In creating a Photostory about bullying we wanted to talk about why it was so prevalent in schools. The focus of the project was to discuss the causes and effects of bullying on not only the victims, but also bully themselves. We wanted to create an awareness through the use of technology, especially using something we were not familiar with in the beginning. In providing awareness, we believe that a difference could be made and rather than having someone lecture on and on about the dangers of bullying, it would be more visually appealing to watch a video about it.

The process of actually thinking of a topic to do our project on took a lot longer than actually working on the project itself. Our original topic didn’t pan out because we couldn’t get enough information and the people we tried to contact didn’t respond to our inquiries. We were forced to switch gears and move ahead with a different subject that we felt more comfortable with. After which it felt much smoother in progression. We were able to find a lot of information and resources that we could use, our problem now was sifting through all the information to find the key notes that we wanted to use. After finding all the resources that we wanted to use, Josh analyzed the material and create dialogue and text for me to put into the Photostory. My portion of the project was searching through the internet and other resources to find appropriate pictures to use and create the video clip. I edited the pictures that I found and used the dialogue to put it all together in a coherent video clip. The tedious part of that was actually determining which pictures I wanted to use and where to put them so they were cohesive.

Introduction – Millions of people worldwide have subscribed to many mass mulitplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs). For instance, since 2004 more than eight million gamers around the world have subscribed to World of Warcraft. millions of others have played online games like Lord of the Rings Online, Everquest, and even Maple Story. There are so many people thatt play these games that they have spawned spin-offs and spoofs by people like South Park and Saturday Night Live. Beyond the graphics of these games, what about them have enticed millions to play them? Is the storyline or theme? Is it the ability to engage in a new world beyond our own as a fictional character? Is it the ability to converse with people around the world that we normally would never meet, let alone talk to? These are some the questions to keep in mind as you being your journey in creating a new MMORPG.

Instructions – In this project the students will be divided into groups of three to four students by the teacher.

• In your groups, you will focus on the aspects of mass multiplayer online role playing games that are most important.
• You should as you are working in your groups take into consideration how MMORPGs, like World of Warcraft, are able to keep millions of people playing.
• In your assigned groups, you will decide what type of online game you will create.
• Each member must contribute to the game in some form. In the groups you can decided how you wish to divide up the work, but still work collaboratively with the other members in the group.
• After three weeks each group will have a rough draft of what their game will be. At this time in your groups, you will pitch your idea for the game to the class like you would to a gaming company. After the idea pitch, the groups will meet with the teacher, one at a time, where the teacher will discuss the progress of the project and offer any critiques or suggestions.

• After the conference you will be given another three weeks to turn in your final project.

Resources – Here are some resources you can use to create your MMORPG.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mmorpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_MMORPGs

http://maplestory.nexon.net/

Procedure

1. Create a wiki site on wikispaces.com, this site will be how you will present your online game, as well as, communicate and collaborate with each member.
   • On this wikispace you create several pages for your work, one topic per page. You should have at least five pages, including the main page.
   • The main page should consist of your idea for the game, what the game is about.
   • On the next few pages you will write in character creation, plot/ storyline, social interaction, and setting/ theme.

2. As you are working on the aspects of your game, keep in mind several things:

   • Decide how much customization you will allow players to have in creating their characters, changing their environment.
   • Decide how you will allow your players to interact with one another. (i.e. voice conferencing or chatting)
   • Decide if you will stick with one linear path or allow multiple paths for your players freedom
   • Also, decide on the theme and setting of the game. A fantasy realm or futuristic science fiction?
3. After working on the content of your project, I will like the last page of your wikipage to be a reflection on the project. here you will discuss what you liked and what you disliked about the project.
4. You will hand in a final copy printed out with a work affidavit from each member of your group.

Final Project - The final project should include a finished and grammatically correct wikispace and paper. The paper can be just a print screen copy of the wikispace, along with the work affidavits. There should be several images that will attract your audiences attention to the game. It should also include a main page with working links to the other pages that you put your topics on.

Grading – Your final project will be graded on several things. It will be graded on your layout, content, interest, use of materials, and grammar. (Seeing how this is an English Class, I think this maybe, just maybe, somewhat important)

Rubric

Timeline

Week 1- Assigning groups

- Create a wikipage on wikispaces.com

Week 2- A video presentation on the making of WoW, and presenting several websites for ideas and models.

Week 3- Presentation of ideas to the class.

- Conferencing with the teacher.

Week 4- Working on project.

Week 5- Work on project.

Week 6- Final project is due.

Week 7- Extra Credit is due.

Extra Credit – For the overly ambitious you may for extra points create a photostory, or a video clip, or even use rpg making tools to create a trailer for your game. In the trailer, you can show an aspect of your game or make a video introduction to your game.
Games like Elderscrolls: Oblivion and Neverwinter Nights have this type of module that you can create your own quests using their templates.

For those that need help I will be offering any resources that I can. I will also be showing you websites and video clips of interviews of the game makers during some of the classes to help give you ideas.

Learning Outcome – In this project the students will learn several things. They will learn how to work together and function as a group. They will learn how to create a wiki and a layout for a website. They will also learn how the materials that we read in class have an affect on today’s entertainment.

Assessed GPS -

1. ELA12W1 The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout, and signals a satisfying closure.
2. ELA12W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing.
3. ELA12C1 The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules of the English language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate application of conventions and grammar in both written and spoken formats.

Another thing that hit me was the way the students were eager to do these projects. I mean these students are putting so much effort and taking time to do so much research beyond what seems they are capable of. Then it hits me why they are doing so much for these projects, they are being challenged. Not only by the teachers, but the internet itself.  These students are not only being asked to create a project, but to make one worthy of putting up on the internet.  They are being pushed to put out their best work because teachers are not the only ones that would be seeing these, but people all over the world are too.  And when they are being challenged it doesn’t give them the option to just mess around and put out stuff that isn’t that great.  I really am amazed by these kids and how they use technology to research these global issues like slave labor in Africa and genetically engineered food.

The role of schools has changed now too, they can no longer be seen as the only source of knowledge anymore, but another facilitator. Students can search the world wide web for whatever they are looking for, they don’t have to search in 50 lbs textbooks for information anymore. What schools must do is help the students be able to narrow those searches though to exactly what they need, cutting out the junk mail, and non accredited sites that just show dubious facts or biased views. Schools need to be able to spark the student’s interest through the use of technology, for the student to want to learn more. Many students just learn what they need to just to pass tests and write papers, but with the use of technology it will hopefully spark an interest to want to learn more about a subject like Postman’s Young John interest in Japan. Technology gives us a lot of information, but schools need to help us to sift through the information to find what is right and what is false.

Another thing I feel schools need to do other than help students find information, is to help students learn to interact with one another. We have today blogging and AIM and Yahoo Messenger to communicate with people all around the world, I mean I’m using Yahoo Messenger to talk to my cousins in Vietnam right now. But those these programs help me learn how to interact with another human being sitting in front of me? no, I can’t just talking to them in text lingo, saying IDK or lol or even omg. Schools help us to learn how to communicate face to face with other people, to speak properly and hold a decent conversation.

What I did find interesting though is how Postman comes up with his ideas of the problems that young adults face in today’s society and what must be done to help them find solutions to these problems. There are many points of which I completely agree with Postman that need to be in place in order for young adults to succeed not only in school, but also in real life. One point is that of the engineering problem, where they are set up high upon this pedestal yet are not as important. There is no one right answer to every problem, but many different solutions to that one problem. Just as there is no one right answer, there is no one best way to come up with that right answer

Another point that really struck me was the problem of reason. Like Postman, I believe that reason is the greatest problem that we face as a society, especially in the school environment. Reason cannot be seen as the same thing as motivation because reason is more than just dangling the metaphorical carrot in front of the student so they will learn. Reason gives us the sense of purpose to do what we do. If we had no reason then we would be acting in chaos and there would be no purpose and schooling does nothing and is pointless. Our society, no our world, is based on order, everything we do in this world there is a purpose to back it up.

What I don’t like about the chapters so far is that Postman calls the source of reason a god. I don’t like this because in calling it a god, entails a sense of perfection, or omnipotence, about it which isn’t true. He does recover though by saying it is a narrative that directs a person’s mind to an idea or story that in turn creates ideals, ethics, and a sense of authority figure. But these narratives are imperfect, there is no absolute truth in these narratives. It leaves us with a dissatisfying taste in our mouths, a void per se, that makes us seek our own answers.

In reading further in, I found that it is like a double edged sword. On one side if you do not have a “god” to find purpose, then you are left with a void, which you try to find a temporary stop gap or escape from their existence. On the other hand, according to Postman, which I agree with, if you hold on too tightly to your “god” then you become narrow minded and are blind to the different truths outside our own, creating intolerance.

So far I found that this has a lot to do with education. Students need a purpose for them to be in school and to get the most of it.  If they don’t then they have no motivation to learn and it becomes pointless.  They find purpose through their role models, parents, and especially their own dreams and hopes.  Everyone dreams of becoming something, but they lack the support or know how to achieve it.  But with their purpose in hand and the support of schools and people around them students can achieve what they wished for.