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Mr. Porter attributed the game’s success to its real-time feel. Players can watch animated playbacks of their teammates trying to guess their creation before taking their turn. The word choices are another big selling point; in addition to standard selections like “orange” and “dynamite,” the game is liberally infused with pop culture references, like members of the Wu-Tang Clan and Skrillex, a dubstep DJ. “We’re also benefiting from hitting at a time when a lot of people are moving from feature phones to smartphones,” he said. Mr. Porter thinks that just as Facebook has a social graph — the people its users want to be friends with — OMGPop can learn more about its “gamer graph,” or the people their users like to play games with. “It’s really about relationships,” he said  of the game. “How well do I know you and can guess what you drew. That is part of the fun.”

when children interact without the guidance of an authority figure — is when children experiment with the relationship styles they will have as adults,

parents should teach social skills with the same tone they use for teaching long division or proper hygiene

"So I don’t see games as having the power to completely change music purchasing, rather they will expand economic opportunities for music creators and fans in ways we’re just beginning to understand. Games are already expanding the variety of music people are exposed to and are therefore likely to want to purchase and own, as well as the places and circumstances under which this mutual reinforcement takes place."

The games have certainly increased the number of young people interested in pursuing musical activities in many ways; just ask any guitar instructor or owner of a musical instrument store.

"While there are now many studies showing links between gaming and learning -- for kids and adults -- to date there have not been many rigorous examinations of their relationship to music education, although there is plenty of anecdotal evidence of their mutual reinforcement. Remember that musical training isn’t solely about scales and correct finger placement; rhythm, song structure, key changes, lyrics, genre styles, etc. are all elements of a musical education, and playing along with songs on Rock Band absolutely aids in the development of the awareness of these elements."

When a person checks in to a certain spot, his or her friends are alerted about their whereabouts.

the massive social networking site will make changes "sometime soon" to the policies that govern how it works.

"We may collect information about you from other Facebook users, such as when a friend tags you in a photo, video, or place, provides friend details, or indicates a relationship with you."

"Sports for the Mind" teacher Al Doyle says his class helps students learn "systems thinking," understanding the relationships of parts to wholes.

When the students design their own games, they must incorporate the components of a system: goals, rules, and stakes. Eventually, says Doyle, students will learn the more complex aspects of a system, such as choice and balance, and build those into their games

The premise of using video games to engage students in advanced thinking is drawing more advocates.

simple solution to accelerate open edtech for everyone is to support technology standards

open standards ensures that educators and students can determine what’s most effective

What seems like a simple concern of IT departments has serious implications for learning.