Ash Forest

Team Work

This aspect is very important in gaming as well as real life.  I know I feel like I have to go at my quest alone because it is my responsibility.  That's not true, we are to be responsible but that doesn't mean being alone.  McGonigal talks about how team work takes coordination and strategy in games.  This is also true for life.  You must choose those you are around carefully in order to get things done.  She also mentions that in games you have to have the right combination of roles, mages, clerics, warriors, hunters, in order to complete the quest.  In real life everyone is good at something and using everyones talent to there fullest potential is key to succeed in life.

Endgame

When you are working you want to know what is in it for you.  What do I get that makes this job worth it?  In video games it may be in game content or the bragging rights that you are the most powerful of your friends or in the world even.  But what about in our lives/jobs?  My endgame as a teacher is to know that I made a difference in at least one student's life.  That I helped someone become a better "them" then they thought they could be.  I want to let people know they can do more and be more than they ever imagined.  As a Christian it is to lead people to Christ and love my neighbors and my God with all my heart.  These "endgames" seem closer in games, that's why people love them so much.  Though in our own lives we should realize that in the bigger picture of things that our endgame is much closer than we know.

Leveling up

In a game when you level up the perks are instantly noticeable.  "Once I reach level 3 I will be able to cast a fireball spell!".  McGonigal says that in World of Warcraft you have to put in a lot of time and effort to reach the max level and that's only when the real fun starts.  I can see this in life as well.  Our level up process is much different on the surface level, but as in a game it has the same results.  No that I have completed my studies in college I can get a job in the field that I want.  Now that I completed this part of my work I can finally do the project I have been waiting for.  These examples we see all the time.  So just keep leveling up and get to that place you want to be.

A clear goal

Sometimes in life you might get lost, confused as to where you should go next.  McGonigal points out that in WoW there is never a question as to where you are and what you are suppose to do.  Boy, that would be helpful in life.  This is what I find appealing about games.  If I get lost there are always places to go to find out where you need to be, or people, or an annoying fairy, to tell you where to go.  I think this draws people into gaming.  Life isn't that simple,  it gets confusing.  As a Christian we have a guide to follow, but as humans we tend to want it all spelled out when it gets the slightest bit hard.

Actionable steps-

Along with a clear goal, video games also give you step by step instructions on how to do things.  Unless you are at IKEA there aren't many places to find that kind of help in real life, and even then you are running the risk of messing up.  Also each step you take towards your goal you usually get a reward that leads to the grand prize.  Life, not so much.  Some times in life your reward is a hard place that you struggle to get through.

Motivation

I struggle so very hard with this part in real life.  In video games though there seems to be plenty to motivate you, and McGonigal would agree.  She says that results you can see are satisfying and that leads to motivation.  If I can see now what will happen when I complete something then I am more likely to do it.  Also if we can prove it to others then it is going to push us to do something.  She points out that in the gaming world you get impressive items that you can equip to show that you have accomplished something great.  There aren't that many things like that in real life, besides degrees, which are impressive feats in themselves.  It just seems more prevalent in games.

Collective Improvement

Not only are you working on your own personal character but in a micro community within this massive world.  McGonigal points out that you can join guilds and do quests that gets your guild higher rankings than the rest.  In this situation you are not just looking out for yourself but your guild as a collective whole and the goal for that guild.  This is a good way to look at teaching.  As teachers our goal should not be to get the grades from our students that are the best but to develop a group of students that are life time learners.  As teachers we form a guild and our goal for this guild is better learners.

Phasing

What around us is effected by our actions/work?  In life it may be hard to really tell unless you are an architect.  It certainly doesn't show too well as teachers.  We sit and ask ourselves "What results am I seeing?"  We don't always get results.  In game McGonigal points out this feature of phasing that once you progress in the game the place starts to change. Enemies disappear, buildings are built,  things begin to progress and we see that.  I know as a teacher I have taught lessons and been like ok you guys get it right?  And they just stare at me. I thought I had messed up but I waited and eventually I saw the results, just not when I expected them.

Feeling Productive

When I play a game I feel productive, even if it takes me 12 hours to complete the quest.  In life it it takes me too long then I am most likely to give up.  I have seen, however, that if I changed my perspective and did it like "quests" then I see progress.  In games we are rewarded, just like I mentioned before, but in life if I do the laundry all I get is clean laundry, which is good, but in a game you may get gold and new armor, which is way more appealing.

Casual or High Stakes

In video games there are two types of players, casual or high stakes.  Casual players only go for the fun of the game and may not get as far or as many perks.  High stakes players go hard at the game, they put in so much time and get the best items in the game.  You can see this in real life as well.  Those who just go through life and those who push hard and get further.  You can see extremes of both in games and life.  Too casual and you are bad, too serious and it makes things unfun for everyone involved.