[HMDS] Learning in School vs. Learning in SL
I was delighted yesterday to reconnect with a GK Island regular who been gone all summer. This is a bright and thoughtful teen who has contributed a lot to the culture of the island and, it seems to me, has learned a lot in the process.
However, I was disappointed to learn he might not be back next year. Below, with his permission, you can see in my chat with him why:
TSL Resident: hey
Barry GKid: hey!
TSL Resident: long time no see.
Barry GKid: Same! How's summer been?
TSL Resident: it was good, I got back from camp a week ago
Barry GKid: how was it?
TSL Resident: awesome
TSL Resident: although I wish I was able to attend the gk camp
Barry GKid: Us too. But we have plans for programs during the year and hopefully you can participate then
TSL Resident: yeah, my dad is making me shut down my account during the school year because he thinks it will effect my grades and stuff
Barry GKid: Oh really? How do you feel about that?
TSL Resident: I don’t want my account to close, and I've told him I wont play weekdays and stuff
TSL Resident: be he wants to change my password so he is assured I cant play
Barry GKid: Has it affected your grades, you think?
TSL Resident: this past year, yeah probably, but I did good in school, but I could do much better I think
TSL Resident: its only freshman year
Barry GKid: Sure. Also, not everything you learned you learned in school - SL is teaching you a lot
TSL Resident: I know
TSL Resident: I never learn about Darfur, or sex trafficking in school
TSL Resident: the global issues are very important that you teach
Barry GKid: Are there other things you think you learn from being in SL?
TSL Resident: well, creativity, economics
Barry GKid: Anything else you tried to do to convinced your dad to let you keep your SL account?
TSL Resident: not really
Barry GKid: Good luck! Let me know how it goes. I am sure he just wants the best for you, but like most parents don't know how important things like time in SL can be for the development of today's teens
TSL Resident: yeah
TSL Resident: I understand
On one hand, Global Kids' online programs are doing all we can to ensure that those most targeted by the digital divide are not once again left out from receiving the benefits being offered by today's digital media. We work with teens developing online dialogues, and games, and such. Yet here is a youth with enough privilege to have a broadband connection at home, and a powerful enough computer to get into Second Life, being told by his father that his time in Second Life is hurting his education.
The idea that games can be a source of learning is certainly far from the dominant perspective. But it is slowly growing as a valid perspective amongst educators, inspired by the works of the folks at the University of Wisconsin like James Paul Gee, writers like Steven Johnson, and folks like Henry Jenkins. The teen resident above pointed to two types of learning: 1) content (the global/social issues that Global Kids provides) and 2) form (learning through the form itself, e.g. economics).
It strikes me as ironic that a thoughtful father who cares about his son's education would work to remove his son from such a rich source of learning, rather than seek to find a balance between the two. And, unfortunately, I imagine this a struggle not unique to this one teen but common amongst youth and the education-oriented adults around them.
