Greetings everyone.
My name is John. I was born in Fresno California, where I spent the first ten years of my life. I really cannot recall much from those early years other than a few places and even fewer faces. My father hated his job in California, so much so that he moved the family all way across the country to work somewhere else. We moved to Wellington, Florida near the end of 1999. At first, I absolutely resented the move and refused to enjoy my new home. Ten year old me should have lightened up. Looking back, I am grateful that my father moved us.
In my free time I enjoy watching Netflix (like everyone). My favorite television shows are The Office, 30 Rock, and Mad Men. To this day, I am bitter that shows like 30 Rock are off the air but The Big Bang Theory is thriving (no offense to anyone who likes TBBT, just not my cup o' tea). Attempts have been made to watch new shows (Psych currently) but at the end of the day I always end up re-watching the same shows.
Along with television shows, I really enjoy movies. Some of my favorite movies include Drive (obviously), Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Pan's Labyrinth and The Descendants. My goal is to see all the Oscar movies before the award ceremony but I've currently only seen three of the nominees; Her, American Hustle and Gravity. Among those three, Her was the best. If anyone has any movie recommendations, please feel free to share.
Another passion of mine is playing video games. I really enjoy narrative heavy games, especially ones where violence is not the primary playing mechanic (sadly, most mainstream games are first person shooters). I actually didn't play a lot of video games when I was younger, so it's odd that I am an avid gamer now. Some of the best games I've ever played include; Portal 2, Catherine, Bioshock Infinite (and the other two ), Dark Souls and Littlebigplanet. It is exciting to see games being pushed from mindless nonsense to meaningful artistic expressions.
I could go on for days about what I'm into but for now, that is a brief snippet. If anyone wants to dish about music, movies, games and more, feel free to start a conversation. I am always interested in people's likes and why they like them.
Your post got me wondering about the teaching of writing and the developing of narrative video games with students. I haven't played enough to conceptualize how to incorporate that into instruction. I will have to explore that. It is important to remember our 10 year old/ 14 year old selves as we teach students.
ReplyDeleteSadly the majority of middle school students that I have observed are playing war simulators, like Call of Duty. I truly believe a game like Portal 2 would be a great classroom resource. Not only is there an intriguing narrative, with character development, but the primary game mechanic is solving puzzles. Perhaps one day, mainstream games can and will be tailored to foster education.
ReplyDeleteHey John!
ReplyDeleteWe share a lot of interests, actually! I have extremely similar tastes in video games - give me a good story and I'll really get engaged. I've noticed some really expansive games being used at the university level, actually. A business class would use Second Life, a massively multiplayer online game, as an extra credit learning opportunity for its students, which I thought was really cool! I'd love to see something like that done in K-12 schools.
Glad to hear that video games are breaking through. During my internship observation, one of the math teachers at Jackson Heights is using Minecraft to teach students about the volume of cubes. It was brilliant on his part to tap into such a popular game.
DeleteJohn,
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me how similar you and I are. I am also angry about no more 30 Rock, I think this is one of the few shows I am obsessed with. Minus MST3K -- which they now have on Netflix holla!
Movie wise -- I recently saw Ender's Game and fell asleep midway through, I guess that was my bad because I keep hearing how great it is. Then again if you ask me all movies need a little more Sean Connery.
Ain't no party like a Liz Lemon party because a Liz Lemon party is mandatory!
DeleteAlways appreciate fans of 30 Rock. I also love MST3K, especially Mitchel. I haven't seen Ender's Game. Tonight I watch Twelve Years a Slave...which was one of the best movies I've ever seen. Among the Oscar nominees that I've seen (Her, American Hustle and Gravity), I would have to say Twelve Years a Slave is the best of the year. Unfortunately, Sean Connery does not make an appearance but don't let that deter you!