I began playing Life is Strange a little while ago. Having almost completed the game, I figured now would be a good time to reflect. When Dr. Shannon announced that this was the game that we would be playing, I was excited. I have played other choose-your-way games in the past, and enjoyed them immensely. Unfortunately, Life is Strange did not live up to my expectations.
The game centers around Max, a teenage girl struggling to fit in at a new school. While sitting in a photography class, she discovers she has the ability to rewind time and "re-do" situations. Throughout the game, Max is placed in very adult situations, and forced to react and re-react to them.
When I play a game about making choices, I expect to be able to make choices. While the game does allow you to make choices that have consequences, many of the game's major choices are "fixed". By this, I mean that the game will force you to play and rewind until you pick the options that it wants you to. For example, at the beginning of the game, you walk in on Chloe and a guy she's arguing with. Although you are presented with the option to confront them, the game will not allow you to do so. Instead, it forces you to pull the fire alarm and evacuate the school. Another scene that comes to mind is when Max goes to the junkyard and Chloe accidentally shoots herself due to a ricocheting bullet. Again, the game forces you to rewind and make other choices.
I'm not saying I want to go around to kill characters, but I wish the game was more flexible in this sense. For example, in The Walking Dead, a similar game by Telltale Games, the character that you play as is allowed to make choices that can result in death (ending your game early), or the death of other characters.
The game wasn't awful, it just wasn't one of my favorites. However, I don't know that I would want to use it in an ELA classroom. There are a lot of mature/triggering themes throughout the game (like what the hell Mr. Jefferson?), and I'm not sure that the idea would go over well with parents.
However, as a future educator, I think it was a good idea for me to play the game. It reminded me that even though no one should have to go through the situations that Max and her friends are placed in, adolescents do. They probably do experience such things more often than we realize. Even if I didn't necessarily enjoy the game, it made me pause and think about the struggles that adolescents deal with on a daily basis that adults are so quick to dismiss.
Friday, April 14, 2017
5 Centimeters Per Second
I can't even remember the last time I picked up a manga book. It was years ago, probably middle school, honestly. I remember borrowing one from a friend, struggling to read it, and quickly losing interest. I was a bit apprehensive whenever being assigned to read 5 Centimeters Per Second, but I figured I would give it another try. I mean, its not like I had a choice this time, right?
The plot of 5 Centimeters Per Second (which google has been hilariously autofilling to 5 centimeters dilated, really?), was pretty straightforward and easy to follow. Nothing was really off-the-wall crazy, which surprised me. Call me biased, but typically when I think of manga I think of the crazy, weird stuff.
Anyway, for the rest of this posting, I'd like to discuss to the experience of reading a manga. It was definitely weird, and a little frustrating at times. However, I'm glad I got to experience doing so. I'm sure many of my future students will be interested in reading this genre of literature, now, I at least have a basic background so I understand what it is that they are doing.
The experience of being frustrated was also humbling. It really made me think about how my future students are going to feel when I throw literature at them. I'm sure many of them will be confused, frustrated, and wanting to give up. It just goes to show how everyone has their own tastes and personal interests, and these things need to be accounted for when teaching.
As far as using a manga in the classroom, I would be interested in exploring that idea further. I know from trolling internet forums that it is not uncommon for explicit ideas to be present in manga. I'd definitely need to do a thorough screening of something before putting it in my students' hands. However, I think there is value in using different genres of literature in the classroom, and I'm sure manga has a place alongside many others.
The plot of 5 Centimeters Per Second (which google has been hilariously autofilling to 5 centimeters dilated, really?), was pretty straightforward and easy to follow. Nothing was really off-the-wall crazy, which surprised me. Call me biased, but typically when I think of manga I think of the crazy, weird stuff.
Anyway, for the rest of this posting, I'd like to discuss to the experience of reading a manga. It was definitely weird, and a little frustrating at times. However, I'm glad I got to experience doing so. I'm sure many of my future students will be interested in reading this genre of literature, now, I at least have a basic background so I understand what it is that they are doing.
The experience of being frustrated was also humbling. It really made me think about how my future students are going to feel when I throw literature at them. I'm sure many of them will be confused, frustrated, and wanting to give up. It just goes to show how everyone has their own tastes and personal interests, and these things need to be accounted for when teaching.
As far as using a manga in the classroom, I would be interested in exploring that idea further. I know from trolling internet forums that it is not uncommon for explicit ideas to be present in manga. I'd definitely need to do a thorough screening of something before putting it in my students' hands. However, I think there is value in using different genres of literature in the classroom, and I'm sure manga has a place alongside many others.
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