Personality and the tech of connection.

we human beings are complex creatures, in fact anything that has the ability to reason starts on a psychological journey the end of which no one can predict.  it is because of this fact that now more than ever, is knowledge the ultimate power.  another existential question of time is, what occurs when a being unable to handle power is given it?

the education system is finding it harder and harder to comply to an increasing list of demands from the government as well as an ever evolving generation of young people with more power than they should likely have been exposed to at their age.  call it what you will, but the fact remains that the internet, face book, and other tech like cell phones and video games are providing to children a power that some adults and parents cannot comprehend because these things were not available when they were growing up.  some teachers would  state that such things are inconsequential to a child's development, but they would be dead wrong.  when we were younger, the phone was a fantastic invention that put us in contact with our friends even if they weren't with us in the room,  now children with cell phones can text up and down until their fingers bleed without ever seeing their friends in the flesh.  now, I'm not saying that technology is evil and it should be thrown out or banned from schools or have an age limit restriction, what I'm saying is that the technological generation is something wonderful, that needs to be cared for like child, there are things the tech generation can do that our parents would never have dreamed, of, in the same respect there are things the tech generation is doing now that our parents would be appalled by.  there are hundreds of psychological and psychosocial issues that can be raised on the subject but I only want to raise one for the moment.

consent and unfettered connection to one another.  

just walking around campus you can see the majority of students, even students walking in groups either have a cell phone out, or ear buds in or both, easily ignoring little things like the world around them, whether or not they are taking up the entire sidewalk as a group, or where they are going for that matter.  this stifles one of the most important psychological factors of personality development, personal thought.  I know, it sounds preposterous, how can anyone not have personal thought, we are all individuals aren't we?  

as children we develop personality traits and adapt to the world at large between the ages 9 and 14.  this is now around the same time most kids get their first cell phones.  from here they have access to their friends 24/7 they poll opinions, they talk for hours, they text for more hours, the cell acts as an IV directly into the child's personality pumping in whatever the social circle has for them.  it even overrides time away from friends invading family time and direct times of developmental activities, like learning, or reading.  the damage being done is quickly habitual, leading to rebellion or malfeasance if the connection is removed for more than a few hours.  what results are a generation of individuals with little understanding of the world around them, remaining in the developmental stage of childhood.  this is not the case for all individuals handed a cell phone at age 10, it is however, a growing issue and one that is damaging future students.  as a teacher in training, I have already chosen to engage in a NO cell phone, NO mp3 player policy in my classroom.  it is one of many things that can help to break the developmental lock some students have on their personalities.  other options, include group activities, object and developmental based learning, and multiple learning style tactics.  the few experiments I have conducted based on these learning techniques have yielded a more effective classroom, with the students actually learning what they are supposed to, and themselves.  

Adaption:
"I believe that adaptions must happen to further the life of a great work, but only if they hold true to the original design of the creator." -Jeffery Overstreet

it was in the sense of Mr. Overstreet's quote above that I took to reading, The Dresden files: Storm Front in graphic novel form.  when my father first introduced me to the Dresden files Novels I was blown away at such a well thought out and developed magical world, that wasn't gumdrop fairies and pretty unicorns.  as an adult and a Sunday school teacher I can respect a story about magic and wizards in a light that is both fantastic and childlike.  but on a personal level, I crave a story for my own my own maturity.  a tale that is dark and gritty, where magic is power, as simple as a gun, or a knife, but on par with both.  it is in this sense that I took to the Dresden Files. 
so when I found out that this novel series was being adapted into comics, I had great hope that the gritty development and style of the Novels would translate well.  for a while, my hopes were justified. instead of going straight into the novel adaptions, there was a short series of 4 comics written by Jim Butcher himself called welcome to the jungle.  this new story to the Dresden Files universe was wonderful.  no corners were cut, the characters were flushed out, Dresden took a hell of a beating.  when storm front first came out I snatched the books up as quickly as possible devouring them with fan boy fervor.  I couldn't explain it at the time, but was slightly disappointed with the comic series. 
a few weeks later i picked the Storm Front Novel back up and finished it in a week.  the Novel, the style it's written in is strictly first person, to the point where you see everything from the point of view of Harry Dresden, our wizardly hero.  the Comic however loses some of the intimate connection with the character as the images are left open to the viewer.  some of the descriptions in the book are made simply by the logic of Dresden himself.  for example, Dresden names his enemies based on their physical description until he finds out their real names or has a better one.  its one of the many staples that are cut down for the comic book format.
after realizing this change I went back to the comics and reread them attempting to put myself in the position of a new reader.
this time around the series was interesting, and somewhat long winded at times while also seeming rushed in others.  beyond that, the characters were well defined just as before, the story was interesting, and I enjoyed the internal dialog of Dresden himself. though not as detailed as the novels you still got a pretty good idea of how his mind works.  just as well the art was dark, but not gritty as I had imagined it could be.  in short the comics had the story, and the characters but not the image I would have associated with a series I love.   

the second book has been released in comic book form, but instead of picking up these new volumes I've started rereading the second novel. 

stay tuned kids.. more to come.
-Duncan

just finished Batman, the dark knight returns.... holy crap.  I've been a fan of batman for a long time now, I would watch the TV series, the movies, some of the comics, in that respect, nothing holds a candle to this book. the story telling got a bit bogged down with the constant, panels displaying the TV reporters.  and at one point I decided not to read those as I continued through the book.  after going back over those panels in particular I now realize their expressed purpose.  the book itself would lack much of its gritty and controversial content if not for those panels covering the public reaction to batman.  as a fan I've know the batman back story and some of the more famous storylines for a while now.  up until this book, however, I never really placed my perspective in that of the public eye on Batman.  it is this element that I believe defines this novel in such an incredible way.  

if this were a movie, valuable time would have to be dedicated to public interviews and news publications, things that would disinterest the common moviegoer.  

on top of that, the ending was brilliant.  the only lax in the story I might have is the demise of the Joker. it was dark and psychotic and perfect, and rivals that of the joker's fate in Batman:Arkham City.  

overall Fantastic stories, make you feel and think, and this book was beyond that.  I liked it much better than Watchmen.  

my only grip is that it so clearly ends the batman legend. but all good things must one day end. 

if you're a batman fan. don't miss out.  get this book now. 

Your Gaming Space

Every Gamer has a favorite posture or set up for gaming.  most are as unique as their handle or gamertag.  Mine, is right in front of my computer, in a comfy computer chair with the soft hum of Wing Zero to my right, the lights dimmed, maybe some music playing the background, my monitors elevated to right about my head height sitting down (that one's tricky, I'm a tall guy) and my peripherals in easy reach along with a hot cup of tea  and some twizzlers. (great Gaming food by the way)
this posture is a bit different if I'm about to read a book or graphic novel.  for that I like to have my legs elevated to about my midsection so I generally choose a couch or my bed.  there can only be a single light in the room over my right shoulder, and I have to be propped up enough to not crane my neck.
the point I'm trying to make is that every gamer has an atmosphere that helps them blot out the distractions of the world so they are open to a new experience.
for those of you who have never played a game, or have never read a novel or comic book seriously, evaluate your atmosphere.  you might be the only thing holding yourself back. :)
until next time kids.. stay tuned.

Go Time

Technically I should have posted this information weeks ago.  however as life goes one gets busy and losses track of things.
Graphics and gaming is a very interesting class in which we, the students, examine the language of graphics in comics and video games to better understand how and why these mediums are so popular, and how they can be used to learn and teach.
personally, I was excited to hear of this kind of class.  I have an Associate's degree in computer networking and systems administration from Thaddeus Stevens College in Lancaster, afterwards I discovered, while unsuccessfully looking for a job in the IT field, that I enjoyed greatly the experience of teaching others, especially high school students.  so I made the transfer to Shippensburg University under the ITBE major.  this major is a Business Bachelor's degree with a minor in information technology and a K-12 teaching certification. in this light I believe this class might work as a major course specifically for the ITBE Major.  such things, however are not my call.
so far in the class I've really enjoyed Blankets.  right now I'm reading persepolis but not enjoying it quite as much.  I don't know if it's the subject matter or the art of the work that is making this book more of a chore, but I can take enjoyment from the Indy game I'm playing.
I chose Mass Effect 2 to play, for several reasons, not least of which is the fact that Mass Effect 3 is coming out in a month, and I did want to play through ME2 one more time to refresh my memory before the new one comes out.
now I get a grade for it though.. so that's a first.
more to come, stay tuned kids.
-Exodus