Learning Reflection #1 "How Online P.E. Means More Now Than Ever."
I’ve never taken an online course before. Well, I suppose that isn’t entirely true. I did take one semester of an online Physical Education course in high school. You are permitted to judge me as you see fit. Online P.E. aside, Games and Learning has been an interesting foray into online courses and online learning, and I have been pleased with the results to far.
My participation in course activities (readings, etc.) has provided me with the chance to discuss meaningful topics (females and gaming issues, access to technology) and engage with people who I have never met, but have their own voice, opinions and experiences that they share in such a way as to make me feel like I know them. Annotating through Hypothesis has also given me the opportunity to explore my own voice, and I think I have hit upon a fun, (playful!) literary style that keeps me engaged in my own learning.
This Cycle’s readings were most interesting to me thus far because it dealt specifically with design. My second scholarly critique, (you can find it here,) dealt specifically with how game design can impact learning. Having the opportunity to build up on opinion on my own, before reading more specific articles, was very helpful. It helped me culminate my prior knowledge and build upon it in a dare I say it, playful fashion. As an educator, knowing how games can affect my student’s learning in a positive fashion is important for me to be aware of. Working with different personality styles between 3rd and 5th grade (some non-competitive, some very) can help me engage them in their learning based on a game style that they can find most productive. I find design elements to be so important, as the designers of that game, like any film director or author, has a particular voice and style that begs to be explored with deeper thinking.
At the beginning of this course, I believe I had a rather tentative approach to gaming. Coming from a place where game-playing was restricted to Phase 10 and Dominos, online and video games were something that I enjoyed watching, but hadn’t engaged with fully myself. Now, having read other learners’ blog posts and the course readings, I find that I am more willing to open myself up to the idea of a video game as its own, as they say, “learning system,” and I find it refreshing. Engaging also in Twitter, blog posts and annotations has allowed me to ground my thinking in other people, people that are in the same boat I am, and can provide help, connections and some playful thinking.
As of now in my learning journey, I find myself thinking about issues related to games and learning, most specifically, the issues females and especially females of color experience in the world of gaming. My greatest question for myself is how I can engage with the ladies in my after school program, guiding them and supporting them as they engage in online and in-game spaces. How can they stay engaged with their own learning if their learning is continually threatened by those that would seek to circumvent it? I think the best I can do is stand up for them as they engage in these spaces, and especially rely on my boys to also stand up for those around them. Taking the stigma away from girl gamers and keeping my boys socially responsible is the best I can do for them. I really hope I can learn more about engaging in this space as the course continues.
Because this sucks.
Online P.E. happened because I was an honors student, unable to take all the necessary courses I needed to graduate with an International Baccalaureate emphasis, and, I can allow myself to admit it now, I didn’t feel comfortable in a “normal” gym class. I think recognizing that weaknesses and fears exist in all of us is our first step to becoming more sympathetic learners. In this way, I want to make my students feel comfortable in all of their gaming and learning spaces, not because it’s easy, but because it is what is right. As I engage further with this course, I look forward to finding ways to make these spaces safe for everyone.
Because this also sucks.