Virtual World Design Intro

Think about traditional instructional design and how design for teaching in a virtual world differs and is similar.
Similarities:  Both require planning based on student demographics, teaching resources available, student resources required, prior knowledge of students, and adaptive technology needs for students with disabilities.

Differences:  In a virtual world, students are all on even playing fields.  This makes it ideal for those with disabilities or obvious differences from other students.  Virtual world design requires intense planning ahead of class initiation.   Designing the framework for a virtual class requires technical skills far beyond the traditional paper/pencil design skills.  Familiarity with the learning platform is crucial in designing a productive and enjoyable class.   The virtual world will allow students to learn at their own pace and/or collaborate with other virtual learners at many different levels.

 Why is social persistence considered important?  It is important because in a digital world, too many things are constantly changing.  To make an impression, ideas have to be constantly monitored and redesigned or improved upon.  Afterward, the idea must be re-presented so that it receives attention from the same consumers.  Otherwise it is shoved to the side in favor of another new idea or tool.   Why is data collection important for a designer? Data collection provides important information about ones students, their habits online, the demographics of them and any other potential students.  It is necessary for making good designs that provide meaningful and relevant learning experiences for students. 

Are Games Better than Real Life?

In this TEDTalks clip, David Perry introduces the idea that gaming in the future will include gamers who will be significantly emotionally invested in the virtual worlds in which they play.  Designers who want to be successful in "hooking" players will need to make sure they include themes, graphics, and situations that are so real that players might immerse themselves in the game rather than retreat to reality.  This to me carries such a great degree of personal responsibility as a potential designer that I almost shiver.  In the clip, Michael Highland is obviously concerned with his well-being and his ability to separate his virtual world and reality.  I also would begin to doubt my sanity given the degree that some gamers immerse themselves into the virtual worlds they choose to play. 

With that in mind, if I design games for learning I would need to be almost hyper aware of the repercussions of gamers becoming too involved in the games.  Perhaps a timer for limited amounts of play time?  A break at particular spots in the game where reflection/discussion can take place prior to continuing?  How would this need to be monitored across all game design?  This is a very sticky situation that will need to be addressed.  Would I want this much responsibility?  Something for me to continue to consider...

Future of Genetics

In the video below, Michio Kaku presents the theory that within 10 years, everyone's DNA codes will be on CD-ROM.  Because of the fact that the genomes will be on the CDs, medical science and genetics will change.  Specific parts of DNA will be able to be isolated for treatment and/or cure.  The cost of complete DNA codes for a person now is approximately $50K, but, according to Mr. Kaku will reduce to about $1K in the next 10 years, making this very interesting to the medical & pharmaceutical fields. 

Future of Genetics video

FERPA regulations

When I read these regulations again (as we are required to read these each year), it reminded me that we as teachers are the advocates for our students since their parents and guardians are not with them all day.  We must protect the privacy of all students, from persons outside the educational setting, from those inside the educational system who do not have permission to access student records, and even from ourselves.  It is very easy to become involved and discuss student records with other teachers or professionals forgetting that those are private records and should only be discussed behind closed doors with appropriate personnel.  Although it is something that is read every year, it is important to remind each person involved in the educational setting of their responsibility in keeping student records private and releasing them to appropriate parties only.

Catoms the BigThink

Catoms are tiny computer chips that are capable of changing, or transforming their charge so that they can change the form of whatever they are already a part of (like the robot in the movie The Terminator 2 which transforms into a liquid from a solid).  The Intel corporation that already makes computer chips is the force behind this futuristic idea.  Michio Kaku, a theoretical physicist, explains it in the YouTube video below.

Using Prezi

I have found Prezi to be a fun tool to use.  I've used it in a couple of assignments in other classes and have encouraged my students to try using it.  They really like the fact that it is user friendly and your Prezis don't go away!
Here is a link to a Prezi that I put together with a few photos and a video that I had available.

Hanging at the Lake

I also have a Prezi that I created for a Psychology class.  Here it is:

Comparing 2 books

Using Camtasia to record Second Life movement

During this quest, I had to use a screen recording software to capture moving in Second Life.  I chose to use Camtasia Studio.  I found it was time-consuming to begin with, but got better as I used it.  My computer sometimes bogs down and has a difficult time with the multiple graphics intensive programs running at the same time, but I was able to capture my avatar walking and turning around.  When I tried flying, my computer would freeze, so I stuck with walking.  I didn't include narration, but could have if I'd wanted to.  The video is as follows:

HayDay App

Day One:  This app is a fun way to show students how to stay organized and keep up with your responsibilities.  It shows students various aspects of farming and budgeting.  The name of my farm is Rural RoweCrew.  Here is the picture:

Day Two:  I am addicted!  I have been working hard and like this game!  I now have 109 coins and 2 diamonds, several more fields, I've added some more livestock, and a dairy.  I can see that students will need to budget money, plan ahead so that crops do not run out, use patience when harvesting and determining whether to sell to customers or not, etc.  There are many areas where this game can challenge students, but keep them involved in their learning.  Here is my farm after day two:

Day three: I am still addicted, possibly more so! My dairy is now helping me make money by supplying more items to fill orders with.  I have decided that I want to add the most livestock I can and will continue to plant and sow fields to keep them fed.  Now I am finding some problems students would need to work through to accomplish their goals, including limited storage space, buildings not ready, and tools unavailable when needed. It would require planning to account for upkeep and budgeting of resources, both in goods and in money (diamonds).

 Day 4: I now have another way this fun and addictive game can be used in a class setting!  How about using it for supply and demand (economics)?  In math classes, budgeting of time and money will be essential.  Science teachers might find this game helpful in introducing the ideas of crop rotation, germination of seeds, and climatology.  Just keep getting good ideas about this as I'm playing the game.  I can see that I will continue to play this game.  I guess it's similar to Farmville, but I never got into that craze so this seems like a great fit for my classes, instead.

Classroom of the Future

    In the series of videos, there are several scenarios that would have seemed far-fetched when I was a teenager (about the time of these videos).  Surely Star Trek kind of stuff!  However, the majority of the scenarios have become reality.

    The video conferencing is certainly commonplace today.  Skype and Facetime are examples of current video conferencing applications, while voice recognition software has been utilized for years by many in the assistive technology arena  It is now becoming more common for the everyday digital technology user.  Sending information to other users is second-nature to most digital natives and the use of email and file-sharing sites for collaboration on various projects is a current application of that futuristic scenario.

    There were few aspects of the videos that I found did not come true in some form or another.  There are a few things that I haven't seen, such as directions to the computer to scroll down, but I am sure that will be coming along if it's not out already!

Reflections of Assistive Technologies

    Assistive Technology (AT) is the group of tools utilized by individuals with disabilities to prosper in their daily lives.  Some of the tools are meant to be minimally used for specific situations and others are to be fully incorporated into every aspect of learning and living.  Most of the students introduced in the videos would never have been able to function in a classroom setting without the use of AT.  

    The assistive technologies utilized by the students in the videos were varied.  They included laptops, speech to text software and hardware, cell phones, adaptive musical instruments, text readers, and wheelchairs.  Each of these devices played an important role in the development of the student, and in their day-to-day activities.  Some of the devices, such as the Ablenet reader for Josh, were used and then, as the person developed, were phased out or traded for a different version.  Others, such as the wheelchairs for Susanna and Lucas, will be lifelong needs for the individuals.

    Without the use of the AT, each of the individuals in the videos would not have had the level of success that was achieved, nor would their futures look as positive.  Certainly Lucas would not even have the option of pursuing his dream of being a musician/music educator.  Susanna would have had a much more difficult time finding success at the collegiate level without the laptop, speech and text software, wheelchair, and cell phone available to her.  Josh and his mother would probably still be having difficulty understanding one another without the Ablenet reader and supertalker that he was introduced to in pre-school.

Exploring Ed Tech Island and Building a Box

Ed Tech Island was more complex and, therefore, one of the more interesting locations I've been to so far on Second Life.  There were more people there and so I had the chance to try to interact with them. I tried talking to someone whose screenname looked like the Cyrillic alphabet! To say the least that was challenging:)  She had a secondary name "rosamaury" and had an interesting appearance, including tatoos. She also had lots of body movements that I haven't tried yet, so I was envious.  I couldn't decide if she was a student at Boise State or if she was on a quest like me, but it was fun trying to figure it out!

This is a picture of me at the sandbox.  There is a picture of a horse in the background.  I wanted to try and see if that was someone's avatar, but it kept disappearing when I would go near it.  Oh well, I'll keep trying!

Moving Around in Second Life

Second Life is a complex alter-reality program.  I can see where people would become addicted to accessing and "living" in this world.  Before going to Eagle Island, I "snooped" around and found a ridiculous amount of locales and activities to participate in online.  The locales are rated like movies with G, PG, and Mature so that participants know what they are getting into.  When I got to Eagle Island, I found that the movement from place to place is getting easier, but there are so many options to personalize that it would take years to learn and become comfortable with them all.  I tried creating gestures for my avatar but I haven't perfected that yet.  Still trying:)    Here are a few pictures that I took while I was on Eagle Island.

This was posted on a blog for another class and I'm moving it here.  It was originally posted Feb. 25.

I found moving around in Second Life interesting, but not as entertaining as I thought it would be.  There were a lot of really nice graphics in it though, and I like the idea of being able to make changes to my appearance, and decide on different destinations to discover.  There were several areas that I went to but have included the following two areas:

Intro to Second Life

The program "Second Life" is aptly named.  It is a virtual world where you get the opportunity to live a different life through your chosen avatar.  In the program, you choose worlds to visit and experience.  You choose the people/other avatars that you interact with, the events you participate in, all the way down to the clothing you wear.  Many of the choices are free, but there are available choices for Linden money that is an actual cost, although a voluntary one, to increase the variability of the world you create.  It is almost like you are a game player and a video game designer at the same time.  This program would appeal to both types of gamers.

Jane McGonigal's TED Talks presentation

In Jane McGonigal’s presentation, she gave a self-described “exuberant” view of the future of gamers.  She hypothesized that if given the opportunity, gamers could begin solving real-world problems if they were in a video game construct.  She was optimistic about this because of the four facets of successful game creation:  Urgent Optimism, Social Fabric, Blissful Productivity, and Epic Meaning.  Each of these is critical to a gamer’s continued play.  Gamers are surrounded by collaborating players who believe in them; they believe that an “epic win” is always possible if they keep trying; and they are happy to be working hard to achieve various levels of play.  If these facets could be incorporated into learning situations, the current generation of students would be actively involved in their own education and would likely be more amenable to volunteering for solving real-world problems themselves.

My Top Ed Tech Picks

My Top Ed Picks:
The two picks I have chosen are www.Bookshare.org and  www.DimensionU.com

Bookshare.org appeals to me because of the ability of all students to have access to "good" books.   This site provides free access to books for students with print disabilities.  It will even provide adapted materials for students and teachers. 

DimensionU.com appealed to the math teacher in me in that it uses a video game situation to assess and remediate math skills. It also covers literacy skills so it is cross-curricular!

Tom Chatfield suggests that the psychology and reward system behind successful video games can be utilized in other sectors of our lives, such as business, education, and government.  In education, I think a reward system for effort would be one of the most valuable lessons we can learn from gaming.  Motivating students can be one of the most frustrating challenges we as teachers encounter, especially with today's students who have become accustomed to immediate feedback (from overindulgent parents to television and video games).  Students respond to praise but even more to acknowledging their effort (whether the product created is good or not).  One step to motivating students to attempt classwork is to reward effort.  The psychology behind rewarding effort at least encourages students to complete assignments in order to receive more and more rewards.  Also, the group mentality found in games suggests possible success in certain educational situations involving cooperative learning.  A reward system created and monitored by the group encourages self-monitoring for their own success and frees the teacher to tutor students rather than contend with classroom management.

Evernote's uses in a classroom.

I love the idea of using Evernote to keep student work organized, especially for parent conferences.  I can see that it would be extremely useful for schools with little storage space for student files as well.    One last useful situation would be for group work on projects or assignments.  Imagine keeping all of the information for those infamous science projects together for others to view!

This device would certainly be welcome in my classroom.  Although the U.S. (and my classroom) are lightyears ahead of many of the students of India who haven't had smartphones, laptops, etc. to work with, we in rural Alabama are still behind many systems as far as technology availability to students and professionals.  Our school has one SmartBoard and we just were able to receive refurbished laptops for our homeroom teachers that will run the graphics programs so prevalent in education today (through the generosity of the Creek Indian donation).  I would be extremely proud to have a few of these devices in my classroom for students to use.  Of course, that means I would need to rethink my teaching process and the planning involved to incorporate technology use into everyday class activities.  I would love that challenge!

Although this device doesn't have all the bells and whistles that an iPad has, it certainly has many of the capabilities that a middle or high school student would need in a general classroom setting, such as opportunities to add apps, word processing (it has 2 USB ports) and spreadsheet creation, and of course gaming and internet surfing.  The battery life is about 3 hours but it does have an AC adapter so power is not a problem unless the electricity goes out.  Probably the best thing about it, especially from an administrative standpoint is the cost.  In India in 2011, this tablet would have cost about $60 retail, but the students' cost was $35 thanks to a government subsidy.  Awesome!

Please read about it at http://venturebeat.com/2011/10/26/aakash-android-tablet-exclusive/.
This image was copied from http://www.gogi.in/aakash-cost-tablet-india.html, January 14, 2013.

Article post on secrets of video game designers

• In Keith Stuart’s article “The seduction secrets of video game designers,” video games and their attractiveness to the general public are discussed.  Several ideas are mentioned contributing to the appeal, including autonomy of the player, disproportionate immediate feedback, feeding curiosity, judgement-free play and safety of the player to fail (which at times is even encouraged).  Other concepts adding to the rise of video game play across multi-generations are the authority given to players, tension in the story/game and its resolution, and the graphics celebrating accomplishments as well as surprise rewards during game play.
• In classrooms today, students are increasingly expecting “rewards” for completing assignments.  Although intrinsic motivation is still in evidence, in my opinion there is less visible now than in the past.  Extrinsic motivators, such as game play may be a way to encourage students to participate and complete learning goals.  In most classroom management seminars I've attended, praise and encouragement are often in the first plan suggested for student engagement.  How great would it be if we as educators could have the technology and plans to deliver most/all of our lessons to students in game form?  Ahhh, Utopia!

Hey fellow gamers!  I'm excited to see how this course goes.  I really have enjoyed the classes in this major and hope to soon incorporate some of the activities into my classroom.