Response to Open Letter to Educators

I think Dan Brown's open letter hits the nail on the head - our systems of education need to evolve as the way the rest of the world processes information evolves. I can give a perfect example; an English class I am currently enrolled in assigned an anthology text on literary criticism, which some students purchased for, as Dan Brown says, somewhere in the neighborhood of one hundred dollars. I, however, will not. In fact, I will never even open that book with my own hands, because a quick Google search found a pdf of the entire text uploaded to archive.org, free for all to read. The best part of this is not that I will get to save a hundred bucks, but the implication that anyone with internet access can read these ideas and be exposed to the thoughts of influential thinkers like Nietzsche, Marx, and Althusser. I am sure when the time comes to do research for papers, I will turn to the internet again to find more ideas I can use to help develop my own.

I have one point, however, that may be obvious but something we as teachers ought to keep in mind. As we look to new, advanced technologies and methods of accessing information, we should look to them not as easier ways but better ways. Teachers that provide students with these tools in the context of just being simpler and easier risk missing out on teaching some fundamental skills. For example, a calculator certainly makes calculus easier, but there is a reason many good teachers urge their students to understand the theories and their applications before using a calculator to amplify their mathematical skills rather than simply replacing said skills. Too often does it seem people (including teachers and students) think of technology as a substitute for knowledge or ability, when it ought to function as an augmentation.

A resource I would like to bring into the 21st classroom is video games. Look at these statistics; http://www.theesa.com/facts/
Over half of all Americans play video games, and most of those have been doing so for over a dozen years (like myself). This number will only grow, and as the medium becomes more popular, its artistic value will do the same. Already a large population of what are called "indie" games exist, many available to play for free or less than 5 dollars, designed not as revenue-makers but as pieces of art. Much like cinema quickly evolved from simple videos of people sneezing or trains running (think the 8-bit days of Mario hopping on koopa shells and pac-man gobbling up power pellets) to the vastly respected and popular art form is today, I believe students ought to possess what I call video game literacy. Too often have I seen my younger cousin pick up a video game and shoot insurgents to death without understanding what he's doing. Video games can and do serve a higher purpose than that, I will highlight 3 that do so quite well.

1) Starcaft 2. Some of you may be familiar with this insanely popular Real Time Strategy title that has spawned professional leagues across the world and players who are worth millions for their talent. It is a strategy title that, essentially, boils down to micro managing workers to gather resources. These resources are used to build units that can destroy the opponent's base and units while protecting your own. Think of it as real time chess with over 60 unique pieces and a board that changes from match to match. It helps its players develop organizational skills, critical thinking, understanding other people's thought processes, thinking on your feet, and overall mental quickness, skills very much prized in today's high-paced, hard-hitting economy. Starcraft 2 is not the only game with such a fiercely competitive professional scene that students could benefit from understanding - other titles, such as League of Legends, are perfectly valid alternatives to Starcraft 2. I could link to a game on South Korea's StarcraftTV Channel, but instead I'll post a link to a class from UC Berkley, a university that has already identified this game's educational value and offers a course on it. (WARNING: heavy nerd jargon below)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7XiE_V0PZ8

2) The Oregon Trail. A classic that many old Windows computers came pre-installed with in the 90's, but nonetheless still a great educational tool. The game challenges players to plot a path from the east of America to Oregon circa the 1880's, to make the oregon trail. Players must manage food supplies, the stability of their wagon, the health of their family, and any other epidemics they may come across. It is a great learning tool for any unit on that era in American history. This game can be purchased fairly cheaply of www.microsoft.com, or played for free on one of many free flash emulations. Below I've included the original Apple II version, which can run on any modern computer very easily after installing the emulator.
http://www.virtualapple.org/oregontraildisk.html

3) Spec Ops: The Line. Now, the previous video games I've mentioned function mostly as teaching tools designed to develop a certain skill; organization, planning, predicting others' actions, etc. This game, however, is what some call the Citizen Kane of video games. It is the perfect game to teach students video game literacy; to understand the artistic intent behind a game rather than merely taking it at surface value. It is a vastly underrated work of art and something I feel every American ought to experience. The game puts the player in the position of three Delta force commandos charged with investigating the city of Dubai after a fictional war is ended by a massive record-breaking sandstorm, burying much of the city, the civilians left there and an entire regiment of American troops. The player arrives to find a situation akin to a military dictatorship, and as they attempt to find the source of the problem and complete their government-given mission (find General White and save him) they find themselves exposed to and committing acts of absolute horror. It does this in the way only video games can, by putting the agency of decision not in the main character of a text but in the student's hands. They connect to the themes and events of the story because they are happening to the student. I won't spoil anything, but it suffices to say the game forces players to question our military culture and why we glamorize warfare, and what our actions in the Middle East truly accomplish, something I feel our educational system often ignores when it is one of the most important aspects of recent history and today our students ought to understand as they become 21st century citizens. I'll leave a link to someone's analysis of the game below. SPOILER WARNING.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti2EGwW-Ihg

There are a few issues associated with utilizing video games as educational tools. First and most obvious, is cost. Not all schools have access to fully functioning media centers, and I imagine I'd be hard pressed to convince a principal to spring for a PS3 or gaming-capable PC for my classroom. There are ways around this; many games are free. For example, League of Legends and the Oregon Trail are free to play, any where and at any time. I myself own all of the titles I have described and would be more than willing to bring them to class for the purpose of accompanying a lecture. I would even be willing to donate them to the school if other teachers would be willing to use my lesson plans to teach their own version of video game-accompanied education.

Secondly, video games are a hard pitch too many people. But to this, much like my miniature banned book study, is simply a matter of being a motivated and educated teacher. I believe I can convince people of the educational value of the titles (and many more) I have outlined above. And those are just my brief arguments; believe me, I could keep going, and if anyone would like to hear any more, feel free to comment and I will gladly respond with more thorough writing.