Justin's+Journal

Justin's Journal

=**Journal #1**=

1. Describe your background and history with video and computer games.
I have pretty much played video games my whole life. I play much less frequently today than I once did, but I have little doubt that, when I have more free time, I will pick up video games again. As a very young child, I remember playing Atari. We had most of the classics, like Asteroids, Pitfall, Frogger, Pacman, etc. And I can remember my first experience with regular Nintendo: my family rented one for New Year's Eve, and we played Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt into the wee hours of the morning. Throughout the years I have played Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Playstation, Playstation 2, Game Cube, Sega Dreamcast, XBOX, and WII, as well as various computer games. You name it; I've probably tried it. My all-time favorite games have been NBA Jam, Golden Eye, Resident Evil, Super Smash Brothers, Mario Kart, and my personal favorite, the Dynasty Warriors series.

2. What are some of the real and/or virtual ‘identities’ you take on?
The identity I take on that stands out the most to me right now is my teacher identity. This truly feels like an 'identity' to me (not that I am not being myself when I teach) because it feels like playing a part--you really take on that leader role. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time on a certain band's message board. I had my own identity in this community, and other members knew me for who I was in that environment. I also have identities in the various hobby and interest area communities to which I belong. I have a sports card and memorabilia collector identity, an NBA basketball fanatic identity, a literary critic identity, a writer identity, a home cook identity, a hip-hop music identity, and an identity as an Oregonian, to name just a few.

3. What impact might James Paul Gee’s definition of ‘literacy’ have on your teaching?
My understanding of literacy has grown and evolved over the course of my experiences in the MAT program. I have been thinking of literacy as more than just print for some time now, but I must say that James Paul Gee explains this concept in very clear and understandable terms. I agree with him that, "in the modern world, print literacy is not enough." There are so many domains in our modern, technology-driven world that we must be literate within--many of which go beyond words printed on a page. Many of these "new" semiotic domains emerge via the internet. Moreover, as the pace at which existing technologies evolve and change and new technologies emerge quickens, success in the workforce and in society grows increasingly dependent on one's ability to learn to be literate in new semiotic domains. This is, as Gee proclaims, a departure from the traditional approach to learning. The shift in focus from content to learning how to build meaning in various different semiotic domains is one that will certainly take some getting used to (for me, at least). However, I clearly see the merit in Gee's argument, and his ideas deserve very careful consideration. And what better way to explore these concepts than through video games?

4. What experiences have you had learning in new ‘semiotic domains’?
My undergraduate studies were in literature and writing, so when I began my education as a teacher, it was quite a culture shock for me. Not only were the signs in the teacher education domain different than those in my undergrad, but there were a whole new set once I began my student teaching. Furthermore, when I switched from high school to middle school, the signs switched again. I tend to avoid learning new domains that force me to completely abandon my previously successful strategies and understandings--I don't like to experience failure or feeling incompetent. My teacher training forced me to get out of my comfort zone, however, and challenge my assumptions and beliefs. I have come to realize that context and situation really mean everything when it comes to different semiotic domains and learning new literacies. Being able to decipher the norms and expectations in any given domain, to understand how this new situation relates and is different from previously learned domains, is the key to continued success in our rapidly changing, modern world.

Experiences with video games for the week:
The only video games I played this week were the ones we tried out in class. I only had time to play Resilient Planet, but I enjoyed it very much. I don't much experience with computer games and the controls that they use, so I was pretty slow at learning them. However, despite my ineptness with the game's controls, I really liked several other aspects of the game. Because of my inexperience, I appreciated the game's frequent reminders and suggestions of how to perform certain maneuvers or what the game was actually asking me to do. Without these, I'm not sure I would have gotten as far as I did. The graphics were entertaining, and the content of the game seemed very educational and useful. I not only learning vocabulary and procedures that marine biologists use, but I learned many interesting facts about turtles and their environment. Lastly, I liked that the game embedded the skill of supporting one's findings with evidence. As a basic component of each mission, the player must present a report to their superior with evidence from their research to back up their findings. I thought this game was a great mix of entertainment, challenge, and content.

=Journal #2=

1. How might virtual and projective identities be important in your teaching?
Virtual and projective identities might be important to my teaching because these concepts allow students to experiment with and explore different identities. Virtual identities allow students the opportunity to "try out" different identities with lowered consequences. As an English teacher, virtual identities (such as the ones in video games) are intriguing because these types of identities go beyond the experimentation and exploration that literature and writing allow. Students can actually "take on" those identities (virtually) in certain video games, rather than simply playing the role of literary critic or writer. Sure they can occupy different perspectives throughout the course of a book, but the identity barrier is not blurred or broken--we always very aware that the characters in books are separate from ourselves. But video games are interactive, allowing for a different level of exploration. And this is where the three-way interaction that Gee describes comes into play (virtual, real, and projective). In a video game, you interact with the domain as the character. Your own personality, as well as your aspirations for the character, can be incorporated into the game.We language arts teachers often cite wanting our students to utilize literature as a way of glimpsing into perspectives other than one's own as one of our main goals. The three-way interaction of identity that certain video games allow takes this goal to a new level--one unattainable with traditional texts. This is an important goal because students' abilities to see and understand different perspectives is key in fostering a tolerant and understanding society.

2. Describe an experience you’ve had in teaching a student with a “damaged” identity.
I currently have an 11th grade boy in one of my classes that I would definitely say has a "damaged" identity. For starters, he is a fairly large and awkward kid--he is both heavy and tall, and he suffers from acne and large amounts of facial hair. He is a TAG student, and occupies a fairly pessimistic world view in which everything about contemporary America and today's youth is stupid. He has somewhat of a superiority complex (which may be more of a defense mechanism). He frequently falls asleep and snores in class (although I'm not 100% sure if he is really asleep or faking it). Most significantly, he recently lost both of his grandparents, whom he was extremely close with. It seems to me that he is struggling to find silver linings right now and to discover who he really is without those loved ones. He is supremely intelligent, but he knows it, which makes him seem arrogant. I think he wants to interact with his peers, but he lacks the social skills to pull it off. He has told me that he plays a lot of video games, which would suggest that he does so in an attempt to take on other identities to escape his "damaged" real one.

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.
I recently reviewed a lesson plan for a friend before a job interview. This lesson dealt with identifying theme--particularly in a song. I think that theme is a good example of situated meaning because one must make meaning or significance of a concept or idea in the text (song, short story, novel, video game, etc.), using inferences and direct observations. This meaning is situated specifically within that text--those signs have that particular meaning in that situation because of the totality of that text. Moreover, the text will have different meanings for different readers, as their lived experiences will influence and guide their interpretation. But theme a great example here because it asks one to go beyond making observations and inferences--it asks one to project those observations and inferences into a universal life lesson, not specific to that particular text. Now, the theme statement is still situated within the human experience, but this last step encourages a person to view the meaning of the text as something that can be applied to everyday life. Thus, the concept of a theme encourages students to gain a more embodied understanding of what can be gleaned from various texts.

4. Describe a recent learning experience that involved using the probe, hypothesize, re-probe, and rethink cycle.
The action research project required for the MAT program at WOU is a good example of this cycle. At first glance, it seemed to me that we had skipped the first step in this process, probe. We were asked to form a hypothesis based on something that interested us. But I quickly realized that I had been probing my educational interests for nearly 30 years. I already had a good idea of what I was interested in, so the probe had been in progress without my even realizing it. After hypothesizing in our area of interest (mine has to do with how student motivation and interest in writing is affected when they are given more choice), I began to research or re-probe. After consulting the current scholarship, I rethought my initial beliefs and understandings, noting any changes and adjusting my focus. This cycle continued in to data collection (interviews and questionnaires), data analysis, and final conclusions.

Experiences with video games for the week:
My video game experience for the week consisted solely of games for this class. I played NBA JAM on the Wii. I really enjoyed playing this game and bringing back so many memories from my childhood. I used to play the original NBA JAM with my best friends, staying up all hours of the night to complete a season and unlock the secret characters. The game was exactly as I remembered it (aside from the Wii nunchuck controller), which was both comforting and disappointing. I would have enjoyed some new twists on the old game, but I guess, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I also messed around a good deal with Second Life. I like the idea of interacting with people online using an avatar, exploring make-believe worlds, and doing anything you want, but I was having some technical issues with the program. My computer is by no means slow, but there was so much lag time in doing anything (walking, bringing up menus, etc.) that it was frustrating and not a whole lot of fun. I'm hoping that changing my avatar from a dragon-man to a human form will prevent some of the glitches (someone told me that the non-human avatars make things run slower. We'll see if that's true.).

=Journal #3=


 * 1. Give an example of 'Just in Time' information presentation in a classroom activity.**

Our professional development at McKay has recently centered on vocabulary instruction. And while deliberate, essential content-area vocabulary is presented to students before they need it, incidental vocabulary instruction is always presented "just in time"--or right at the moment when students can best understand it in context and put it to use. As you read various texts, in any discipline, there are words you choose to teach because they are essential or basic to understanding the curriculum. But there are many more words that students encounter in these texts that are not fundamental to understanding the larger concepts and skills, yet are unfamiliar to students just the same. These words (especially for ELL students and low-level readers) are necessary for the immediate understanding of the individual articles and must be taught for this purpose. This teaching must be presented in a "just in time" fashion because we cannot possibly front load that volume of vocabulary words (nor would this be an efficient way to learn vocabulary). With the recent statistics about students not learning vocabulary fast enough and not having large enough vocabularies, this two-pronged approach to vocab development is more important than ever. And "just in time" presentation of this information is an indispensable part of that process.


 * 2. In a content area of your choice, how might you incorporate teaching in a 'subdomain' of the 'real' domain.**

I think we often do this in many content area classrooms. Many experts advocate for a gradual release of information and a gradual building toward mastery of complex processes. This is often referred to as "I do, we do, you do." The first stage of this process is basically a demonstration, where the teacher models the skills or thought processes that are involved in the task or activity. The second step is a guided practice attempt, and the third step allows students to attempt the task or activity on their own, utilizing what they have seen modeled and practiced. Typically, this "practice" phase--this "subdomain"--is followed by a full-fledged attempt at the activity or task, where the student is on his/her own with the results actually counting toward something (usually a grade). One of the most common ways we use this "subdomain" teaching in language arts is in grammar and punctuation instruction. Often, we show students examples of proper grammar and punctuation, explaining how and why these conventions are used, as a first step. Next, students are given sample sentences, already composed for them, which they must "correct" or manipulate to improve. Students then generate individual sentences as practice for these skills, before being asked to demonstrate these skills in a full writing sample (the "real' domain).


 * 3. Describe a technique that you might use to help students 'transfer' early learning to more complex problems.**

The technique I use most in my classroom is the think aloud. Because we spend so much time reading in language arts, finding ways to help students move from basic observations to more complex analysis of a text is paramount. Any time we read anything, the eventual goal is for students to engage in higher level thinking to analyze and make connections. I have found that the best way to do this is by thinking aloud for students. Most students are perfectly capable of gleaning the surface information from a text--what is happening, what the text explicitly says**,** what the main points are, etc**.** Most have a much more difficult time analyzing, inferring, and making meaning from the text. I often find myself asking a series of simple, yes/no questions to my class. This is often seen as something to avoid, as yes no questions don't require a whole lot of thought. They are just too "easy." However, when the questions are strategic and chosen for a specific purpose--typically, to lead students to a greater understanding, inference, or meaning--these questions are not a waste of time. I ask my class the questions that I, almost subconsciously, ask myself as I read in order to make connections and create meaning and more complex understandings. Modeling this process is the best way to help students begin to develop these skills and habits.


 * 4. Describe a learning experience you've had where one of your 'cultural models' was challenged.**

I am currently embroiled in the one of the biggest learning experiences of my life right now: my student teaching. Each day presents new challenges and learning opportunities, and my "cultural models" have been challenged on many levels. Probably the most frequently and significantly challenged cultural model is the idea that students respect and obey their teachers simply because that is the way the relationship is "supposed" work. This is not to say that there are not many students who share this cultural model and behave in the way I expected, but there are many students who do not operate this way. Some students demand that a teacher earns their respect before cooperating and putting forth effort--they must see that the teacher cares and is invested in them before they will take that risk. There is so much more disobedience in today's classroom than I remember from my k-12 experience. This was not something I was prepared for coming into the teaching profession. I actually believe that the cultural model I am encountering now for student/teacher interaction makes more sense than the one I grew up with. A teacher should have to "pay it forward" to the students before they earn their allegiance. After all, they are the ones taking all the risks. I actually think it results in a much healthier and more natural student/teacher relationship than the one I previously held (the one that demands total and complete obedience without question).