Instead, I think all parents should read this latest post by Henry Jenkins. I’ve heard so many of my friends trying to make their way through parenting a new media generation – here’s a . . . → Read More: Hi. Long time no see.]]> Whatever. I’ll spare the BS about “I meant to write I’ve been busy I’m gonna do better blah blah blah.”

Instead, I think all parents should read this latest post by Henry Jenkins. I’ve heard so many of my friends trying to make their way through parenting a new media generation – here’s a blog that talks about some issues pretty well, and gives some good language for how to address ethics and online behavior… I liked this. And that’s all I’ll say for now.

http://henryjenkins.org/2010/02/the_internet_is_a_way_for_peop.html

I love kids. All of them. Kurt and I finally narrowed my preferred group down to the age range of 0-16. And I feel bad . . . → Read More: Stop. Refocus. Go.]]> So this week I had a bit of an epiphany. But not. Because it’s not like I never knew this before. It’s just that I’ve gotten sidetracked a bit.

I love kids. All of them. Kurt and I finally narrowed my preferred group down to the age range of 0-16. And I feel bad for the 17s, but I just HAVE to draw a line somewhere…. Once they’re 18, they can just go on, get out, get a job, make a life. I don’t care as deeply. They’re just not as interesting. But until then, they’re just neat neat learning growing developing realizing people. And I love it. Being with them makes me feel like I have life.

I officially moved here to Madison six months and three weeks and two days ago. (But who’s counting?) This is the firstPA170118 time in my life that I’m not surrounded by kids and/or kid like thinking. I started babysitting at 10 years old. Since then, youth related activities have always been a part of my life. Teaching, leading summer prograams, youth groups, camps, volunteer clubs and organizations, developing kid-focused curricula, even countless numbers of friends with kids. When I came here, most of that came to a screeching halt. I seem to have replaced the chunks of my life that were kid focused with school and other “works”.

Last week I had the honor of being able to speak to the kids at the Tech Academy at New Berlin. Fifty students between seventh and eleventh grade sat at reasonably good attention for  whole hour. The first half hour was me talking to them about instructional design and educational video games and the things I’ve learned along the way that don’t come from text books. Then for a half hour they grilled me. I mean GRILLED. “What’s the first video game you ever played?” “Would you ever want to run your own company?” “What do you think you are going to do after you’re done with school?” “What do you do when people come to a design meeting and want totally different things?” “Who’s more fun, teachers or game designers?” “So did you actually play pong?” “If you say that games that are designed good can be good for learning, do you still hate shooting games?” and “If you could make any video game you wanted, what would you make?” Not even Kurt grills me like that, and he’s my advisor. But it was awesome. I loved seeing the way new knowledge had gotten into their brain cells and made them question things in new ways. I loved being “tested”. I loved being able to share a few of the things I’ve learned along the way (like living out the saying “I’m rubber, you’re glue; bounces off me and sticks to you.”). Hopefully some things stuck. Maybe most things didn’t. But it’s not about what I actually said. It’s about what can start happening inside their own heads as a result. And that will be different for every student. And I’m so humbled to get to play a part in that.

Lordie, I was just plain INVIGORATED after those two hours.

Last night was a Walt night. My kid “fixes” here seem to take place mostly in quality babysitting time with a super cool 2 year old. I’ve only really known him for the last six months, but I’ve had so much fun watching his development in that short time. And he cracks me up. Like for reals, cracks me UP. I wish I could see inside his head. What does he think about when he’s trying to perfect his nerf pitch? Hands up close by the ears…. take a few steps… lift up a foot, how about this one, maybe like this AND THROW IT AT THE WALL! Outcome? Not as expected, do it again with modifications…..repeat the cycle a few times… aw hell I’m gonna just beat everything around me with my padded PA170084Mallards baseball bat and scream victoriously! Honestly, what on earth was there for me to do other than crack up? Well, that and screaming in victory with him, my own hands in the air…. it was a great night.

So my realization is that I’ve just GOT to get a grip, I’ve got to hone in and get focused. I would hate for my schooling to become the vehicle that sidetracks me and distracts me from the things I love and am passionate about. And as I’m reminded this week, it’s all about kids. They’re amazing, they’re fascinating, and they deserve good stuff. What this means for me, I don’t know. But I’m convinced that this is a step in the right direction.

Thorndike in 1912 (Quoted in Saettler, 1968:52)

Okay, that’s . . . → Read More: Thorndike Predicts EdTech in 1912]]> “If, by a miracle of mechanical ingenuity, a book could be so arranged that only to him who had done what was directed on page one would page two become visible and so on, much that now requires personal instruction could be managed by print.”

Thorndike in 1912 (Quoted in Saettler, 1968:52)

Okay, that’s nuts if you ask me. Thorndike is basically calling out computer based instruction, whether in a game or other interactive learning tool. 1912? Seems to me that if the educational thinkers of yesteryear were dreaming of the sorts of pedagogical tools that we today have access to, then in would behoove us to make better use of such educational innovations. Come on. It’ll make the spirit of Thorndike happy.