Thursday, 4 September 2008 - 3:28 PM MDT

It was evil but fun. Confusing but I did enjoy it. It reminded me of past experiences and situations I see all the time with the same sense of confusion.

Thursday, 4 September 2008 - 3:31 PM MDT

I thought this was absolutely fantastic!  It shocked me that I actually did get frustrated that not everybody had "read the rules correctly"...when that wasnt at all the case!  Once I realized that everybody had been given a different set of rules, I followed along...but it was very interesting to see what each person's core reaction was to this situation. 
It really reminded me of how people are in real life.  Everybody grows up with a different set of rules or socially acceptable behavior and we need to learn to work with each person and their individual idea of how life is really played out.

Thursday, 4 September 2008 - 3:32 PM MDT

It did seem a little odd that we were playing cards in a college class.  I was really confused at first because I was completely sure I was right and than all the other girls started arguing with me and than I wasn't so sure. I couldn't even concentrate on the rest of the games because I really wanted to look at the rules again to make sure. It was a neat excersise and really fits with the theme of the class.

Thursday, 4 September 2008 - 3:39 PM MDT

The Barnga games very sneaky and a great way to help us understand how we all come from different backgrounds and places.  In life we all get up in our own lives and don't take into consideration others feelings and ideas.  So obviously this causes miscommunication and disagreements as the Barnga game proved.  It was a great learning experience and eye opener. 

Thursday, 4 September 2008 - 3:42 PM MDT

I had fun filming everyone and trying to capture their frustration and confusion. The best part was watching people try to communicate what the "rules" were without being able to talk. When I played this game before my class had the exact same reactions. I was happy to be on the other side this time!

Thursday, 4 September 2008 - 3:45 PM MDT

Thank for letting us play this game.  I was confused after the first rotation.  I was sure I knew how to play the game and argued with body languege and gestures. After we rotated again, I decided to just go with the flow.  I knew that since our way of playing was different then the other table, we were going to have problems no matter where we rotated. So I just let the other people dictate the game. I kind of sat back, played my part and only argued a little after that.  I have the mind set " no worries, just go with the flow".

Thursday, 4 September 2008 - 3:45 PM MDT

I had played this game before in another class that I have taken, but I just kept my mouth shut and played the game as if I had no idea what was going on. I did my best to "argue" silently that my rules were correct and that there was no other way but the rules just to make it a little bit more "fun." I love this games :)   Sarah G.

Thursday, 4 September 2008 - 3:47 PM MDT

I would say that this activity made me smile.  I like to figure things out, and this game was clearly made for a thinker.  I felt like laughing because we were all snowballed by the game.  Each table had its own set of rules.  When the player moved to a different table, they had to follow the new rules or change the other players minds into following their rules. 

It made me consider how a person lives their life in relationship to others.  Each person comes from a background with their own set of social rules.  As an educator I will need to look at each student individually and seek ways to help each student understand the rules by which my classroom will function.  I will also have to meet their needs based on their rules by which they are raised in and hopefully bridge the gap and help them to grasp the things that they are needing to learn.

Thursday, 4 September 2008 - 3:48 PM MDT

The Barng simulation game provided great insight into how people interact with one another when they are in situations where the they feel out of their element or out of control of outside elements. It was a great reminder to me that children can often feel this way and we need to take care to be sensitive and adapt to their needs. It was also a great reminder to me that every person we come into contact with on a daily basis is coming from their unique perspective and background and I need to remember that when communicating with others.

Don't worry all is forgiven.:)

Thursday, 4 September 2008 - 3:48 PM MDT

I thought the game was a lot of fun.  I had played a game similar to it and was wondering why these rule were so different.  I thought "oh well" and continued to play.  That was very sneaky of you Francis to give us different rules!  However, your purpose was very meaningful.  Thanks for keeping me thinking.

Thursday, 4 September 2008 - 3:51 PM MDT

Well... Barnga was quite a cool game! It did confuse me, along with everyone else. I think this was such a clever way to allow students to understand what it must feel like to be thrown into a situation where you feel lost or disconnected from every other person around you. I really think that this game was a direct example as to how many culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse students may feel when thrown into a "typical" American classroom. I hope to remind myself of this game and how it made me feel if I recognize that someone may be in this particular type of situation.

Thursday, 4 September 2008 - 4:02 PM MDT

Well at first when we started to play I thought it was really fun, but when I had to change tables I was totally confused about the rules of the game.  The rules that I read over said that Aces were the highest and you could trump with spades and win automatically.  However, when I changed tables the Aces were the lowest and trumping was not allowed.  At first I started to argue and then I gave up and started to second guess myself.  I thought maybe I had read the directions wrong so I started playing the game like the other girls at my table.

Playing the Barnga simulation made me frusterated and confused, but it helped me understand what some students might feel like in a classroom sometimes.  I did not like feeling lost, confused, and doubtful, therefore I know that the students do not like feeling that way either.  It effects their self-esteem and can make the students just give up on trying to learn.  I want to learn everything I can to make sure I can have good communication with my students of different cultures.