HGSET545

Formerly known as the Engage conference, includes a section on family gaming. Should be interesting to follow up on the conference abstract.

Play award winning free educational online games on science, math, social studies health and watch BrainPOP animated movies.

A different focus on technology within the ed system.

Interesting use of technology in the classroom. According to the article, "flipping" classes shifts the role of teachers "from the gatekeeper of knowledge to the role of the coach."

A lengthy but informative New Yorker article for those interested in higher education and technology.

e-Readers are making staedy advances, becoming more and more like print books (only better?)

a lamp designed with a sense of "wonder" reminiscent of playing with blocks

Interjecting "Hollywood" into online courses to make them more engaging.

Augmented reality is dazzling when used appropriately. The Science Museum in London's exhibit on the Making of the Modern World looks to be a wonderfully educational experience about how specific technologies have propelled human history forward.

This article describes Virginia State Univ Business School new partnership with GoingOn Network to increase engagement at the school. Do you believe they will accomplish their goal?

Harvard/MIT's response to Coursera. Very exciting!!!

An article discussing various attempts at providing therapy for anxiety through computer programs and phone apps. One of the research projects targeting social anxiety is currently being conducted at the McNally Lab here at Harvard. The findings are still a little murky but I think it's a great start to providing education about and strategies for treating mental health issues to a broader audience- especially to those who otherwise have very limited or no access to help.

Thank you for sharing this, Kate. I'm a little skeptical about 1) the long-term effectiveness of this technology, 2) the transferability of learning/conditioning, and 3) the subtle implications of "therapist-free" therapy. The debate is similar to when educational technology was first heralded to be able to replace teachers and classrooms, when in fact technology is best supplemented by in-person guidance. It is a fascinating area of research and development though, and I look forward to seeing how this type of therapy can transform standard practice.

Based on a survey by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center

An article that talks about how to view violence in games from a new angle. Violence in videogames can help kids gain practical skills. The mystique of violent and scary themes draws children's natural curiosity, and dealing with it is a part of normal child development. It's not the violence itself that is attractive to kids. It's the opportunity to develop and master skills and have the freedom to make choices in the game universe. Also, the violent games happen to have the most emotional appeal to kids.

The iPhone can be a freeing tool for the blind, especially when their needs are addressed through apps designed by blind people.

This article suggests lessons that other teachers can learn from jazz teachers in motivating students and talks about the social, constructivist, and personal aspects of jazz that make it a passion for students who may otherwise be uninterested in school. "Students need to be doing something every day to demonstrate their learning."

This blog post describes the successes and failures of one school to integrate games into their latin language instruction. Teachers found the game compelling because it forced students to engage and prepare in a way that students do not in traditional classrooms.

Cognitive enhancement - the next trillion dollar industry

Quest Atlantis as a learning game