HGSET545

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

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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.

"Identifying promising models for mixing online learning and face-to-face instruction Challenges in e-learning Building partnerships to increase virtual learning collaboration among districts Teaching a "flip model" of instruction with online lectures as homework"

Here's a little introduction to motivation in psychology that you might find interesting--the other videos on the site are worth a peek, as well (though FYI, they are by no means as fun to watch as TED Talks).

DigiGirlz is an event that promotes STEM careers for middle school girls, in which students experimented with Microsoft Kodu and robotics.

Cooney center survey digital games classroom

Does this teach academic skills?

Hi folks: I've put up a wiki on EMF for your use. Please populate it. J. Cole

""For all intents and purposes, this is an economy that has activity equal to a small country in real life," Guðmundsson says. "There's nothing 'virtual' about this world.""

Discusses how gaming can be related to depression

Using game creation as a teaching tool

Interesting take on engagement and motivation. Very prescient given tomorrow's pending announcement.

$50, 000 grant for developers to develop engaging video games for children that promote learning. I am thinking about it!

Moral Kombat takes a look into the controversial subject of violence in video games. Director Spencer Halpin shows the constant conflict between the game creators' first amendment right to make a violent game and the eminent threat that violence poses on the next generation. In addition, the film is full of the latest green screen and high-definition technology that allow watchers to actually envision the world of gaming. Filled with interviews from lead game designers, politicians, parents, and psychologists, this film provides a candid take on the influence games have on youth today.

First off, I really stopped playing the major video game titles after I beat Super Mario Bros. II. It took me like 4 months to best Bowser, but once I did and the world pretty much remained the same I lost interest. Still, I cannot say all the new games that have come out recently don't peak my interest. The problem, I have been out of the gaming loop for so long now that I am at a serious disadvantage whenever I play. The controllers have become so complkicated and sensative that I spend most of the initial induction just trying to figure out what the hell I am supposed to do, and what combonation of clicks and toggles prompts the desired effect. Nintendo's Wii however seemingly streamined the learning curve as my body was the primary controller. Sony is now prepping to launch an entirely new controller protocol that uses the functions of the handheld even less. It might even eliminate the need for a controler all together...all body, all movement are calibrated and support the players avatar.

Jeremy Bailenson from the Virtual Human Interaction Lab (Stanford) talks at the Berkman Center about how the use of avatars fundamentally alters communication styles both in virtual and real world settings. (Includes video and slides)

Excellent op-ed on the need for play and greater student choice in schools as part of an overhaul of US education.

ipad not fundamentally different from the ipod/iphone, though may create platform for advertisements in a way that was not possible with the iphone.