Sunday, April 29, 2007

Discussion of "Darfur Is Dying"

I love to play games, board games, computer games, hand-held games etc. I was quite excited to try out the game "Darfur Is Dying." I listened to the "All Things Considered" segment on NPR called "Game Peers into Life in a Darfur Refugee Camp." I also read the Simon Parkin article at eurogamer.net, "Darfur Is Dying." I was even more excited to play the game after listening to and hearing all of the information about the game.

I have always felt that videogames and characters from these games could be made to be more educational. I was so excited that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles used the names of famous artists, however, I was disappointed to find that that's where the education ended. I know that I have already said this, but my son, and many other kids were able to memorize 150 Pokemon characters. What if these were the Presidents of the United States or elememts on the Periodic Table? It seems that we just need to get the kids' attention.

I love the title of the conference "Games for a Change." I think that we can raise political awareness in our children. In many cases, the parents will follow. Many people shy away from the news and documentaries, due to the depressing nature found there. I agree with Susana Ruiz, designer of "Darfur Is Dying" that we have a "new" form of media and it with behoove us as educators not to jump on this band wagon.

The game is an oversimplification of the problems in Darfur. There are different levels of this oversimplication. The characters in the game and the levels of their movement are very simple. The options and choices are also limited. Answers to questions aren't there. How did this whole problem begin? What is being done?

The fact that there are many questions raised in this game, leads to the idea that this game could be a perfect jumping off point for a discussion about Darfur. Students can be listing questions they might have, while playing the game, or watching others play the game. These questions could lead to student directed learning, a great example of Cognitive Flexibility Theory. The things that the students learn in this discussion, can transfer into other learning and discussions of conflict and problems.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Website Review

I found it very difficult to choose a website to review. Many of the sites that I tend to use, didn't review well. I chose Social Studies for Kids because it seemed appropriate for my fourth-grade students. The site didn't take long to load and the pictures were appealing and indicated exactly what could be found when choosing the link. The reading level was appropriate for my students and the interest level was high. I was disappointed that there were ads on the site. Some of my students would be distracted or confused by these ads. The site is easy to navigate and student-friendly. As I looked for the items that my students and I would use, I was pleased with the information, its presentation, and the links to further this research.

www.socialstudiesforkids.org

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Sony Wonder Technology Lab


What a great museum! My husband, son, and I had a wonderful time. The gadgets, buttons, etc. made learning fun, like playing a game. I feel that our schools need more learning games. All of the new technologies out there make these games and fun learning possible. Students can learn the names of 150 Pokemon characters, and what they change into, but have troubles memorizing their multiplication tables. When given an opportunity to work on the computer, they always think it is fun. It also puts the student in the driver's seat. They are in control of their own learning. The Lab gave the visitor the chance to work with music, art, robotics, earth science, television, games, movies and more. It was all entertaining and more of this technology should be in the schools.

Monday, April 23, 2007

I Support Hillary Clinton!

I selected Hillary Clinton for this assignment. I looked at her webpage, blog, Facebook, Myspace, Youtube, and Flickr. There is so much to learn on these sites. A teacher could use these sites to teach government, politics, current events, geography and so much more. I believe that the candidates have to be careful and make sure that their sites are kept up to date. They also need to have great visual appeal. Due to these new avenues, I think there is a greater chance of having more younger voters in this election.

Campaign Ads Have Multiple Goals

Campaign advertisements are as diverse as the people that create them. In studying the ads from just two different years, the diversity in the perspectives, tactics, and creativity is quite apparent.
I chose "Weapon" as Case #1, from 1964. When Barry Goldwater ran against Lyndon Johnson, Johnson had the advantage of being the incumbent president. His experience was one of his strengths. He used Goldwater's weakness of being blunt, against Goldwater in this ad. Using Goldwater's own words against him the ad shows that Goldwater claimed that the atom bomb was just another weapon. Since the Vietnam war wasn't yet an issue, this ad was effective in criticizing Goldwater. One of Johnson's main weaknesses was that he was not telegenic. Most of the ads that Johnson's campaign produced, did nor include his presence.
I chose "Nearly" as Case #2, from 2004. In this election, George W. Bush was challenged by John Kerry. In this ad, Bush's experience as the incumbent is used to his advantage. His weaknesses in foreign policy and business are not mentioned, and positive economic facts are the focus.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Field Experience

I propose to interview and work with the computer teacher in my 3rd-5th grade building. I would also like to try to meet with other technology professionals in my school/district. I am also considering sitting down with the Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator, and sharing what I have while finding out what she might think we need.

Monday, April 9, 2007

Social Studies and Technology: Comments

Comments on "Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts."

This article was quite thought-provoking. The concept that we ignore information that contradicts what we believe is very interesting. The idea that history is studied by psychologists is a new concept for me. History is something more complex than dates, facts, and events, however, I never went deeper in my own thinking, to include more than just the reasons for the occuraces in our past. The idea that we learn from our mistakes is what I thought of as studying history more thoroughly.

It sounds very intriguing to study people from the past in so many different lights and from so many different perspectives. I believe that most people like life to be clear-cut and either black or white. The reality is that life falls into the gray area between black and white. We can't compartmentalize events and happenings into neat little packages where everything has a label. Thinking about Abraham Lincoln as being racist is something that I never would have understood. Reading the article made me realize that when we read quotations it is important to understand the context in which the quotes were spoken. It makes me wonder about all events in history, and what we really know for sure.

Sunday, April 8, 2007

Social Studies and Technology

First Assignment:

What questions/comments do you have after reading the Spiro & Collins article, and looking at EaseHistory?

I feel that searching and using EaseHistory is an excellent example of the "Cognitive Flexibility Theory." The website affords the user with a "nonlinear and multi-perspectival organization of material." By using visual and auditory information bits, different peoples' learning styles are addressed.Viewing history through photos, video clips, and political cartoons allows our minds to integrate new information into our schema, process the information, and learn from the new perspectives the information offers.