The theme of the September/October issue of Knowledge Quest is about Online
Learning - from course management systems to the intelligent use of
education gaming and online scenarios. There's lots of hype about gaming
from non-education "gurus" who fail to make the distinctions between
engaging *but mindless* activity online and engaging games with an
educational purpose.
Debbie Abilock, Editor
Knowledge Quest
http://www.ala.org/aasl/kqweb/
kq@abilock.net
"A wild patience has taken me this far." -- Adrienne Rich
Knowledge Quest is devoted to offering substantive information to assist
building-level library media specialists, supervisors, library educators,
and other decision makers concerned with the development of school library
media programs and services. Articles address the integration of theory and
practice in school librarianship and new developments in education, learning
theory, and relevant disciplines.
-----Original Message-----
From: School Library Media & Network Communications
[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Diane Chen
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 2:39 PM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: [LM_NET] Your Brain on Video Games?
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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