Gaming Benefits

Gaming has a wide range of benefits.  Here is a list to name a few:

·         Education:  it creates a scientific method when a child starts a new game.  He/she picks up the remote and starting playing without looking at any directions.  It starts a cycle of hypothesis, experiments and analysis. Along w/problem solving skills techniques through the learning process. 

·         Social:  gives people a sense of belonging and getting along with others.  Also allows people to play other people all over the world. 

·         Charity: raises money to benefit children that are ill. 

·         Employment:  gaming companies provide jobs throughout the world for people.  They hire a wide range of workers from game designers to business executives. 

·         Physical therapy:  since wii was produce, doctors have started using wii in their rehabilitation programs in order to help patients with injured.  Schools are also starting to add wii in the curriculum to help students get engaged in physically activity along with gaming.  It also helps others lose weight by using many of the aerobic and weight loss programs on the gaming system. 

·         Mental research:  Playstation has been found to help your mental health. 

·         Emergency:  game units have been used in emergency setting to help locate people and pets. 

·         Artistic expression: to create a game it takes several artists to put their master pieces together to produce a game.  It also helps many different types of artists express their ideas and visions. 

·         Military:  the military uses games to help soldiers with many different types of guns and prefect their shooting abilities.  It also builds teamwork techniques throughout the game. 

·         Sports:  helps teams work out drills and practice different techniques without being on the court or track. 

·         Rewards the brain:  uses probability and data, experience bars measuring progress, multiple long term and short term tasks, reward effort, rapid frequent clear feedback, an element of uncertainty, windows of enhances attention, and the joy of gaming with other people.

·         Gaming for good:   there are games out there that provide good for the world.  It promotes the issues in the world.  Make a breaking news event and make it into a game within hours.  To look for more understanding of the world.

·         Research: Universities have found that video games have many benefits for adults ages 18 to 25.  It improves their ability to collect auditory and visual information, decision making skills, improves eye sight and ability to process information efficiently.   

Being that I have never played the game Settlers before, it was very hard for me to understand.  As< I read in this week, that gaming builds problem solving skills.  It is true, because I had to problem solve on what I had to do to complete the quests.  I know that after playing this game, it will show me that I need to be patient with video games,  enhance my problem solving skills and learn how it takes steps to complete the task that are needed.  

Gaming as a New Paradigm

      Gaming has evolved over time.  According to Wikipedia, gaming stating in the mid 1940's.  As everyone knows it has progressed tremendously over time.  I know personally how it has changed , since I started with an Atari for a gaming system and now currently have a PlayStation, Wii, computer and I phone.  The graphics alone have changed dramatically.  You ask is education ready for the change of gaming and technology.  I believe it ready.  As noted from the article Games As a Part of  Today's Culture, they state that children have expectations based on their experience with digital games and media. If we as educators don't try to address those expectations, we are going to have some very disinterested children - children who won't bother to learn in classrooms that don't bother to meet them where they are.   Since I teach kindergarten, I completely agree with this statement.  If I don't add some kind of technology in the day, the children done seem as engaged in the lesson.  If I add technology they are more focused on what we are learning.  I believe that all school systems should be up to date on the latest technology since we are the ones teaching the children and building their skills to be the next doctor or lawyer.  According to Vivek Wadhwa, technology today of what is possible is unimaginable in a decade ago.  the other men on the panel mentioned that society and education is ready but it all goes back to funding.  There are any software programs to assist children in education as well as having effective teachers to help their learning.  They also discussed the training that needs to be done for teachers to help them effectively teach their children and how to use more technology in the classroom.  It seems as education gets shafted in the funding part of what is needed.  Children don't learn from books and paper anymore, which is hard for everyone to swallow.  Even me, I have a difficult time incorporating a plethora of technology and gaming but I don't have access to the necessary things that would enhance my children's education. 

My Gaming Experiences

1. Describe your personal and/or classroom experiences using games/simulations.

             My personal experiences with gaming starts with my childhood.  My first gaming system was an Atari, which may show my age.  Obviously as the technology progressed so did the gaming systems.  I really didn't play much gaming systems as I grew older.  My brother was the one that had the game boy, Sega and PlayStation.  Granted I did play with him at times.  I did have games in my computer courses at school.  I loved playing oriental trail and where in the world is Carmen sandiego. I currently own PlayStation 3 and Wii.  I enjoy playing the Wii because its interactive. 

            As for my teaching/classroom experience with games, I feel they are beneficial to children as long as its educational.  There are many websites out there that provide extra knowledge and education for children to learn.  It also reinforces other skills as well.  I prefer to have computers in the classroom or time to use computers for children.  Yes, games make children want to sit and stare at a screen but its educating them and it works on their gross motor skills.  I just don't think that children should be playing them for hours on end.  I also don't think that children should be playing the games that their parents play.  They are learning what is right or wrong and having a game that they cant tell the difference yet is not a good idea. 

1. In what ways do you think games could be beneficial and detrimental in learning situations?

             I think games are beneficial because it educated children, keeps them thinking and reinforces skills that may have been taught in the classroom.  As long as they are used properly, children can use the games to increase their learning.  I use starfall.com to help my kindergarteners with their letters and sounds identification.  Sometimes, hearing it in a song or in a different tone or in a game, the children make the connection when reading.