Gee:
When Adrian, who is an excellent student, is asked how he likes school, he has this to say: "School is fine. I don't live and breath school, but it's fine." Adrian's remarks exemplify several themes we found with a number of players we have interviewed. First, play for him is inherently social, in several different ways. He plays in a team with others. His team is part of a much larger group to which he belongs...Second, the knowledge and skills Adrian has in regard to playing EverQuest is "distributed." It exists in his own head and body. But some of it exists in other people whom he can call for help...Third, Adrian's knowledge and skills are not only distributed across himself and other people; some actually reside in various tools and technologies, like the hex editors he can use to manipulate the code of a game. The knowledge built into the hex editor counts as Adrian's knowledge because he knows how to leverage this tool. The real thinking and acting unit becomes "Adrian plus tool." Fourth, Adrian's attitude toward games and the computer is itself game like and highly metrareflective." (Ch.7 pg.189)
Psomas:
As "Adrian" is part of a discourse community in playing video games. he is also in a discourse community in school as well. Gee tries to break down and compare the attitude and patterns in Adrian as a player and a student. He mentions that Adrian is and excellent student, and as we read earlier, he is also an excellent game player. Being social in school was first and as Gee continues to break down Adrian in terms of comparison, we see that he too looks for help and gives help to those in his discourse community, or affinity groups- being a group within a larger group. Pratt would say Contact zone within the community. The teacher would be be the main one with the knowledge to regurgitate to Adrian and members in his community (students). When talking about tools and manipulation in games, Adrian may use this also in school- for example the Internet is a useful way to retrieve information.
Gee reminds me of Pratt, when comparing literacy to Baseball cards, as Gee compares to video games.
Russell:
"Facility members and administrators have long agreed that every teacher should teach writing (a cliche' as old as mass education), but since the turn of the century, the American Education system has placed the responsibility for teaching writing outside the disciplines, including, to a large extent, the discipline of "English"...(pg.4)
Psomas:
If it always seems to be the majority of teachers and administrators agree that every teacher should teach writing, then why is the Cliche' still an issue? Students tend to excel in grammar and writing essays in English classes rather than in other class subjects. This puts a strain on many because other subject teachers are having difficulty grading and comprehending students works. If this has been a problem for this long, than maybe the majority should Finally win, and let writing be taught in all classes.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Blog #2
Gee:
"...I, on the other hand, utter the code word and experience a delicious moment of wonderfully embodied and situated meaning (much as I did when I first realized that fractal equations lead to marvelous patterns when you feed them into a computer or actually graph them on a a piece of paper, rather than just learn to repeat them and verbally list their numerical properties)." (Ch.4 pg82-83)
Psomas:
Gee is referring to the video game Deus Ex, where he encountered an enemy but is able to have her self-destruct because he has found a code in the computer. He goes on to compare this situation to the satisfaction of putting meaning into, for example, fractal equations. At first the code numbers mean nothing, but once you put it into use, I see what it was good for. By "embodied" he means in the body as well as in the mind (on how he is storing information). I agree with this notation, as it reminds me of teaching and learning. We, as teachers, students, and humans, have come to realize that putting meaning into our work, rather that memorization and repetition has more of an affect and satisfaction. Kind of like what Williams said when she talked about being able to "name" something in "The Joshua Tree Epiphany".
When it comes to teaching, if we are able to put meaning behind our teachings, and truly understand what is being taught, then hopefully we can regenerate that meaning to our students and have them view the learning as "embodied."
Gee:
"To make sense of them [words] you must fit them into the emerging plot and virtual world you are discovering and helping to build. And, you must do this actively, since you have choices about where to go and what to do. Every potentially meaningful sign in a game like Deus Ex-whether word, deed,artifact, or action- is a particularly sort of invitation to embodied action (action actually carried out in the game world or simulated in your mind). And the nature of that invitation changes as you experience new situations and engage in new actions in the virtual world of the game. "(Ch.4 pg 83)
Psomas:
I believe this analogy to be very true when it comes to words. Gee compares words with video games and the tools needed to experience the "virtualness." This right away makes me think about, not only teaching literature, but reading I have done myself. The words, deeds, artifacts, and actions used in video games is the same way we use key events, point out plots, draw conclusions, and analyze characters in a story. As the video game proceeds, or we continue to read, we are "accepting the invitation of embodied action." When Gee talks about the nature of the invitation changing as you experience new situations, you can instantly think back to when you have read and then reread a book. Did you think differently about it? Did you notice something different? Is it because the book changed or you changed? As our experience in life changes, we do indeed change and our views are altered from our previous views. Students will too feel that. Maybe they already feel that when they replay a video game, and as they get older they most likely feel that with literature they have read in the past. As Murray states in ND, we have to be patient and wait and wait and wait. It is a process rather than a product. That goes the same for embodied action, as teachers wee have to let time take it's course and let the students experience their inner reward for themselves.
"...I, on the other hand, utter the code word and experience a delicious moment of wonderfully embodied and situated meaning (much as I did when I first realized that fractal equations lead to marvelous patterns when you feed them into a computer or actually graph them on a a piece of paper, rather than just learn to repeat them and verbally list their numerical properties)." (Ch.4 pg82-83)
Psomas:
Gee is referring to the video game Deus Ex, where he encountered an enemy but is able to have her self-destruct because he has found a code in the computer. He goes on to compare this situation to the satisfaction of putting meaning into, for example, fractal equations. At first the code numbers mean nothing, but once you put it into use, I see what it was good for. By "embodied" he means in the body as well as in the mind (on how he is storing information). I agree with this notation, as it reminds me of teaching and learning. We, as teachers, students, and humans, have come to realize that putting meaning into our work, rather that memorization and repetition has more of an affect and satisfaction. Kind of like what Williams said when she talked about being able to "name" something in "The Joshua Tree Epiphany".
When it comes to teaching, if we are able to put meaning behind our teachings, and truly understand what is being taught, then hopefully we can regenerate that meaning to our students and have them view the learning as "embodied."
Gee:
"To make sense of them [words] you must fit them into the emerging plot and virtual world you are discovering and helping to build. And, you must do this actively, since you have choices about where to go and what to do. Every potentially meaningful sign in a game like Deus Ex-whether word, deed,artifact, or action- is a particularly sort of invitation to embodied action (action actually carried out in the game world or simulated in your mind). And the nature of that invitation changes as you experience new situations and engage in new actions in the virtual world of the game. "(Ch.4 pg 83)
Psomas:
I believe this analogy to be very true when it comes to words. Gee compares words with video games and the tools needed to experience the "virtualness." This right away makes me think about, not only teaching literature, but reading I have done myself. The words, deeds, artifacts, and actions used in video games is the same way we use key events, point out plots, draw conclusions, and analyze characters in a story. As the video game proceeds, or we continue to read, we are "accepting the invitation of embodied action." When Gee talks about the nature of the invitation changing as you experience new situations, you can instantly think back to when you have read and then reread a book. Did you think differently about it? Did you notice something different? Is it because the book changed or you changed? As our experience in life changes, we do indeed change and our views are altered from our previous views. Students will too feel that. Maybe they already feel that when they replay a video game, and as they get older they most likely feel that with literature they have read in the past. As Murray states in ND, we have to be patient and wait and wait and wait. It is a process rather than a product. That goes the same for embodied action, as teachers wee have to let time take it's course and let the students experience their inner reward for themselves.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Blog #1
Williams:
"Now, the Joshua tree is a weird-looking tree and I looked at that picture and said to myself, 'Oh, we don't have that kind of tree in Northern California. That is a weird looking tree and I would know if I saw that tree, and I never seen one before.'... I took a walk around the block, and there must have been a a sale at the nursery when everyone was landscaping their new homes- at least 80 percent of the homes had Joshua trees in the front yards. And I had never seen one before!" (p.11)
Psomas:
I found the analogy of Williams' experience with the naming of the Joshua tree to the naming of design principles to be a remarkable one. It is so very true that you may be unaware of something for so long and thus take for granted what has been in front of your nose the whole time. Williams goes on to share his "epiphany" with the recognition of the Joshua tree and being able to "name" it. Williams states that by naming something we are now in control, just like when it comes to learning the design principles. The lay out of the chapters is very explainable and focused, therefore giving me an idea of what to expect and how to absorb what I will be reading. The analogy seems to me to also be an interesting way to look at life as well.
Murray:
"We have to be patient and wait, and wait, and wait. The suspense in the beginning of a writing course is agonizing for the teacher, but if we break first, if we do the prewriting for our students they will not learn the the largest part of the writing process...You are not teaching a product, you are teaching a process." (p.5-6)
Psomas:
I absolutely agree with Murray's Implications of teaching a writing course as a process instead of a product. Exploratory writing and discovery amongst students is critical and important. I am pleased to hear someone else speak of the teaching as being agonizing when it comes to being "quiet" and letting the students prewrite over and over again (Murray States prewriting takes about 85% of the time p.4) when all you want to do is share your knowledge on what to do. But the truth is students indeed need to discover the writing process on their own, with us a guide. If we can learn to teach writing as a process, rather than as a product like Murray states, then we have done our job in the course.
"Now, the Joshua tree is a weird-looking tree and I looked at that picture and said to myself, 'Oh, we don't have that kind of tree in Northern California. That is a weird looking tree and I would know if I saw that tree, and I never seen one before.'... I took a walk around the block, and there must have been a a sale at the nursery when everyone was landscaping their new homes- at least 80 percent of the homes had Joshua trees in the front yards. And I had never seen one before!" (p.11)
Psomas:
I found the analogy of Williams' experience with the naming of the Joshua tree to the naming of design principles to be a remarkable one. It is so very true that you may be unaware of something for so long and thus take for granted what has been in front of your nose the whole time. Williams goes on to share his "epiphany" with the recognition of the Joshua tree and being able to "name" it. Williams states that by naming something we are now in control, just like when it comes to learning the design principles. The lay out of the chapters is very explainable and focused, therefore giving me an idea of what to expect and how to absorb what I will be reading. The analogy seems to me to also be an interesting way to look at life as well.
Murray:
"We have to be patient and wait, and wait, and wait. The suspense in the beginning of a writing course is agonizing for the teacher, but if we break first, if we do the prewriting for our students they will not learn the the largest part of the writing process...You are not teaching a product, you are teaching a process." (p.5-6)
Psomas:
I absolutely agree with Murray's Implications of teaching a writing course as a process instead of a product. Exploratory writing and discovery amongst students is critical and important. I am pleased to hear someone else speak of the teaching as being agonizing when it comes to being "quiet" and letting the students prewrite over and over again (Murray States prewriting takes about 85% of the time p.4) when all you want to do is share your knowledge on what to do. But the truth is students indeed need to discover the writing process on their own, with us a guide. If we can learn to teach writing as a process, rather than as a product like Murray states, then we have done our job in the course.
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