Ed Balls Vs. James Paul Gee

When it comes to literacy, the ways tried and true are not always superior! In today’s society there is much talk about the recent leaps and bounds being made in technology. Essentially anything that was once done with pencil, paper and brain-power, can now be done via computer. If advancements in the way of business and luxury are being so widely accepted, I feel the need to ask; why not advancements in education and literacy?


I have read James Paul Gee’s “What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Reading and Literacy” and was very impressed by his open-minded approach to learning to read. The obvious is pointed out when the author states that, “kids who learn with video games develop literacy in ways different and unknown to them”(Gee14). Gee introduces many types of video games in his book as well as shows his own teaching techniques using video games. He presents the argument that while the standard classroom style for teaching literacy is reliable, video games open up new and interesting fields for those who struggle with the demanding attention needed to develop good reading skills. Video gaming should “enhance” literacy, not hold it back. Point blank-James Paul Gee is just trying to say that some kids learn better in a less structured setting. Video games have such a wide variety too! There are entire manufacturing lines dedicated to producing nothing But educational games; video games do not always equal blood and guts as most of the middle-aged populations believe.

As my final assignment for New Media, I was introduced to a column in The Sun that held an article titled “Video Games Ruin Reading”. The focus of the article was that England, in the realm of child literacy and concerning 41 countries, had dropped from number three to number fifteen in rank. The literacy rates and test scores of England were Below even countries like Latvia and Bulgaria. Secretary of Schools, Ed Balls made a blatant stance of the fact that literacy rates were down because of the high number of kids who routinely played video games. His point was made by further stating that the problem lay at home between the parents and their children rather than in the education system. Balls is a believer that access to a television for a child is a hindrance to literacy and furthermore, video games are a major factor in the declining reading rates of England.

I hate to say it….well, really I kind of like to say it….but I think Ed Balls is a bit of an idiot. I can understand and even get behind the statement that kids today are way too consumed in technology. I can even agree that excessive video games and television do in fact cut into time better spent reading an actual book. But to say that “Video games ruin reading” is irresponsible and a bit cowardice in my opinion. Open-mindedness is key in today’s fast paced society. Video games, when used in the right context can be great for kids! Just as Mr. Gee said, games “allow children and adults alike to simulate and learn in an environment more interesting and stimulating than a regular classroom” (Gee 48). Achieving literacy is a process that, in time, will be a long list of collective activities! It is Not Just About the old-fashioned ways. Technology is shooting us into the future in so many other parts of life….Why not education too?!




Gee, James Paul. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy.
New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.

Wooding, David. Video Games Ruin Reading. Whitehall Editor, The Sun.com
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article521951.ece 29 Nov, 2007

Tiny Dancer

I am a full-time Paraprofessional for a child with Asperger's Syndrome. I work at small rural school, which happens to be the same one I attended as a child. This school is within the little community I live in and it is very dear to my heart. For the better part of a year, I have been in a second grade classroom on a daily basis. This job has definitly opened my eyes to worlds I'd never known:

Asperger's Syndrome by definition is a developmental disorder that affect's a child's ability to socialize and communicte effectively with others. Children who have Asperger's usually deal with social situations in a very awkward or uncomfortable way. They tend to be sensitive to loud noises or big crowds and often have one-sided conversations or talk to themselves. Asperger's kids show eccentric or obsessive behavior about certain things (usually whatever interests or intimidates them).
Asperger's sydrome is in the Autistic spectrum but is considered on the higher-functioning end.

Bailey is the little girl I take care of. She is the sweetest, most loving child I've ever known and that is no exaggeration. A few things about Bailey:

                                               

She won't look you in the eye.

She trips over her own feet..a lot.

She is deathly afraid of mirrors and aviods them at all costs.

She loves animals..especially her dog Charcoal.

She is in the second grade and reads at a high school level.

She is in the second grade and can complete 6th and 7th grade math.

She won't eat food that touches other food on her plate.

She won't play with Barbies because she doesn't understand them.

She has a daily routine that has to happen otherwise we have a major meltdown. She  can't skip a problem and come back to it.

I had known about Asperger's Sydrome for a long time but I was never really Aware of it until this last year. There are so many little quirks to this disease and it can be very complex to understand even the tiniest of problems going on with children who deal with it. During my time with Bailey, I have done extensive research on this particular sydrome in order to better understand what she and and her family are experiencing. I had no idea that it could be such a challenge and I truly do commend those who deal with this disease, whether personally experiencing it or raising a child who has it. These children are special...in such a way that words do them no justice. I had no idea how attached I could get to someone who supposedly has no feelings and shows no emotions. She loves more purely than anyone of less afflicted mind could possibly. She enjoys life more than others who waste it away worrying about unimportant things. She is not afraid to say anything or hurt anyone's feelings. She is free and uninhibited.


While the second grade class is lined up on the sidewalk....the line is straight and the kids are silent....she is the one in the back on the line...slightly behind the rest although she doesn't care...she's dancing and singing a song no one knows. She smiles at the world.

                                                                           

What's wrong with this picture...

So....just to let everyone know, I'm addicted to Yahoo! news headlines. When you click your internet icon and your Yahoo! homepage comes up, the very first thing you see is a long list of mostly trashy, sometimes educational, always interesting headlines enticing you, screaming: "You have nothing more important to be doing right now! Come on....waste a minute reading....or thirty".

Its what I do. I read the headlines. I read about everything from who wore what dress and how horrible they it made their butt look...to what not to eat; who's being traded to which team and what bachelor is now looking for elligible young, preferrably smoking hot women. I read about the health bill....I read about Obama...I read about the red carpet and daytime television. SPEAKING OF!! I read about trashy television shows and who's sueing who and how much they're sweeping in. And today....I read about South Park.

By definition of Wikipedia: South Park is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central Television Network. It is intended for adult audiences. The show has become infamous for its crude, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics. The ongoing narrative revolves around four children—Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick—and their bizarre adventures in and around the fictional and titular Colorado town.

So South Park, in all its raunchiness, spends most of its time mocking religious affiliations and different ethic groups. The four main characters routinely find themselves in positions to make fun of a real-life and otherwise serious situation. I don't personally watch South Park but the majority of people my age do.Everyone thinks its hilarious.....let them....fine with me, BUT this time South Park has stepped on the wrong toes! In reading the contagious headlines of Yahoo! I read that the Muslim population threatened the writers of South Park that if they continued to air statements and characters that "poked fun" at the Muslim and Islamic religions....they would meet the same fate that Theo Van Gogh did. Now some of you may ask; Who's Theo Van Gogh? ............Well...He's the guy under the sheet.

Basically, Van Gogh, a Dutch film director and producer, produced a film called Submission which was a very graphic depiction of the treatment of women in the Islamic culture. Van Gogh was publicly murdered by an Islamic militant as a repercussion.

So basically...... the word on the street is, or better yet, the word on Yahoo! news is, that if Comedy Central doesn't stop South Park writers from throwing in the religious mud-slinging, the U.S. Muslim Group is going to take it into their own hands. According to Yahoo! this threat...or promise.. from the Muslims can apparently be seen on http://www.revolutionmuslim.com/ .

Which is worse? Religous persecution through Cartoons...or possibly being assasinated for drawing them?

Web Sources:

http://tv.yahoo.com/south-park/show/492/news/tv-news.en.reuters.com/tv-news.en.reuters.com-20100422-us_southpark_muslims

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_park

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theo_van_Gogh_(film_director)

My Home...

     

Read It.

                                                                                  
I just want to say proclaim that "The Video Game Theory Reader" is GREAT. Random as this post my be; I thought this statement was worthy of a post all for itself. I definitly recommend reading it. It's smart and sarcastic. Its packed full of information that is easy to understand and relate to. Its not just a textbook read.  I'm pretty confident that those who take the time to really read and take information from it will find themselves glad they did!

Bing

Microsoft's Bing is the third largest search engine in the world today. After getting online and comparing Bing with other familiar search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Ask.com and while Bing is competent enough, I think I'll keep Google as my homepage. I've read that newer editions of computers and laptops are available with Bing already installed and defaulted as main search engines. If I had a choice, I'd still stick with Google. 
I will say one thing though, Bing has a catchy way of drawing attention because of its appearance! Not to sound elementary but I have to admit I was drawn to the pretty backgrounds! If you're looking for a change of scenery....If you want to change it up with a splash of color...If you just want a pretty homepage...Bing is the place for you!

                                                                            

"Toyota...Oh, How You've Failed Me"

          In August of 2009, I purchased my first new car. I saved for months before finally settling on what kind of vehicle I would buy. This was a huge decision...the first one I'd made on my own really. Only now, months later, have I finally come to the conclusion that I made two of the most major mistakes a car customer could ever fall into in the year of 2009.
NUMBER ONE: I bought a car without really looking into its coverage plan.
NUMBER TWO: I purchased a Toyota.
        Who can really blame me? I was enamored by the "Shiny" factor. New car...pretty chrome inside with lots of knobs and gadgets I'd never had before (hello, I previously drove a 1990 Ford Ranger with no air conditioner and no radio). So- in August, I drove off the lot in a brand new 2010 model, Toyota Corolla. A few months later I started seeing on the news reports of deaths...fatalities..accidents...due to problems with Toyota vehicles! A couple months after that I recieved a notice from my Toyota dealership stating: " Please return your car to your nearest Toyota location due to the recall of the accelerator designated to your specific vehicle"
           Cool. So I could've died? Good thing I'm paying ridiculous amounts of money a month for a car that is Still killing people. Really the whole point of this post is to ask the general public a question: Why am I still paying the full price for a car that was recalled? Below is a piece of an article that I just read on Yahoo news.com:
                    "Toyota Motor Corp. has been reeling from the recall of more than 8 million vehicles worldwide — including 6 million in the U.S. — over problems with accelerator pedals and braking issues with the Prius hybrid. The automaker rolled out aggressive incentive programs in early March, including 0-percent financing on recalled models, low-priced leasing and the free maintenance offer."

Thats nice of you Toyota. What about the rest of us who are still paying for the same cars you're marking down? What about the cars we've Already bought....that belong to the very same line you're still trying to sell?



* http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100331/ap_on_bi_ge/us_auto_show_toyota

Cinderellas Challenge Blue Bloods in March Madness

Have a little chat...or even a Tiny one..

Tiny chat is a a virtual chat room! The idea of the old school chat room has been blended with the new-age webcam craze and Voila! Tiny Chat is born. I joined the chat site just to see what it was all about and was amazed at the growing interest it is drawing in. There are millions chatting virtually at this very minute and they're just a simple click away. There are three levels of chat you may join; the first being a simple membership allowing you to publicly view others while chatting, next a more private chat ( both of these are absolutely Free!) and third is a Premium membership which has a monthly cost of $20.00. Tiny chat has many web-based applications available on www.tinychat.com such as: 

• Live Video Groups                                                           
• Private 2-way calling
• Chats linked to Facebook and Myspace
• Newly added Video Conferencing
• Screen Sharing

I read post and blogs online of people who had heard of, or used Tiny Chat. I came up with mixed feelings until I used the site myself. I'm not a big chat room fan, but after using the site I felt more at ease with the idea. People are often close-minded about things they have deemed as risky or unsafe. Chat rooms have always been something I've avoided for that reason. People might stalk me..or hack me...concerns that everyone secretly has. Tiny Chat seems cool. I haven't visited the site since my initial visit but I'm not sure I would not visit again.

Sites used as references:

http://tinychat.com/

http://techcrunch.com/2009/05/27/virtual-chat-room-tinychat-adds-video-conferencing-and-screen-sharing/

-Life Changes-

Who will take care of me when I'm old? 

This is the question that haunts my thoughts lately. To catch you up to speed-- I am 21 years old. I am a college student, I live at home, and I have Endometriosis. I have been told that a hysterectomy is my only option. I am not a candidate for ulterior treatments.Again, I am only 21 years old.

I looked up hysterectomy online-
"A hysterectomy (from Greek ὑστέρα hystera "womb" and εκτομία ektomia "a cutting out of") is the surgical removal of the uterus, usually performed by a gynecologist. Hysterectomy may be total (removing the body, fundus, and cervix of the uterus; often called "complete") or partial (removal of the uterine body but leaving the cervical stump, also called "supracervical"). It is the most commonly performed gynecological surgical procedure. In 2003, over 600,000 hysterectomies were performed in the United States alone, of which over 90% were performed for benign conditions.Such rates being highest in the industrialized world has led to the major controversy that hysterectomies are being largely performed for unwarranted and unnecessary reasons" (wikipedia.org, 2003).


My parents are siding with the doctors. I seem to be alone in the belief that having children is more important than feeling well all the time. I'm told I'm being "selfish"....but I'm sure that if I made the choice to give up kids and heal myself, then I would feel selfish in the truest sense.


This is a random post...not related to school or New Media. However, it is important to me. This is an issue  that has the ability to change everything about the rest of my life. I just thought I'd like to share my thoughts and see if anyone else had anything to say about the advice that is being given by doctors currently. With all the medical advances that are being made...with all of the technology being made available....nothing can help me? Am I supposed to so readily accept the fate they're trying to hand me?

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hysterectomy

Bloggers Beware of Bashing Big Timers

               Bloggers Beware of Bashing Big Timers

by: Maegan Hensley

                From what I've read Liskula Cohen is searching for justice something akin to finding a needle in a haystack. The story in a nutshell, goes something like this: Liskula Cohen is a Vogue model who has been in the media with unrelated drama previously. An anonymous blogger posted a personal opinion within a personal blog and mud was thrown. I found one particular article on http://www.nydaileynews.com/ very interesting pertaining to this case. Writer Jose Martinez depicted the scene as an all out battle between a vicious model and her unadoring "fan". This article claims that bashing comments like "skank" and "hag" were used by the blogger to describe the model. Cohen took  such offense to this "bash blog", she hired lawyers to lean on the Google corporation in order to reveal the hater-girl's identity.
                        " The defamation suit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, seeks a court order compelling Google and its Blogger.com service to identify whoever led the vicious Internet assault against Cohen" (Martinez, Staff Reporter).
            
           Although this occurence would surely be unsettling to a model, or anyone for that matter; it is unrealistic, in my opinion, to chase after the ones who seek to hurt you with their words. It is wrong to be the kind of person who dwells on the fortune of others and chooses to use painful and demeaning ways to degrade complete strangers. The reality though, is that those people exist. They are there regardless of what is right and what is wrong; regardless of morals and scruples, they will still be entitled to their opinions. The very best lawyers could present the most convincing case against this anonymous blogger and still...no matter what he or she posted...it is her right to speak, type, scream, sing and yes, even Blog her opinion. While I don't agree with the kind of action behind creating blogs for the sole purpose to degrading another person, I cannot help but feel like there are greater, more eminent crimes being committed at the present. Google should not have had to give up the identity of the blogger who put her trust in that company's claim to stand behind her site, the day she signed up. Rosemary Port was named as the blogger bashing Liskula Cohen. Port has filed a case herself against Google for defiling her rights to privacy. And so..the endless cycle goes..
            
             To Liskula - I'm sorry that this has happened to you. No one likes to hear negative things about themselves, whether they hold truth or not. However, by attaching yourself to this case so directly, demanding the cooperation Blogger and Google, you are asking that they jeopardize the privacy contracts in  which their entire corporation depend on. the opinion of one person should not matter so entirely that you cannot live with yourself without bringing her down. What's that old saying?.... "That's show biz". You're not the first or last person in the media with a fan club drinking hater-ade.


* This report, excluding one sited quote, is written completely in my own words. It is a report that was written after reading numerous articles and blogs about the Liskula Cohen case. It is written in a personal fashion that flows like my thoughts tend to. The information about the case is introduced and my drawn conclusions and opinions follow. The websites I used in reference were:


http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/08/23/2009-08-23_outted_blogger_rosemary_port_blames_model_liskula_cohen_for_skank_stink.html

http://commonlaw.findlaw.com/2009/01/liskula-cohen-not-a-skank-google-sued-over-anonymous-blog.html

http://www.huliq.com/1/75587/liskula-cohens-lawsuit-vs-google-over-skanks-nyc-blog

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/170437/liskula_cohen_a_model_hero_in_google_lawsuit_win.html

Give It Up!!

Team USA brought home the highest number of medals in the Olympics! The official count is in and the home team won 36 medals: 9 gold, 14 silver and 13 bronze, breaking the record of medals won in the Salt Lake City games of '02. I think this is such an awesome accomplishment and our team definitly deserves a hand for it. Ladies and gentleman of the United States Olympic Team, YOU ROCK!!



http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/With-today-s-wins-U-S-wins-overall-medal-count?urn=oly,224703

Ready For A New Look!

I have looked at everyone else's blogs and I am really jealous of them! Mine is sad by comparison and I want to know how to get cool backgrounds and formats.The computer is a foreign land to me...If anyone's reading this...come on now...Let Me Know!!

My Reading List Choices

My Reading List Choices:

The Video Game Theory Reader by Mark J.P. Wolf

The YouTube Reader by Patrick Vonderau, Pelle Snickars, et al.

What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy , Second Edition: Revised and updated edition by James Paul Gee