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Posts tagged teaching
Super Mario Brothers in the Classroom (Part 5 of 7)
010 months ago
This is long overdue, and I am sorry.
As the first title for the Nintendo 64 system, Super Mario 64 changed the way we look at games. Up until this point, games had been mostly a two dimensional affair, with some lame attempts at immersing the player in a larger 3D having entered the video gaming fray. It wasn’t until Super Mario 64 that we learned just how much fun it is to run around everywhere in a game instead of just usually going from left to right.
Play a game like Banjo Kazooie or the Jak & Daxter and then play Super Mario 64. Notice anything? They all share similar game play. Your view is from behind your main character and you’re in a 3D rendered world. This “style” of game was created by Super Mario 64. The first time you fired up this game on your Nintendo 64 was the first time you ever played anything like this and let me tell you having experienced it first hand, it was a pretty amazing moment.
These days, these types of 3D platforming games are a dime a dozen. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. There is an excellent selection of titles just like this out there that will provide hours of enjoyment. Super Mario 64, being the first 3D platforming game, brings a unique scenario to the table. Through this title, we can understand how the 3D platforming game has evolved over the years and see just how much influence this one particular title has had on the gaming industry.
These things about stood out to me as I recently replayed the Super Mario 64:
1. Originality
It may be a hard thing for younger students to grasp, but this game was one of a kind when it first came out. Explain the history of the Mario series and how it evolved from 2D to 3D. Emphasize just how much of a change it was going from Super Mario World to Super Mario 64. With those ideas established, then have your students look at other 3D platforming games (I recommend the Crash Bandicoot series, any 3D Sonic games (especially Sonic Adventure for the Sega Dreamcast), or the games I mentioned above. What have those games borrowed from Super Mario 64? Where have they made improvements on the game play of Super Mario 64?
2. The World of Super Mario 64
While the world in which Super Mario 64 takes place may seem small to the worlds in which games take place these days (I’m thinking of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess), at the time of the release it felt like the world was never ending. Each world had it’s own unique feel, enemies, music, and more. What are the elements of each of these unique worlds and how do they work together to create a unique feel? Can these worlds be mapped out visually? How are they constructed? Since the game is in a 3D setting, I would recommend using Google Sketch Up to have your students either recreate the Super Mario 64 worlds visually or to have them create their own worlds influenced by the game.
The Importance of Play
11 year ago
My son Finn exploring "The Legendary Starfy" on the Nintendo DS.
From such an early age, we’re taught the importance of play. In their publication titled The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds, the American Academy of Pediatrics stresses the importance of play for young children.
Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth.
I couldn’t agree with them more. In watching my son Finn grow over the past year and a half, I have seen how his playing with toys, dirt, sticks, pots, pans, and more have helped him develop his personality and skills. Through playing with pots, pans, and spatulas, the kid now has the motor skills to do very specific and focused tasks. I remember back to when he was 6 months old and how he was nothing more than a little blob that crawled around a bit and screamed for his mom’s breastmilk and think, “holy shit, play is really like his third parent.” It’s taught him so much.
However, I don’t fully agree with the American Academy of Pediatrics. They go on to talk about the decrease of free play in our society and how the “routine” of childhood has changed. One of their key factors as to why free play in childhood has changed has to do with, yup, video games:
The decrease in free play can also be explained by children being passively entertained through television or computer/video games. In sharp contrast to the health benefits of active, creative play and the known developmental benefits of an appropriate level of organized activities, there is ample evidence that this passive entertainment is not protective and, in fact, has some harmful effects.
Really? Call me a hippie, but I think video games are just a new form of free play and it’s about time we quit labeling them as something negative in regards to childhood. As someone who grew up on video games and turned out alright, I’m walking proof that video games are not as detrimental as we like to think they are.
Video games expanded my mind as a child. I would spend part of my days exploring the vast world of Hyrule as Link, scaling Death Mountain, collecting fairies, and exploring dungeons. The other part of my day was playing in the woods, discovering nature, and dreaming that this was my own Hyrule. It was a great childhood and I often look forward to the days where my son and I can enjoy life and explore both the real and virtual world together in the same way that I did.
Recently, my son Finn and I began experimenting with the Nintendo DS game The Legendary Starfy. A simple 2-D side scrolling game that features a star named Starfy as the main character, I got absorbed into this title not only because the simplicity and fun of the game but I also identified it as a good title to use to introduce the world of video games to Finn. He took to it quickly, at first because Starfy is as cute as hell and really, who can resist him? After Finn got the hang of the controls (and by hang, I mean he figured out that the buttons made Starfy do cool things like walk and spin), that’s where the fun began. I saw Finn moving Starfy left and right and use the buttons to make Starfy spin and interact with the bubbles around him. There was a giggle and a smile. Finn was not only enjoying the title, but he was picking up a new skill: “Hey, if I do this, it makes this star do cool things! What else can I do?” His focused changed and grew the longer he played the game. He explored the other elements of the game. He interacted with other characters on the screen. He pushed more buttons. One of the best moments came when he realized that the start button pauses the game and changes the screen to a giant, hopping Starfy. He looked at me and smiled. It’s as if he has found the holy grail of video games. And he did it all by himself. With this in mind, I ask you to recall the quote that I used to open up this post: “play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth.” Heck yes it is. I saw my son grow and learn before my eyes all because of a giant star named Starfy on the Nintendo DS.
The key is balance. The American Academy of Pediatrics report talks a lot about balance, but at no point does it mention that a balance between virtual play and free play being an essential element towards having a healthy child. Instead, it gives video games the brand that they’ve been long marked with: mind numbing technology that will turn your child into a blob who can’t identify with society. Balance between different types of play (not just video games and free play) contributes to a healthy child, one who will develop the necessary cognitive, physical, social, and emotional they need to face the 21st century world.
In closing, I’d like to ask this: As librarians, we’re dealing with the public day in and day out. One of the great opportunities we have is the chance to educate our communities. How can we move forward towards a world where all forms of play are seen on a balanced level? It goes back to
the idea of Gamer’s Advisory that I had a few days ago. What types of programs and initiatives can we come up with to show the world the importance of many different types of play?—-
- You can find the publication The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds here.
- Read more about The Legendary Starfy here
- Thanks to The Unquiet Librarian and the Libraries and Transliteracy blog for helping me think outside the box about education and learning.
Super Mario Brothers in the Classroom (Part 4 of 7)
31 year ago
Released in 1990 as the flagship title for the Super Nintendo, Super Mario World didn’t change how we play video games but it gave the Super Mario Brothers universe some wonderful features that are still featured in the games that we play today.
In particular, two things about Super Mario World stood out to me as I recently replayed the game:
1. The Spin jump: Basically, you jump gets some more firepower. In addition to being able to KO enemy by stomping on their head, the spin jump allowed you to bust bricks and defeat some enemies that couldn’t be killed with the standard jump.
Doesn’t sound too fancy, right? BUT IT IS! Think about modern Mario games and his ever popular butt thump. This is where it came from. The butt thump is a central feature in 3D Mario games.
2. Yoshi: Mario’s always been the star of his games, but Yoshi gives him a major run for his money. It was in Super Mario World that Yoshi made his first appearance. Since then, Yoshi’s had so many spin offs (read my review of one of those here) that he’s almost become his own franchise.
This is what Nintendo does so very well. They’ll add one small element to a game that won’t seem like a big deal, yet over time it becomes almost as important as the original game itself. Yoshi is a perfect example of how a simple idea can be taken to the next level.
So how can we incorporate Super Mario World into the classroom?
- Examine how Yoshi has changed the landscape of Super Mario Brothers. Look at the Yoshi character over a large period of time (1990 to present) and trace the path of his humble beginnings to his current status as a gaming icon almost as big as Mario.
- The little details: The spin jump changed how we play Mario games forever. Has this element been translated into any other games that you can think of? Have students look at the history of games over a time period and focus on the little details. What elements have changed the way we play games?
Sorry for the long overdue part 4 of this installment. I promise to not make you wait for part 5 as long! -Justin
Gaming in the HS Classroom: An interview with Jennifer Field
22 years ago
I recently conducted an interview with Jennifer Field, who is the head of the English Department at Stephen F. Austin High School in Sugarland, TX, about how she uses gaming in her classroom:
JP: Hi Jennifer, tell us about yourself!
Jennifer: I’m 32 and I’ve been teaching for 10 years now. I got my BA from Texas A&M and my MLA from Houston Baptist University
JP: How long have you been gaming, and how often do you game currently?
Jennifer Field
Jennifer: I’ve been gaming since my brother got an Atari for Christmas in the early 80’s. I fondly remember Pong. Depending on what I have to take home to grade or work on, I average about one to two hours 3 to 4 days a week, and usually on the weekends.
JP: Favorite console?
Jennifer: XBOX 360!
JP: You are a teacher who uses gaming as a tool during lessons. Can you give some background on how you do it/your methods?
Jennifer: You have to be able to connect books, themes, and other literary elements to current events and situations that students will understand. From my experience, the current generation of students play games more then they watch movies. I’ve found that by connecting those games to the literature that we read and to the elements that we teach, the students understand and apply themselves more.
JP: Do you have an specific examples of using video games in a lesson?
Jennifer: One example is my teaching method for the Journey of the Hero. I teach British Literature, and almost everything those classes study follows this “Journey”. I used to use Star Wars as a modern example of the Journey (since Star Wars is “based” on the Journey), but not all of my students have seen the original Star Wars movies. Instead, during discussions on the different parts of the journey, I connect Journey elements to the different games that students are playing. Students don’t realize just how much literature affects the games they play, because the teaching community isn’t making these valuable connections for them.
JP: Can you share some game titles you use in classes?
Jennifer: I frequently use Gears of War, Halo, Too Human, and Mass Effect during our Journey discussions. The students then take the next step and make literary connections to other games as well! It’s great to see students connecting Beowulf’s journey to a game’s plot device, or in the middle of a lesson realize Beowulf’s “worth” by connecting it to a familiar story line from a game.
JP: Do you have any plans to expand the use of games in the classroom?
Jennifer: I’m currently planning to use clips from Bioshock to incorporate propaganda and dystopian themes into my next novel unit on Brave New World. If I taught Ayn Rand, I would have a field day, but it’s not on our approved list for Seniors.
JP: How do students feel about having a “gaming” teacher? I know in the library field, avid readers love librarians who are avid readers, and gamers love other librarians who game.
Jennifer: I’ve found that when students know you are a gamer, they feel more free to talk about games with you and they are more excited to participate in class, so there is a bigger personal connection than you get in a traditional educational lecture setting. I’ve even had students that will notice literary things in games and bring them to my attention (JP’s note: an example of students as content providers and creators, vs students as “blank slates to be lectured to”) . For instance, the achievement The Merchant of Venice in Assassins Creed II. I had a kid who actually realized that it was an allusion to Shakespeare!
JP: How do parents and school administration feel about gaming as a classroom tool? Do you encounter problems over content?
Jennifer: I don’t really think they have thought about it much. It isn’t a media that has made its way into the classroom, at least not at the High School level. I do remember reading a few years ago about a school that was using Dance Dance Revolution in their classrooms to combat obesity and get the students active.
I’d love to see games used in school, but I think there are so many questions raised that administrations will be wary of it for a while.
It also depends on the parents. Some parents are all for getting their child to learn no matter the method, while some may not want their children gaming in school. This creates a fine line for implementing it in the classroom.
JP: You have definitely showed us that gaming connects with your students and is a tool that makes learning easier for them. What do you think we can do as teachers and librarians to change the perception that “games are toys for kids?”
Jennifer: Educating the parents, school boards, and administration is the key. I think it would start with a study on the effects of gaming in the classroom. Taking one class and using games and showing the growth of the student’s abilities as it relates to the curriculum standards of the state, and then compare it to a traditional classroom.
JP: In the library world we call that “advocacy”. Speaking of gaming advocacy, would you be interested in sharing gaming-in-the-classroom tips, tricks, or lesson plans with the readers of 8bitlibrary.com?
Jennifer: Sure!
Don't you wish YOU had her as a teacher for High School English?!
JP: Great, I am totally looking forward to that! Any closing words on the connection between literacy & gaming?
Jennifer: Games tell a story, which is literature just in a different media. I believe strongly that teachers have to adapt to the current times to effectively help their students learn. As teachers we are taught to teach to all different learning types; visual, auditory, etc. Because of this, gaming becomes a tool that hits all the learning styles of our different students.
JP: Thanks so much for sharing! See you on Xbox Live ;)
Jennifer: :-)
IF YOU ARE a teacher who uses console games in the classroom, please get in touch with one of us here at 8bitlibrary.com! We want to share your stories and experiences with others!