Comments for Playable

Comment on What the kid who slammed his teacher taught me. by dskmag

dskmag — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:49:57 +0000

Oh quite possibly John. I just heard packets and then started thinking about packets. Another brain-tab opened.

Comment on Digital Identity vs Digital Self. by Managing My Data: How I Replaced Google for about $6 | David Wayne Baxter

Managing My Data: How I Replaced Google for about $6 | David Wayne Baxter — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:23:57 +0000

[…] fact that I had no solid answers meant that have not taken control of my data. The security of my digital identity deserves my attention. The reality is that any data stored online is at risk. But there are things […]

Comment on What the kid who slammed his teacher taught me. by John Larkin

John Larkin — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:07:34 +0000

Hi Dean,

I got his drift however I I perceived his reference to the term “packets” a little more superficially. I took the term literally… “packets” of stuff. The students were given packaged self-contained lessons with little or no interaction. Correct me if I am wrong. I have not watched his subsequent interviews.

Cheers,

John

Comment on Twitter and Facebook are not where kids are heading. Meet Kik and Oink. by dskmag

dskmag — Mon, 13 May 2013 23:28:23 +0000

I think it can be linked to and argued as a form of media violence. The idea of self-image and doubt is essential to advertising. The issue to me is that kids have very limited ways of gaining and expressing agency in the ‘real world’ which matter – because what matters is what is being hurled at them by the increasingly un-regulated and ambitious media.

My point is that those who forged their identity as an ‘expert’ in education using social media circa 2008/9 in particular continue to ignore these changes – in favour of telling teacher and parents about things that are less and less relevant each year. They too are marketing orientated not education.

Comment on Twitter and Facebook are not where kids are heading. Meet Kik and Oink. by dskmag

dskmag — Mon, 13 May 2013 23:23:17 +0000

The nag-app is going to be a problem. Micro-payments are creeping into micro-identity building. Thanks, I’ll go look at that one too John

Comment on Twitter and Facebook are not where kids are heading. Meet Kik and Oink. by mrsski1971

mrsski1971 — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:51:53 +0000

These Types of offerings(kik, instagram, tumblr etc) will morph and change every time young people ‘think’ that us dinosaurs have discovered them – just like the less overt bullying game of my generation where a group of kids would run away from a lone child(or group) trying to join in. For what it’s worth, as parent of a young teenager and and an educator that actually knows and uses technology in my life (note… there is no distinction between personal and professional) 2 other little habits that have hit my radar, connected to ‘selfies’ is ask.fm and the FB equivalent where kids (mostly girls I think) have found pages/groups whose sole purpose is to post a selfie and ask ‘what do you think of me?” As a parent and dinosaur this makes me cringe and (to me) smacks of the first step to self prostitution.

Comment on Twitter and Facebook are not where kids are heading. Meet Kik and Oink. by johnllarkin

johnllarkin — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:10:33 +0000

Nice post and quite timely. There is an app called Line that allows cute messaging with stickers. It is free but users can buy more stickers. That is the business model. They advertise on TV overseas. It is very successful among young and old in Asia however I am beginning to see it crop up here. It allows free SMS anywhere in the world. A cross between ICQ/Messenger/etc.

Comment on Why won’t she get off Minecraft? by David

David — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:24:44 +0000

There is a much bigger problem here than Minecraft. It’s clear that the game is being scapegoated. If it wasn’t Minecraft it would be something else your son would be attaching to.

Being a parent of 3 children myself I know all too well the difficulties that brings. My eldest two (4 and 5) love to play Minecraft, there have been days when they’ve played it 6-8 hours, although these have been few and far between. I play it with them sometimes. And when they do play it they play together, coordinating, building, roleplaying. In mostly harmony, there is sometimes friction, but no more than if they were playing with dolls or lego, or something else.

However, they know when I say no, that’s it; they’ll sometimes kick up a fuss, but within a few minutes they’ll be playing something else. And it’s been like this since day one.

Letting your son play for 12 hours per day every day sounds more like the problem than a game which millions play, and has been recognised as having learning benefit, and has a large install base in schools. Every child is different, and if your son has difficulty when it’s time to switch of the game then that the problem, not the specific game. If it wasn’t minecraft, it would be something else.

Comment on Why won’t she get off Minecraft? by Donna

Donna — Mon, 13 May 2013 02:25:54 +0000

Finally Shane has put some balance into this pro minecraft debate. I have a son 15 years of age who has spent 6-12 hours per day on minecraft since April 2012. I have read all of the above responses and can see that minecraft does have redeeming qualities, however it is addictive. By June 2012 I had forbidden my son to use the computer as he had stopped doing any schooling and was loathe to get off the game at night. Along with my parents we watched my son suffer from withdrawals similar to substance abuse. We could not leave the house unless we took him with us for fear he would get back on minecraft. He was verbally abusive, confused, physically violent. This was not normal for my son, he is extremely loving child, caring and helpful. My parents left (they had been staying in the house) and I returned to work and my son slowly began to get back on minecraft. I was unable to stop him. I moved the computer into the lounge area so I would at least know when he was on it and so he could still be part of family activities. By October I had had enough again and packed up the house, put the furniture in storage and took him, his sister, the dog and grandma on an extended camping trip into the outback of Australia. Extreme measures I know, but I read somewhere that if you can’t change the behaviour, change the environment. Made sense to me. Once again my son during the entire trip was moody, angry, violent and very verbally abusive, even to his grandmother. He spoiled the whole trip for us with his attitude.
Now here we are May 2013, moved into new area, new home and my son is back playing minecraft 8-12 hours a day on a new laptop that his father gave him for christmas. Yes I know what some of you may be thinking ‘Take the computer off him”… yep tried that, I have physical scars on my body from doing that. My cousin is having the same problem with her son. She took the computer to work with her because he refused to go to school. He broke the window, punched a hole in the wall and sent a photo to her phone with the message “bring the computer back now or the rest of the walls will look like this when you get home from work” He was 12 years old at the time and normally a placid, lovable child. Yes folks, minecraft is addictive and is not good for family harmony. It is so challenging to deal with as a parent. My son realises the hold minecraft has over his thoughts, his time but does not have the skills to regulate his use of the game. I don’t know what to do next.
I can’t see how sitting staring at a screen all day whether it television, smart phone, ipods or computers is healthy for anyone, regardless of what they are doing.

Comment on Why won’t she get off Minecraft? by dskmag

dskmag — Fri, 10 May 2013 00:54:03 +0000

I don’t think there is a black and white position. Each person has their own experiences in parenting. The fact you’ve been though the loop and made a choice is what is most important. Certainly kids are not at all experts in regulating themselves inside the modern “I want, I click, I get” culture. Thanks for the reply, much appreciated.