Group items tagged

I met this woman this morning and her story made me think of a project based curriculum design. She created her own major in college around issues of equity in communities around the world. She combined that with an interest in ecological sustainability and she proceeded into a career with the question: How are all of these things related and how can we approach social issues with systemic interventions? Her work in New Bedford is as promising as initiatives like Geoffrey Canada's.

This article examines how to best create flow experiences in video games. The author argues for 1) including a variety of gameplay activities, 2) allowing players to play at their own paces, and 3) letting players make choices.

Education blogger Carl Heine created Internet Search Challenge to demonstrate techniques for students (and teachers) to improve their search results and find credible information. His blog introduces new challenges, discusses scams and difficulties and how they may be overcome.

Education blogger Carl Heine created Internet Search Challenge to demonstrate techniques for students (and teachers) to improve their search results and find credible information. His blog introduces new challenges, discusses scams and difficulties and how they may be overcome.

Interesting article on the "Maker Movement" in STEM education. Really liked this last sentence, "It is our natural inclination to create as we learn and to learn as we create that is at the heart of this movement."

These the HG site created by Jane McGonigal for "the games for change collaborative" There are some really neat resources here.

Taking focus to a whole new level! "While the equipment could have other uses for doctors, psychologists and other professionals working with the mind, developers are creating equipment that gamers can use to play with their minds." "The Neurosky Mindset includes a "Brainwave Visualizer" that lets you control on-screen shapes with your mind. A Math Trainer enables you to answer math questions with your mind. The company also has a MindHunter game in which you can fire a weapon by concentrating hard enough, or you can use the Mind Labyrinth where you travel by meditating through 52 levels of an ancient temple as your relax more and more. "

Choice is supposed to create a sense of autonomy and freedom. In turn, this autonomy facilitates motivation. But Schwartz questions whether choice can really motivate us because it actually increases cognitive load, expectations and too much choice actually frustrates us. So perhaps there is a 'ZOC' (Zone of Optimal Choices) to create optimal motivation.

In light of this week's reading around equity, I question the impact apps such as these will have on low-SES communities. Also, this app may have the unintended consequence of creating an additional requirement for the teacher and as a result more pressure.

"Every young person will continue to need basic knowledge, of course," he said. "But they will need skills and motivation even more. Of these three education goals, motivation is the most critical. Young people who are intrinsically motivated - curious, persistent, and willing to take risks - will learn new knowledge and skills continuously. They will be able to find new opportunities or create their own - a disposition that will be increasingly important as many traditional careers disappear."

Great demonstration of engaging graduate/undergraduates in course materials at MIT

Use engaging videos on TED-Ed to create customized lessons. You can use, tweak, or completely redo any lesson featured on TED-Ed, or create lessons from scratch based on any video from YouTube.

An interesting article about how to create a great educational game.  

MIT students are creating and sharing short videos about STEM subjects for K-12 learners.  

also mentions the sandbox summit and learning styles of young people

"These digital natives expect to share information on social media, collaborate, and create their own content." This sentence reminds me of the apparent contradiction of digital natives vs. digital divide. What happens to a student who doesn't have access to these types of tools and then is expected to collaborate and create at the same level? One more piece of evidence that schools need to be committed to 21st century skill development for all children.

Here's another perspective on engagement: how to make games more addictive (or compulsive?) by creating "smarter game loops" with fewer exit points. The example discussed is "Game Dev Story," a management simulation for a game development studio.

Kony 2012 is an online campaign created by "invisible children" to call for a stop to the atrocities by the Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony. That so many children were engaged in this activity, wherein they used technology to create and spread a socially good message is worth reading about.....