Blog Post reflections for Spring 2009

This semester was a challenge for me. My expectations were optimistic when I signed up for 9 graduate credits and worked full time, and a single parent of two children. I learned a great deal about my character. This Saturday course was a real challenge. However I loved the course and its content and all the people I met. I think I may have made things difficult for myself by not getting things done on time. As the semester winds down I have come to realize that blog posting should not be looked upon as a nervous or uneasy writing assignment . This was an exercise in technology that I am not use to having in my schedule. My computer at home did give me some technical difficulties when I downloaded Second Life. There were times that I didn't manage my time wisely and got behind in my assignments, not only for this class but the other two as well. I got frustrated because my life and several personal issues got in the way. While trying to have the assigned readings and the progress made while playing the video game I selected posted or not posted by the 10:00 am class deadline on each Saturday that was so generously set by Dr. Dana, which is very reasonable, should not have been a problem, but for me it was. Tiffany if and when you read or review this posting I have to apologize for not fulfilling my obligations as your partner because I didn't respond to your blogs as often as I should have. For that I am sorry. I was uneasy, insecure and unsure of myself about the postings I made. I was afraid of being judged on my performance as it relates to this assignment because it was a new experience for me. I am so used to the regular classroom instruction. I found that I really have to discipline myself even more than usual to participate in this type of hybrid course. For the first couple of posting I felt alone and/or lonely. I think the insecurity was getting to me. I do have to admit that after Dr. Dana responded to my posting that really eased my mind. I felt I was being a good student following directions. I think this course gave me a new confidence and opened up a new road as it relates to my academic experiences. For the reading selections that I find myself behind in I will post blogs on them before the semester is over. I will have no other choice but to accept whatever grade that Dr. D. gives me on these late postings. I accept responsibility for my actions and inaction's.
This was a valuable learning experience for me because it really forced me to think and perform outside of the box in continuing my education. I now have a new found confidence in completing this type of course and would gladly take another of the same type if offered or had to select it. I would recommend blogging as a form of communication and writing practice. It is an excellent exercise for all ages. It gives an individual an opportunity to express themselves in a way that may initially be uncomfortable. However with practice and time it can become a mastered skill. There are opportunities to edit and video and other technical applications that you may not normally be costumed to. Learning to blog has been a rewarding experience for me and can be for anyone who tries.

Walking Life clips/ Post media aesthetics/Intellectual Freedom in School Library

The one freedom not often spoken of or making news headlines is the "Intellectual Freedom" and the issues that arise out of it. The use of the Internet in schools, the screening and filtering of material in school libraries, and censorship in the school library. There are tools in place to deal with these transgressions of our freedom in literacy. The Library Bill of Rights, Louisiana Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee, National Council of Teachers of English, and the International Reading Association. These bodies of law and policies should be called upon when ever a challenge to intellectual freedom or literacy is at hand. The Librarian should be knowledgeable in the use of these resources. When the "privacy and the right to read are not respected" censorship may take over good and well intended judgement. We live in diverse communities as well as a very diverse country. All genres of literature and literacy must be respected. It is usually political pressure from school administration that sparks the controversy over what is appropriate or inappropriate. We must therefore educate our children to make wise choices concerning the literature and literacy's used in the pursuit of higher learning.
The Walking Life video on You Tube is an amazing compilation of animation. It is realistic in a way that I have never seen animation put to music and a series of story lines. It is cutting edge technology that will most likely navigate its way into mainstream media. I feel this technology is not difficult to produce given the freedom and imagination given to put the scenes together. This is Second Life in another area animation imagination. It touched on a variety of issues in a way that will keep the viewer interested in the topics or issues discussed. If you are not into sitting in a classroom listening to these types of issues such as existentialism. Some of it sounds like babbling. Some of it will put you to sleep if you just focus into the audio in some of the clips. But the animation is what keeps it interesting. It gives off very powerful imaginative feelings to me.
The article on Post Media Aesthetics was very informative. It was highly philosophical. I had to read it twice. Honestly I had a difficulty with some of the readings with in the paper, but if I understand it correctly it deals with how artistically things are moving forward out of necessity, to offer art and different forms of art on a much larger scale. The one example of the office and the club, where different software is used to express to different forms of medium, yet they both emanate from a computer, it is this type of expressionism that has taken the place of how aesthetics is portrayed and expressed.

Tomb Raider continued

This week in Tomb Raider I discovered an easier way to play the game. I brought the difficulty level down to medium after looosing all of my lifes in the first five chapters. I also discoved that I could get instructional directions on how to proceed during the game right on screen after every move by the settings menu. I haad not seen that particular setting before and when I started over from chapter one the directions began appearing on the screen. The moves did not become any easier, but at least i had the correct directions as well as objectives to follow. The tutorial guides you through the game. It is quite silent until the action and the shooting of various animals begin. The jumping and running and shimmying across ledges became a little easier. The use of the grapple which she throws is tricky at times but now there appears a directional targeting its use is necessary. I guess setting the difficulty down a noche triggers the held embedded in the game. I am now at level six. It is now time to navigate through even more unfamiliar terrain.

Tomb raider Anniversary edition

There is no getting around this game. I can't find a free website to help unlock any cheat items. I would only like to be able to have unlimited ammunition and other weapons. All the websites that I checked indicate that you must finish the game and that the second time around there will be some cheat items unlocked. This game is not like the first Tomb raider game that I had. Although I have to admit the graphics and the moves are better. The weapons have been upgraded. This game must be set to a difficulty level to even unlock the cheats. So it really has been a challenge for me to try and get through a level. There are 14 levels and I am at level 4. Since My district that I substitute in is on break this week, I should be able to devote a little more time to the game. I will definitely pick up the pace. I love this treasure hunt/adventure that I am on though. It is similar to second life in that aspect. The exploring of new area's of the game and how to navigate through it has that appeal for me. The Croft manor was just a warm up. I'm really in the mix of the game now. The giant animals that attack are really something. Giving them their due with the weapons i have to select from does it for me.-

Tomb Raider The Anniversary edition

I found this Tomb Raider Game in a local video game store. The one I has was damaged, and I had to search for a couple of days to find this one. I am in the first Stage of the game. Actually this is a warm up to the games various levels. The Manor,(Laura Croft's House), is huge. It has a garden maze, a gym, it's a two story mansion with lots of rooms. The actual adventure takes place in a another location. The Manor training prepares you for all the moves that you will be doing once you begin playing the main game. The Laura Croft character reminds me of the avatar's we created in Second Life. I can change her outfit, make her run, jump, swim, and a host of other combination moves.
The game is addictive because it is an adventure game and you must find hidden items, shoot various creatures, follow a particular path of events and use various acrobatic moves at different points in the games. This is better than the game I started playing that got damaged. I have gone through the Manor level and I am almost ready to start the main game.

What are "New Literacies"?

Literacy, the way we read and write,our most basic form of communication, is and has changed. We have advanced the way in which we communicate in many different ways. From writing letters to emailing. In this digital age of communicating our new literacies consist of blogging,using social networks, gaming online, e-books,virtual worlds, im's, text's, and a host of other digital technologies that have took us far beyond the paper back books, the type writer, and the telephone.
New Literacies in the classroom are now an essential part of education. I am a Substitute Teacher and there is not one school that I have visited that does not have a computer in each classroom. (Pre-k .... 12) This preparation is necessary to give our youth the competitive advantage that this digital age demands. Every curriculum incorporates and encourages the use of New Literacies. The continued advancement of technologies means that our literacies must also advance at the same rate. The biggest advantage is having all the information just a click away.

Sylvester's Tomb Raider Adventure

It has been a very rough week learning to play my game. I get frustrated when I can't remember how to make her move or jump a certain way. It is also very irritating trying to remember which direction the secret items are hidden in because you need them to advance through certain phases of the game. But I think the turning point for me is when the screen froze up and i could not continue with the game. I believe I experienced a total meltdown emotionally. Mostly anger though. It seems as if the disk I have is scratched beyond use. It will only play up to a certain point in the first level. So I have been to several stores looking for the original version of Tomb Raider for PS2, but no one has it. I have no other choice but to buy this other updated version of Tomb Raider that I have never played before. Maybe this will be a good thing.
I will start over fresh. I was hoping to find the game that I had but it seems that it is to ancient for any store to carry. I even looked on eBay and seen one but it would take to long to ship. So I will just buy the one I seen in a store locally and see if there are any directions either at an official website or find some codes that will give me the things I enjoyed on my game. I love Laura Croft. I believe the way they drew the character and the things she can do in the game are really appealing. I hope as I share the details of the new updated Tomb Raider everyone who reads the blog will come to enjoy it as much as I do.

Why should I learn about video games?

Why do many adults avoid or discount video games?
Why are others so obsessed?

After reading the introduction and chapter 2 of Gee's book it would be easy to say that some older, very mature in age adults are set in their ways and will never use a computer much less attempt to play a video game. Adults who are of a progressive nature will take on such tasks. Curiosity drives many people to try things that will get them out of their comfort zone. It truly is a different way of communicating for there are many ways to get connected with an entirely different social network of people. They are learning new problem solving techniques. The critical thinking builds bridges to new ideas and opens doors for a wide range of relationships to develop. I believe the avoidance comes from a fear of the unknown and the failures that come with it. Some see it as a waste of time because they feel it is targeted towards a younger audience. Many are simply uninformed and unaware of the technology. They turn their heads to what is obviously taking the whole wold to a global community.
The obsession, is a thirst, that can't be quenched. Some people will spend hours, days, weeks, or months networking different virtual worlds. The competitive nature takes control. There maybe rewards or incentives, perhaps monetary, or certifications, or recognitions that keep the interest peaked. The fantasy is fulfilled in many different ways. Or maybe they just want to finish a difficult game.

Sylvester begins to tackle the original tomb raider

It took me a day or two to look through the games i had to find my tomb raider disc only to find that it was scratched. So i had to find a store that sold the one i wanted to play. There are so many other updated versions out now. I have a ps2 so i have to find one that will play on that unit. So when I found one i bought it at the mall in one of those trading video game stores. It didn't come with the book to guide you through each level, and i can't find the book that i had. So I have to start from scratch. What I like about this game is that it has many different levels and you must master certain moves to advance to the next level. There are cheat codes that I will be seeking to get unlimited ammunition and extra life, but for now I am playing the game at a slow pace looking for all the secret clues. Walking and jumping and flipping seems to be challenging since i haven't done this in a while. Shooting the wild animals that jump at you while running from them is exciting. This game takes a lot of patience to play, and without the guide book you have to find all the secret clues and items because you need them at random moments in the game. It takes hours to get through one level, but I am going to learn some new ways to navigate the path that i must go down. I can't swim in real life, and My Lara Croft seems to have similar problems. It will a learning experience for me and my character.

The Effect of Screen Media on Children

My opinion on this topic comes from observing children in different settings and environments, such as school and just observing different age groups of children in my community asthey play and interact with each other and the adults that they come in contact with. My opinion is that the negative effects out weight the positive. The negative language, the skimpy fashion, and the attitude I often encounter. The conversations I hear are related to what is popular in the media. In all the schools I substitute teach in the children have become so immersed and influenced by media that every electonic device they own is attaced to inside the classroom and you cannot separate the bond. The media's influence is so strong and getting stronger every day. The educational value that the media has is probably its most positive effect. The only draw back is the corporate entity behind it that fuels it and directs it. It certainly is a controversial topic will be for quite some time to come.

How do you Learn?

I look at the way people learn from a biological perspective, the way in which the brain works, which I believe is part of a learning cycle. 1) To sense information (the sensory cortex) 2) To reflect on and integrate new information into what is already known (integrative cortex) and 3) to create mental or physical movement (motor cortex). Children must develop an understanding of what it is that stimulates or motivates them to want to engage in an activity that will bring a sense of accomplishment. That is the easiest way for them to learn. I happen to be a visual learner. I have always been a better hands on learner when it comes to learning. Children's understanding grows with rich experiences. Young children, often underestimated, absorb knowledge like a sponge. We want them to excel in all their developmental stages, but some parents, at times lack the will to let their full potential sore due to fear of dissappointment.

At my age I find it easier to learn by being resourceful, that is by independant research and networking. I also learn through and from the experiences ihad in life. Making the transition from infant to toddler to adolescent to adult has been the greatest learning experience. The amount of trial and error, success and failures, and a determination to exceed to higher levels in life, keeps my mind sharp, and my drive strong and yearning to reach my full potential. I feel that I have a lot more to do. The fact that I'm in graduate school makes me feel good and the program that I am a part of tells me that I have a lot more to learn still. I never blogged before, and all the new technology I'm being exposed to and using helps me to keep moving forward and be progressive in this learning process.

All about me

My name is sylvester. I am a first semeter M.A.T. @ MSU. ECEl P-3 is my program of study. I hope to complete my studies in 4 semesters (2yrs) for a total of 36 credits. 9 credits per semester. I know it will be rough but I am determined to do it.