Online Social Networking and Gaming

Welcome back to insightful thoughts!  Here we go:

     
     After all the extensive reading on gaming, once again, I have been humbled into admitting that because I was not a gamer, I did not allow any gaming systems in my house when my children were growing up. I considered it all mind rot and my motto was “Get a book!” I can’t be too apologetic; my children are excellent readers and still continue to read for pleasure and information as adults. We had plenty of computers in the house and they could play educational games from a CD. They had exposure to gaming systems at their friends’ houses and that was fine with me. However, after reading the positive aspects of gaming, I clearly missed the boat on this one. UDL is such a large component of how we teach now, and gaming is a part of that. Elkins states “Learners develop skills in both formal and informal learning environments.” (Moline 2010). Technology is here to stay, and, of course, librarians have found a way to incorporate all aspects of it in the library.

      I certainly love the idea of gaming in the library; if not at the elementary level, at least the middle and high school level. In one of my pre-practicum classes, I observed a middle school in Billerica, Ma with a fantastic LMS, Mary Melaugh. She was at school 90 minutes early every day so the students could play in a gaming club. Minecraft was huge at the time and the library was packed every morning. It also attracted other students to meet there as well. She didn’t allow gaming during school hours, just those early morning times and the students took advantage of that. Mary knew that while the students loved the Minecraft club, she was also helping then foster a love of differentiated learning and community. She is a soft spoken, sweet and very well-liked teacher. I created many new “centers” at my library after seeing how diversified her library was.

      I spent some time polling adults and students about their gaming use, and I was surprised at what I heard. A lot of my colleagues play games. Did I just expect all teachers and administrators to go home to read or do a puzzle? After a long day of teaching, they relax with games like Solitaire, Mahjong, Candy Crush, Moxie and Sudoku; just to name a few. I also started with some “brain games” and I have really enjoyed them. Contrary to my “limited” belief from my earlier days, it is not mind rot. It is engaging, challenging and completely different from anything that I do during the day. Games can reinforce critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, while others are based on quick eye-hand coordination or spatial reasoning skills. Sorry to Casey, David and Brette for not allowing them in our home when you were children! I think my “mother of the year” trophy just got smaller.

      When speaking to twenty-somethings about their gaming habits (my son and his friends,) they would play at night with each other online. These competitions are ongoing as well as the trash talking and bragging rights. Some are high school friends and some are college friends, but it is just one more way for these guys to stay connected while they live in different states. They get introduced (virtually) to other gamers and the circle grows. I was not surprised at the number of elementary students who play games using technology. More of the elementary students play with family members at home. It seems that almost all families have some sort of portable technology for their children to use, and in most cases, students have their own device. In my elementary school, more boys played than girls, and boys typically played longer than their female counterparts. Minecraft was the most popular gamed played. Some students said their parents limited their time while gaming, while a smaller percentage had no limitations. I’m not sure if it’s safe to say that I think some limitations should be placed on younger students; I have been wrong before…

      I had not even realized the fact that having gaming in the library serves a population that may not have a chance to be a part of the gaming community. Elkins says that “More importantly, providing gaming in the library program is a way to help socioeconomically disadvantaged children who may not have the same opportunities as more affluent students to develop 21st-century literacies.” This is not a small thing. We want all our students to be information literate, good global citizens and life-long learners, and without access to technology, it is a huge deficit for these children. Our public library has at least a dozen computers for the adults downstairs, but only 2 iPads and 4 computers for children to use in the children’s room. That is not nearly enough, but the children take turns playing games on them. We are lucky enough to have 30 iPads at the Center School Library. I maintain them and use them with each class at least once a month and the older grades use them more than that. They are loaded with games, author websites, the library catalog, Britannica Elementary, the weather, a calculator, Brain Pop, etc. The students love iPad days more than anything else. It feels like “down” time to them, but all the while they are learning.

      I know that almost of the middle schoolers and up have social media accounts, but I think they are huge pitfalls when it comes to younger students. Almost all of my students (K-4) do not use social media yet. There are a few who will tell me that they have a Facebook account, I remind them that are not 13 yet and they are violating Facebook’s terms of use policy. Such a killjoy, aren’t I? I feel like falls along the same lines as copyright infringement and plagiarism. Aren’t we supposed to teach them to be good digital citizens? Following the rules of age restrictions is simply being a good user of social media. Also, if they are not aware of or practicing online safety, the internet can be a scary place. When I asked my students about being safe online, most said their parents had talked to them about it. My colleague in the computer lab, Ms. Lamson, teaches a whole unit on online safety, so it is reinforced at school too. The maturity level in elementary students just isn’t suitable for social media (Yes, that is a generalization, but I am sticking by it.) The psychological implications will have a lasting effect especially if these children are using it in a negative manner. I won’t even address the subject of the sketchy adults who are using in a negative manner.

      I am a huge proponent for social media. I have Facebook and Pinterest accounts and I am beginning with Twitter. It doesn’t sound like much, but I’m taking baby steps. The reason I like social media so much I that I am a terrible “keep in touch” kind of girl. Facebook allows me to stay current in my family and friends lives, watch their beautiful kids growing up, look at their vacation photos and send messages of happiness and love. Pinterest allows me to create boards of beautiful and interesting things that I will never make. What more can I ask of a free service? Admittedly, I post a LOT of Patriots messages and even more library pictures and memes on Facebook. I have reminded my own children that you shouldn’t put anything on Facebook that you wouldn’t want Grandi to read, (Grandi is my mother and our moral compass.) They, in turn, like to remind me that she doesn’t even have a Facebook account. Alas, that is not the point. I’m hoping that older students understand that potential colleges and universities can look up their Facebook page. Potential employers can do the same thing. People have lost their jobs because of things they have posted online. Once any information or picture is posted, there is a footprint of it in cyber world, even if students delete it. According to the PEW report “88% of teen social media users believe people share too much information about themselves on social media.” Lenhart, pg 6. That is a staggering percent of users posting inappropriate material online with no way to undo it. There, of course, have been many hard lessons learned in a very public forum. While I can only be grateful to have grown up in a time where there were no cell phones or social media, we need to protect our children and students, sometimes from themselves.

 Reference articles:

Aaron, Elkins. "Let's Play!" Knowledge Quest Summer Learning 43.5 (2015): 58-63. Print.

 Lenhart, A., Smith, A.., Anderson, M., Duggan, M., Perrin, A., “Teens, Technology and Friendships.” Pew Research Center, August, 2015.