Digital Blog Post #E

Hi everyone!
When I was younger I grew up with my parents and others telling me that technology (computers, tv, phones, video games, ect.) was not good for you, and constantly telling me "it's going to rot your brain!". I agree with that statement on a certain level, but also think technology has bloomed into a tool that can help grow your brain and give it knowledge.

Creative Commons License photo By R Pollard

The first concept I looked at was the debates about games and gaming. Like stated in our book (Transforming Learning with New Technologies), I automatically think of video games, and imagine the brain starting to rot, since that is was I was always told. Now when I hear that word I think of the endless possibilities of what a video game could possibly be. "Two of every three households play video games, and 25% of those game players are 18 years old and younger" (Maloy, p 169). The 25% of those that play video games are in the age group of 18 years old and younger are the children we will be teaching and those that are student now. If we know that we can gear our students to finding a way to bring learning into their video games in their houses. They can have fun, and learn at the same time. I do still think that games can be harmful and that other useful skills can be hindered or not given enough attention to if there is too much of a focus on video games. But I do think there can be a healthy balance found.
The second concept I looked at that ties into my first concept is digital games for learning. There are so many different resources at our fingertips, as teachers or parents, that incorporate learning and gaming at the same time. "Games are active, challenging, and demanding of focus and concentration to solve problems in innovative ways...", if kids are able to see that you can have fun doing what they enjoy, like video games, they will be more excited to learn, we need to meet them on their level, not make them jump to ours (Maloy, p 171). When I was in grade school I believe Digital games for learning was pretty new. Our school sent out flyers that you could purchase CD games (wow...CD's, old school), and my parents where skeptical because it was gaming and they werent sure of the actual academic benefits from it, also the fact that the games are were not cheap to purchase. Now, gaming is a whole different level and we can see that it can have academic benefits and can be more cost friendly. I found the article Best Education Games for Kids that you can look through and see some of the digital games that may either be free or at a minimal cost.
Lastly, I looked at the concept of Building, inventing, and creating software, specifically looking at Google Earth. I remember when Google Earth came out and how it was a crazy concept to to wrap your mind around. You and your students literally have the world at your fingertips. You can travel to an area in the world or around your school without actually having to leave. You can look at the geography of an area or use google maps to see how long it would take you to get to a destination. It gives school and children the opportunity to see areas of the world that they may never get to experience.
Technology has its ups and downs, and video games can get a bad reputation. But with new software and technology that we have we are able to create a positive outcome and create a fun learning environments while meeting our children and students at their level.




Resources:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Rhodes, McKenzie (2017, February 7). Oh the places you will go. created with Canva https://www.canva.com/

Schiola, Emily. "Best Educational Games for Kids." Digital Trends. N.p., 24 Mar. 2014. Web. 07 Feb. 2017. <http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/best-educational-games-kids/>.