Comments on: Avatar and the Classroom

By: fire

fire — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 12:07:33 +0000

How about create avatars for your students, and place them IN a classroom in a game?
I’ve been working on this for the past few months. Let me know what you think. I’ve added a few articles under the documentation link, that gives a better idea.

By: drpezz

drpezz — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:43:09 +0000

Thanks for the link! I’ll check it out.

By: karen

karen — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:20:19 +0000

There is an article on this topic at: http://www.ecoliteracy.org/blog/avatar-does-it-belong-your-classroom

Avatar: Does It Belong in Your Classroom?

There’s a lively discussion going on there between people who love and hate the movie.

By: drpezz

drpezz — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:46:30 +0000

You’re right, Matt. This is the best 3D film I’ve ever seen as well. I was surprised that the movie is really a love story, and I actually felt for the characters. The only other animated film to make me do that was the opening of Pixar’s Up.

Mrs. Chili, what clinched the Dances with Wolves connection for me was the voice of the Na’vi leader, Wes Studi, who was the Pawnee war tribe leader killed on his horse in the river in Dances with Wolves. Then the connections seemed to be more than coincidence.

By: Mrs. Chili

Mrs. Chili — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:59:15 +0000

I’ve been thinking about this film pretty much non-stop since I saw it last week.

There are a lot of things to criticize about it (I’ve read several reviews that complain that it’s just another ‘white guilt’ movie). While I agree that there are a lot of typical (though distasteful) themes (racism, discrimination against the disabled, the imperialism), I also think that there is a lot of positive to be found in the film, as well. I was particularly struck by the message that we are all connected. This idea was brought home by a couple of scenes: where the Na’vi literally touching one another and extending out into the entire community during important ceremonies, and when the animals of the planet responded to help the Na’vi fight off the military attack.

I’m thinking of going to see it again, and it’s a film I’ll certainly buy when it becomes available on DVD. I think that a side-by-side viewing of Avatar and Dances with Wolves would be highly fruitful in a film and literature course.