Comments on: You Gotta Share Your Good Stuff http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/04/04/you-gotta-share-your-good-stuff/ Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:39:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Tony Forster http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/04/04/you-gotta-share-your-good-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-155 Tony Forster Thu, 06 Apr 2006 10:56:56 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/04/04/you-gotta-share-your-good-stuff/#comment-155 "a starting point that won’t suck heaps of hours out of my life" Not sure if such a thing exists, its a big risk to start gaming. If you want to understand the world that kids of today live in you can't go past World of Warcraft. I spend lots of time with my son watching and occasionally listen in on the Ventrilo audio channel. I don't play but at least know what "I got a good drop while main tank on a ZG run" means. The WoW world is amazing, and full of more learning than I can identify: strategic thinking, how to by and sell at auction, but most of all for young kids developing the social skills to function in a team of adults. And the adults take the time to explain stuff to the kids, I'm really impressed with my son's friends. Personally I love strategy games, Sim City was where I started, I like the oldies Total Annihilation and Dark Reign, newer is Galactic Battlegrounds. Its really fun when my son's friends come round for a LAN party and they let me play “a starting point that won’t suck heaps of hours out of my life” Not sure if such a thing exists, its a big risk to start gaming.

If you want to understand the world that kids of today live in you can’t go past World of Warcraft. I spend lots of time with my son watching and occasionally listen in on the Ventrilo audio channel. I don’t play but at least know what “I got a good drop while main tank on a ZG run” means. The WoW world is amazing, and full of more learning than I can identify: strategic thinking, how to by and sell at auction, but most of all for young kids developing the social skills to function in a team of adults. And the adults take the time to explain stuff to the kids, I’m really impressed with my son’s friends.

Personally I love strategy games, Sim City was where I started, I like the oldies Total Annihilation and Dark Reign, newer is Galactic Battlegrounds. Its really fun when my son’s friends come round for a LAN party and they let me play

]]> By: Bill Kerr http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/04/04/you-gotta-share-your-good-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-154 Bill Kerr Wed, 05 Apr 2006 16:53:28 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/04/04/you-gotta-share-your-good-stuff/#comment-154 hi graham, there is a very good article, <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/gdc2004/features/20040324/gee_01.shtml" rel="nofollow"> Learning by Design: Games as Learning Machines</a>, by james gee at gamasutra which identifies good games to play based on a set of cognitive learning principles developed by gee. You have to join gamasutra to access the url but its free to join. I was influenced by this article to buy "Rise of Nations" I think assertive blogging is a good way to start to overcome the cultural cringe, not to mention the digital cringe ... hi graham,

there is a very good article, Learning by Design: Games as Learning Machines, by james gee at gamasutra which identifies good games to play based on a set of cognitive learning principles developed by gee. You have to join gamasutra to access the url but its free to join.

I was influenced by this article to buy “Rise of Nations”

I think assertive blogging is a good way to start to overcome the cultural cringe, not to mention the digital cringe …

]]> By: Graham http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/04/04/you-gotta-share-your-good-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-153 Graham Wed, 05 Apr 2006 11:04:31 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/04/04/you-gotta-share-your-good-stuff/#comment-153 Tony, thanks as always for your invaluable input. This is another great reason for blogging. Really, I am an ignoramus when it comes to the world of gaming and its possible impact on education but through blogs I can expand my mind and tap into experts like yourself, Bill and Al. (No doubt you would be pleased about his award.) The links here give me more avenues to follow, read and reflect upon. I'm even thinking I need to get into a complex game and get a feel for it. <a href="http://pedersondesigns.com/2006/03/21/socially-constructed-online-gaming/">John Pederson has been dabbling in World of Warcraft</a> - but I think I need a starting point that won’t suck heaps of hours out of my life while getting a taste of what gaming offers. Any suggestions, Tony? Tony, thanks as always for your invaluable input. This is another great reason for blogging. Really, I am an ignoramus when it comes to the world of gaming and its possible impact on education but through blogs I can expand my mind and tap into experts like yourself, Bill and Al. (No doubt you would be pleased about his award.) The links here give me more avenues to follow, read and reflect upon. I’m even thinking I need to get into a complex game and get a feel for it. John Pederson has been dabbling in World of Warcraft – but I think I need a starting point that won’t suck heaps of hours out of my life while getting a taste of what gaming offers. Any suggestions, Tony?

]]> By: Tony Forster http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/04/04/you-gotta-share-your-good-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-152 Tony Forster Wed, 05 Apr 2006 07:54:03 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/04/04/you-gotta-share-your-good-stuff/#comment-152 When I learnt that Marc Prensky would be in Australia, I jumped at the opportunity. In collaboration with <a href="http://www.acmi.net.au/" rel="nofollow">ACMI </a>and DE&T the <a href="http://www.gamelearning.edu.au/" rel="nofollow"> ASISTM Games Cluster</a> was able to bring him to Melbourne. Marc is an excellent communicator and was able to fill the venue easily, something that would be harder to achieve with an Australian speaker. We were able to spread the message about games in education to a wide audience. Richard Van Eck, in his paper Digital Game- Based Learning <a href="http://www.educause.edu/apps/er/index.asp" rel="nofollow"> It’s Not Just the Digital Natives Who Are Restless</a> suggests that proponents of digital game-based learning (DGBL) should move from the promotion of DGBL to a critical analysis of DGBL. “Like the person who is still yelling after the sudden cessation of loud music at a party” we now have the world’s attention and its time to do critical analysis of what exactly we are promoting. Though I don't agree with his conclusion that we should adopt off the shelves games ahead of game making, he makes a good point. Its a bit like the 80's and Logo. The educational literature of the day was strong on advocacy but weak on analysis. There was lots of hype but a shallow understanding of the pedagogy, teachers were understandably disappointed and Logo got a bad name. We are fortunate in Australia to have world class practitioners of DGBL. To mention some, there's <a href="http://billkerr.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Bill Kerr</a>, <a href="http://www.mindtools.tased.edu.au" rel="nofollow">Margaret Meijers</a>, <a href="http://alupton.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow">Al Upton</a> and Mark Piper and the <a href="http://www.learningplace.com.au/deliver/content.asp?pid=24029" rel="nofollow"> Games In Learning</a> group. Doug Johnson is right, part of our national psyche is a totally undeserved inferiority complex. We need to recognise the position of leadership we hold in game programming and as Doug says "I do hope you start recognizing and speaking more of the contributions you make" When I learnt that Marc Prensky would be in Australia, I jumped at the opportunity. In collaboration with
ACMI and DE&T the

ASISTM Games Cluster was able to bring him to Melbourne. Marc is an excellent communicator and was able to fill the venue easily, something that
would be harder to achieve with an Australian speaker. We were able to spread the message about games in education to a wide audience.

Richard Van Eck, in his paper Digital Game- Based Learning

It’s Not Just the Digital Natives Who Are Restless
suggests that proponents of digital game-based learning (DGBL) should move from the promotion of DGBL to a critical analysis of DGBL.
“Like the person who is still yelling after the sudden cessation of loud music at a party” we now have the world’s attention and its time to do critical analysis of what exactly we are promoting.
Though I don’t agree with his conclusion that we should adopt off the shelves games ahead of game making, he makes a good point.

Its a bit like the 80′s and Logo. The educational literature of the day was strong on advocacy but weak on analysis. There was lots of hype but a shallow
understanding of the pedagogy, teachers were understandably disappointed and Logo got a bad name.

We are fortunate in Australia to have world class practitioners of DGBL. To mention some, there’s Bill Kerr,
Margaret Meijers,
Al Upton and Mark Piper and the
Games In Learning group.

Doug Johnson is right, part of our national psyche is a totally undeserved inferiority complex. We need to recognise the position of leadership we hold in game programming and as Doug says “I do hope you start
recognizing and speaking more of the contributions you make”

]]> By: Doug Johnson http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/04/04/you-gotta-share-your-good-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-151 Doug Johnson Tue, 04 Apr 2006 20:44:27 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/04/04/you-gotta-share-your-good-stuff/#comment-151 Hi Graham, Admittedly, my experiences in the land of Oz are not extensive (2 trips there and a couple of mates), but I have always sensed part of your national psyche is a totally undeserved inferiority complex. In terms of distance education, library services, educational web use, you Aussies serve as models to the rest of the world. While I hope you all never become as full of yourselves as we Yanks, I do hope you start recognizing and speaking more of the contributions you make. Said only in kindness, Doug Hi Graham,

Admittedly, my experiences in the land of Oz are not extensive (2 trips there and a couple of mates), but I have always sensed part of your national psyche is a totally undeserved inferiority complex. In terms of distance education, library services, educational web use, you Aussies serve as models to the rest of the world.

While I hope you all never become as full of yourselves as we Yanks, I do hope you start recognizing and speaking more of the contributions you make.

Said only in kindness,

Doug

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