ETEC 532 Arts-based Project: Video Games in the Classroom

Kuljinder Gill
ET Pro!ram
"ni#ersit$ o% &ritish Columbia
Education
My knowledge is measureless
The information I possess is invaluable.
I have become the key to deliver food on any table.
To whom do I belong?

My messengers endeavor to share me
Very selfish they are,
They do what they feel is greatest for them
Even though my audiences evolution has come far.
!ut, to whom do I belong?

I in"uire, I plead, and simply ask #why?
$ith more powerful tools to share my knowledge,
My messengers, my narrow%minded messengers,
&now only one way, and I unbearably beseech, #why?
'gain, to whom do I belong?

Imprisoned by my knowledge,
(repared to erupt out of a capsule
My audience is blinded by a single image
Miserably I beg, #why?
To whom do I truly belong?

In a world that is constantly changing,
$ith an audience continuously budding,
My wisdom must branch into a mosaic,
' mosaic with images of times of today, not yesterday.
They do not understand, nor want to understand
)et, to whom do I belong?
If I belong to my messengers, why must I also be selfish?
I truly belong to my audience, who see me as noble.
*hould not my messengers attempt to make me e+hilarating,
captivating, and free?
It is my messengers who need to pursue knowledge,
,ook into the eyes of their audience and ask themselves,

-To whom do we belong?.
E'ilo!ue
A%ter researchin! and (ritin! the literature re#ie() it (as %ound that there
are man$ bene*ts to usin! #ideo !ames in the classroom+ ,o(e#er) a -e$
reason (h$ the$ are not bein! utili.ed is because teachers hold ne!ati#e
notions and %eel uncom%ortable (ith its use+ This 'uts students at a !reat
loss+ /% #ideo !ames can hel' enhance student learnin! (hile bene*tin! their
education) (h$ not use them0
/ be!an to as- m$sel% 1uestions around the 'ractice o% educators+ 2h$ does
the curriculum allo( educators to sim'l$ teach (hat the$ %eel com%ortable
(ith teachin!0 3houldn4t educators be thin-in! o% (hat (ill bene*t their
students rather than %ocusin! on (hat is easier %or them to teach0 As an
educator) isn4t it our job to im'ro#e our 'ractice to 'ro#ide our students (ith
the best learnin! o''ortunities0 These 1uestions then led me to thin- about
(ho the education s$stem is meant to bene*t more: teachers or students+ /s
the education s$stem set u' %or educators to teach (hate#er the$ *nd
easiest and most com%ortable0 5r is it meant to bene*t students) to hel'
them ac1uire and a''l$ -no(led!e in meanin!%ul (a$s0
This 'oem is %rom the 'ers'ecti#e o% Education+ / decided to 'ersoni%$
education) to allo( readers to see (hat it mi!ht be thin-in! and the battle it
%aces+ /n this 'oem) the messen!ers re'resent educators and the audience is
students+ / belie#e it4s im'ortant %or educators to as- themsel#es (hether
their 'ractice is bene*tin! themsel#es or their students+ The 'ur'ose o% this
'oem is to shed li!ht on this issue and %orce educators to thin- criticall$
about immer!in! educational trends be%ore the$ are 1uic- to dismiss them+
Control Your Learning
The endless possibilities when video games enter the classroom
E'ilo!ue
There are man$ bene*ts to usin! #ideo !ames in the classroom+ This mosaic
dis'la$s some o% the man$ bene*ts+ The 'ictures sho(cased re'resent the
di#ersit$ o% these bene*ts+ 6or e7am'le) there are 'ictures %rom around the
(orld because #ideo !ames allo( students to enter realms to e7'lore e7otic
'laces and learn about #arious cultures+ Traditional %orms o% learnin! are also
sho(cased) since students access their 'rior -no(led!e and a''l$ it to #ideo
!ames+
/ma!es retrie#ed %rom:
icroso%t /ma!es 829:3;+ htt':<<o=ce+microso%t+com<en-ca<ima!es<
or!ue 6ile 829:3;+ htt':<<(((+mor!ue*le+com<
Pics > ?earnin! 829:3;+ htt':<<'ics>learnin!+com<
Pro!rams used:
Click 2 Crop
A%ter sa#in! the ima!es) / used this 'ro!ram to ma-e the tiles %or the mosaic+
This 'ro!ram is eas$ to use and (as #er$ e=cient) as it allo(ed me to
1uic-l$ cro' 'hoto!ra'hs+ / used this 'ro!ram to cro' a total o% @A:
'hoto!ra'hs+
Mazaika 3.7
3ince this is a %ree trial #ersion) all the %eatures (ere not a#ailable+ This is
(h$ the resolution o% the tiles are not #er$ hi!h+ ,o(e#er) the trial #ersion
still allo(s users to create mosaics+ This 'ro!ram is also #er$ eas$ to use+
&oth 'ro!rams can be do(nloaded %rom: htt':<<(((+ma.ai-a+com<