Lynch-Woodley+Reading+Journal

Week 1 Questions (Chapters 1-2)

I have very limited background with video and computer games. I have never been big into games but have played some games a long time ago on an Atari system, a few on the computer and several on my smartphone. I am excited to learn about games now.
 * Describe your background and history with video and computer games.**

Even though I don’t play online, I do have some experience with taking on ‘identities’ online. In the 1990’s I use to spend a lot of time on different chat rooms online. Sometimes it was fun to pretend to be someone or something different. Sometimes I was older or lived in other places besides Oregon. I think that people can really get caught up in these identities and can use them as a form of escape.
 * What are some of the real and/or virtual ‘identities’ you take on?**

The biggest thing James Paul Gee has done is challenge my basic beliefs about education. This new way of looking at teaching will help me develop more meaningful lessons for my students. He has also reminded me that doing well on school assignments and getting good grades does not necessarily make a person smart of prepared to make good decisions in the real world.
 * What impact might James Paul Gee’s definition of ‘literacy’ have on your teaching?**

I’m not sure that I have any experience with learning in the new ‘semiotic domains.’ I really want to learn more about this domain and be able to use it become a better teacher.
 * What experiences have you had learning in new ‘semiotic domains’?**

This week I played the Betwixt Folly and Fate Demo. It was a game based on a day in the life of someone in Colonial Williamsberg in the 1700’s. The game allowed you to choose your character and what you wanted to wear. Then you were given choices throughout the game. For example, you can choose to take a job or not and if you want to talk with someone or not. The graphics were just mediocre and didn’t really impress me. It was also very hard to navigate the site. You can click on the map and jump around but there wasn’t any way to figure out where you were going or how to find a certain house or building. I found myself getting frustrated trying to find the store to pick up some clothes. It was overall a below average game.