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1.0 SAMPLE ARTICLE

Video games for learning: benefits or dangerous side-effects?
A recent article has re-opened the debate about the harms and benefits of kids
playing video games. As the article continues to circulate over email and appear on
web sites and educator's forums across the country, a good number of writers,
bloggers and educational groups are coming forward with their own versions of the
truth.
The article calls gaming a kind of "sensory deprivation", stating that prolonged
immersion in cyberworlds interacting with fictional characters robs gamers of real-
world, living, three-dimensional experiences. It isn't a new claim, really, just an
enhanced version of the age-old criticism that gamers never learn to interact with
anything but technology. The article tells us that, at least until age 11, a child's brain
must be programmed in 3-D, or "humanized", long before it becomes "digitized" in 2-
D using computers and other digital applications. Taking away a young child's
opportunity to develop in the living world means his brain will never fully develop as
chemistry, physiology and nature intended, it says.
Over the years, opponents of gaming have blamed the hobby on everything from
attention-deficit to aggression to muscular and skeletal problems, also claiming it
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both teaches and then allows players to practice harmful behaviors that are
eventually translated over to real life. Committed gamers have been shown to face
additional health risks, too, most notably childhood obesity and diabetes, not present
a generation ago when kids actually ran around and played outside instead
of spending hours sitting in front of electronic devices.
Much like pharmaceutical companies have been accused of driving the medical
industry by helping to label, then later medicate, people for illnesses that didn't exist
before, gaming opponents blame corporations for making parents and teachers
believe that technology is effective for increasing learning. How else could anyone
be convinced to sit a baby down in front of a television when common sense has
always shown that infants learn entirely on their own with no help from anyone but a
good set of parents and interactions with the real world?
Supporters of gaming, on the other hand, contend that actually the opposite is
true. While there isn't a parent around who isn't concerned about the lack of physical
activity and potential health risks associated with prolonged periods of inactivity,
there are many benefits to playing video games that opponents sometimes seem to
miss. Studies have shown that gamers, in fact, become highly skilled social beings
and meticulous planners and strategists, both valuable skills in the modern world of
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work. Muscle and motor skills become enhanced, they say, and gamers become
quick-acting, fast-thinking problem-solvers, who are specially trained to pursue many
of the modern and technical career paths of today, including valuable participation in
the military.
Kid-gamers derive many other benefits, too. From learning to read earlier on to
soaking up information in many subject areas (not just learning Japanese, either),
computer and video games are a fast and fun way of learning. Because kids like
doing it, they learn at their own pace and without boundaries. What the kids are
learning depends on the game; but, with a parent's help during the selection process,
the results can be quite extraordinary. Although studies show that more boys than
girls are playing, girls play, too, thus these games can benefit both sexes.
Although psychologists and others who study behavior aren't exactly sure
if video game behavior carries over into the real world (until recently, research
showed that it probably did not), what they do know is that young people often play
video games to act out experiences rather than dealing with them in the real world.
This, they say, can be very helpful in dealing with stress and anger, as well as
enabling kids to act out behaviors (for instance, violence) in a fictional world rather
than trying it out in real life. In addition, many young people report playing computer
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and video games as a way to relax, and not as a means to role-play at all, therefore
practicing behavior is not what gamers intend when they play.
A new study, however, is taking another look at translating video game behavior,
suggesting that kids who play games requiring altruistic acts are displaying more
pro-social, or "helping", behavior in real life after playing. This remains to be seen but
is another promising side-benefit.
As a final note, to those who believe that gaming is a solitary activity, think again. At
a recent video game convention and championship in Atlanta, thousands of young
gamers gathered for socialization, game play, informal strategy sessions and a day
packed full of good-clean fun. The winner? A 10-year old girl who traveled all the
way from from Chicago with her family to meet with some of the best players in the
region and hang out with all of her Pokemon buddies from the previous year. Other
lessons reinforced by participating in the event included patience, discipline,
courage, following strict guidelines, collaboration, team-building, yielding to
tournament rules, public speaking, good sportsmanship, and much more.


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2.0 SUMMARY ON THE BENEFITS AND THE DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS OF
THE VIDEO GAMES FOR LEARNING
A recent articles has re-opened the debate about the harms and benefits of kids
playing video games. For the dangerous side, the gamers never learn to interact with
the society but technology, which also cause the young child's brain not fully develop
means taking away a young child's opportunity to develop in the living world. In
addition, video games allows players to practice harmful behaviours and they will
face additional health risks. Next, video games also give benefits where parents and
teachers believe that technology is effective for increasing learning and sometimes
seem to show that the gamers become highly skilled social beings and meticulous
planners and strategists. Video games also are a fast and fun way of learning and
can very helpful in dealing with stress and anger as well as a way to relax.









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3.0 GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

MAIN POINT 1:
Never learn to interact with anything but
technology.
SUPPORTING DETAIL 1:
Gaming a kind of "sensory deprivation",
stating that prolonged immersion in
cyberworlds interacting with fictional
characters robs gamers of real world
living three dimensional experiences.
MAIN POINT 2:
Taking away a young child's opportunity
to develop in the living world .
SUPPORTING DETAIL 2:
Brain will never fully develop as
chemistry, physiology and nature
intended.
MAIN POINT 3:
Allows players to practice harmful
behaviors.
SUPPORTING DETAIL 3:
Opponents of gaming have blamed
thehobby on everything from attention-
deficit to aggression.
MAIN POINT 4:
Health risk.
SUPPORTING DETAIL 4:
Most notably childhood obesity
anddiabete, not present a generation ago
when kids actually ran around and
played outside instead of spending hours
sitting in front of electronis devices.
(i) DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS OF
VIDEO GAMES
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MAIN POINT 1:
Gamers become highly skilled social
beings and meticulous planners and
strategists.
SUPPORTING DETAIL 1:
Muscle and motor skills become
enhanced and gamers become quick-
acting fast-thinking proble-solvers.
MAIN POINT 2:
Kid-gamers learn to read earlier on to
soaking information in many subject
areas(not just learnif Japanese, either),
computer and video games are a fast
and fun way of learning.
SUPPORTING DETAIL 2:
Kids are learning depends on the game.
MAIN POINT 3:
Can very helpful in dealing with stress
and anger.
SUPPORTING DETAIL 3:
Young people often play video game to
act out experiences rather than dealing
with them in the real world.
MAIN POINT 4:
Enabling kids to act out behaviors (for
instance violence) in fictional world rather
than trying it out in real life.
SUPPORTING DETAIL 4:
Kids who play games requiring altruistics
acts are more pro-social, or "helping",
brhavior in real life after playing.


(ii) BENEFITS OF VIDEO GAMES