Gee and Learning

Consider how you might take a few of Gee’s learning principles and apply them to the composition classroom without the use of video games. Think about the learning principles that might be applied to assignments or the classroom in general.

In a composition classroom, I think that it is always good to have common goals for the semester in general and for each assignment. I always ask myself “what are you trying to accomplish with this assignment?” This question helps me to put things into perspective. In a similar vein, I think that Gee provides some useful ideas on how to create realistic goals for a class. I have chosen four that I think are feasible and attainable in a 16 week period. The four principles that I chose, along with a brief description of how I would use them, are as follows:

Active, Critical Learning Principle: All aspects of the learning environment (including the ways in which the semiotic domain is designed and presented) are set up to encourage active and critical, not passive, learning.

The Active, Critical Thinking Principle is one that I could use to talk about writing in general. Using it to begin each writing assignment would teach students the importance of engagement; it would also show them that they have a goal/purpose with all types of writing.

Multimodal Principle: Meaning and knowledge are built up through various modalities

(images, texts, symbols, interactions, abstract design, sound, etc.), not just words.

The Multimodal principle will help me to do what Cynthia Selfe speaks about in terms of meaning making in different modalities. I could use this principle to talk about genre and audience.

Transfer Principle: Learners are given ample opportunity to practice, and support for, transferring what they have learned earlier to later problems, including problems that require adapting and transforming that earlier learning.

The third principle is important because I do think that teachers should have appreciation for the different backgrounds and knowledge bases that students will bring to the class. This principle will help in terms of providing an open space that will help students to develop ethos as writers. In other words, the transfer principle will teach students that they are indeed writers that have something to say.

Affinity Group Principle: Learners constitute an “affinity group” that is, a group that is bonded primarily through shared endeavors, goals, and practices and not shared race, gender, nation, ethnicity, or culture.

The Affinity Group principle could facilitate class success as it speaks to community building and listening. It is important for a class to be able to not only listen to the teacher, but to actively listen to other peers as well. Listening is a sign of respect, really, and I think that this principle would promote a type of needed decorum in the classroom.