LEARN TO GAME, GAME TO LEARN

I did not know it would be so easy and entertaining finding the game apps for my iPad. Here are my three choices: YHomework, Forge of Neon, and my favorite SyncSpace. YHomework is an app for working out Algebra equations. But it does not just work them out it solves them right before your eyes and adds an extra explanation if you need it. It will solve easy or hard equations! Next is the Forge of Neon that is an Art spiral drawing and animating app. It will change color, design, motion, and speed of the animation. You just draw with your finger and it takes off. But my really favorite is SyncSpace. This is a collaborative, brainstorming app that you can draw what you are working on and share with others over the wifi connection. You can share by email and two or more work on a drawing at the same time - like Google Docs. You can change drawing pens, color, and add an image to change if you want to, it is amazing.

The cost for each of the three apps was nothing, zip, na da! I really love the app store. For such a low price my 7th grade Pre-Algebra students can practice solving equations. With this app they can work on easy and then move to hard at their own pace. The animation during the process is entertaining so they would do several of them. This particular concept is really hard for this group of kids. They just will not go to the trouble of writing out each step of the
process, they just are too lazy. I feel that with this game they can see how important the steps are and after doing several of them the habit of writing the steps might stick with them.

I believe using the animated drawing game, Forge of Neon will instill some creativity in the students as they draw and see the lines repeat. The game does show line, repetition, symmetry, color value, space; many of the elements of art and principles of design. Watching the drawings is additive and being able to control the speed just adds to the addition.

Finally, the SyncSpace app is just a great collaborative game for the classroom. Students love to share in a social setting and being able to draw what they are talking about is icing on the cake. This app gives a face to being technology savvy while working in the classroom. The only problem with this app is getting the students to remember they are working and learning content not just having fun.

Impressions on Exploring Second Life

Exploring the island was not as hard this time, and I am not sure why. I still am not good at finding designated areas such as beaches or buildings, but I guess I am getting experienced with the overall movement in Second Life. I have a handle now on the controls but searching for the sandbox area was not fun. I think my box is situated in the right spot, it was the closet area that looked like sand. Actually building the box was more fun than wondering around in Second Life for me. I enjoyed making the box and changing the attributes of the box. I would like to make more objects in different shapes and colors. The help of the three vectors to stretch and enlarge or reduce the box was interesting.

For some reason I felt very lonely on the island and in Second Life in general. As I moved around and saw other people, I did not want to talk to them. I think it is the introvert in me. Stepping out of my comfort zone is hard, even in a fantasy world. I think for school aged children it would much more enjoyable with a partner or even a small group. But, I would not ever invite my students to enter Second Life, it is just not age appropriate.

I would like to have the time to explore Second Life more by making objects and making my avatar move around like dancing or waving her arms instead of just walking.

TechForum and Tech & Learning Website and Magazine

The question for this blog is supposed to be "How is social media being implemented in different school districts? Even after viewing the video over and over I could not see how to answer this question. The video content was on how much the workshop attendees enjoyed the collaboration with other attendees in working on technology applications, not social media. And how the vendors from TechForum enjoyed getting to know and help different professionals from different school districts.

Note:  I have subscribed to the Tech & Learning magazine from TechForum in years past and enjoyed every page. This magazine is packed with great technology tips and tools. Also there are several wonderful up-to-date articles in each issue that are a big help in understanding technology and its applications of today.

So, back to the video, first there was a great sense of pride of ownership in each speakers voice as they explained the "technology community" created by the small one day workshops put on by TechForum. The networking of professionals was valued highly by the attendees of the workshops. I could see that each person that attended the workshops felt like they were building up relationships with other attendees as they tried to solve technology problems together. Second, as a large group each attendee was clearly trying to make education better at their schools by participating in these workshops. Thirdly, the TechForum presenters felt they were learning from the district attendees just as much as the other way around. These presenters gained insight into what difficulties the attendees were having with technology so they could go back and revamp their thinking or find a better solution to the needs of participants. Finally, the overall feeling from the video was excitement. Pure joy in professionals working with professionals to get the technology skills out there to the children in the classroom.

Here is the link to the video:  http://livestre.am/1hYf

Reflections of Assistive Technologies

List and explain the disabilities demonstrated in the videos and tell how the technologies supported the students.

Suzanna Martini has cerebral palsy and without her motorized chair, computer, speech recognition and voice activated software, laptop, height adjusting desk, or headphones she would not be the same productive part of society as she is today. Each of these devices lend a helping hand to help her with everyday tasks. The same is true for Vishal Saraiya and Carlos who also have cerebral palsy in their attempts to navigate this world from their small chair adapted environments. Each of these children have different varying forms of this debilitating disease. The first task for any assistive technology device adaptation is to determine how to best improve their lives by matching up abilities with capabilities. What specific capabilities does a special child have that will match up with the accommodating technology? Using just the movement of an eyebrow to function in daily life is close to a miracle for some children. The use of touch pads to speak to classmates opens up a world of communication to a young mind. Even the joy of playing an instrument as exhibited by Lukas Bratcher with a limb disease can be enhanced to improve his life and future.

The second video shows Josh, a child of an estimated 1 in 88 autism related disorders in the United States (http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html) alone. Josh exhibited isolated and nonverbal behaviors coupled with toe-walking and hand-flapping, therefore, when frustrated he would pitch tantrums. He is mentally and emotionally handicapped not physically handicapped. But his detailed observant kindergarten teacher saw that he liked cause and effect toys. She made use of the able net super talker that made it possible for Josh to eliminate the social interaction barriers and communicate with a voice backup system. Then she combined the able net book worm device with Josh's desires to read and interact with books. Josh defied the norm and developed eye contact and confidence to communicate with teacher and classmates. Adaptability is the key in any assistive device instance. Now he can read without the help of the able net reader device.

In my experiences in the classroom I too was able to see the great accomplishments that assistive technologies can provide children. My two students were Daryl and Susie. Daryl was afflicted with cerebral palsy and was in an wheelchair adapted to his needs and body shape. He could only make sounds and facial expressions. He had a touch pad device to help him communicate. He had some limited control movement in his right hand. My class was an art class so we were able to include him in all the activities, even when his aide did most of the artwork, you could see joy in his face. Susie on the other hand was severely learning disabled and functioned only with a point and click computer we had put into the classroom for her. At this time of my teaching career, these two students were isolated in the special education room and only came out for art and physical education. The support gained with the use of assistive technologies is unlimited in the advances that a child can receive with the monitoring of caring education professionals.

Science Fiction?? Really??

A thought provoking video by Michio Kaku explaining how, just like in the movies, we will soon be able to shift change in reality by a process he calls Reprogrammable Matter being developed now by the Intel Corporation. By using tiny positive and negatively charged chips in place of atoms, we will be able to change the color, shape, and conductivity of these tiny chips and rearrange them into whatever we choose at the pressing of a button.

Big Thinker Video "Genomics"

This video gives a view by Michio Kaku of how we could possibly eradicate the aging process by mapping all of our young and old genes (specifically the oxidation of mitochondria) in our bodies. Then with the use of computer science in ten years repair those genes that cause us to become old. Botox look out!

My Experiences in Second Life

Children are so much better at game play than adults, but Second Life is not for children. The uncontrollable environment is certainly a place to get lost or see things that children should not see. But, we all know some children are certainly advanced at their age and will find a way to create an avatar and join in the play in Second Life without supervision. I would not want to be responsible for introducing Second Life to my middle school children.

For some reason the movement in Second Life has been a severe handicap for me. I have practiced with the controls and continue to press the opposite buttons than what I want to happen. The movement of the avatar seems to be backwards to the controls. I also can see why there is a need for up-to-date hardware and broadband width for the software to not drag, I have had several failed teleport occurrences. My computer setup is as good as it gets, it is a 2013 all-in-one high end desktop. As I began to become comfortable with the controls and the camera I would get where I wanted to be, but I could not get my avatar to arrive at that location, I am certainly doing something wrong. Finally I realized that at places there are videos to help move around in Second Life. I viewed one of them and it helped a lot. I have searched to get more help in videos at YouTube.com.

Just for my information, I wanted to check out Teen Second Life. I wanted to see if I could move around in the virtual world better as a beginner but they have closed Teen Second Life back in 2010. I really felt that the virtual environment of Second Life was not for the K – 12 classroom child and apparently so did Linden Labs.

I did some flying around the island but that was difficult since my movements are erratic at best. So I used the camera to view the entire island and tried to teleport to places and it failed to complete, I don’t know why. I made it to the amphitheater and the “Poultry Pride” section but again teleport my avatar there did not happen. I ended up in the Egg Processing Facility first and did not know that was where I was so I am going back and check out each of the microscopes to view the specimens. I could not find the hammock? I did choose the lighting in the World section and it was fun the see the daylight change. I really need to browse this virtual world much, much more, and I want to but again it is difficult and time consuming.