HGSET545

Priming the pump with STEM games and building human capacity for design

Can engagement and motivation in Middle School/HS STEM areas sustain itself through college? "Undergraduates across the country are choosing to leave science, technology, engineering and math programs before they graduate with those degrees according to a 2010 University of California, Los Angeles, study."

Not available online - link to Journal of Technology and Teacher Education/SITE; 7 articles, I have copy if someone is interested. Franklin, T. & Annetta, L. (2011). PREFACE Special Issue: Digital Games and Simulations in Teacher Preparation. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 19(3), 239-242. Chesapeake, VA: AACE.Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/38515.

Commentary about the tools we use for our online participation

This article indicates that in seeking to engage students via networking tools, many boundaries need to be drawn...

This is a really interesting article about the story of one of the most popular web-based games of last year. The interesting part is that the creator of the game designed it as a joke, trying to poke fun at other wildly popular games like Farmville. He made the game as simple as possible, compelled users to log in regularly to "Click a Cow," and had them earn points when other people clicked their cows. The message was supposed to be, "these types of games are manipulative in their tactics to keep people playing, and they are mindless and painfully stupid." However, his design stumbled on something that people really enjoy, and as a result, people didn't get that the game was meant to be a joke, and it became a huge hit. I think this shows that flow-inducing actitivities, or ones that keep the user engaged and provide quick feedback, are highly desirable for users.

How a teacher started to use iPads as a supplement to instruction (thinking "these devices would help me to create a magical, collaborative learning environment that met all my students' individual needs"), but realized that to really revolutionize teaching and learning, she needed a "technology-based redefinition of [her] practice."

This is not entirely education focused, but interesting interactive experience of blending the physical with the digital world in an engaging way for an information/data driven society.

I think programs like this provide EMF while consequently teaching all important thinking skills.

twitter as a form of professional development

I am posting two articles: 1) Apple's recent announcement (here) and 2) the criticism (above) by Hack Education blogger Audrey Watters This article is about Apple's announcement to "reinvent the textbook" around the iPad. "The message: it's going to be a lot easier in the future for publishers and educators to create a new generation of interactive textbooks."

From a learning point of view, aging has its consolations, along with its detriments like loss of memory and quick math skills. Read this if you want a general perspective on research into the mature adult mind.

This is an interesting article on how information technology has created the "new student." Largely due to technology, students are finding an imbalance between their expectations of a learning environment and what they are finding in college and university classrooms. This implication has begun to affect decisions concerning courses, curricula, programs and services.

More "ipads in education." There is also a point in her about customization for student needs which relates to UDL.

An excellent site featuring white papers and resources. The initiative is championed by Intel, Cisco, Microsoft, and involves the governments of Australia, Singapore, Finland and the States.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is the U.S. version of the site I mentioned below (atc21s)

This is a blog about a mother's concern for her 6-year-old child's iPad addiction. I saw a similar experience when I visited my 3-year-old and 1-year-old nieces over break. They constantly asked for their mother's iPad and iPhone. It was shocking to see how they could navigate, select songs/videos, and yes, download apps! Moreover, they would spend hours playing with them. It's simply amazing to see how quickly a child can learn a particular piece of technology if they are engaged and motivated to use it.

Will great professors start defecting to interactive media, where they could become media stars? I wonder how truly interactive or engaging this type of delivery is.

Updating diary research to blogging. It seems blogging can be therapeutic for teens. More girls in the study than boys. Comments from readers seems to put some difficulties into perspective.

Children with autism spectrum disorders enjoy screen time, underscoring an opportunity to use interactive devices to encourage social learning. Despite how much children who have autism enjoy the stimulation of a computer or mobile device, few engage in social media pursuits, such as emailing or chatting, researchers found.