Recent Changes

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According to Gee, "The appreciative systems imply what is liked or good from the point of view of the evaluator/player." The newcomers like myself learn what counts as competent goals, desires, feelings, and values in the game. Gee says that it is a way of forming a taste in this domain, also it defines the learner's identity.
Testimony
"I learned a good deal about myself, about the virtual world of the game, and about the design of this and other related games." (pp. 92-95).
Cognition

Appreciative System
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According to Gee, "The appreciative systems imply what is liked or good from the point of view of the evaluator/player." The newcomers like myself learn what counts as competent goals, desires, feelings, and values in the game. Gee says that it is a way of forming a taste in this domain, also it defines the learner's identity.
"I learned a good deal about myself, about the virtual world of the game, and about the design of this and other related games." (pp. 92-95).

As James Paul Gee mentions in the section "Appreciative Systems," good video games like Minecraft make players think critically. When playing these types of games, we gain new knowledge about the world and learn how to make the right decisions. Within certain limitations (Survival Mode in Minecraft) as well as discovering, we develop our imagination and creativity (Creative Mode in Minecraft). Players of Minecraft "can determine what they 'like,' what is 'good' result, only in terms of an appreciative system, that is, their set of goals, desires, feelings, and values in respect to the domain being engaged with. The appreciative system is where affect and cognition merge and come together" (93). Players reconsider the expectations they have made based on their interests, goals, and values rooted in their "appreciative system." Coming back to Minecraft, one might notice how a novice player gradually learns what goals to make based on his or her values. Players ultimately learn to appreciate the importance of rational decisions, dexterity, and creativity.
What is an Appreciative System? It could be said that it is a process of recognizing the full worth or value of something and evaluating the potential of that worth. Gee defines it in reference to children as, "their set of goals, desires, feelings and values in respect to the domain being engaged with." In Minecraft, one has to determine within this vast and elaborate environment the learning literacy within a semiotic domain. Understanding the value of certain objects, characters and territory, (even the time of day) and evaluating how they affect the manner in which one plays the game are aspects of this process. In an appreciative system, the semiotic domain is constant because the symbols and characters being used don't change. However, one does add new ones. I.E., zombies and spiders will come out at night and kill the player. Archer's and water will kill and drown the player if the player doesn't get air
their hands.
And when the player realizes that they can acquire several objects or use them alone, the player may hypothesize what could happen if they combined two objects. After attempting to combine these objects, for instance wood and coal, the player may hypothesize that they must be arranged in a particular order to form something else. At this point, the player begins to reflect and rethink the original idea of searching for objects. Then, they may realize that combining the cobblestone and wood can make a pick ax. This ax will help the player borough through stone which could help the player cross terrain, create a hole in a cave to hide from zombies and spiders. This tool can even allow the player to use the ax as a weapon against those creatures.
Gee says that the player can create a skill-set within this appreciative system, here, the player is merging the cognitive and the affective. These traits, Gee says, will allow the player to utilize the social, cultural and personal. As a result, one can determine what they like or don't like, what is acceptable and not acceptable to the player. For example, if I were to build a pagoda in Minecraft I can appreciate the skill and time it takes to create such a building. In essence, the value system or appreciative system that occurs within my cognitive, experiential and semiotic domains are influencing how I view the image of the pagoda. I am able to appreciate it's aesthetics, I understand the time that it took to produce the pagoda and what it symbolizes to me is a representation and affinity for Asian culture.

According to Gee, the appreciative systems imply what is liked or good from the point of view of the evaluator/player. The newcomers like myself learn what counts as competent goals, desires, feelings, and values in the game. Gee says that it is a way of forming a taste in this domain, also it defines the learner's identity.
"I learned a good deal about myself, about the virtual world of the game, and about the design of this and other related games." (pp. 92-95).Appreciative System
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According to Gee, "The appreciative systems imply what is liked or good from the point of view of the evaluator/player." The newcomers like myself learn what counts as competent goals, desires, feelings, and values in the game. Gee says that it is a way of forming a taste in this domain, also it defines the learner's identity.
"I learned a good deal about myself, about the virtual world of the game, and about the design of this and other related games." (pp. 92-95).
Cognition
An appreciative system is where affect and cognition as well as the social, cultural and personal merge and come together (Gee 93) while video gaming. The appreciative system is how a player evaluates their set of goals, desires, feelings and values in a game or a given semiotic domain and forms their taste by making active and critical choices about the system or game. The player probes the game and revises their hypothesis depending upon their appreciative system. Social and cultural determinants enter the mix because affinity groups help to determine what is acceptable or recognizable and the presence of others is essential.
Gee differentiated how the appreciative system may play out for children verses adults in the video game domain. An example of this difference may be, a child might be fascinated with breaking the blocks, be it wood, cobblestone etc. They may go into a mine and just begin digging and digging getting caught up in the breaking of the blocks and the ability to make a space wider and bigger. For children, “The appreciative system is where affect and cognition merge and come together” (93) Where as an adult might like building structures, refining them to not only for their personal satisfaction but to their affinity group. “ For the adult the appreciate system is not only a place where the affective and cognitive merge and come together, but social, cultural and personal. Digital Literacy
While attempting to figure out the world of Minecraft, I formed my own "appreciative system" (a set of goals in respect to the domain I was engaging in) by viewing tutorial videos, watching videos and perusing the internet for tips and ideas, and creating a cheat sheet for myself in order to memorize the controls. My goal was not to create a world that would wow my classmates; rather, it was to get the basics down and survive. I was thrust into an unfamiliar domain, and I relied on the expertise of others to help me get through the first few days of playing. I then determined how this would work best for me based on my specific goals (what I wanted to get out of the game) and my feelings towards the game (not the biggest fan at first). I created worlds in both "creative" and "survival" mode, and my appreciative system shifted through practice and interaction with those who posted the videos, as well as my classmates.
Children vs. Adults
Gee differentiated how the appreciative system may play out for children verses adults in the video game domain. An example of this difference may be, a child might be fascinated with breaking the blocks, be it wood, cobblestone etc. They may go into a mine and just begin digging and digging getting caught up in the breaking of the blocks and the ability to make a space wider and bigger. For children, “The appreciative system is where affect and cognition merge and come together” (93) Where as an adult might like building structures, refining them to not only for their personal satisfaction but to their affinity group. “ For the adult the appreciate system is not only a place where the affective and cognitive merge and come together, but social, cultural and personal.
Critical Analysis
As James Paul Gee mentions in the section "Appreciative Systems," good video games like Minecraft make players think critically. When playing these types of games, we gain new knowledge about the world and learn how to make the right decisions. Within certain limitations (Survival Mode in Minecraft) as well as discovering, we develop our imagination and creativity (Creative Mode in Minecraft). Players of Minecraft "can determine what they 'like,' what is 'good' result, only in terms of an appreciative system, that is, their set of goals, desires, feelings, and values in respect to the domain being engaged with. The appreciative system is where affect and cognition merge and come together" (93). Players reconsider the expectations they have made based on their interests, goals, and values rooted in their "appreciative system." Coming back to Minecraft, one might notice how a novice player gradually learns what goals to make based on his or her values. Players ultimately learn to appreciate the importance of rational decisions, dexterity, and creativity.
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WhatWhat is an doesn't get air. Choppingair
Chopping at trees their hands. And
And when the the player. Take the illustration above, inserted by my classmate Nargiza. This, in my opinion, is a wonderful image of what looks like a pagoda.For example, if I understand that she did notwere to build it, however just looking at the image and having played Minecraft,a pagoda in Minecraft I can appreciate that it did takethe skill and a lot of time it takes to create an intricate rendition ofsuch a pagoda.building. In essence, Asian culture. Gee
Gee says that essential to building anbuild, augment and understandingunderstand our own

The other part of procedural rhetoric is rhetoric--the game needs to try to convince the user of something. The McDonald's game was created in order to criticize the McDonald's corporation. Minecraft, on the other hand, does not have a societal or political agenda (at least not overtly). Instead, what it convinces the user of is this new world she is in. When I first started playing Minecraft, I was distracted by the blocky graphics, could not control my character and had no idea what I was supposed to do. I was very aware of the new world I was placed in and therefore skeptical of it. However, as I learned more about how to operate within the game and became more practiced, I had to think about it less. The graphics became less overt--instead of seeing blocks, I saw trees that I needed to chop down. I was better able to control my character--instead of pressing w and space bar, I was running and jumping. While the game had no particular goal, I quickly created my own--instead of wandering aimlessly, I was trying (somewhat desperately) to build a shelter before night fell. By following the procedures of Minecraft, I became immersed in that world.
And that is one of the biggest things Minecraft has to offer. Minecraft has often been compared to LEGO blocks, but I would argue otherwise. When playing with LEGO blocks, you are a god, removed from the world, above it. In Minecraft, on the other hand, you are completely submerged. The game persuades you that you are in a new world, a new domain, and, as Gee and many others argue, there is a lot of benefit to be found in that.
The procedural rhetoric of Minecraft is unique from that of other video games.
In the case of the McDonald's game, the user receives the rhetorical meaning conveyed by the processes enacted by the game's player. These are described above, and are they constitute a fixed set of possible actions which may be taken in response to a fixed set of potential hazards. Therefore, an important component of the game’s rhetorical content is defined by the sets of hazards, actions, and outcomes which are predetermined by the game designers.
Minecraft is different. It also shares a predetermined set of dangers, materials, and actions which interact with the player. This is the nature of computer games (but also real life), in that all worlds are comprised of actors and objects. What distinguishes Minecraft from other games is the objective. The game itself is divided into two basic categories: creative and survival. The objective of each category is self-explanatory, and therefore the game is procedurally as simple or as complex as the user decides to make it. That is to say, the meanings constructed by a player of Minecraft are not unlike those of any person engaged in the businesses of surviving or creating something. The player’s avatar begins their existence naked and unarmed in an undeveloped wilderness. The need for food and shelter is that avatar’s only imperative; the processes necessary to acquire those things are not explicitly prescribed by any agent. The player of the game is left to acquire resources and learn how to use them. The user is left to discover the hazards of their world, as well as the means of survival. Consequently, this is a game which rewards resourcefulness, foresight, planning, and other skills commonly associated with the processes of the "real world".
The procedural rhetoric of Minecraft is characterized in part by the absence of preconceived processes. In other words, by offering the user a Tabula Rasa and a simple imperative (survive or create), the game requires the user to explore possibility, to seek to invent, and to direct themselves. Simplified conceptualizations of victory and defeat do not apply in this context. Consequently, the meanings conveyed by the procedural rhetoric of this game are unlike many video games. Those meanings will be heavily influenced by the user of the game, who may choose to engage any of a wide variety of processes that are allowed by the amorphous nature of the game. Players are invited to participate as co-designers of the game's world, and in this way to influence the characteristics of that world, such as the materials and the processes by which it is defined. By this flexibility, the procedural rhetoric of the Minecraft empowers the user, invites active participation and innovation, and avoids limiting itself to the narrowly defined set of meanings associated with many popular games.
Sources:
Bogost, Ian. The Expressive Power of Video Games. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2007. Print.

David Waldron is a handsome young graduate student studying Language and Literacy at the City College of New York. He gets paid via the aforementioned members' tax dollars as he's a New York City Parks and Recreation employee working with the Computer Resource Centers developing curriculum for the adult patrons. Please forward all questions about David to Jessica Newman or Nargiza (see above) as they are his acting agents. He also loves Minecraft. That is all. Thank you.
Silvestre Arenas-I live to write.
Robert is a graduate student in City College's Language and Literacy program. He has experience working in a high school and college environment. He enjoys learning more about digital practices that help him get students more involved. He is also becoming more digitally aware and literate and he appreciates learning more about what he can do with access to all this information. He is currently working at Hostos Community College for an intensive summer program.

{https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRneZPCrcR-tOe6FEJvcxh-6w8P39dO3mDjJ6d-xESlihxwAvVoSA} Plato {http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQgfWyRhZBXc1-sEaNBz_JkiQwYeeH9XdVpl0WG5En05Woc_ldkdw} Aristotle {http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSmE0ePVNYqTVQTtKjnfBPwiPmTQxEg2v7RKx91h0ciz7swi2Pd} Socrates {https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR3DU_AuLZ1ZDdSTOL3X4joivNZY-q-XeVqreuGYLXo05hJej_MlA} Plato
--Definition of Rhetoric--
the final cause.
Applyingcause.Applying traditional rhetoric the following.
Applying Rhetoric to Minecraft...
The formal cause is its form and in Minecraft, that would be the video game itself. Minecraft is a sandbox or open game in which the player can roam freely throughout a virtual world as well as choose freely the objectives of the game. An open world game is non linear and facilitates exploration as it provides a vast open area with many ways to reach an objective. Typical of an open world game is that the player is given unlimited lives, the character is a blank slate and there is a risk that a player can get lost in their world. The storyline in Minecraft is a player is given natural resources from which he or she will build their environment starting from crafting tools to building shelters and homes.The form of the object changes as a player puts time into the game, they save the game which has been altered by the activity the player has engaged in.
The material cause is the raw material of which the item is composed. In the case of Minecraft this would be the tangible game and the electronic program.

Can you connect Plato to Minecraft? (I can think of one way of connecting Aristotle to Minecraft... his four causes?)
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Definition--Definition of RhetoricRhetoric--
Rhetoric is communication that aims to persuade or motivate audiences on particular topics. The format for creating a rhetorical speech as adopted by Aristotle includes 3 persuasive audience appeals: logos (logical appeal), pathos (emotional appeal) and ethos (moral appeal). The 5 canons of rhetoric, codified in Rome, are about how to design a persuasive speech and they are invention, arrangement, style, memory and delivery. Rhetoric, grammar and logic are the 3 ancient arts of discourse and Aristotle’s 4 causes states that in order to understand something, especially the changes that it might undergo, one has to understand the four causes, or 4 explanations as to how things come about: 1) the form of the object (which will be altered during a change); 2) the matter underlying the object (which will usually not be altered during a change); 3) the agency that brings about the change; and 4) the purpose served by the change. These are called, respectively, the formal cause, the material cause, the efficient cause, and the final cause.
Applying traditional rhetoric to Minecraft by viewing the game from Aristotle’s 4 causes point of view yields the following.

Can you connect Plato to Minecraft? (I can think of one way of connecting Aristotle to Minecraft... his four causes?)
{https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRneZPCrcR-tOe6FEJvcxh-6w8P39dO3mDjJ6d-xESlihxwAvVoSA} Plato {http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQgfWyRhZBXc1-sEaNBz_JkiQwYeeH9XdVpl0WG5En05Woc_ldkdw} Aristotle {http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSmE0ePVNYqTVQTtKjnfBPwiPmTQxEg2v7RKx91h0ciz7swi2Pd} Socrates {https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR3DU_AuLZ1ZDdSTOL3X4joivNZY-q-XeVqreuGYLXo05hJej_MlA} Plato
DefiningDefinition of Rhetoric
Rhetoric is communication that aims to persuade or motivate audiences on particular topics. The format for creating a rhetorical speech as adopted by Aristotle includes 3 persuasive audience appeals: logos (logical appeal), pathos (emotional appeal) and ethos (moral appeal). The 5 canons of rhetoric, codified in Rome, are about how to design a persuasive speech and they are invention, arrangement, style, memory and delivery. Rhetoric, grammar and logic are the 3 ancient arts of discourse and Aristotle’s 4 causes states that in order to understand something, especially the changes that it might undergo, one has to understand the four causes, or 4 explanations as to how things come about: 1) the form of the object (which will be altered during a change); 2) the matter underlying the object (which will usually not be altered during a change); 3) the agency that brings about the change; and 4) the purpose served by the change. These are called, respectively, the formal cause, the material cause, the efficient cause, and the final cause.
Applying traditional rhetoric to Minecraft by viewing the game from Aristotle’s 4 causes point of view yields the following.