Gabriel+Journal+1


 * __Journal entry #1 __**

Games I’ve played this week and a short reflection:

__7 Wonders __ (board game): fantastic 7 player game, no down time, rich decisions, the best game to start a game night with.

__Tobago __ (board game): great family game of deduction, game is a lot of fun right now, I wonder if the decisions might not be deep enough to keep my interested past first 10 plays. We will see.

__Rayman 3D __ (3DS game based on Rayman: the great escape): I’ve played this all the way through at least 3 times now. This version is the same only now it is in 3D. The 3D really does add a lot to the game. Rayman is one of the best platformers ever. It has some of the best environments and music in any platformer. It is very linear but the music and flow of the game just can’t be beat. The “precipice” level is one my favorite levels of any game.

__Agricola: Farmer of the Moor __(board game): Fantastic Euro-board game that has crazy rich decisions. A real gamer’s game.

History of me and video games: I grew up in the 70's and 80's. So, I was a kid when arcade games first appeared. Every Saturday, when I got my allowance, my dad would walk me down to the gas station where I would play space invaders until my allowance was gone. I have owned pretty much all of the home console systems from the Atari 260 forward.

My avitars are usually named BobaGabe (Boba fet + Gabe). Whenever I play a good roll playing game (Mass Effect), I always have a real struggle choosing my morality. I want to be evil or chaotic but I always wind up being good. I call it my captain Kirk syndrome.  In recent years I have discovered that I have more of a need to play games with other people. I tried online games but I need a friend there with me in the same room. Today my favorite games are “Euro-board games” or “designer board games”. I host a board game night twice a month at my house. Modern board games are fantastic. The only video games that I still get into are either co-op games like Halo or Gears of War. However, recently I have been enjoying short casual games like Plants Vs. Zombies and some 3DS titles. __ A new definition of Literacy __ Gee’s definition of literacy sounds true to me. I am very aware that one of the biggest problems with our school system is that it teaches everything in isolation. In recent years I have been hearing a lot about moving education away from this model. However, in order for the public educational system to really teach from a connected social perspective, it would need a massive overhaul.  I don’t honestly see the public education system making this change any time soon. But the more research and support this type of learning gets, the easier it will become to justify exploring alternative teaching methods. __ New semiotic domains  __

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Like everyone else, I have explored more than one semiotic domain. I have always done well in the school and college domain and I think I am well on my way to entering the teacher domain. The most drastic transition I attempted happened four years ago. I went back to school and got a degree in computer tech support and after that I got a job in the computer support field. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">I spent three years studying and working with computers. I learned a great deal but I was not comfortable in that domain. I tried to join in the technical conversations, during the lunch break, but it was always very forced. I understood most of the ideas and logic but I did not have the passion and I didn’t want to spend my personal time studying it and talking about it. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">I realized that if I wanted to progress any further in the field it was going to have to become a more central part of my life. I think technology is amazing but I don’t want to spend my personal time studying it. Sitting behind a desk and staring at a computer screen was more than enough for me. I need human interaction. I am a people person. I enjoy talking about education, learning, and human development. It makes sense to me and it feels like a good use of my time. = =

=__**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Gabriel Kitterman Journal #2 **__= <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">** 1. **** How might virtual and projective identities be important in your teaching? **

It is easy to throw out facts and information as a teacher. Reading through a history textbook and then having a quiz about the names and dates is a mindless activities and it is filled with busy work for the kids. However, this type of teaching offers little to the students over the long run. In order to give more meaning you need to have a more substantive approach. If you can help students learn to think like a historian, it is of far greater value. This act of taking on the identity of a historian involves a much higher order of understanding of the subject and also makes the learning more active and meaningful. The author makes some good points why this type of learning is so profound. When you explore these other identities you discover new aspects of yourself. You can grow to see yourself in a new light and discover new abilities that you did not know you had. This type of teaching may take more effort but it is much more meaningful.

2. **Describe an experience you’ve had in teaching a student with a “damaged” identity.** I had an extended substitute position as a special education teacher. The best thing about that position was working with kids who were struggling with their reading skills. There were a couple kids who had real learning problems but most of them simply believed they couldn’t do it. Working in that situation was really all about encouragement, recognition, and enthusiasm. Mainly what I remember is how honestly surprised and excited the kids were when they started to improve.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">** 3. **** Give an example of a situated meaning in your content area, and describe how you might help students gain a more embodied understanding of it. ** Studying democracy or many other political ideas and systems can gain a lot through situated meaning. By going through classroom exercises and simulations, students can have firsthand experience with how these political systems work and how they are influenced by other forces. Another great topic that can gain a lot from direct situated meaning is the economy. Teaching about how an economy works can be very abstract. The ideas and terminology are very removed from our everyday lives. By running simulations and playing inside of the system, these ideas are no longer free floating. Students directly interact with them. They author makes a nice point in this chapter when he states that although this type of teaching can feel challenging and the that “it can’t be done for all the subjects” may sound reasonable, the fact remains that there really is no other way to make sense and learn.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> 4. ** Describe a recent learning experience that involved using the probe, hypothesize, re-probe, and rethink cycle. ** A few years ago I was studying computer programming at Chemeketa community college. I remember working in one particular program that let you play around with logic and programing with a nice click and drag interface. I had been struggling in the class all term but when I started playing around with that programing application it helped immensely. There were so many new terms and ideas that were unconnected to anything else, that I simply couldn’t keep track of all the new ideas. However, by simply playing with the programming application I was able to start building some connections. I did a lot of probing, hypothesizing, and re-probing with that application and it helped a great deal. If a topic is really new, this type of exploration is vital. Once the basics of a topic are understood, it is more likely that you will be able to learn facts and ideas outside of direct exploration. Until that base level of understanding is achieved it is an exercise in frustration to learn the new ideas.