I have so many thoughts going on about gamification. Mostly negative thoughts. First off let me tell you I am not a gamer. I never did Nintendo, Atari, or Pong as a kid and I really wasn't that keen on pinball either. I found Gabe Zichermann's TED talk to be a bit frightening. There is a lot I want to know about Gabe. Mainly, does he have kids? I don't think he does or he would have a different perspective on gaming-as-a-way-of-life. He seemed to believe that all kids were gamers. He says the world is just too "freakin" slow for our children to appreciate. He said he doesn't think that kids will ever sit down with a good book and just read. He believes that kids can multitask, but John Medina's Brain Rules research concluded that multitasking is a myth and that the brain can only do one task at a time. Gabe also talks about dopamine. Dopamine is a key issue in the debate over whether video games are appropriate for learning or if they are addictive and detrimental. Dopamine is important. It is an important chemical in our brain that makes us do the things we do, a reward. I don't want a classroom of reward seekers that need me to be fast paced and always trying to find that hook that will keep everyone going, going, going. Sounds like a scary sci-fi novel. I continually have to reinforce with my own children, and my son in particular, that video games are just a piece of your life puzzle. Each day there should be social time, quiet reading time, exercise, gaming, family meals. Video games cannot be your whole life but it is okay for them to be part of your life. Gabe glibbly states that he has played x number of hours of games and look at him he has a good job in the video game industry. But, that is not reality. Most kids are consumers and will always be. I'm a skeptic on this. Gabe is not a good gamification ambassador. He needs to include some balance. Another question for Gabe. When is the last time you read a good book?
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AuthorTeacher/Elementary Ed Archives
July 2016
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