Chapter 7
Quote:
The concept of play is both complex and complicated. Nevertheless, play has been most often regarded as antithetical to the most stable pillars of learning in the twentieth century. It is the opposite of work. It is fun, rather than serious. And its connection to learning is secondary or incidental.
Question:
How did play become such a taboo in education? How did it separate from the process of learning to the degree that it exists today? Today students only play during recess time.
Connection:
The same thing that happened to play happens to technology in a classroom where the teacher sees technology as separate from learning. Some teachers use technology as a pacifier. Students only use it when they are good or in order to prevent them from being unruly. Just like Douglas and Seely Brown have stated that play is an integral part of education, so is technology.
Epiphany:
I have always enjoyed including an element of play into learning concepts. After reading this book and specifically this quote I see play is more important than I previously thought. From now on I plan to infuse time for play and time to create into concepts that I teach. I need to bring more art and technology into my classroom.
Chapter 8
Quote:
Through participation in social network sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Bebo (among others) as well as instant and text messaging, young people are constructing new social norms and forms of media literacy in networked public culture that reflect the enhanced role of media in their lives.
Question:
Is someone tracking trends in social media to see what changes these trends bring about?
Connection:
Trends in social media seems to be like trends in language development. Language trends become more so widely used that they transform language and make that certain trend a standard. In social media there are definitely norms and trends that are unique to each site. Epiphany:
Social media is a mode of communication and therefore seems to follow similar trends to language development.
Chapter 9
Quote:
Games, which allow learners to play, explore, and experience, also allow them to discover what is important to them, what it is they actually want to learn—and that keeps them playing. When people stop learning in a game, they lose interest and quit. When understood properly, therefore, games may in fact be one of the best models for learning and knowing in the twenty-first century. Why? Because if a game is good, you never play it the same way twice.
Question:
Why hasn't the educational system embraced this concept of games?
Connection:
Instead education has embraced a system where students are of course not able to play but they are also not allowed to do art, science, explore their creativity, or many other things that kids love to do. Reading, writing, and math are the only subjects that are encouraged and, in some cases, allowed. I worked at a school like this and my students would beg to do science. I am so excited to incorporate more games into my classroom. Fortunately I now work at a school where I have the freedom to do so.
Epiphany:
The quote above says, “When people stop learning in a game, they lose interest and quit.” I believe that this is a very valid reason why students lose interest in school and therefore stop trying to learn.
Quote:
The concept of play is both complex and complicated. Nevertheless, play has been most often regarded as antithetical to the most stable pillars of learning in the twentieth century. It is the opposite of work. It is fun, rather than serious. And its connection to learning is secondary or incidental.
Question:
How did play become such a taboo in education? How did it separate from the process of learning to the degree that it exists today? Today students only play during recess time.
Connection:
The same thing that happened to play happens to technology in a classroom where the teacher sees technology as separate from learning. Some teachers use technology as a pacifier. Students only use it when they are good or in order to prevent them from being unruly. Just like Douglas and Seely Brown have stated that play is an integral part of education, so is technology.
Epiphany:
I have always enjoyed including an element of play into learning concepts. After reading this book and specifically this quote I see play is more important than I previously thought. From now on I plan to infuse time for play and time to create into concepts that I teach. I need to bring more art and technology into my classroom.
Chapter 8
Quote:
Through participation in social network sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Bebo (among others) as well as instant and text messaging, young people are constructing new social norms and forms of media literacy in networked public culture that reflect the enhanced role of media in their lives.
Question:
Is someone tracking trends in social media to see what changes these trends bring about?
Connection:
Trends in social media seems to be like trends in language development. Language trends become more so widely used that they transform language and make that certain trend a standard. In social media there are definitely norms and trends that are unique to each site. Epiphany:
Social media is a mode of communication and therefore seems to follow similar trends to language development.
Chapter 9
Quote:
Games, which allow learners to play, explore, and experience, also allow them to discover what is important to them, what it is they actually want to learn—and that keeps them playing. When people stop learning in a game, they lose interest and quit. When understood properly, therefore, games may in fact be one of the best models for learning and knowing in the twenty-first century. Why? Because if a game is good, you never play it the same way twice.
Question:
Why hasn't the educational system embraced this concept of games?
Connection:
Instead education has embraced a system where students are of course not able to play but they are also not allowed to do art, science, explore their creativity, or many other things that kids love to do. Reading, writing, and math are the only subjects that are encouraged and, in some cases, allowed. I worked at a school like this and my students would beg to do science. I am so excited to incorporate more games into my classroom. Fortunately I now work at a school where I have the freedom to do so.
Epiphany:
The quote above says, “When people stop learning in a game, they lose interest and quit.” I believe that this is a very valid reason why students lose interest in school and therefore stop trying to learn.