Meet the Gamers. (Via kurt’s research.) This article was also co-written by Squire and Steinkuehler before their marriage. This concludes my readings of Squire (for now) and I move on to Steinkuehler’s own work, and their colleague at the University of Winsconsin – Madison, David Shaffer. Oh, here’s that explanation again: These quotes are categorized based on the section of my own paper they might appear in. They appear with minimal annotation, and they appear sans any formating – I’ve dragged and dropped from my outliner.
Socially Negotiated
– [ ] Participants don’t care about identity, age, race, gender, class,
or nationality. Nor is value given to credentials, degrees, or
affiliations. Make a good argument for a course, and the
community will decide if it’s worth [pursuing].” (Squire &
Steinkuehler, 2005, p. 2)
21st Century Skills
– [ ] “game cultures promote various types of information literacy,
develop information seeking habits and production practices (like
writing), and require good, old-fashioned research skills, albeit
using a wide spectrum of content. In short, librarians can’t
afford to ignore gamers.” (Squire & Steinkuehler, 2005, p. 1)
– [ ] “Despite fears of games “replacing” literate activities, Lineage
play is a thoroughly literate activity involving manipulation of
texts, images, and symbols for making meaning and achieving
particular ends. If the ends—conducting sieges and defending
castles—are not valued literacy activities, then the means surely
are: researching equipment, making maps, managing resources,
investing currencies, building models, designing strategies,
debating facts and theories, and writing. Tons of writing…
research is a core component of game play… gamers find and
interpret data… they also publish results… and build
spreadsheet models.” (Squire & Steinkuehler, 2005, p. 2)
Role of the Teacher
– [ ] advice originally for librarians: “carry games in libraries…
set up workstatiopns with games or host gmaing nights… ask who
has checked out a book from the library based on an interest
generated through gameplay” (Squire & Steinkuehler, 2005, p. 3)
You might ask about internet research, too.
– [ ] originally about librarians: “In the past, [teachers] have often
been perceived as gatekeepers, arbiters of access to information.
The digital cultures now emerging (with the help of technologies
such as games) suggest that the days for such an institutional
role are numbered. [Teachers] must find creative ways to support
people in forming sites of collective intelligence, searching
information, working within social networks, and producing
knowledge. If not, they run the risk of rendering themselves, for
much of the public at least, largely obsolete.” (Squire &
Steinkuehler, 2005, p. 4)
Reference
Squire, K. & Steinkuehler, C.A. (2005). Meet the gamers. Library Journal. www.libraryjournal.com—ca516033.html