Reading Response: Gaming, Writing, and Teaching

I am very interested in the potential uses of gaming to teach writing. Of course, games can be used to teach narrative writing. Numerous games include strong narrative aspects, some pre-determined much like a movie or novel and others that are interactive and/or even created by the gamers. World of Warcraft, Everquest, and Fable are just a few examples.

Games' potential for teaching critical literacy is also readily apparent. Students could be encouraged to critically reflect on how they customize their avatars during their initial creation and gameplay, as well as the options provided by the game. For example, students could critically analyze how they choose to develop the avatar in Fable, how their choices are limited or influenced, etc.

Finally, I had not considered how games could directly teach writing, as in Moeller and White's, Bono's, and King's essays in the CCO gaming issue. Creating a game would be an excellent way to teach rhetorical literacy, as students would produce both a narrative and an electronic artifact.

Questions about E-Portfolio

I have started organizing my e-portfolio on my Eng 625 Google Site, and I have few questions for anyone with answers.

First, how are we supposed to handle the Digital Dictionary? Since it is supposed to be included in Dr. Cadle's forthcoming anthology, should we still include it in our site? If so, is it possible to link to it? Will those with whom it is shared be able to see it as long as they're logged into a Google account? Or should we just copy and paste into a word document and then attach it? Should we try to distinguish between our individual contributions and those of our classmates?

Second, how can I capture/obtain screenshots from websites or web-browsers? I need screenshots of Zotero, Facebook, and Blackboard. I know I can take pictures of my monitor and then post those, but I would prefer to obtain higher-quality screenshots, if possible. I suppose I could take my personal laptop, which has the Zotero research on it, to the Meyer Library, hook it up to the network, print the Firefox-Zotero display, scan the printout, and then post that. Same for Facebook and Blackboard. If someone can point me toward a less convoluted process, please let me know.

Reading Response: Diversity, Discourse, and Identity Construction Online

Our reading for this week revolves around the themes of diversity, discursive practices, and the construction of identities in and through digital spaces. "But I'm Just White or How 'Other' Pedagogies Can Benefit All Students," Samantha Blackmon provides a very nice pedagogy for incorporating diversity of perspective, discourse, and identity into the classroom. By encouraging all students to explore their social and cultural histories, the uniqueness of each student becomes apparent. This facilitates the opening of students' minds and perspectives, while also making them aware of the discourses that they have always taken for granted, never thinking critically about them since they were too deeply embedded within them. It's hard to see the entire forest when you're deep in the middle of it. Students also learn about their identities and the many influences upon them. I will definitely keep in mind Blackmon's suggestions for the next course I teach.

"Taking Black Technology Use Seriously" was an interesting discussion of African-American discursive practices on a predominately African-American website. Adam Banks shows how even oral discursive practices can be represented through writing. Further, he shows that these practices both create and are created by the identities of those who use them. I especially like Banks' assertion that scholars should focus on how technology is used instead of just access to it. This sets him up to make another key point--that even seemingly frivolous uses of technology (downloading rap lyrics or watching music videos) can be put to critical use. I think it's important to meet student where they are and help them grow.

The last reading, "A Real Effect on the Gameplay," was particularly interesting to me, since I have a rather extensive history with gaming. I've never played Dungeons and Dragons, although I'm familiar with it. I have played a huge amount of real-time strategy games, which typically provide an opportunity to construct or play around with an identity. For instance, in Age of Empires, you can play a campaign as Atilla the Hun. So you get to enjoy being "the scourge of God." If you're playing as your unique character, you essentially assume the roles of King and Conquerer. Quite a heady identity for a teenager. As though the spectacle of the game isn't enough, you get to assert complete mastery at a time in your life when very little seems to be in your control. I never would have thought about these issues if I hadn't read Jonathan Alexander's essay.