After re reading chapters 1 & 2 of What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning & Literacy by James Paul Gee I think I finally have an answer for our very first blog post. I found myself not motivated to answer it because I never really played video games nor could I imagine myself learning from them. However, while I was reading the learning principles, 2 struck out to me that weren’t necessarily identified with video games only. The first learning principle I related to was the concept of “situated meaning,” which means that learning is most successful when it takes place with importance and if based on true events. According to Paul Gee, this is what makes video games so good at drawing players into elaborate virtual worlds where they have to interact with the information in order to advance. A personal example I can connect this to is how motivated I feel to learn a topic when something important to me is being discussed. I remember one case study in my high school freshman Global History class, we were learning about Colombian history which is where my entire family is from. I was doing very poorly in that class because most of it was a repetition to every other history class I had been in. This completely changed once I was learning about the ancestry of my people and my loved ones people. I completely engaged every class and found myself asking questions that showed my interest in the topic. This helped me get back on track in this class and set a better record with my teacher.

Secondly, I related to the idea that “identity” is crucial to learning. He talks about how the ability to take on multiple roles in video games may boost player motivation and engagement. In my own literacy habits, I’ve found that approaching a subject from several roles or perspectives can make it more approachable and engaging. It promotes a deeper look and understanding of this topic. I’m not sure if it’s silly to mention but the first example that comes to mind is Mario Kart. Each character has different advantages and disadvantages but it’s how you learn, understand, and use them that puts you in first or last place. In tackling the race with different characters you learn much more than if you simply stayed playing only with Mario or anyone.

I can relate to Paul Gee’s ideas because they highlight the value of contextual learning and the need to embrace a variety of viewpoints in order to improve understanding and student participation in the learning process.