Influencing Others Beliefs (Games in Education)

I am riled, I have had my library ruffle my feathers and they got the reaction they were after. (Let me have my whinge, I have noticed others have this week.)

Following Bill Kerr’s lead I have been promoting video games and how they can have a beneficial effect on students by promoting the higher order thinking skills, provide students with a “rich” information base (how many students can give you an accurate representation of history based on the games they have played) and other such skills.

We even purchased James Gee book on gaming so teachers could consider the pros and cons of computer gaming and the influences they have on students. I am even building a repository of articles on games in education for people to read.

So what is our libraries response to this? This evening happens to be the Annual General Meeting of the school. Our library also happens to be a community library with members of the public regularly making use of our library. This post was placed just inside the library so all members of the community would be confronted with it. Notice the highlighted section that quotes a phycologist from an Adelaide Hospital as saying the army uses games to desensitise their personnel to shooting others. Just one small aspect, without looking at all the positives. (In my opinion a poorly researched article with only references to smaller names within these circles.)

So if they wish to attack the line I am taking, (which they are) why do they not tackle the educational points that I am raising rather that focussing on the tired old point that they promote violence. (How little faith they must put in our children.) You can find something wrong with anything if you look hard enough.

I doubt the librarians have even read this book. What frustrates me is the fact that those who criticise do very little research. They refuse to consider new ideas, their opinions have been previously made up and they only read the articles that support their thinking. How does this improve one as an individual? and in an educational setting!

I have a burning desire to write an article for the local paper promoting games as good for education. However I am sure I will calm down and this idea with not come to fruition.

BTW, did you notice how the library has decided that some PG titles are not suitable for children so stuck them in the “adult section”. The fun we have at this school.