Are Wii the Children of the Revolution?

Journal Entry Question for Everyone!

The new Nintendo Wii gaming system is the newest piece of game technology available to the world. It is supposed to revolutionize the way people play games. In a way, there is some truth that can be found in that statement. The Wii Remote allows for better interactivity with the games because along with the traditional button presses, a player can play the game by using physical gestures like swinging a sword, a tennis racket, or throwing a bowling ball depending on the game being played. The Wii remote is also wireless which allows for better movement. The Wii supposed to be the game system that everyone can play. It does not discriminate on the age or even on the ability of the player. The Wii has received a lot of hype and its popularity rose to a point where people actually lined up outside stores days before it was first released just so that they could play the game first and experience the “revolution” firsthand.

The Nintendo Wii faces stiff competition with other gaming systems such as the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. All three game platforms have been popular around the world and people are known to own all three. Doesn’t that seem a little too much to you? This is all caused by the hype that these game platforms—not just the Wii but the Xbox 360 and the PS 3 as well— will “revolutionize” how games will be played. They offer better graphics, better gameplay, and the newest games possible. All of these game systems cost quite a bit of money, with the PS3 being the most expensive costing about $700 and the Nintendo Wii being the cheapest costing close to $300.

Personally, I do not own any of these platforms, not just because of the price but because I don’t really believe in any of the hypes that are circulating around. I think that I could do something better with my money and my time and that the hypes that cause these game platforms to be so popular were only created so that they would be sold and give the companies millions of dollars of profits. I think that everyone is entitled to their own opinion on what games are the best to play and what systems are the best to play on. Games are all about having fun and should stay that way. We should not be stressed or pressured into getting the latest games and systems because that is what these hypes do. It’s just not fun.

Reading In Cyberspace?!?

Grade 10 Journal Entry Question #5

Google is one of the most well-known search engines that can be found in the whole Internet universe. It can be used to access unlimited amounts of information on any subject imaginable.

Google Book Search is one of the many tools available in Google. The company takes books and scans them into the Internet so that they may become globally accessible. They only provide full access to information on books that are out of print and are not copyrighted. Otherwise, they only scan tiny parts of books in order to avoid copyright infringement.

This library-based digitization will most likely cause problems with Google’s publishers. Google will still need to keep in contact with the publishers but the publisher may feel that their sales would severely decrease now that their books can be freely accessed in the Internet.

Libraries will slowly become obsolete over time. Since almost everyone in North America has access to the Internet in their homes and will eventually have access to books through Google Book Search, there would be no need to leave their homes to visit the local library.

Google’s competitors such as Microsoft and Yahoo will most probably respond to this technology by developing similar ones the way the iPod was parodied by other companies. Yahoo and Microsoft do not want to lose their online audience and so will most likely do whatever it takes to keep their audience and probably increase it as well.

Personally, I think that this is a great use of the technology we have at our disposal. Instead of wasting our times playing games, we finally have access to books and other useful information that can be found in the library. This saves the time and energy it takes to travel to the public library. However, this would mean spending more time indoors parked right in front of the computer screen. This poses health hazards such as Repetitive Strain Injury from constant typing or eye problems from staring at the computer for too long.

This all comes down to how one uses this privilege. It should be used in moderation and not abused so that one can fully benefit on its advantages.

What Makes YOU Special?

Grade 10 Journal Entry Question #4

It is amazing how far our technology has progressed in a period of a few decades, let alone a few thousand years. A great example of our modern technology would be this blog that I am using to express my ideas. It may seem very normal and plain to some of us, but I am sure that this method of writing ideas was unheard of 50 or even 25 years ago.

We have technology that can predict the future, which comes in the form of our weather instruments that predict what the climate and temperature will be in the next few days. Although it may not always be accurate, it is pretty reliable since most of our daily routines involve checking the television for the weather of the day announcement. Now, IBM and National Geographic have launched the Genographic Project, to study and predict our past through the use of modern devices.

They will collect massive samples of human DNA, record them, and compare them in order to see any patterns. Scientists believe that all of human ancestry can be traced back to Africa and that over the course of 60,000 years; humans have managed to migrate and populate the whole world. From this huge project, we can determine our roots and maybe unlock secrets about our race that have never been known before. The human DNA is unique to each person but there are still similarities that can be used to compare and contrast the migration patterns of humans.

I believe that this project would be very helpful in bringing everyone closer together. It will show us that we are not so different than we may originally think. I think that this project would help eliminate racism and stereotypes because although the colour of our skins may different, the language that we speak may vary, our culture may be different from another person’s, we can all trace our ancestry to the same group of people 60,000 years ago.

When War meets Video Games

Grade 10 Journal Entry Question #3

War games are becoming increasingly more popular over the years. They are popular nowadays because of the violence that surrounds us. Throughout the history of man war has been a huge part of life. It determines who is the dominant force through strategy, cunning, and especially, killing your opposition. In the chaos that war creates, order and peace is slowly restored. Game developers have recreated this cycle in what we now call “war games”. The styles of the games may differ but their objectives are similar: use strategy and military tactics in order to complete your mission.

Many people enjoy playing war games. I am one of them and so are some of my friends. There are many who enjoy games that require strategy in order to succeed. It teaches them to plan their moves in advance and forces them to think quickly on their feet when the time comes. There are those who will argue that some of these games are too violent and should be banned for underage gamers. They have contrasting rivals that argue that these games are educational and are meant to teach others about what it is like in the battlefield and what are some of the weapons and military strategies that the army employs in their missions.

Personally, I love playing games as a pastime. War games are one of my favorites. I enjoy visiting Internet cafes and playing games such as Counter-Strike with my friends. It brings us closer as friends and we have a lot of fun playing too. I think that games are made to be played and should not be taken too seriously. I think that everyone should be able to play any game that they want to no matter how old they are. People who detest war games should take the time to play these games in order to truly experience everything that these games have to offer.

Games are meant to be played, not judged.

An iPod Classroom?

Grade 10 Journal Entry Question #2

Personally, I think that I would learn well using an iPod, if only I had one. Learning with an iPod gives students the freedom to be able to plan their day very efficiently. It allows them to be able to multi-task and “attend” a seminar while possibly working on other units. I think that this method is perfect for a school such as Mary Ward. However it may be a bit tricky to implement in the beginning. The teachers will have to plan their seminar, video tape it and make sure that they have covered all of the information in the seminar so that students will be able to understand the unit with minimal questions. I do not think that we should replace our current system with a more technological approach as it does have its own drawbacks.

First, I think that it is unfair that this method of learning will only available to those with an iPod while the rest of us without one can either look on jealously over our friends’ shoulders or we could just go out and buy one for ourselves. If only the prices weren’t so ridiculously high. Also, I think that using an iPod for seminars will only give students another excuse to procrastinate. An iPod has a wide variety of uses other than to display seminars. It can be used to play games, videos unrelated to anything educational, and most important of all, music. A student can simply make it look like they are watching a seminar, when they could be doing something else entirely.

I think that Mary Ward should consider having iPod seminars as an option to help make the lives of students easier. I think that we should not rush things and completely convert the system to modern methods. It would be too much freedom for the students especially to those who are just getting used to the Mary Ward independent learning system. Freedom is good but too much of a good thing isn’t.

With the GOOD, comes the BAD

Journal Entry Question for Grade 10 #1

Today, we are dependent on various modern devices to make our lives easier. But do these things really make life easier?

An example of a modern technology would be the Internet. It is one of the most widely known and used forms of communication in the world. It can be used to do a wide variety of things without even leaving your computer. That may sound good but there is certainly some bad that comes with that.

Let’s start with the good side first. The Internet allows you to access information directly from your computer. The Internet allows one to post information and for other people to view it. This saves time for those who need to do research, as they do not leave their house or even their computer. Through the Internet, one can communicate with other people by sending electronic mail or e-mail. Also, the Internet features a program called Instant Messaging where you can chat with another person from anywhere around the world as long as they are connected to the Internet. You can use a web cam and a speaker with a microphone so that you can see and hear each other while chatting. This means that you can communicate with your relatives or friends from the other side or the world.

All of these things may sound good right now, but they also have some very negative effects. Not leaving your computer may seem convenient but it can cause serious health problems. One could contract Repetitive Strain Injury from constant typing or may have eye problems from staring at the monitor screen too long. One could suddenly gain weight from lack of excercise due to too much time spent on the computer. The information that people post on the Internet is not always reliable. You can check from which source they claim to get it from but what about that source? You can never be sure of the authenticity of the information you acquire on the Internet. Also, you have to be careful of the messages you send to other people. Strangers who might be stalkers can view the information that you post and they might try to come find you in real life. Furthermore, there are hackers that have the ability to trace the information you post on the Internet. They could hack into you computer system and send you viruses that could potentially destroy your computer.

One can never be too sure of the Internet. It has a dark and dangerous side to it but it can also help our lives. It is how one uses it that matters.

BE CAREFUL WHEN USING THE INTERNET!!!

This is just a short intro

My name is Lester and I am from Mary Ward C.S.S. This blog is for the Grade 10 Media Arts Course, ASM201-03.

Still under construction....


....Be Patient Please!! =D

P.S. There is a message hidden in the shadows ;)

Why is it that as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?