Thursday, November 22, 2012

Double Journal Entry #13


Chapter 6: Affinity Spaces



1. Give an example of a "community of practice" in which you are currently participating in.
Being a future educator, my "community of practice" is the clinical work I do in the schools. I work alongside a Host teacher (a person with experience in the field), and learn from them.
 
2.Why is the term "community" better defined in relation to spaces rather than groups of people?
Community is better defined in realtion to spaces rather than groups because people aren't always in the same group (so to speak). People have different views, goals, and thoughts. Therefore, they are not going to be affliated in the same community just because of the things they do.
 
3. What is a "generator"? What is it's counterpart in school?
A "generator" is the what the space is about. In school it is the content.
 
4. What is a "content organizer"? What is it's counterpart in school?
The "content organizer" is how stuff is designed/organizer. This related to the lesson plans, we as teachers create, the yearly cirrculum plans, and even the monthly/weekly plans.
 
5. What is a "portal"? What is it's counterpart in school?
A portal is something that gives access to the content in the space. This may relate to text or trade books, the internet, or many other gateways of learning.
 
6. What do people have an "affinity" for in an "affinity space"? How does this inform your understanding of good teaching?
"what people have an affinity with (or for) in an affinity space is not first and foremost the other people using the space, but the endeavor or interest around which the space is organized" (Gee, 2004). This informs my understanding of good teaching because it does not judge or discriminate againist race, class, ability/disability, or gender. The affinity space also does not discriminate about the skilled and unskilled either. Basically, everything in the affinity space is a different experience for each person. As the people in the space make their own decision. The common interest is what brings everyone to the affinity space.
7. How do "affinity spaces" support inclusive classrooms? Choose two characteristics below to make connections between "affinity spaces" and inclusive classrooms.
Affinity spaces support inclusive classrooms because they do not discriminate about the people in it. It fosters a sense of community and everyone shares a common vision. It also gives you the ability to connect with other people and solve problems together. There are many more reasons as to why affinity spaces support inclusive classrooms, but the main part is that people in the space don't neccissarily feel judge or different than the other people.
 

8. How are traditional classroom different from Affinity Spaces?

Traditional classrooms are different from affinity spaces because students in the traditional classrooms are often labeled and seperated based on abilities and disabilities. Where in affinity spaces everyone is basically the same.










Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Double Journal Entry 12

Double Entry Journal #12

Chapter 5: Learning and Gaming



1 What is the main argument the author is making in Chapter 5.
The main arguement that author is making, in chapter 5, is that facilitating learning can help outside the classroom, and without traditional schooling techniques. Students that are identified as "at-risk" are given dumbed downmaterial to learn when in reality they just need new/different outlet to learn.
 
2. What constitutes a theory of learning?
"Learning is not infinitely variable and there are patterns and principles to be discovered-patterns and principles that ultimately constitute a theory of learning" (Gee, 2004). In other words, discovering these patterns and principles in whatever way you can constitutes a theory of learning.
 
3. Why did the author struggle to learn to play Warcraft III? What needs to proceed before good learning principles?
Gee struggled to play Warcraft III because he "failed to engage with it in a way that fully recruited its solid design and learning principles" (Gee, 2004). "Motivation for all extended engagement" (Gee, 2004). must come before good learning principles.

4. How would have the authors struggle with learning to play Warcraft III been interpreted in school?
In school, his struggle to learn is comparable to getting a bad grade (I.E an 'F'). It's considered a failure when in fact it's a precurser for later learning.
 
5 What kind of learning experience might be better suited for at risk students?
Horizontal learning is better suited for 'at-risk' students. It allows them to get "their feet wet" (Gee, 2004) and experience many different things. They aren't building on the same old material rather gaining new experiences that will further their knowledge eventually.
 
6. Why does the school-based interpretation of "at risk" lead to bad learning?
The school-based interpretation of 'at-risk' students leads to bad learning because it is a dumbed down version of material that is meant to help them with the basic skills they are struggling with.
 
7. What do schools need to do to function more like a good game?
In order for schools to function more like a good game they need to involve their students in the learning . Not just mind, but body, too. Games often allow the players to feel as if they are in the virtual world they are manipulating. If teachers can accomplish this type of entracement then the students would perform better in school.
 
8. What is different about how good games and school assess learners?
Schools assess learners "then deciding for the learners how these problems ought to be dealt with" (Gee, 2004). Good games, on the other hand, "solves the problem by letting learners assess themselves and learn things about what they do and do not know and what style of learning suits them here and now" (Gee, 2004).
 
9. What are the attributes of a fish-tank tutorial that make it an effective learning tool? How is it different than school-based learning?
The attriubutes of a fish-tank tutorial that makes it an effective learning tool is that it is multimodal . It not only gives the skills/skill set visually, but in print and orally. The fish-tank tutorial is also effective because it is an example of Proximal Development which is based off Vygotsky's theory of what students can learn on their own, and what they can do with help. It is different because all too often teachers only teach in one mode and don't scaffold enough.
 
10. What is a sand-box tutorial? Why is effective? How is it different than school-based learning?
A sand-box tutorial "is a piece of the real world, but sealed off to be a protected and safe place where children can explore" (Gee, 2004). It is effective because it is giving the person a real life example of the game with no penalties for wrong decisions. It is different from school based learning because teachers don't always provide a real world example of something during their teachings. Without a concrete example students often fail to see the importance of the material, and the realtionship it has on everyday life.
11. What is a genre? Why is it important for good learning?
A genre tells you what type of something you have. For example, when reading a book you can read a true story (fiction), or a made up story (non-fiction). It is important for good learning because it identifies the types of skill sets, rules, and knowledge you will need in order to understand or play the game well.
12. According to the author, what do learning and play having in common?
As they play the game the player becomes better and learns more information. When the learning stops the player will not have any fun, and in return, will stop playing the game. "For humans, real learning is always associated with pleasure and is ultimately a form of play- a principle almost always dismissed by schools" (Gee, 2004).
13. How are the skills test in good games different from skills tests in school?
Skill test in good games are "developmental for the learner and not evaluative" (Gee, 2004). "Furthermore, they are tests if what skills mean as strategies, not decontexualized test of skills outside of application where they mean quite specific things" (Gee, 2004).
14. How does RoN support collaborative learning?
RoN supports collaborative learning by providing a website that has chat rooms for players around the world to talk and stratigize together. They can learn information from each other and figure out how to solve things. They can also play againist each other and build on prior knowledge.
15. Match at least one learning principle of good games (on page 74) with each the following learning theorists you have studied in 3352:

Dewey "They ensure that there is a smooth transition between tutorials and actually playing (customized unsupervised sandboxes are good for this)."
Vygotsky "They let learners themselves assess their previous knowledge and learning styles and make decisions for themeselves (with help)."
"They offer supervised (i.e guided) fish tank tutorials (simplified versions of the real system)."
"They allow learners to discover the outer edge of their competence and to be able to operate just inside that edge."
Piaget "They teach basic skills in the context of simplified versions of the real game so that learners can see how these skills fir into the game as a system and how they integrate with each other"
Gardner "They give information via several different modes (e.g. in print, orally, visually). They create redundancy"
Bandura "They allow learners to practice enough so that they routinize their skills and then challenge them with new problems that force them to re-think these taken-for-granted skills and integrate them with new ones. Repeat."
Skinner "They create motivation for an extended engagement"

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Double Journal Entry #11

Chapter 4:Simulations and Bodies

1. What does the author mean when he says, "Learning doesn't work well when learners are forced to check their bodies at the school room door like guns in the old West."

I believe the Author means that when students come to the classroom they are always asked to bring their mind only. They are not asked to fully embodied themselves in a concept. He says that when students are learning in a cultural process, "their bodies are invovled because cultural learning always involves having specific experiences that facilitate learning, not just memorizing words" (Gee,2004). He later says that when we are learning how to play gmaes we are ivovled in the learning which allows us to learn more content than just memorizing.
 
2. According to the author, what is the best way to acquire a large vocabulary?

The author says that the best way to acquire a large vocabulary is to have "...experienced the "worlds" to which these words refer" (Gee, 2004). If you have come across words before then you have already experienced them. This allows you to understand the words better because you have already seen and understood them.

3. What gives a word a specific meaning?

A word gets a specific meaning when it's used in a certain context. The author gives an example of the word "work". It has many differenet uses and can be used in different context. The meaning depends on the context in which the word is used in. There person reading or using the word will understand the word only in the context they have experienced.
4. What does the term "off the hook" mean in each of these sentences?
a. My sister broke up with her fiance, so I'm off the hook for buying her a wedding present.
 
off the hook here means that they don't have to spend the money to buy a wedding present becuase they broke up
 
b. Them shoes are off the hook dog.
 
Off the hook here means they are cool or stylish.
 
c. Man that cat was fighting 6 people and he beat them all. Yo, it was "off the hook", you should have seen it!!
 
Off the hook here means that it was exciting, or worth watching.

5. According to the author what is the"work" of childhood? Do you agree?

The work of childhood is play. I do agree with this. The more they play the more experiences they have. The more experiences they have the better off they will be.

6.Why is NOT reading the instruction for how to play a game before playing a game a wise decision?

"The texts that come with games are very hard to understand unless and until one has some experience of playing the game - experience which, then, will give specific situated meanings to the language in the text" (Gee, 2004).

7. Does knowing the general or literal meaning of a word lead to strong reading skills?

Knowing the general or literal meaning of a word doesn not lead to strong reading skills. Knowing the meaning of the word is pointless to say the least because if you can't apply the word then what's the point?! Especially if the word can mean different things in the different contexts.
 
 
8. What does the author mean by the terms "identity" and "game". Give an example of 3 "identities" or "games" you play?

The author means that every person plays a certain role in society. For example, I am a student, a teacher, and a server.

9. According to the author what is good learning?
 
Good learning is understanding words in the different contexts/situations.
10. How does understanding that being able to build a mental model and simulations of a real-word experience is closely tied to comprehending written and oral language support of change the way you think children should learn in school?

When students are given the opprotunity to participate in real world simulations it allows them to comprehend the written or oral laguage better. They can use their own experiences to tie into the simulations and bring it home, so to speak.

 
11. Why is peer to peer interaction so important for the language development of young children? How does knowing this support or change the way you think children should learn in school?