Changes Changes Everywhere!

Before I began exploring the idea of youth, media and popular culture, particularly in relation to videogames, I thought there was little I could learn that could impact the learning of my early childhood students. Throughout this unit, however, a myriad of ideas regarding changes in practice I may need to implement, for I always try to relate all my teacher-librarian studies back to my current teaching situation, have been plaguing my thoughts. In order to gain some focus between what I have learned about videogames in particular and my students’ perspective on this same area I decided to conduct some interviews. Even the fact that I chose to interview my kids using the ‘old-fashioned’ pen and paper method showing my digital media illiteracy!

The following interview was conducted with three and four year old students at the American School in Japan Early Learning Center on October 15, 2010:

·         What computers do we have in our classroom?

~ Only Teacher Tammy has a computer and Teacher Mia.

·         What are you allowed to do on the computers?

~ We don’t get to play on it much.

~ Teacher Tammy does her work.

~ I like it when Teacher Tammy hugs me when she sends a mail.

~ When I get a note Teacher Tammy says, “put it on my computer so it doesn’t get lost.”

~ We saw my house on it.

~ I can’t touch it with my sticky hands.

·         What computer games do you play at home?

~ Barbie, Strawberry Short Cake, Disney Princesses, Olivia, lots

~ I’m only allowed on Friday.

~ My big brother plays fighting games.

~ I just like to watch.

~ Me and my dad play StarWars.

~ Only if I’m good.

·         What computer games do you want to play at school?

~ Anything I want.

~ I can bring my Ben Ten one.

~ Wii

~ We could do writing and stories and games.

·         Why do you like to play computer games?

~ I can do fighting and not be in trouble.

~ I learned it by myself and my sister’s not allowed to touch it.

~ Cause its fun.

·         What other computer things do we need at school?

~ Teacher Tammy gets mad at her computer because sometimes it doesn’t work.

~ Well, we need a kid computer. I can make one out of junk art.

~ Judy [Division Director] needs to buy us some.

~ We could have a DS

While amusing, these answers were also very instructive to me in giving me insight into the world of videogames from the viewpoint of those I am attempting to teach.

Firstly, my students don’t see our current classroom environment as one in which computers or computer games are used as a learning tool and I agree with their assessment! I have felt, up until this point, that there are so many real-life, hands-on experiences that I need to provide for my young students that home and future grades can fill in the digital media gap. However, research from the likes of Henry Jenkins, James Paul Gee and Jackie Marsh have helped me realise that I do have a responsibility to use videogames as a learning tool particularly as I work in a school that has the funds available to provide appropriate resources.

So perhaps the easiest thing for me to do is to replace a piece of old technology with a new one; get rid of my old whiteboard and replace it with and interactive one. I will need to write a proposal to the head of my department for such a request. However, as several other classrooms in my division already use interactive whiteboards approval should be given easily. I will also need to commit time to interactive whiteboard professional development so that it becomes a tool of real benefit to my students’ learning and not just a glorified

Another revelation to me was how much the children identified computer games with their parents and siblings. Of all the key areas looked at during this unit, participation has been of the greatest interest to me. I am fortunate enough to work in a community where the participation gap is of little concern. I would like to investigate further the notion of connecting home and school experiences, particularly through videogames. This will require the children to have access to the same forms of digital media in the classroom that they do at home.

Although focused on students older than my own, perhaps the biggest change in my view of media and technology in the classroom during this unit has come from looking at the Quest to Learn program (http://q2l.org/) and other related research readings. For some reason whenever I have thought about digital media in the classroom I have had visions of needing to embrace it in the extreme. What I have come to understand is that my fundamental teaching practice does not need to change as the introduction of videogames can be used to enhance traditional learning methods not compete with them. As the Q2L website explains: “Technology is always integrated into the curriculum only when it can help to further understanding for the students” (http://q2l.org/node/15).

The true impact of my own learning this semester will be evidenced in the next few months by the changes, or lack of, in my use of digital media in the classroom. Hopefully the result will be a classroom where the youth of tomorrow will be better prepared to engage in the world that will be created by them.