Ender’s GameChildren and Watchers

Ender’s Game and Education

#metagame book clubeach Wed in May

subreddit ENDER4EDUhttps://www.reddit.com/r/ender4edu/

Metagame Book Club

May 1 - May 31, 2017

Games & Simulations Network

International Society for Technology in Education

Games Playing Games

Talking to Students about GamesGames as conveyors of Digital Literacy and Citizenship

Game Based LearningChoosing the right games for your classroom

Using the right games in your classroom

Game DesignUnderstanding Fun, Flow, and Fiero,

Understanding Game MechanicsStudents as game designers Teachers as game designers

Game StudiesGame narrative and metagame

Information and Technology Literacy

GamificationUsing Game Mechanics

Badges, leaderboards, points and levels

Focus

Most of the discussion will occur in our subreddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/ender4edu/

Overview of the Book Club

Characters

Ender

6 years old

Youngest of the 3 Wiggin children (“Third”)

Very afraid of his brother Peter

He does not want to resort to violence but does

Can be very compassionate

Things just seem to happen around him

Shy and brilliant

Peter Wiggin

Eldest of the Wiggin children

Previously identified as a potential commander

Failed because he was too cruel

Seems to enjoy control over his brother and others

Particularly incensed that Ender is chosen

Valentine Wiggin

Middle Wiggin child

Previously identified as potential candidate for Battle School

Rejected from Battle School for being too compassionate

Protects Ender from Peter

Mr. and Mrs. Wiggin

Ender’s parents

The parents of 3 children when only 2 are typically allowed

Passive observers

Secretly religious

Controlled/protected by State and their children

Colonel Graff

Has been observing Ender for some time

Has affection for Ender

Teacher

Willing to go to extreme lengths

Head of the Battle School

Believes he knows what is best

Themes

Dystopian Future

Existential threat - the buggers

Preparation of children for adult tasks

Identification and purpose of identification of Battle School children

Orwellian - complete government control and oversight of people’s lives

Control and Manipulation

Self

State

School

Military

Children

Adults

Does the end justify the means?

Children trained for War

Isolation

Educational Technology

How does our current

educational technology

compare to Ender’s so far?

Monitor Cams

Surgically implanted

Provide Biological and Visual Feedback

Provide behavioral feedback

Invasive into every aspect of the child’s life

Used to make decisions “data-driven decision making”

GoPro Body Cam

and a Drone

The Information Commissioner’s Office (UK) which regulated

privacy issues, said that schools were free to use cameras as

long as they complied with the Data Protection Act, which states

that surveillance must be

“legitimate, proportionate and necessary”.

Would you want to wear a

body cam

when you teach?

What if your

parents could have

logged in when

you were in

school?

Compressed Education

DARPADefense Advanced Research Projects Agency

TNTTargeted Neuroplasticity

Training

Targeted Neuroplasticity Training (TNT) seeks to advance the pace and

effectiveness of a specific kind of learning

cognitive skills training

through the precise activation of peripheral nerves that can in turn promote and

strengthen neuronal connections in the brain.

TNT will pursue development of a platform technology to enhance learning of a wide

range of cognitive skills, with a goal of reducing the cost and duration of the Defense

Department’s extensive training regimen, while improving outcomes. If successful, TNT

could accelerate learning and reduce the time needed to train foreign language

specialists, intelligence analysts, cryptographers, and others.

The engineering side of the program will concentrate on developing non-invasive

methods to deliver peripheral nerve stimulation that enhances plasticity in brain

regions responsible for cognitive functions.

The goal is to optimize training and stimulation protocols that expedite the rate of

learning and maximize long-term retention of cognitive skills.

TNT is part of a broader portfolio of programs within DARPA that support the

White House BRAIN initiative.

EducationForeshadowing:

●Older students train the younger students

●Control and manipulation

There is only one game.

Discussion Questions

Provocative, Remarkable,

Sad, etc. Favorite quote from Chapters 1-3 of Ender's Game?

Livestreaming from the

classroom?What if your parents could have logged in to

see you when you were in school?

Chapter 4 through 9

Ender’s Game

Next Week Readings

Ender’s Game and Education

#metagame book clubeach Wed in May

subreddit ENDER4EDUhttps://www.reddit.com/r/ender4edu/