Situated Meaning

Chapter Four made a lot of sense to me. I was getting really bored with Gee's descriptions of the video games he played becuase they really have no meaning to me. However, in this chapter it finally clicked and i understand how certain aspects of gaming give insight into learning and how this insight can form the way i may teach in the future. I really enjoyed the parts on active and critical learning, mostly pages 89-90. I have a lot of experience learning facts that really dont mean much and after I'm through being tested on them, i quickly forget. However, looking back on my education experience, I most often retain information when through active and critical learning and really understanding the situated and embodied meanings of the things I'm learning. Without this I often sit in class wondering what the point of me being here is. My best classes involved access into a close knit community (an affective group) and really meaningful learning in which i was constantly questioning the information that was being fed to me and relating it back to what it may mean in my life.

Gee Chapter 2

After reading the second chapter of James Paul Gee's book, i am still skeptical. His theories of semiontic domains made a lot of sense, especially when he approached the various features with examples. However, he says "as long as people are playing them [video games] in ways that invovle active and crititical learning" are they effective educational tools (46). I can agree with that this statement is true, that if video games are played invovling critical and active learning they will have valuable "content", but (so far in the book) I don't see any evidence that this takes place regularly. I think i have just seen too many people playing video and computer games for hours on end with glazed over eyes and sort of 'in the zone' rather than being actively and critically approaching the game. I think Gee does have very good ideas though, so i have hope that in further reading of the book he will present ways that would encourage active and critical learning through video games.