The connection between game violence and aggressiveness in the players

I definitely believe that there is a connection between violence in video games and increased aggressiveness in its players.
Prolonged time spent with certain video games and television viewing can desensitize you so that you become accustomed to violence and killing. The incidents in the amounts and types of violence among youths I feel is the evidence of a connection. Unfortunately the new, more sophisticated games have better graphics and allow players to participate in even more realistic violent acts so I don't see things getting better any time soon.
There has been some research that suggests “video and computer game violence may be even more dangerous than violence shown on television or in films, since the player identifies himself with the characters carrying out the violence. Television can make us spectators of violence; computer games can make us feel like participants. Furthermore, a movie may take a child only a couple of hours to watch, but a child may spend up to 100 hours mastering a typical video game”.

People are DEFINITELY influenced by what they see, read, and do. That is the reason billions of dollars are spent on advertising in such medias as television, radio, and newspapers. For the young and impressionable, these games may blur the distinction between reality and fantasy.

Secondly, there are a large number of children in the U.S. that are reported as clinically obese. Lack of exercise because of too much time spent in front of the TV, computer screen, or with a hand-held video game is likely contributing to the problem. Parents and guardians should limiting the time spent playing such games and encourage spending time with other activities such as studying, interacting with others, and playing creatively to assure that their children become well rounded individuals.

Diner Dash 2

Diner Dash 2.... Oh Lord, Somebody just help me get through Diner Dash 1. I read someone's post in class who mentioned that using a mouse makes things much easier. Really??? Is that my problem? I'll attach a mouse to my laptop TODAY! I hope to God I will be able to report that it made a difference for me. Otherwise I'll know that it's me and I just suck at gaming.

Video Games Entering the Classroom

Differentiating instruction has been stressed in my school for the last several years. Many teachers realized why it was important; to address the different needs and learning styles of our students, but truthfully, moving away from whole group instruction continues to pose a challenge for many.
Games can be used as one method to address students varying learning styles. Students will be afforded the opportunity to learn material and demonstrate that learning in new and innovative ways.

The article tells us that educators everywhere are beginning to look for ways that games can be infused into the classroom curriculum. Research has shown that games do encourage learning because they are motivating for many students. They are fun, engaging, and help students develop critical thinking skills. '

We must be careful however to do our homework prior to incorporating games into our lesson plans. Squire tells us that playing games will not appeal to everyone and there is no one game that will give everyone the same learning experience. Some students have a learning style that allows them to thrive in the traditional educational setting whereas others will fair better with more hands-on activities. His experiment showed that 25 % of the students loved playing games and another quarter opted to participate in the traditional reading groups.

Since not all students can or want to learn in the same way, we must continue to provide a multitude of ways for students to demonstrate their knowledge. I think that “gaming” should definitely be added to our repertoire of teaching strategies as an alternative for the average, struggling, or gifted student.

Is Identity Play Benefical or Harmful?

I think there are both positive and negative aspects to identity play in video games. Through "identity play' students have the opportunity to develop characters in their own image and make decisions and judgements based upon their existing morals and values. Students learn problem solving skills working both individually and in cooperative settings.

Students playing video games are willing to be challenged with a range of difficulty levels, continually seeking strategies to improve their performance and not quitting even after failed attempts. Gee reminds us that mastering a video games requires committment in terms of time, effort, and active engagement, as does learning new content in an academic setting. True mastery is achieved through much practice. Many students are willing to put in hours and hours of practice time to master a video game. Many of these same students may resist learning in school. Gee attributes this to the fact that video games are compelling and school is not. This reinforces the fact that students must be motivated by us (their teachers) to want to achieve success both in and out of school. We ultimately want them to attack their schoolwork with the same level of enthusiasm and persistence that they do their video games.

Video games are harmful when used to demoralize or teach hatred for certain groups of people. It's great if identity play affords you the opportunity to see things from another's perspective, but many misconceptions or racist views are compounded either intentionally or unintentionally through the design of many popular games.

New Literacies: Research and Social Practice

The authors defined “new literacies” as those identifiable forms of textual practice that have a degree of social significance and are chronologically recent. Included among them are email, online chat spaces, instant messaging, Fan Fiction, Manga, and Weblogs. These new literacies are reading and writing communication tools that should be used both in and out of the classroom to enhance student learning. While many of todays students are already competent with the newest technologies, the teachers responsible for expanding their knowledge are not. There are still many teachers (at least in my building) that will tell you they have heard of blogs but are not really sure what they are or how to develop one. I personally have never visited an online chat room and I'm not a fan of instant messaging. Lankshear and Knobel suggest that educators experience these new technologies from the inside as participants in order to fully understand what students are experiencing. I agree that this is important. There was a time when I was totally computer illiterate and my students had to take my hand and walk me through each and every computer function. I then became determined to learn as much about technology as my 7th graders. No, I'm not there yet, but this baby boomer has come a long way. As educators it is indeed our responsibility to stay abreast of current technologies and incorporate them into our curriculums so that we maximize our students potential.

What am I Doing Wrong

Okay, after spending the last week obsessed with Diner Dash, I am totally frustrated that I have not moved off level 5. I hate admitting to this, especially after reading blogs about the success many people are experiencing with the game. I finally googled Diner Dash tips yesterday. There was lots of good information and tips given to help me improve my game. It's Saturday and my house is begging for my attention, but I am determined that today will be the day I move on to the next level.