Enculturation of MONOPOLY

    
        If you were asked to remember a few of the board games you played during your childhood, with friends or on family night, what do you think would come to mind? Well maybe some of the games that you would think of would be Checkers, Life, Scrabble.... oh and of course MONOPOLY.
The reason I ask this question is because these are some of the games I grew up playing, but my favorite by far was the board game Monopoly.
           Monopoly I think is one of the classic board games in American culture but it is far from exclusive to American culture now with so many editions that have been created in various languages and specific to different countries. I believe it is very interesting how the original version of Monopoly has been adapted in many parts of the world in countries such as France and Malaysia. This board game is a great example of how play can break cultural boundaries and become a common thing for people of all backgrounds to share. The game board of Monopoly does vary in appearance edition by edition and this is greatly influenced by the culture is representative of. For example, the French edition, instead of having places like Park Place or Boardwalk, instead they have places significant to France and the currency used in the game I also different. The various versions of the game are largely influenced by cultures and even the other version like the Star Wars edition or the One Direction edition are also influenced by fan cultures or people from all over the world that share the love for a band or for a movie series etc...    

Italian Card - SCOPA

              In my last post I talked about a board game called Keep It Cool which brought people from diverse backgrounds together in one table in a game. The purpose of our blog is to expose people to the diversity in play and to different games from other cultures. In this post I wanted to concentrated on exposing people to information about a game from another culture other. SCOPA, is a very traditional card game in Italian culture. While reading about this card game I thought it was very interesting to learn that this card game is so popular in the culture that most people in Italy has played this card game at least once in their life. This card game is a symbol of Italian culture and the deck of cards has  culture influenced images printed on them.
          Of what I learned the objective of the game is to get the highest number of points by capturing cards throughout the game which will calculate the number of points. The game can be played with 2-4 players or in two teams of two players.

Child Diversity on Pinterest

Many of us have the Pinterest app downloaded on our phones and some of us may even be slightly addicted to all the wonderfulness it has to offer! It is a very popular app used in today's society and I think it is great that you can literally find almost anything on it. From do it yourself projects(DIY) to home decor, nature and tattoos, Pinterest is a treasure chest full of creativity and secret ideas. I found that on Pinterest there is a whole page of diversity activities for students to do in the classroom or at home. I personally am going to tell my step sister, a fellow pinner herself, about this page because she will be a first year teacher soon and may appreciate the fun tips.

http://www.pinterest.com/explore/diversity-activities/
Happy Pinning! :)

Diversity in Play: Sports: Terminology Streetball Cheat Sheet

We learned that language has a role in defining and describing a culture. Basketball like most sports requires a high level of communication. If you can't keep up with the slang you're gonna have a hard time.

Terminology: (Can vary with region to region)

The Rock- Basketball

Brick- Ugly shot that usually hits the outside of the rim

And 1- Making the shot while getting fouled

Cash, Money, Icy, Wet- All terms to describe a good shot. Usually a swish.

Getting Ripped- The ball was stolen

Handles- Dribbling ability

Hops- Insane jumping ability

Take it to the hole, Take it to the rack- Drive the towards the basket. Usually for a lay up or dunk.

Cross- Crossing over one dude with your handles
Shake- Losing one or more opponents because your sick handles

Throw it Down- Dunking with tremendous force

Abuse- Beat someone like they stole from you.

Force- Shoot an ill-advised shot or low percentage shot

Alley-Oop- One team pass makes a pass in the air while the other dunks. Instant fluid motion.


There's also a certain etiquette expected on most courts.

If someone comes to shoot on the same hoop as you on a clear court there's an opening to initiate a one-on-one game.

Protocol states that games must be allowed to finish unless of the parties disengage.

One person coming to the court without a ball is fine. If a group of guys come on the court without a ball then they are annoying posers.

Diversity in Play Field Guide: Language of Basketball Trash Talk

Language is one of the things that defines culture and how individuals in that society interact with each other.

"You can only go so far by being the nice guy or a pretty boy on the court. Sometimes you gotta be an asshole."- (I think it was Kevin Garnett).

When you're on the court what's as good as your game is your ability to trash talk or tune it out.

The majority three main racial groups seen out on the courts are: Black, White and Asian. Latinos sometimes are seen but they tend to be in a mixed group with

Hierarchy is usually defined by how good you are first and foremost.

Next it's by how loud you are. On the court Blacks tend to be on the louder side. Whites are around the middle. Asians are often passive.

Even here at USF, this becomes important when someone tries to call for the next game or claim a court. The louder you are or the bigger you are the better your negotiating status.

Diversity in Play: Sports

My section in Diversity in Play is Sports.

Working definition of sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

There were a multitude of sports I could've used but I narrowed it down two: soccer and basketball(both of which happen to be the top two sports played in the U.S.).

I chose basketball because of my ability to play to game and the history I have with it.

I also primarily focused my observations on USF basketball courts. There are three distinct court types on campus which I classified as: playground, blacktop and gym. What I found was that there are several varying types of interaction based on the different settings and clientele.

My course of action has been primarily participant observation and insights I had from previous experience with the game.

I also have to admit I have a personal affinity for basketball. I tend not to like to interact with anyone I can't play against. Socially basketball is how I met my best friend. It allowed me to have a smoother transition into USF and forge a lasting relationship with my first roommate. It was also how I met my current roommate.

Video Game Seats: the OpenWheeler Driving Game Seat

   


This blog post is about an Interactive Car racing seat. When I was
growing up we has a steering wheel to play racing car games which was,
well.. okay.. pretty awesome to a kid. Now, we can buy an actual car
seat with a steering wheel, and pedals and get a real driving
experience. The diversity is not only can anyone buy this across the
world, but the ages. From kids to adults, to elderly, if you can reach
the pedals and your allowed to play your game you can play! The evolution of video gaming just amazes me, and the amount of people this is available too is quite amazing!

Keep It Real Game: The Ideal Diversity Tool

         The mission of our blog states how play can unite people from various cultures and backgrounds. In my quest for finding a perfect example of a single board game that could unite people with different cultures I found this Keep It Real Game.  This diversity game manufactured by Trance4mation Games LLC is very interesting because it brings people from all ethnic background together in one game and it helps open the minds of the players to other perspectives and ideas. The video below shows college students playing the game and their experiences with the game. The questions asked in the board game are very culture based questions and they really spark conversation and sharing of ideas. Straight from the manufacture's webpage, some of the questions in the game are:

-What other culture fascinates you? Why?
-Why do you think there is racism?
-Do you feel comfortable in your own skin? Explain.
- Tell us about two of the best attributes of your race, and two of the worst attributes of your race.
- What percentage of people do you think judge others by the color of their skin?

         After watching this video and reading more about the game I really think that Keep It Real is more than just a simple board game, but rather it is a tool that unites people and changes perspectives. I would really like to play the game one day because I think it can be an eye opener. Below is the link to the game's official page where you can find more information.



keep it real

A Brief History of Video Games

                                                                                                                                      
 
The history of video games really does amaze me. From a simple tennis stimulation game, to arcades games, to gaming consoles, and handheld gaming devices. During the 60s and 70s gaming was pretty simple, but played and enjoyed by people all over the world. In the 80s games became more complex and the 90s introduced the first real strategy gaming. Since the 90s gaming has just boomed and taken off. Gaming and the internet made it possible for people all over the world to play against each other in the same game. For some this may not amaze people, but to me this is just something unthinkable. Since the gaming industry has taken off, people live and breath these video games, and playing online with people.

Video games have not, and will not slow the progress down anytime soon!!!

                                                                 

Interactive games in school from my perspective

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge."-Albert Einstein

Throughout Elementary school I never really thought about what type of learner I was in school but as I got older I definitely started to realize what worked for me and what didn't work for me when it came to excelling. I am a visual learner and a hands on learner that likes to be involved in order to retain what I learn. In fourth grade my teacher's name was Mr. White at Meadowlane Elementary, I remember that man to this day because I remember so much great information from that class. You can learn just about anything but remembering what you learn to apply it to real life is when it counts! His teaching strategy was to be very interactive with students and create games that went with every lesson that we played each week. For example we played a game with the globe in order to learn states and capitals, we played a racing game with multiplication and division flash cards, also every Friday we had a little spelling bee in the classroom. The winners of the most games at the end of each week received candy of their personal choices no matter what it be, he would get it and reward us with it. My point is that in this class I learned all of my multiplication, division, spelling, and states and capitals; but not only did I learn them I actually remember all the information I was taught in fourth grade to this day because the positive impact of interactive games in the classroom.

Free Gaming?!

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/games/f2p_revolution_25_killer_online_games_you_can_play_free

     So online gaming is something that many get involved in across the world. Many ages, and from all countries participate in this online gaming community. I was always under the impression that online gaming cost money, like for subscriptions or to play the games. When I came across this article that are online games you can play for free i was like wow, if you have a computer and internet you can play these games. With internet spreading around the globe more and more people have access to playing these games.

Duck Duck Goose or Corre, Corre la Guaraca in Chile

http://www.parents.com/fun/games/educational/games-from-around-the-world/ 

 Chile: Corre, Corre la Guaraca

The fun-to-say game name translates to "Run, Run, la Guaraca." Chilean kids typically speak Spanish, but Guaraca is actually a nonsense word.
Players: Five or more, ages 5 and up
What You'll Need: A handkerchief.
How to Play: Players sit in a circle while a runner jogs around the outer rim with a handkerchief. The seated kids are not allowed to watch. They sing "Corre, Corre, la Guaraca who looks back will be bopped on his head!" Trying not to be felt, the runner drops the handkerchief on a child's back and runs. If he makes it around the circle before the player realizes that it's on her back, the seated player is out. If the seated player catches on, she must tag the runner. If she succeeds, the runner is out. If she fails to tag him, they play again, but this time player 2 is the runner.

Child's Play Starting at a Young Age

http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=462

Researchers believe that child's play should start at a very young age in order for proper development. They suggest starting off as young as infantry and reading your babies brightly colored picture books to grasp their attention. It gets the mind going and from there everyday play is crucial to your child's learning. Playing games gets the child involved also motor skills and comprehension begin.