Assignment #6: Word Games

I know, I have gotten out of order on the assignments. However, with no grade at stake, I feel that I am able to do these in any order I please. Assignment #6 states, "These are the top five word games at the Yahoo Games Site: Literati, Text Twist, Bookworm, Flip Words, Word Mojo Gold. Play at least 2 of them and then discuss whether these are time wasters or good practice/learning tools. Don't just give your opinion--support your opinion with facts (details!) from your experience."

Without taking the time to play these games today I am able to answer this assignement as I regularly play the word games both on Yahoo Games and on other sites. I feel that these games can be both learning tools and time wasters.

We'll begin with learning tools. These games assist in spelling, vocabulary, and the ability to do these quickly. I have become spoiled by Microsoft Office as it not only has the button for spell check, but also has auto-correct which will fix common words that I mistype or just have never learned to spell correctly (the i before e rule always catches me). Bookworm, in particular, is beneficial for vocabulary as it gives you the definition of the more uncommon words that you spell. Finally, these games are beneficial in the same way that Minesweeper is beneficial to those new to a computer. They help you learn computer usage, specifically mouse skills.

At the same time, however, these games can be time wasters. I could spend (and have) an afternoon just playing Bookworm or Text Twist. I could easily stay up 2 hours later than I should just to beat my high score. Like all video games, you can easily play for too long and therefore the game can be a time waster. I believe, however, that "wasting time" is an opinion. While I may feel that playing Text Twist for two hours was a waste of time, someone else may not feel the same if he has gained enjoyment and learned some new words in his two hours of playing Flip Words.