Johnson Reading

Well, because he says "everything bad is good for you" rather than "everything good is bad for you". The statement means nothing to libraries and educational organizations as I assume they are some of the "good" things, not included in the statement. However, if I was to take the concept in the statement and apply it to practices in the library I would assume it would be an encouraging beacon to libraries and educational organizations to tread into new territory and to not be so leery of new technology. I actually saw an interview with this author about 2 or 3 years ago on G4 television, back when it was Tech TV or at least it was an incarnation of G4 that was more geek than cool, like it is now. He was a very interesting guy. The interview made me understand that some people are actually afraid of technology and don't always see the introduction of it in educational environments as a good thing. That kinda blew my mind, not sure why I didn't even occur to me that some people are just not keen on the use of web 2.0 and all its other incarnations. That's all it took to rally me to the cause to introduce and encourage the use and application of technology wherever I went.

It's really no surprise that, some scientific studies have shown that older adults can delay or discourage the onset Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, or other neurological afflictions by just keep their minds active and alert. One of these ways is through video gaming. Other studies have shown that surgeons can keep their reflexes quick and steady by also playing video games. What Johnson tries to say in this book is "the beneficial elements of videogames and TV arise not from their subject matter, but from their format, which require that players and viewers winkle out complex storylines and puzzles, getting a "cognitive workout".

What does that mean to libraries and educational organizations? I think it means don't be so quick to judge something that on the surface seems frivolous, but instead be innovative and think of ways that you can use its allure to the masses as a means to open-up minds. How can the skills used in playing a video game be used to teach other skills and cognitive abilities? Also, I think Johnson be a champion of technology in your organization and encourage its use. Do your research and select tools that are appropriate for your goals. The application of technology can give a quick and dirty ratio of payout to reward. Instead of trying to stand in the way of technology why no try to determine how your educational institutions capitalize on this brain-reward ratio?