My brain abhors a vacuum. Sometimes I feel like my own Tamagotchi...so needy! Like a good guardian, I try to provide my hungry brain monster with wholesome foods and activities. Like this blog. Preparing my Rousseau post kept me occupied, and felt "productive." That was good. But when I finished, a cavern of time opened up, and my inner Tamagotchi was flailing. Its entertainment meter was way down, and food and sleep were futilely trying to make up the difference.
It was in this condition that I discovered Sid Meier's Civilization IV. It's a video game, which does use some thinking power, but may cause social suicide. I immediately became addicted. Forty-eight hours later, I emerged from a trance-like state in which the Tamagotchi tables had turned: my brain was entirely absorbed, and food, sleep, and socializing were paying the price.
The experience has led me to my next topic: games and education. It's clear to me that our brains crave games, and that games can potentially be educational. But, school is for learning, so we have to ask: to what extent do games helpfully mimic the logic of life and to what extent does it matter? I'm working on a longer post about this, but in the meantime, here are three links that support an argument in favor of games in school.
Students Design Video Games in West Virginia
Daniel T. Willingham on Why Kids Don't Like School
Interview with Sue Bohle, Executive Director of the Serious Games Association
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