when I am a teacher and I reflect on the personalities I met in Namibia and the values they shared with me, it will remind me that truths are nearly always subjective, but also that children possess valid knowledge about their world as they relate to the larger global events of the time.

References:
Dennis, J. M. (2011). Global education challenges and opportunities: Students are not isolated from world events. University Business, 14(2), 49-50.

...Of Mice and Tubes.

    This week in lecture felt informative, practical, and applicable. I was glad to share with my fellow students a simple way to make lecture learning interactive. It was also helpful to be shown a safe and reliable way to share videos with students.
    Mouse Mischief is a free PowerPoint software application by Microsoft that allows up to 25 students to control a cursor and select answers to teacher's question using their mice. All that is required are the mice, a projector, Microsoft Powerpoint, and a USB hub. I was surprised by the ease of use and the differing types of questions that teachers could use to gauge student comprehension. I have yet to design a lecture using Mouse Mischief, but I am intrigued of the idea of combining my formative assessment ability with my art skills to make a learning experience that is hopefully more engaging for students. The goof-off to thoughtful answers ratio by my students would be the deciding factor if this application would be a common part of the instructional aspect of my teaching or merely an occasional component. I hope Mouse Mischief proves to be the useful and inexpensive way to allow students to use technology along with the teacher that it seems to be.
    The other presentation I would like to comment on demonstrated a network service called Vusafe. This is essentially Youtube for a classroom environment so all the distracting advertisements, inappropriate comments and content are gone. This allows for educators to feel comfortable that their students are not exposed to things that are irrelevant to the content of the video or are beyond their level of maturity. This seems like a no-brainer, especially for junior grades. I do have my skepticism however as the presenters were unable to demonstrate the website to us as they had not been granted access from the company that hosts the videos. How does this company make money without charging schools for the license or having advertisements? What drives them to provide a quality service to educators? For some reason I have doubt that it is out of the kindness of their hearts. If I were a teacher, I would definitely ask the principal to see about a subscription because I think their is an inherent quality in videos that are educational and interesting and it wouldn't hurt to try it out, but it seems a little too good to be true.
  This week's presentation lecture felt more like a conference of teacher's sharing some of their ideas concerning technology and more progressive ways of teaching. That is probably how it should be though, considering that we are coming to the end of fourth year already!

Film- "Waiting for Superman"

This week I watched the documentary film, "Waiting for Superman." Even though this film does not address the topic of integration in curriculum, it sends a powerful message about the state of public education in the United States. I believe that through learning about the poor education that American students are receiving, us educators north of the border can not only feel good about our teaching, but make sure we continue to strive for the best for our country's youth. Integrating the curriculum is a good way to improve our education, but I think attempting that in America would result in failure as there are so many more basic problems that need to be straightened out first.
   A part of the film that shocked me was when hidden cameras were taken into the schools to document the teacher's performance. They caught teachers on camera sitting at their desk reading a newspaper while students did whatever they wanted. One teacher even told their student that "I get paid whether you learn or not." I hope I never encounter this type of lazy and indifferent attitude when I enter the profession because I don't think I could restrain myself from verbally abusing this "teacher." It is not only the fact that this teacher is abusing the system because they know how hard it is to get fired, but they are preventing an entire group of young people from attaining there true potential. Teaching is a career that comes with a high degree of responsibility and when teachers like the ones in the documentary, totally disregard this, it paints a poor picture of all teachers. Teachers need to be able to be fired for this kind of blatant disregard for the future's knowledge and skills.
   Another scene in the film that really resonated with me was the emotion that went into the lottery for the charter schools. These families were completely heart-broken when they're child's names were not called. It makes the importance of education for society all the more real. This film also made me realize how fragile education is. If we fail to invest in maintaining our education system, there is no reason why families wouldn't desire to go the private route while those who can't afford it are left behind. I know that when I become a teacher I will ensure that parents need not seek out schools in other areas because the students will have an education that they are proud of and I think integration of the curriculum is one way to do this!
  I highly recommend checking this movie out as it provides a valuable insight into education and the immense importance it has currently and will have when these students grow up.  

Monkey Trial Project: 21st Century Skills

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjKpD7qh7Ac&feature=email

This video gives a glimpse into what an integrated unit looks like and and the types of skills that are a part of the process. I remember covering the topic being covered in this video in grade 9, but our class was not granted near the amount of freedom to go through the thought process as this class. The debate between intelligent design and evolution is not as controversial as it was once, but it is still worthwhile to teach this example of knowledge changing society's traditional views. Allowing students to learn about this iconic topic of belief versus scientific evidence through their own research is a great way to facilitate student sharing and demonstrate respectfulness of each others knowledge.

The group element was an aspect of an integrated curriculum that was useful to see. It appeared that the students were genuinely challenging each others conceptions of how to successfully present their argument to the rest of the class and even the school board. Bringing about conflicting ideas about the content and the presentation of that content seemed to cause students to re-evaluate their notions and then reach a general consensus. I feel that creating a learning environment in which students feel comfortable not only sharing their ideas, but also giving constructive criticism to their peers, is vital for learners to transcend from being subjects of knowledge to builders of knowledge. Introducing students to group collaboration and continual re-evaluation of their group's stance on real-world issues is how I think preparing young people for the challenging and troublesome problems of the world will realistically be overcome. Big issues will not be solved by isolating thinking, so education needs to take the benefits of group work seriously and allow for sound ideas to take form through the process of group questioning and valuable arguments.

I am definitely inspired by this video to create a similar student-directed unit for my students. I would definitely consider the monkey trial topic, but if it were a younger grade I would perhaps look at designing a unit like the social movement in the United States as they would more likely be able to grasp the idea of equality more than the incompatibility of evolution with creationism. I am confident that my students someday will be able to take the initiative to dig deeper into a subject out of their own curiosity and desire for a stronger knowledge base like the students in this video appeared to be doing.

Bridging Subjects to Enhance Learning

This week's lecture brought to light the fact that integration of the curriculum involves more than just carefully analyzing the standards to make sure lessons are relevant and aligned, but deciding on the type of integration is also important. I always just assumed that when a teacher was using an integrated curriculum, that it was one standard approach. Dr. Drake revealed that there are actually three different approaches: multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary. I am going to share my thoughts on each and hopefully come to a personal consensus on the approach I would most like to adopt in my classroom someday.

The multidisciplinary approach involves integrating the subjects using skills and knowledge from each subject and applying them around a common theme. I find this approach somewhat of a half-hearted attempt towards integration because the disciplines are still discrete, it is only considered integrated because they share a theme. I feel that students would become bored of the theme after covering it in each subject period and some would become uninterested and as a consequence, their learning would suffer. The second approach discussed was interdisciplinary and was when the teacher frames learning around skills and concepts that are present in multiple subject areas. I think that this approach would be easy to do as skills like communication and critical thinking could be identified in the standards, but there is the risk of missing certain expectations if certain knowledge is unique to the subject. I would also question whether a unit on
"inquiry" could be designed to be engaging enough or have real world implications to make it meaningful. For the facts that multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary seem only like first attempts at integration and may be beneficial for teachers still weary of integrating standards, but are not what I consider fully integrated.

The transdiciplinary approach is what I as a future educator will strive to create. This approach involves a real-life context that is student-centered as it incorporates their questions about the world around them so that they can find answers using the skills and knowledge of the curriculum. I see this integration as being optimal as the lines between subjects are blurred and students become motivated to learn concepts from less favourable disciplines like math sheerly through their curiosity. Even though I think that this approach would be intensive in designing, as it would need to cover the standards while working towards a larger goal, I think the benefits of students actually becoming engrossed in a theme that extends beyond the classroom and has societal relevance is the learning I want my students to benefit from.

Through reviewing the three approaches to integration and sharing my thoughts on each, I have become more familiar with them and now recognize how integration will work with my style and philosophy of teaching. If I can manage to create some truly unique experiences for my students, I am confident that they will be able to take away a big understanding and perceive the world as being necessarily subjective to their intentions to improve it.

Welcome!

 This blog is intended for the teaching assistants, professor, and fellow students of the university course titled, Education: Literacies Across the Classroom. I plan on sharing my thoughts on the material covered in the course and how I plan to use this knowledge going forward as a lifelong learner and future educator. I hope that by making this blog available to the online education community, others will consider my ideas concerning interdisciplinary curriculum in light of their own thoughts and hopefully respond. So please, don’t be shy to engage because I am new to blogging and new to integrated education!

The first week of this course posed the question of what literacy means to me. I had heard only hints through previous education courses that literacy extends beyond reading and writing and is actually something much more. Through my paper, I attempted to place a description on the term in light of my own life experiences. I came to the conclusion that an integral component of literacy is communication. This ability of communication connects people to each other and the the wider society, but varies greatly with context and time.

I think this more broad understanding of literacy can aid students in the education system whose literacy is not recognized for the proficiency that it is. A student who is very well versed in speaking the language of online videogame strategy possesses an ability that connects him well with others who participate in this community. This learned language of codes that represent online spatial realms is not even close to useful within the school system, but perhaps it should. Children are attracted and become immersed in what stimulates them, so it would be wise for the educational system to start paying attention to this fact so that the genuine modes of literacy that children possess can be demonstrated and celebrated. Even if that child loses interest in videogames as they get older, I can't see being able to coordinate others in calculated ways using technology as being anymore useless than learning about certain mathematical formulas.