From: Annie McDevitt
Submit: Post Field Note
VisitDate: 12/02/96
Adult-Run:
Children-Run: Selected
Collaborative: Selected
Unclear-Philosophy:
Bottom-up:
Top-down:
Unclear-Approach: Selected
Informal: Selected
Formal:
Unclear-Type:
LearningArea:
Date: 05 Dec 1996
Time: 14:58:33
Remote Name: mingong-pc03.ucsc.edu
Filogonio, male, 10 Victor, Male, 11
I think we all had a lot of fun at BU on Monday. I really enjoyed installing the new games. I didn't think I would be able to do it since I had never done it before but it was pretty simple. I set up a race car game- "Need for Speed" for Filogonio and Victor. Talk about a gender typed game!! It took a little while for me to figure out how to set up the game. I didn't think Filogonio and Victor would wait. They were getting pretty impatient. But they seemed highly motivated to play the game. I was excited because Filogonio always plays the Lion King, so it was good to finally see him play something different. There weren't really any directions within the program itself to help the kids figure it out. But together they figured out how to play it. Actually, Victor sort of took over from Filogonio and figured out to use the arrow keys to accelerate and steer the car.
I think our learning was collaborative, in that I set up the program and the kids then learned how to play it together. They didn't need much help figuring out how to play. It was interesting to see how Victor, the older boy took over when Filogonio couldn't figure it out quickly. I don't think that was helpful for Filogonio, because he could have eventually figured it out on his own.
I was interested in these events first of all because the boys seemed to be so attracted to this game, which fit into what is stereotypically appropriate for their gender. As well, I was interested in how the boys worked together, or not, to figure out the new game.