[LM_NET] Your Brain on Video Games?

[Diane Chen <DianeRChen@AOL.COM>]

Would anyone care to think deeply and discuss the article "Your Brain  on
Video Games: Could They Actually Be Good For You?" by Steven Johnson in  July's
Discover magazine? I found it very interesting and now think I should go  read
the book Everything Bad Is Good For You by the same author.  Very  interesting
points about students and learning. Many myths are debunked, such as  the
idea that videogame playing makes you anti-social.
     If you could see my house of 4 teenage boys  playing X-box live, Game
cube and 2 computers simultaneously - all interacting  with each other and
friends via the internet, you'd know this is not entirely a  solitary sport. The
phone often rings as they work through puzzles and scenarios  with their school
friends. One son worked extra hours at the pizza joint so he  could purchase a
new microphone and talk more. Their problem solving and  cognitive mapping
skills are amazing.
    One tidbit from the article:
"Even escapist fantasy games are embedded with one of the core principles  of
learning -- students prosper when the subject matter challenges them right at
 the edge of their abilities. Make the lessons too difficult and the students
get  frustrated. Make them too easy and they get bored."
     Another:
"Books don't pause midchapter to confirm that their readers' vocabularies
have progressed enough to move on to more complicated words."
     Here is a link to the online article. Enjoy. _http:/
/www.discover.com/issues/jul-05/features/brain-on-video-games/_
(http://www.discover.com/issues/jul-05/features/brain-on-video-games/)

DIane R. Chen, Library Information Specialist
Hickman Elementary School, Nashville, TN
email:  _dianerchen@comcast.net_ (mailto:dianerchen@comcast.net)

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