[Year 12 IPM] OT : LAN gaming

Mon Feb 27 20:28:59 EST 2006

Suggest that only "games" that deliver quality educational outcomes be allowed in schools - full stop.
We go out of our way to make the distinction between the legitimate use of computers in homes for a variety of purposes (from sexual
gratification, through entertainment, to business and often some small education component) and the special use of computers in
school for exclusively education purposes.

Children arrive at school with a sense that the "natural" use of computers (and TV !) is entertainment.  Every time we allow this
within school, we accept that this is true and that educational activities are inherently second rate and can only be sustained with
extrinsic motivators or punishments.

I have the same opposition to the short-sighted use of videos,  entertaining excursion and being "let off" early as rewards for good
work.
They all add to the same perception that education is drudgery.  That all gain can be achieved without any pain.  That perseverance
is sometimes regrettably necessary in some subjects (probably because the teacher is not much good, or the content is old fashioned)
etc etc.

By all means involve students in game analysis and design which will involve playing in a disciplined, and reflective manner.  But
make sure that the games analysed, designed and played have deep intellectual content and preferably significant cultural
significance.

Students ARE challenged by playing war games - everything from chess, through RISK to historical battle simulations.  They can learn
excellent thinking skills, interpersonal strategies and a great deal of history IF the experience is guided by a good teacher (or
parent).  

"Fun, amusement, entertainment" are often by products of a well designed educational activity - they should never be a core
objective - even at lunchtime.

As teachers, we can always invent some jargon filled rationalisation for what we often know to be capitulation to a culture of
"little brain".
If they are to play LAN games, make it "serious", make it challenging, make it  - make it educational.....  Can you do it ?
Honestly ?  If not, don't.

======================================================================================
Stephen Digby, Learning Technology Manager digby.stephen.p at edumail.vic.gov.au
Cheltenham Secondary College www.cheltsec.vic.edu.au Ph: 613 955 55 955  Fx: 9555 8617
======================================================================================

We Trained hard.....but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be re-organised... I was to
learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by re-organising....and a wonderful method it can be for creating the
illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralisation. Petronius 210 BC 

  _____  

From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of WEIR Andrew
Sent: Monday, 27 February 2006 7:15 PM
To: Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management Teachers'Mailing List
Subject: RE: [Year 12 IPM] OT : LAN gaming

Andrew 
Thanks for that we have started to investigate games without a violence aspect straight after i sent the email the students involved
understand the issues with perception of violence.

Andrew 

-----Original Message----- 
From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Andrew Shortell 
Sent: Mon 2/27/2006 3:32 PM 
To: Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management Teachers'MailingList 
Subject: RE: [Year 12 IPM] OT : LAN gaming 

Andrew, 
Counter strike is a game that encourages a lot of noise from the 
participants. (I really mean a lot.)  The game server needs its firewall 
disabled. The game runs quicker on a dedicated machine. 

Questions I would ask include: 
Parental permission ? 
Encouraging violence? 
Against the ethos of TC College - religious affiliation etc, biblically 
inclined parents etc 
Bad reaction from RE teachers? 

The fact that it will be almost entirely boys .. this is not a girl 
friendly environment ... 

I endured it on Wednesday afternoons last year --- some loved it, some 
grew bored 

LAN gaming is big, there must be better ones out there than CS 
Good luck 

Andrew Shortell 
Braemar College 

-----Original Message----- 
From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au] 
On Behalf Of WEIR Andrew 
Sent: Monday, 27 February 2006 3:07 PM 
To: Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management 
Teachers'MailingList 
Subject: [Year 12 IPM] OT : LAN gaming 

Apologies for the off topic question 

Some of my students have expressed interest in wanting to run a lunch 
time LAN party using the schools network before we rule it out or go 
ahead with it I wanted to see if any other schools had actually done it 
and what issues we might face. 

We have already begun to look at the following aspects; 
Game Rating and audience. 
Licenses 
Installation 

The students wanted to use Counter strike. There idea is charge a small 
admission fee and donate the money to charity. 

Any help or advice would be great. 
Andrew 

Andrew Weir 
Head Of Information Technology 
VK3HFT 
Thomas Carr College 
35 Thomas Carr College Tarneit 

_______________________________________________ 
http://www.edulists.com.au - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe 
IPM Mailing List kindly supported by 
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and 
http://www.vitta.org.au  - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association Inc 

Important - 
This email and any attachments may be confidential. If received in error, please contact us and delete all copies. Before opening or using attachments check them for viruses and defects. Regardless of any loss, damage or consequence, whether caused by the negligence of the sender or not, resulting directly or indirectly from the use of any attached files our liability is limited to resupplying any affected attachments. Any representations or opinions expressed are those of the individual sender, and not necessarily those of the Department of Education & Training.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.edulists.com.au/pipermail/ipm/attachments/20060227/7914c96b/attachment.html