Summer....already a distant memory (sigh)

THE NON-DESIGNER'S DESIGN BOOK - Proximity
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Williams: "Principal of Proximity states that you group related items together, move them physically close to each other so the related items are seen as one cohesive group rather than a bunch of unrelated bits....That's the concept of proximity--on a page (as in life), physical closeness implies a relationship" (1).

Sloven: I like your definition of proximity. It is so much easier to understand when you put it in "human" terms. When you have a close relationship with someone, you usually spend time together enjoying and doing the same things; sometimes when you are really close to another person you become as one.

On another note,with regard to the menu from Gertrude's Piano Bar, I would have listed the fish items together, the meat items together, etc. - I just think it would be easier to read.

WHAT VIDEO GAMES HAVE TO TEACH US ABOUT LEARNING AND LITERACY

Gee: "This view holds that humans learn, think, and solve problems by reflecting on their previous experiences in the world. That is, humans have experiences, store these experiences, and make connections or associations among them" (71).

Sloven: I agree with your statement, Gee. As humans it is extremely difficult to separate youself from your life experiences and not incorporate them in your daily life. This is how you learn and these experiences make you who and what you are. You learn from each and every experience you have and build upon each one.

Gee: " l. The game designers' ("authors") choices. 2. Your own imaginative projection about the charaters, plot and world of the story" (79).

Sloven: Gee, this is the first time that you mention items that are true of books and not just video games - OK, now you have my attentio, there may be something to your theory that video games can teach us something.

Gee: "When the character you are playing dies in a video game (and it is always, of course, a main character), you can get sad and upset, but you also usually get "pissed" that you (the player) have failed....The emotional investments you have in a video-game story are different from the emotional investments you have in a book or movie" (80).

Sloven: With regard to the above, Gee I am back to not believing. I do agree that the emotional investments you have in a video game are different from the ones you have in a book; however, I, and none of my students to my knowledge, have every gotten "pissed" because a character has died - sad, maybe, but definitely not "pissed".

Gee: "Texts are not understood purely verbally (i.e., only in terms of the definitions of the words in the text and their text-internal relationships to each other) but are understood in terms of embodied experiences. Learners move back and forth between texts and embodied experiences" (106).

Sloven: Ok, I think we are on the same page again. When I teach a novel with my class, I try to get my students to talk about their experiences, maybe an experience similiar to the protagonist in the novel. For instance, in the novel PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, the protagonist is struggling with his sexuality, experimenting with drugs and alchol and suffering from the aftermath of being sexually abused by his aunt. Because the subject matter of the book is extremely sensitive in nature, I ask my students if they know anyone with the above issues. The students are more open that way and can make connections to the novel which leads to very interesting and sometimes heated class discussions.

Gee: "Bottom-Up Basic Skills Principle - Basic skills are not learned in isolation or out of context; rather, what counts as a basic skill is discovered bottom up by engaging in more and more of the game/domain or game/domains like it. Basic skills are genre elements of a given type of game/domain" (142).

Sloven: Gee, I believe I use your Bottom-Up principle in my classes. Before I begin a new novel, I give my students background information starting with the author and events in his/her life that may have inspired the writing. I also give them vocabulary, info on the characters, on-going themes and motiffs and any conflicts that are present. I guess you could call it a preview or trailer of the book so that the students know a little before we jump in and start.