Objectives:

• Learn about the history of computer graphics
• Examine the role of technology as force for cultural maintenance and change
• Discuss the validity of art created with the aid of machines

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Reflection: 

I was really excited going into this week because I’ve always had a very strong opinion on video games and children.  Even though Jane McGonigal doesn’t mention children specifically, I believe she implies that children are the ones we need to channel in order to get the effect we want.  What I mean is in order to “change the world” we have to “harness this gamer power to solve real-world problems,” and therefore channel the people who can still be influenced by this gaming power (Jane McGonigal, TED Talk).  After watching this TED talk I was left very underwhelmed.  I didn’t feel like she supported her claims very well, which I and a couple of my peers mentioned in our discussion of the video.  I’ve always had a very strong opinion about video games and their effect on people (mainly kids) and my view has not changed, if not gotten stronger, after watching this video and hearing her argument.  In response to her talk, I found this interesting article written by an audience member from one of her talks at a conference for Games for Change.

The bigger picture from this talk, however, could be a strong argument as to how we can change the future and make the world a better place.  This bigger picture is technology.  “Only when… new forms [of technology] become available to the larger population can they affect cultural patterns of maintenance and change” (Jones, 21).  These “new forms” are created with the older techniques in mind.  This will pave the way for future technologies to continue to expand.  Technology has a way of making this world either a better place, or a worse one.  I think if it is harnessed in the right direction (not video games) it can change the world for the better.

Jane McGonigal talks about how this face is the face that we need to be seeing all over the world. She claims this is a face of a problem solver and others need to play video games in order to achieve this status.

Future:

This week definitely strengthened my view on video games, but also taught me about how we can expand technology and use it for the better while still adapting the original ways of doing things.  I will continue to believe that video games cannot save the world, only humans can.  I will take this newfound knowledge of how technology has evolved and maybe use it to my own advantage!

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