Comments on: BLC06: Mark Prensky, Engage Me or Enrage Me http://www.teach42.com/2006/07/21/blc06-mark-prensky-engage-me-or-enrage-me/ Education and Technology by Steve Dembo Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:52:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: La Teacher » Teach the Teacher Collaborative Week 1 http://www.teach42.com/2006/07/21/blc06-mark-prensky-engage-me-or-enrage-me/#comment-49932 La Teacher » Teach the Teacher Collaborative Week 1 Sun, 03 Sep 2006 04:53:18 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/2006/07/21/blc06-mark-prensky-engage-me-or-enrage-me/#comment-49932 [...] Next in our speaker lineup was Marc Prensky. Since my summation is getting foggy in my head since it has been two weeks now since I heard his presentation, I was delighted to find another blogger, Steve Dembo, whom I regularly read, who just saw his presentation at the recent Building Learning Communities in Boston. A link to his thoughtful summation of the presentation is on his recent blog post. I recommend you read this excellent post to find out about what Marc Prensky’s message is. (I found this while cruising Hitchhiker, a brilliant new tool created by David Warlick, which tracks the blogs and photos of all the latest technology conferences.) [...] […] Next in our speaker lineup was Marc Prensky. Since my summation is getting foggy in my head since it has been two weeks now since I heard his presentation, I was delighted to find another blogger, Steve Dembo, whom I regularly read, who just saw his presentation at the recent Building Learning Communities in Boston. A link to his thoughtful summation of the presentation is on his recent blog post. I recommend you read this excellent post to find out about what Marc Prensky’s message is. (I found this while cruising Hitchhiker, a brilliant new tool created by David Warlick, which tracks the blogs and photos of all the latest technology conferences.) […]

]]> By: Jennie http://www.teach42.com/2006/07/21/blc06-mark-prensky-engage-me-or-enrage-me/#comment-47607 Jennie Sun, 23 Jul 2006 17:51:16 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/2006/07/21/blc06-mark-prensky-engage-me-or-enrage-me/#comment-47607 I don't think that these "engaging games" are anything new. When I was in grade school, Oregon Trail was <i>the</i> game to play--it was *educational* enough for the teachers, but we mostly liked making sure our least-liked family members died of dysentry--and we were also bored, quite a bit. I don't think students are any different today. What <b>is</b> different, and what I like about your comments, is that students expect a level of technological competence (or at least awareness) and often feel disconnected from a system that seems as divorced from the reality of life as a 1950's movie. So many, many teachers draw the line even at emailing, let alone keeping up on the latest games or tools. You are right, this <b>must</b> change--what students can do has evolved, teachers need to as well. <a href="http://unabridgedopinions.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Unabridged Opinions</a> I don’t think that these “engaging games” are anything new. When I was in grade school, Oregon Trail was the game to play–it was *educational* enough for the teachers, but we mostly liked making sure our least-liked family members died of dysentry–and we were also bored, quite a bit. I don’t think students are any different today. What is different, and what I like about your comments, is that students expect a level of technological competence (or at least awareness) and often feel disconnected from a system that seems as divorced from the reality of life as a 1950’s movie. So many, many teachers draw the line even at emailing, let alone keeping up on the latest games or tools. You are right, this must change–what students can do has evolved, teachers need to as well.
Unabridged Opinions

]]> By: David Warlick http://www.teach42.com/2006/07/21/blc06-mark-prensky-engage-me-or-enrage-me/#comment-47554 David Warlick Sat, 22 Jul 2006 21:07:46 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/2006/07/21/blc06-mark-prensky-engage-me-or-enrage-me/#comment-47554 Steve, Needless to say, I'm wishing I was there. As for gaming, this new focus on video games concerns me a bit. I'm afraid that our tendency is to see kids engaged by their X-Boxes, and in our zeal to make learning more meaningful, we will throw video games into the classroom and expect things to be better. I believe that it isn't the game that we should be concentrating on, but the experiences that students are having. Is it the game or is it a set of fundamental conditions that we might institute in classroom learning. The gaming environment is incredibly responsive to students. They generally invest something in the game. They communicate and influence other people. They gain something that, if it is not intrinsically valueable to them, at least it is something that they can talk about to their friends. I think that these and other qualities of video gaming are things that we might integrate into classroom practices. Games would be fine, but by themselves they'll just make us look foolish to them ;-) Later, bro! Steve,

Needless to say, I’m wishing I was there. As for gaming, this new focus on video games concerns me a bit. I’m afraid that our tendency is to see kids engaged by their X-Boxes, and in our zeal to make learning more meaningful, we will throw video games into the classroom and expect things to be better.

I believe that it isn’t the game that we should be concentrating on, but the experiences that students are having. Is it the game or is it a set of fundamental conditions that we might institute in classroom learning. The gaming environment is incredibly responsive to students. They generally invest something in the game. They communicate and influence other people. They gain something that, if it is not intrinsically valueable to them, at least it is something that they can talk about to their friends. I think that these and other qualities of video gaming are things that we might integrate into classroom practices.

Games would be fine, but by themselves they’ll just make us look foolish to them ;-)

Later, bro!

]]> By: Janice http://www.teach42.com/2006/07/21/blc06-mark-prensky-engage-me-or-enrage-me/#comment-47539 Janice Sat, 22 Jul 2006 16:47:22 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/2006/07/21/blc06-mark-prensky-engage-me-or-enrage-me/#comment-47539 Thanks for a great blog on Marc's presentation. I appreciate your insights about his thinking. A group of our teachers just engaged in a presentation from Marc and Ian Jukes and I was trying to synthesize the information. You do it well. I'm going to recommend that folks read your blog. Thanks for a great blog on Marc’s presentation. I appreciate your insights about his thinking. A group of our teachers just engaged in a presentation from Marc and Ian Jukes and I was trying to synthesize the information. You do it well. I’m going to recommend that folks read your blog.

]]> By: Beth http://www.teach42.com/2006/07/21/blc06-mark-prensky-engage-me-or-enrage-me/#comment-47468 Beth Fri, 21 Jul 2006 18:44:57 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/2006/07/21/blc06-mark-prensky-engage-me-or-enrage-me/#comment-47468 I have to agree that games today teach a variety of skills. My son(age 9), daughter(age 12) any my husband all play "world of warcraft". Two kids who would not talk to a stranger in real life are having conversations, starting and managing guilds and cooperating with people of all ages and from unkown parts of the world to complete tasks and missions. They are learning to compromise, give and take, do a little math, learn the value of different items, way risks and think about strategies. I love watching them play. They have such a good time, they do not know they are learning skills at all. I have to agree that games today teach a variety of skills. My son(age 9), daughter(age 12) any my husband all play “world of warcraft”. Two kids who would not talk to a stranger in real life are having conversations, starting and managing guilds and cooperating with people of all ages and from unkown parts of the world to complete tasks and missions. They are learning to compromise, give and take, do a little math, learn the value of different items, way risks and think about strategies. I love watching them play. They have such a good time, they do not know they are learning skills at all.

]]> By: Aaron Smith http://www.teach42.com/2006/07/21/blc06-mark-prensky-engage-me-or-enrage-me/#comment-47449 Aaron Smith Fri, 21 Jul 2006 14:42:19 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/2006/07/21/blc06-mark-prensky-engage-me-or-enrage-me/#comment-47449 "If technology is the new literacy, then many teachers are illiterate." That's a great quote. Is that from you or the presenter? “If technology is the new literacy, then many teachers are illiterate.”

That’s a great quote. Is that from you or the presenter?

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