Thursday 12 February 2009

Will they ever get off the gamebox?

The most common fear in parents when dealing with autonomy of the video gaming.

We've all heard about de-schooling, whereby parents are encouraged to allow the child re-discover themselves. No schedule, no lessons, no expectations. Just pure freedom to let themselves go and re-discover thier own intrinsic motivation, without us diverting them off thier natural course.

Well, my story today is about me and my kid's journey of video gaming, so far.

Today, I had the opportunity to say, Yes, they do get off thier butt and ask to do something new. They can and is capable of wanting new things(and not necessary just new video games) and new experiences. They are capable of getting fed-up playing infront of the tv and yearn for a change of scenery.

Gecko Jnr shown me this. On and off in the past 2 years, he will have a glut of video gaming which will last anything between 3 weeks to 3, 4 months or even more.

But then, there will come a day that he's satiated and decided the video games is boring (HORROR!!! I never thought I will ever hear that word- video games, boring!!?? LOL!). This is the time, he'll ask for new experiences.

Last year, he asked for sailing classes and an electric drum. Unfortunately, he is under age, no sailing school will take him in, and as for the drum, we just didn't have the budget.

This year, he asked for fencing classes, which he will be starting this week, and an electric keyboard, which we can afford.

Yesterday, we spent hours infront of his pc, playing his old Tanko construction game, demolishing, building and moving all those diggers, cement tanks and platform trucks around his little Tanko city.

Now, if you make an effort to disregard everything, and just focus on your child even for just 1/2 an hour, you'll realised lessons can be derived from such simple, unscheduled and un-coordinated situation.

Yesterday, Jnr not only paid alot of careful attention planning his city (could be age-related), but he was also very interested in naming all his buildings, in very creative ways. He was doing what is known as "divergent spellings", as described here in Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelling#Divergent_spelling

There was Cipperz Fish Monger. I said to him "Chip-pers?" He said, "No mum, it's not spelt CH, it's spelt "Ci", so it's pronounced "Kippers". Good point LOL!

Then there was Padd Lokk, well, I'll let you figure it out what do this shop sells.

We also had the opportunity to discuss and understand the concept of singular and plural as in where the apostrohe stands, before or after the "s", means different quantity.

Then we went out for the afternoon, catching up with friends. We had a great time.

Came home after dinner, Jnr went straight back onto his pc. He started another game called Star Wars Pit Droid Puzzles. It is a game of planning and sorting, ensuring all the tiny multicoloured pit droids (they looked like colourful worker ants)
ends up in the right spot. Kinda like The Lemmings.

Jnr was soon busy clicking away, placing directional signs, syphoning the Pit droids to thier individual colour post, adding in self-spraying paint stations to change the colours of the Pit droids to match the station they are heading to. And so much more.

It was really interesting to observe how his brain works, planning, assessing and implementing his solutions, as his little fingers were tapping away on the keyboard and clicking away at the mouse.

His divergent spelling continues on thru this game. As he progress thru the night, he was saving and labelling his many creations with very creative names, and spellingz.

So, will they ever unstuck themselves from the gamebox?

My answer is, yes they will. If you just be patient, and still continue to offer an array of choices, like foods, drinks, parks, window shopping at the local toy shop or go check out some new games? For you'll never know when will be that day when your offer will seem much more enticing than that boring old game that they have been sitting in front of, for weeks.

A trip to the local pizza place to pick up a pizza for lunch (i know there is such thing as delivery service, but the objective here is to entice them to go stretch thier legs abit and take a break.) A short trip to the local shops to buy a loaf of bread, with a reward of a lolly or ice cream, for everyone needs little incentives to entice them to do something, sometimes.

I am convinced Jnr's interest in fencing classes is from him playing Pirates of the Carribean for weeks. Therefore I can't complain about video gaming for it has helped spawned many new interests, discussions and not forgetting the numerous opportunity and platforms to explain "lessons" to my kid.

Saturday 7 February 2009

Socialising in the 21st century.

It's been exactly 2 years 3 months now since I last view the gamebox as evil, mind numbing and bad for my child.

Ever since the beginning of our homeschooling journey, when Junior opt to deschool via his playstation, I have research the internet for thoughts and opinions, read lots of books and held lots of discussion with Papa Gecko. I am now, a very strong supporter towards gaming as the 21st century tool of learning. My past blogs have mentioned the lessons spawned from just psp games, and I have written about how our children's world will be so technology based, so much so, any screen or gadget is as familiar to them as our microwave is to us.

Now, Junior has asked for an Xbox, simply because it can be connected to the internet, enhancing the experience of his gaming. It is about interaction with many more people will playing your game, or playing the game with another person somewhere in the world. It is actually online community, but this is thru the gamebox, instead of the computer.

This Xbox wanting started when his best friend was given one for Xmas. And eversince then, his best friend has made more friends online and is now more keen on playing and communicating with his new online friends, neglecting Junior in the process.

I can see now how if Junior don't have one, he is effectively being left out, an outcast, separated from the "online playground". Which makes me think, is this how socialising will evolve for our kids?

It is already happening, people are socialising online. With the numerous online community like War Craft, Second Life and Facebook and many more.

I enjoy Facebooking. Now that I'm on the other side of the world from my family and friends, it helps me stay connected to them. I don't feel isolated anymore. I'm always up to speed with everyone's plans and vice versa.

So this is it. Could it be that, to not be able to play Xbox Live online, means that Junior is not part of the social fabric that's being weaved now?

I do think so, well at least when it comes to his best friend. I'm thinking perhap, if they can't meet up in human form, they can still meet up and play together in cyber form, in thier cyber playground, right?

Well, at least for sure, if this social connection is established, it doesn't matter where in the world we are, Junior will still be able to keep his best friend.

As always, Junior is pushing me out of my boundary, kicking me out of my comfort zone, and dragging me into new territory. He's opening my eyes to new perspectives. Just like he did, 2 years 3 months ago.

While I'm supposed to be homeschooling him, it seems like he is unschooling me instead LOL!

Our free online learning resources...

If you're stuck for ideas as to what to do, here's a list of the websites, that we dip in and out, approved by Junior as in "it is exciting and fun enough", worthy enough of his attention.

Some of it is really for my reference.

Maths
-----

http://www.math.com/school/subject1/lessons/S1U1L2GL.html#

http://www.visualmathlearning.com/index.html

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/math.html#geometrygames

http://home-ed.info/Resources/maths_resources.html

Science
-------

http://www.sciencewithme.com/index.php

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/digger/index.shtml

French
------

http://french.about.com/od/kidsmusic/French_Music_for_Kids.htm


History
-------

http://www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology/

History Timeline, mostly for grown-up reference.
http://www.historyexplorer.net/?World_History_Timeline


General topics
--------------
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/games/questionaut/


Yesteday, we did this -
http://www.kidsknowit.com/interactive-educational-movies/free-online-
movies.php?movie=Pirates

It is an animated story about history of pirates, and there's a questionair at the end of it.

And if you still have no clue where to start, and would prefer a curriculum guideline of some sort, here's a good link.

Curriculum with it's objective and purpose explained.

http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes3/?view=get