White Space

For this week's graphic, the focus was white space. White space can be used to as a tool to clarify text, construct perception of time, and create balance. According to Lohr (2008) background color can also be considered white space. Learners often prefer graphics and text which include plenty of white space because they are "less overwhelmed by the volume of information presented" (Lohr, 2008).

I wanted to create a graphic which would provide a concrete definition for my fifth grade students as they begin adding and subtracting fractions. To simplify the message and focus on the information presented, I used white space to create focus on the definition of a fraction.  The text is simple and balanced on top and bottom with the graphic in the middle.  As student read left to right, the text was offset to keep the students' focus moving from top to bottom, left to right across the graphic.

For the image representing a fraction, it was important to show only the fractional pieces. In this case, two fractional pieces are represented while there is still a piece of the whole missing. I wanted to make sure students were not confused by seeing a whole and a part.

References

Lohr, Linda L. (2008). Creating graphics for learning and performance, second edition. Pearson: Upper Sadle River, NJ.

Organization Project

Lohr (2008) tells us the goal of chunking is to "help the learner think about information in a meaningful or efficient way". For my graphic I focused on chunking the information my fifth grade students will need to make sure their answer is simplified. Students often try one method of checking for a simplified fraction but forget (or choose not to) use any others. By creating a organized chart, I'm hoping students will check their fraction with each of the steps if necessary.

When creating the chart, I chose to use specific numbers to give examples of each step. In each step, words are placed before the examples and are kept a reasonable space apart. The information has be aligned to form columns which created uneven space between words and numbers. However, I felt the words were in close proximity so meaning would not be lost. I kept the background and steps the same color but changed the shade to show separation between each step.

After showing the chart to several people, they felt the information was clearly presented. They liked the color choice which made each step stand out from each other.

Revisions- 

The feedback provided from classmates focused on the bold words I wanted to emphasize in my graphic. I have changed the bold to a different color. I chose a blue in the same hue as the background. I think the suggestions make the graphic much easier to understand.

References

Lohr, Linda L. (2008). Creating graphics for learning and performance, second edition. Pearson: Upper Sadle River, NJ.

Color Project

Edward Tufte (1990) describes for instructional functions of color (Lohr, 2008).

• Labeling- Color can be used to label or differentiate information. Maps use color to label information to make features easy to identify.
• Identifying Quantity and Measurement- Charts and graphs use color to identify quantity or measurement. 
• Representing Reality- Realistic illustrations often use color to depict the color of objects to differentiate them from others.
• Creating Aesthetic Appeal- Color can be strictly decorative creating a visual appeal since people tend to prefer color to black and white.

My graphic will be used in a fifth grade math unit. I chose to illustrate how to solve a word problem including subtracting fractions from a whole number. I used color in several ways as I created my graphic.

Labeling- I used red to draw attention to just the denominator in the fraction. I hoped to tie information together with color by making the number match the circle where the denominator is shown.

Representing Reality- I tried to create pizza that would have a realistic look to contrast with the grey of the pan as pieces were removed.

Creating Aesthetic Appeal- I hoped to create a graphic that was visually appealing by adding color to the background. The yellow color was light enough to make sure the black text was clearly visible.

I had three people look at my graphic. My first background was a little lighter (more white) and the darker background was preferred. Otherwise, all three understood the graphic and felt it was visually appealing.

UPDATE:
Comments from classmates expressed concerns in two areas of this graphic.

• Lines dividing the pizza were heavy and became a focal point
• Background color needed contrast for visibility

Here is my updated graphic. I have included two hues of blue background.

References

Lohr, Linda L. (2008). Creating graphics for learning and performance, second edition. Pearson: Upper Sadle River, NJ.

Selection Project

For my graphic this week, I designed a graphic organizer for the math vocabulary in my adding and subtracting fractions unit. The graphic organizer will be used by fifth grade students during math class. This week I learned about the selection principle. Mayer describes the three characteristics of the selection principle to be concentrated, concise, and concrete. I focused on two of the three characteristics, concentrated and concise. When creating the graphic, I made the words the emphasis of the graphic keeping the main elements concentrated. I removed any unnecessary wording or graphics to keep it concise. I had originally added a few graphics of fractions, but realized as the students completed the organizer, I wanted their definitions and graphics to become the focus. Any graphics I would have added would have distracted from the focus. I used grey for the lines in the organizer to help keep the students work organized without being the focus of the graphic. Although the heading is big, using blue instead of black softens the look. The main focus should be on the words in the organizer, so I chose black for all words. I used a bolder and larger font to make the subheadings stand out. As I listed the words, I made sure to keep multiple words close to each other, limiting the space of the return.

I tested my graphic with two students and a teacher. Each of them understood the focus and purpose of the graphic and felt no changes were necessary.

References

Lohr, Linda L. (2008). Creating graphics for learning and performance, second edition. Pearson: Upper Sadle River, NJ.

CARP Project

CARP- Contrast, Alignment, Repetition, and Proximity

In this week's reading I learned how each of these actions can help improve instruction. According to Lohr (2008), most of the information regarding these actions are based on aesthetic design principles instead of research. Contrast is created by producing a difference between elements in a visual by altering text weight or size. The alignment of text may improve the readability. Left justified words are usually easier to read, while centered text has a more formal look (Lohr, p. 201). "Repetition can create a sense of harmony and unity" and is easily created by repeating an aspect of the design (Lohr, p. 203). Proximity can describe the relationship between aspects within a visual or even between a visual graphic and its related text. When text is placed too far from the visual example the relationship may be lost.

The following explains my application of CARP in my graphic design.

• Contrast- Contrast is created by using the bold feature for both "improper fraction" and "divide" in the first line. Also, there is contrast in the size of the font for the title.
• Alignment- Words are left aligned and title is centered in the graphic. Alignment of words and examples both in the top and the bottom.
• Repetition- Color is repeated with words and numbers to show the relationship between the explanation and the example.
• Proximity- Words are next to the example instead of being on top of the example to show their relationship.

Previous Version

Before submitting my final graphic, I reviewed the CARP rules and made a few slight adjustments.
I eliminated some of the white space on both sides and the graphic hoping to better tie the words to the examples.
Next, I aligned the top of 7 with the top of the words creating an equal space between the body and the title.
Finally I also aligned the 1 and the bottom line of words to create an equal framed space around the body.

Graphic with revisions after class feedback

References

Lohr, Linda L. (2008). Creating graphics for learning and performance, second edition. Pearson: Upper Sadle River, NJ.

Design Process Model

Continuing with my unit of instruction of adding and subtracting fractions, this week I have created a graphic organizer. Originally, I wanted to create a graphic organizer demonstrating the whole process of both adding and subtracting fractions. However, there are many so variables and steps involved, I decided to break down the process into smaller chunks. This graphic represents three different ways I teach my fifth graders to find the Least Common Multiple (LCM) of two numbers. The purpose of this graphic is for a reference for students after they have learned each method of finding the LCM. As I designed the graphic below, I used the ACE (Analyze, Create, and Evaluate) design model.

Lohr (2008) explains that "during the design phase, you identify the purpose of the instructional visual". I began by analyzing the steps of adding and subtracting fractions. Students are usually successful with adding and subtracting with like denominators, however, as they encounter unlike denominators the procedure becomes more difficult. I realized finding the least common multiple is a big piece of the puzzle when adding and subtracting fractions.  Not all fifth graders are fluent with their multiplication facts, so often students use the method of finding the LCM which works best for them. I decided a graphic organizer would help students remember the three different ways we learn to find the LCM.
Next, in the design process the concept moves to its physical form which is considered the create phase (Lohr, 2008). After listing the methods of finding the LCM, I decided I didn't want give a detailed explanation. Instead, I wanted to create a model using each of the methods to find the LCM. At first I showed a new problem with each method. The graphic seemed too busy and lacked repetition. Using the same problem for each of the methods seemed to simplify the graphic. For each method, I simply demonstrated how to find the LCM. Students would have pages in their notebook showing the specific process of each method including words and graphics. The organizer was simply a representation of each method.
Finally, the evaluation phase involves careful editing and changing the visual (Lohr, 2008). Originally, the visual had color in the two ovals in the cross multiply section. I added color to the background of the design and changed the ovals in the cross multiply section from red to pink. I wanted to keep the three methods similar colors while having a different color for the title. I have shown my final visual to three others who said the visual was logical and easy to read.

Shape

The use of shape can create both an aesthetic and functional design perspective (Lohr, 2008). I have created the prime and composite image to introduce the meaning of each word in a fifth grade math unit focusing on adding and subtracting fractions. Teaching this unit requires students to understand the difference between prime and composite numbers when finding prime factors to create like denominators.

Knowing this image would be used to communicate the meaning of the vocabulary words, I began with a rectangle to display the information. Next, I decided to split the rectangle into two columns separating the words and supporting information. To emphasize the examples following the definitions, I created a smaller graphic continuing to use the rectangle shape, but adding color to add some contrast.

I still have several concerns about this graphic which may lead to changes. For example, the line between prime and composite is the same weight as the vertical line separating the terms. To me, the length of the columns creates enough definition, but a distinction between each word may be needed. Also, do the numerical examples of each definition have enough white space to keep them separate, or do I need to create a more distinct barrier?

After showing the graphic to several students I will make changes based on their feedback.

Typography

Lohr (2008) defines instructional typography as the art and science of using individual letters words, and passages of text to convey an instructional message. The four examples of typography above were created for fifth grade math students for use with a unit on adding and subtracting decimals. When creating the images, I chose fonts I believed would be easy to read for my students when viewed either on a poster or computer screen. For addition, common and fraction, I chose sans serif fonts for their legibility on a computer screen. According to Lohr (p. 221), "many consider sans serif type more legible for computer-based instruction or presentation". Although this claim has not been supported by research, I find in this case, the sans serif was a good choice for my project. 

Originally, when I created the typography for common, both words were the same shade of black. I felt since the words were representing something shared or the same, the words themselves should be different. I offset the words slightly to create a shadow, emphasizing the m, the letter both words shared.

In my user test, both responses were positive. In each case the user understood the meaning of the word and felt the typography would improve student understanding of each word. 

References

Lohr, Linda L. (2008). Creating graphics for learning and performance, second edition. Pearson: Upper Sadle River, NJ.

Universal Access and Visual Literacy

Universal design relates to all design issues that influence people as they learn and perform in life with it's goals focused on making information and learning accessible to all people (Lohr, 2008).
The graphic I chose represents universal design by representing a concept through related verbal and numerical visual clues. This graphic helps to create meaning for the learner using shape and color related to numbers and words. The color, word, and number together represent a part of the ratio. By showing the relationship of each part, a ratio is created through visual representation. This type of interpretive visual would help learners understand the difficult concept of ratios. The multimedia principle explains learners benefit from having both text, either spoken or written, and graphics included in instruction (Clark and Mayer, 2008).

I chose this graphic based on an experience I had teaching ratios to a second language student this week. The problem was written similar to the one below. There was a picture representation of the objects in the problem. However, since the pictures were not labeled, the picture did not help the student solve the problem. Simply adding either a label to the oranges and strawberries on the top or adding an additional graphic next to the words in the problem would have given more support to a second language student.

Resources

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2008). E-learning and the science of instruction, 2nd edition. Pfeiffer: San Francisco, CA.

Lohr, Linda L. (2008). Creating graphics for learning and performance, second edition. Pearson: Upper Sadle River, NJ.

Ratio Image. Retrieved from http://www.skwirk.com/p-c_s-12_u-208_t-573_c-2129/equivalent-ratios-/nsw/equivalent-ratios-/ratios-and-rates/ratios

Ratio Problem Image. Retried from http://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/ratio.html

Introductory Image

Well...this is me! Now, let me explain.

Although I am very comfortable using Publisher and Photoshop, I waded through my first real experience using Adobe Fireworks CS6. Just like getting knocked down by waves, there were times when I had to fight my way through the process.

In the original photo the waves represent water in my life. The ocean is my favorite place to be. My kids swim and play waterpolo year round while my husband coaches. The columns of the pier stand strong in the water as I have become a stronger person through each struggle in life. The glow cast by the sun in the photo captures my warmth.

The additions to the photo represent my attention to details and battle with perfectionism. I had to limit my self to a few key details or I would never finish.

The hand-print- Inside the hand-print is a picture of my family, as they touch my life the most.

The graffiti- This combines my creativity with my love of baseball.  I am a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan.

Edtech 2016- I will complete my MET in the spring of 2016. The Edtech program has had a great impact on my teaching and my life. Starting school again after 23 years was a huge life change for me and my family.  Graduating will be quite a milestone.  Also represented here is my love of fonts!

Pacman- This year I am applying much of what I have learned in the Edtech program into my classroom. I am gaming my class both in theory and theme. This also represents my addiction to video games!

Project #5 Worked Example Screencast

I created a worked example screencast to introduce my students to Front Row a math website which the district has subscribed to this year. Students will need to log in for the first time and begin a diagnostic test. I am teaching a fifth/sixth grade combo this year, so I have tailored the video to address the standards for both grade levels. Having a tutorial for logging in to the program will give the students a step by step lesson which they can refer to if they need help.

Digital Storytelling

My digital story was created to accompany a math performance task. The task comes from the sixth grade math curriculum, California Math, covering the number system.  The personalization principle suggests using a conversational style of narration to help engage learners priming them for learning. 

The math performance task expects learners to find the number of calories needed each day for Luis to have a healthy diet. Next, they are expected to create menus based on a given lists of foods available in the cafeteria which will fit Luis' calorie goal. Once the menus are created, they must choose those which fit in Luis' budget. Finally, learners calculate the total calories consumed by the entire basketball team at the team dinner.  

The task itself, was interesting, but not personalized to engage learners. To increase interest, I created an introductory video written with a conversational style to introduce Luis to the learners. I'm hoping by offering a story about his life, the learners will be further engaged and primed for learning with the math problems to follow.

Creating the digital story was a challenging assignment. Deciding on a topic was the first obstacle I had to overcome. However, once I made my choice, writing the story was one of the easier steps. The biggest challenge was finding pictures to illustrate the story while complying with copyright guidelines. I used pixabay.com to find photos shared freely. I intentionally tried to chose pictures which would guide the story, but allow students to use their background and imagination to fill in the gaps. In the future, I would plan ahead, using personal photos or taking photos to illustrate my story.

Coherence Analysis

Podcasts- I can hear you now

Before this week, I had heard about podcasts, read about podcasts, and even my kids had talked about podcasts.  However, I had never taken the time to listen to one myself.  Boy, was I missing out! There is a whole new world out there, just waiting to be heard. Listening to my first podcast was a new experience.  I had chosen an hour long podcast, because of the subject matter- Edtech.  I didn't know there are many different lengths of podcasts and found myself breaking it up in sections throughout my day.  As I read about podcasts others had chosen to review, I learned there are short podcasts which held my attention better and will often better suit my needs.  I will save the longer episodes for long trips or scan through to get to the parts I am most interested in hearing.

Listening to my first podcast and creating my first podcast were two different things! Even after editing over and over, I'm still not happy with this version, but I know what I would like to improve. I talk too fast at times, I would like to add better flow to my content, and I want to add music.  As critical as I became, I knew I needed to add the music last, because choosing a sound that would represent my podcasts, would be a time consuming search for the perfect music.

In this assignment, I created a the audio for a podcast about how I "rolled out" our computer cart and what has been successful for our school.  When sharing the computer cart became much more than just the computers the techy teachers use and became a requirement for getting our students future ready, I had to create a way to share the cart of Chromebooks easily and effectively.  I also had to make sure their were rules and accountability. I have shared my experience in my podcast hoping maybe I might save someone a bit of time.

Podcast Link
Script Link

Other topics in the series:

• Classroom Chromebook Rules
• Student/Classroom Accounts and Passwords
• Tips for Troubleshooting
• Mini Lessons- Computer skills with primary grades

Haiku Deck Presentation

As I created my first Haiku Deck, my head filled with so many ideas on ways I could use this in my classroom. Haiku Deck allowed me to easily choose pictures to represent ideas I would be presenting aloud.  However, as I chose the pictures, I was aware of the multimedia principle and couldn't help but feel like my graphics never went beyond a representational picture, but I tried to stay away from decoration alone.  I chose my pictures with purpose in mind.
Haiku Deck allowed me to keep the presentation simple, but type notes I would use to narrate the slide show. Keeping the visuals simple would allow learners to focus on both the visual learning while my narration would provide auditory learning following the modality principle.  The modality principle explains that when instruction is given simultaneously with text and graphics, learners process both visually and can become overloaded.  By creating lessons which support learners with both visually with graphics and auditory with spoken words, learners are not overloaded.
I continued this week to create material to introduce gaming into my classroom.  I chose "How to Choose a Great Gamer Tag" as my topic to help guide my students to create gamer tags which were not only appropriate, but also unique to each student.
Haiku Deck- How to Choose a Great Gamer Tag

Project #1: Static Multimedia Instruction

Instructional Objective
After viewing "Welcome to 3D GAME LAB!" students will be able to successfully log in and have a better understanding of the format of 3D Game Lab.

Tutorial
Welcome to 3D GAMELAB! was created with Clarify-It found at http://www.clarify-it.com/.

Design Notes
My fifth and sixth grade students this year will be playing their way through each trimester using 3D Game Lab.  This will be the first year for both my students and myself using 3D Game Lab in the classroom. Since most of the assignments will be given through this program it is important that students can log in easily.  I have created a tutorial to walk them through the log in process.
To create the tutorial, my steps had to communicate the directions as they would be completed independently online.  I began by going through the process of logging in myself, taking screen shots as I went along. I knew I would have to provide specific information to the students to help them log in easily.
Since the log in process was not very difficult and many students would finish quickly, I decided to also include notes to help students become familiar (and excited) with the program.  Each of the tabs on the home page represent different areas of the program. Showing them a little sample of each area would help students understand what Game Lab is all about.
Using Clarify-It made it easy to quickly take a screenshot of each of the examples and create annotations to provide explanation.

Multimedia and Contiguity Principles
The Multimedia Principle   Learners benefit from having both text, spoken or written, and graphics included in instruction. Choosing appropriate graphics for instruction is important for the learner. Graphics added to instruction should not just be decoration on the page.  Graphics can be used to represent and explain instruction supporting what is learned by listening or reading.  I chose graphics directly from the program I was using to include in my tutorial.
The Contiguity Principle explains the importance of placement of text and graphics in online instruction.  When graphics and text are place on a page, it is important the learner can access the graphic with the written or spoken word.  When explaining each graphic, I kept words close to the graphic and the area I was explaining.  After I finished creating my instruction, I made sure I was able to access graphics and text for each step without scrolling down the page.  When placing my graphics, I was aware they needed to be near the text they were meant to support.

Learning Theory Mash-Up

My learning theory mash-up uses three theories of learning combined to create my own learning theory.  This theory applies to both my teaching style/philosophy and creating educational experiences for my students through gaming in the classroom.

From Anchored Instruction, I like the ability to unite a group of learners with a shared experience. As proven in our online experience aboard the Prometheus, learners from different backgrounds and experiences can come together quickly after a shared experience.

The Elaboration Theory expresses a key factor in building successful games, moving from simple to complex.  Allowing the learner to understand the big idea (get to the end of the maze), then focus on one detail (jump over lava) and then move back out to the big picture (jump over lava to get to the end of the maze), and so on increasing difficulty with each step sets the learner up for success.

As learners play through games, drawing on previous knowledge and past experience, as in Discovery Learning, they are able to create new meaning and discover new relationships. This theory supports both simulation-based learning and problem-based learning.

Mission: Ticking Timebomb

Our latest mission was set in motion as we received a video transmission from Severus Spyker asking for our help in saving the crew from the Isis Tempus. Their top secret experiment with a new power source had gone completely wrong. Although, most of the crew had been evacuated, their reactors had become unstable and were going to explode. We were asked to find the reactor codes and disable the system before it explodes.
As I tried to board the Prometheus to begin my assignment, I knew I was in trouble.  Technical difficulties from my computer created problems for me connecting with the crew.  I was able to finally board as Commander Haskell was just ending the briefing on our mission.  Things continued to get worse as my computer sporadically dropped my connection.  I made it onto the flight deck and Pilot Commander JPosey allowed me to board with her crew on our flight to Isis.  Upon boarding, my computer glitched again and I was unable to safely secure my seat for the flight.  Seconds later I was dropping through the atmosphere finally landing in the water with a splash.  After further exploration, I discovered a nearby island that may have served as a burial ground for the Isis Crew if I did not hurry to rejoin my team and their urgent mission.  I sent a distress call out to the other members of the science team via the science back channel, hoping someone would receive my signal.  Thankfully within minutes two crew members had offered to teleport me to their location on Isis.
Once on board, I rejoined my team and began scanning the area for clues to shutting down the reactors.  Receiving the following rating "[17:31] Anomaly: TerraMetric Analyzer:  Radiation Level ELEVATED" I knew we were in trouble. I began to feel nausea and my head was pounding. It was at that moment... I blacked out completely. Luckily, before the blackout I was able to mark my location and I returned to Isis without difficulty. When I came around, everyone was scrambling to evacuate and return home. Thankfully, my flight home was less eventful and I rejoined the crew on the Prometheus and after Spyker was safe in sick bay we debriefed our mission.

What a night for computer problems. I was really frustrated coming in late to the briefing and I only caught the end of the discussion explaining how to move between floors on the Isis.  I was happy to have the science back channel for support (thanks guys!).  When I fell out of the aircraft I thought about sending an IM to Dr. Haskell, but tried to problem solve first.  It was great to have the science crew for support, and I quickly received coordinates to head back to the ship.  Of course once I was there, I continued having connection issues and just as I received instruction to begin showing symptoms of sickness, I had to restart my computer.  I rejoined Second Life just as the evacuation was taking place.  The debriefing back on the ship was great for me.  It filled in all the missing gaps in the timeline of my evening.  I had a much different experience than everyone else, but I can say I still enjoyed it and learned a lot.

Edtech 505 Data Sources

I enjoyed trying TotSplash. TotSplash combines the ease of a flow chart with the presentation effects of a Prezi.

Sploder Games

Sploder is a cool web-based gaming platform that has five types of games.  As I learn more about each type of game, I will continue adding updating this page.

Platformer Creator
I like the level of creativity that this game provides.  So many options, I'm not sure if I would be able to narrow down my choices quickly.  I like the exploration aspect of the game while having a cartoon-like feel.  The ability to create a story in this type of game is intriguing, however without a good plan, the story line may become random.
Pros: lots of choices to build creativity
Cons: lots of decisions to make while creating

Physics Puzzle Maker
After playing two examples of physics puzzles, I found there were things I really enjoyed about this type of game and others that were frustrating.  The game I enjoyed most used physics similar to Angry Birds to shoot a box to get a coin.  I enjoyed this game because I could adjust my game play by evaluating my previous failures making changes to become successful.  The second game was more difficult for me to analyze why I was successful, therefore harder for me to correct my mistakes to succeed.  This may be great for students to create a trial and error analysis to see what works best.

Mission Creator
Entering the game, I expected that I wouldn't like playing this type of game.  I was wrong!  The mission was great.  Thinking about this game it included a lot of elements of the other games.
There was a mission and shooting, but the part that held my attention was the puzzle solving.
Pros: Puzzles, Shooting, Simple Storyline
Cons: Lack of explanation of controls

Classic Shooter
I played two types of shooter games, one as a ship and the other as a robot.  I enjoyed playing the ship game over the robot game.  After completing the first level, I was left wishing a second level had been created.  The game required fast paced shooting while maneuvering to protect yourself from enemy fire.  As the robot, I found frustration in the amount of time it took to destroy an enemy.  The lack of any fast paced action quickly lost my attention.
Pros: Fast paced
Cons: Too long for robot enemies to die

Retro Arcade
I'm not sure if I liked this game so much because of the game itself or the fact that I was familiar with how the game was played.  A familiarity in how the game works made a difference for me and how many times I wanted to replay the game- again, wishing for more levels.  I think that was a surprise for me since often in life you become bored with the same old thing, but in this case, it's more of a comfy blanket. I found the instructions very valuable.
Pros: Collecting coins, alternative path choice, variable terrain, simple controls
Cons: Needs more levels

So...What do I like in a game?  
The controls need to be clearly labeled or introduced.  I don't want to spend valuable gaming time, just to figure out which keys control my character.  I think I wanted to believe that problem solving here would keep me interested enough to figure it out, but no- it's just frustrating.  I found the tutorial walk through in the retro arcade game to be my preference, but a little legend at the bottom of the screen works too.
Specific Goal-the game itself can be simple or complex, but the goal of the game needs to be clear.
Personally, I like the challenge of a good puzzle.  Also, give me the opportunity to gain experience as I play the game that supports my efforts in the game.  I like the cartoon look of games, but I don't mind realistic games if they have a purpose.

Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world

Can play and learning be combined?
Absolutely!  I think this is possible in two different aspects.  First, learning to work/play with others.  The collaborative effort required to be successful in today's online games expects that you can and will get along and work cooperatively with others.  This expectation in gaming is far more likely to be met with social confidence that players may not possess in the real world. The judgement made in the real world upon first sight or by interactions are less a problem online which makes online collaboration much more appealing than in person.  Second, learning online is often expected to happen through trial and error.  The ease of the "do over" in a game makes persistence much easier and failure feel trivial.  In class, sticking with a tough math problem only lasts so long for the average learner.  However, online that same learner may spend hours trying to defeat the enemy or solve the puzzle to get the reward.  I believe it is possible, with a lot of preparation and outside the box thinking, to gain similar results in the classroom.  That's the game I hope to win!

Temple of Portunus

My visit to the Temple of Portunus gave me an up close view of history.  To understand what this world had to offer, I had to brush up on my history.  This brief video from Kahn Acadamy, shed some light on my visit.  Most interesting to me was the history of the Domas Romana.  The notecard I was given taught me of the purposes of the building including how the design provided built in security.

This was an amazing adventure.  I could only imagine how amazing it would be to teach about a subject, then have my students interact with artifacts in Second Life.  The places really come to life.

Just as suggested in Gamifying Education I was intrigued by what I was briefly exposed to so much that I had to learn more after my quest.  Excellent way to get the information out to students without hitting them over the head with it.

The Falbo Gallery, beautiful paintings hung in this
gallery which was overlooking the water.

Link to Marisa Falbo Art

The Domas Romana a building for people of wealth.
With glass windows unavailable, houses were linked
with passages and beautiful gardens.

Social Area

A beautiful serene area

A beautiful view

Inside the Store- where clothing is art

The Grand Masters of the '900
Let yourself embrace the Art.
The art that makes life beautiful
even if you do not have a good life.

Gamers Get Girls

Gotta Love Statistics...

by bobbybernethy.

Role Playing Quest

Tonight I had an opportunity to complete another group quest in Second Life.  Joined by Cyric51, Oswin1106 and Park1616 we explored several role playing environments.  At each stop we encountered a new environment with new people and new rules.   I had a great time as you can see by a few of my snapshots.  Unfortunately, I had a little trouble developing a few of the pictures (PonyTown), but you'll get a good idea of the wonderful journey and the new things I encountered.

Each destination brought a new set of rules.

Cyric and Oswin pose for a quick pic in front of a castle in Avalon.

Hales' Moon was mountainous and hard to travel.
Finding a hovercraft was a blessing!

Ninja Turtles and shopping?  Plus video games everywhere! Fun!

After a tour of the rules, I settled on a beautiful blue gown and had a grand time at Caladon.

The Voices

Tonight I spent some time in Second Life, in the space of Virtual Hallucinations.  As I entered, I was given a badge and unlike someone living with Schizophrenia, I was in control of the voices.  Hesitantly I turned them on and immediately had to remind myself that thankfully, this is not my reality.  As I toured the building, objects were not always as they seem and many changed before my eyes.  I could easily tell between this world and reality, but many are not so fortunate.  Leaving the building, I was relieved that I could turn off the voices and end the whispering and suggestions that had accompanied me through my journey.

I appreciate the creation of a place that can mimic situations I would never have imagined and have never experienced first hand.  This journey allowed me to walk in someone else's shoes for the moment.  To hear what they hear, to see what they see.  The ability to experience (see, hear, touch) life through an other's viewpoint is a powerful tool.  In education, teachers hear stories and learn about experiences of many of their students, but a simulation like this could make it much more real.  For students, could you imagine teaching segregation by offering your students an opportunity to live through segregation.  Or could students learn to understand their peers by walking in their shoes, literally, in a simulation.  The possibilities are endless.  What a valuable tool!

Video Games and Learning

Gamifying Education-

Daniel Floyd does a great job explaining how educational games and entertainment games have become two separate industries.  When educational games try to become entertaining they just don't quite create that video game feel.  Floyd suggests, to make entertainment also educational games must facilitate learning, not whack you over the head with it.  By introducing tangential topics, educational material is referenced, offering just enough to pique the interest of the player.  Space is often available in video games, like loading screens, that don't require a large financial investment to offer educational information referencing in game content.

The phrase that really stuck with me was educating through video games by "enhancing the player experience without getting in the way of the fun".  This is kind of like sneaking veggies into comfort food.  When you are enjoying yourself, you don't even notice things that would normally be bothersome.  As long as players don't feel like their game has been interrupted for the sake of education, learning can be fun!

Learning in a Virtual World

Today I had an opportunity for a great expedition...cave exploring.  Well, not just any old cave, the CAVE at Edtech Island in the virtual world of Second Life.  CAVE stands for Community of Academic Virtual Educators and shows off resources from the following partners:  AECT_SL, iNACOL, ARVEL SIG, the ICT Library and the Boise State University's Department of EdTech.
Let me show you just a little of what I saw as I explored.
Learning by seeing a model is very helpful to help students understand a concept.  BUT- being able to touch and interact with a model takes learning to another level.

 One of the courses offered students voting chairs which helped students interact in their virtual class.  Another study evaluated how a choice of avatar would influence a teachers perception of the students.

 Exploring through the caves took a little practice.  On my first visit to the cave I only found one building and after a thorough exploration, decided to leave and return when I had more time.  I did return with more time to play and I had learned how to fly.  Crossing a body of water is no problem with the ability to fly.

 After finding a door to another area, I learned how to use the transports and exploring became much more fun!

 This is an example of a virtual reality created for learning.  Could you imagine taking a field trip without leaving your classroom.  How about being able to interact with objects you would normally only see?

 Like this trip INSIDE an aquarium which even provides diving gear.  (At this point I did not try it on.  For now, I have had enough of changing uniforms and would hate to show up to class dressed in scuba gear.)

 The best part....discovering that the body of water that I had flown over...was full of marine life to explore.

This was an amazing experience.  I have already started thinking about how this could work in my own class. So happy to have this hands on learning experience.