DA
07-07-2009, 03:37 PM
Video games don't exactly have the best reputation with parents, though that's changing to some extent as more and more gamers start having kids. However, games do have one high-profile supporter -- Sesame Street. Or, more specifically, the Joan Ganz Clooney Center at the Sesame Workshop, which is devoted to "accelerating children's learning in a rapidly changing world."
They've recently issued this report (via The Cut Scene), which says that "children are choosing to play digital games for hours during their leisure time. On an average day, children as young as eight spend as many hours engaged in media activity as they spend in school." According to the report, "three-quarters of American children play computer games."
However, that is not necessarily a cause for concern, they say. Rather, "Despite their reputation as promoters of violence and mayhem, digital games have in fact been shown to help children gain content and vital foundational and 21st century skills."
Those skills include "rich vocabulary," "complex problem-solving," the creation of videos or software code, and the ability to discern how changing one element affect relationships as whole.
The report also touts the health benefits, pointing in particular to titles such as Dance Dance Revolution for fitness, and Sesame Street's Color Me Hungry for choosing fruits and vegetable.
In an effort to develop an action plan, the report recommends further research into gaming on the federal and state levels, creating "innovative partnerships," supporting adult guidance, modernizing public media and initiating a "broad publich dialogue about digital media and games."
The last, the say, might include the creation of parent guides, as well as holding town hall meetings or summits on the subject.
They concluded by saying, "Digital games are here to stay and offer the country a rare opportunity to leverage children's already established enthusiasm in order to reform education and promote health development."
"We know enough about digital games and how they work to recognize their promise. Now we need to invest time and resources to turn this promise into a real "game changer" for America's children."
They've recently issued this report (via The Cut Scene), which says that "children are choosing to play digital games for hours during their leisure time. On an average day, children as young as eight spend as many hours engaged in media activity as they spend in school." According to the report, "three-quarters of American children play computer games."
However, that is not necessarily a cause for concern, they say. Rather, "Despite their reputation as promoters of violence and mayhem, digital games have in fact been shown to help children gain content and vital foundational and 21st century skills."
Those skills include "rich vocabulary," "complex problem-solving," the creation of videos or software code, and the ability to discern how changing one element affect relationships as whole.
The report also touts the health benefits, pointing in particular to titles such as Dance Dance Revolution for fitness, and Sesame Street's Color Me Hungry for choosing fruits and vegetable.
In an effort to develop an action plan, the report recommends further research into gaming on the federal and state levels, creating "innovative partnerships," supporting adult guidance, modernizing public media and initiating a "broad publich dialogue about digital media and games."
The last, the say, might include the creation of parent guides, as well as holding town hall meetings or summits on the subject.
They concluded by saying, "Digital games are here to stay and offer the country a rare opportunity to leverage children's already established enthusiasm in order to reform education and promote health development."
"We know enough about digital games and how they work to recognize their promise. Now we need to invest time and resources to turn this promise into a real "game changer" for America's children."