{"id":4083,"date":"2014-07-19T18:40:10","date_gmt":"2014-07-20T00:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/minkhollow.ca\/beckerblog\/?p=4083"},"modified":"2014-09-12T11:57:04","modified_gmt":"2014-09-12T17:57:04","slug":"weekly-web-round-up-to-july-19-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/minkhollow.ca\/beckerblog\/2014\/07\/19\/weekly-web-round-up-to-july-19-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Web Round-Up (to July 19, 2014)"},"content":{"rendered":"Approximate Reading Time: <\/span> 5<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

We have a lot this week:<\/p>\n

Gee on Games in School: Don\u2019t Make Prison Better, Use Them to Free Students and Teachers | Games and Learning<\/a><\/p>\n

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“Most people involved with games and learning are familiar with the work of James Paul Gee. A researcher in the field of theoretical linguistics, he argues for the consideration of multiple kinds of literacy. The notion of \u201cNew Literacies\u201d expands the conception of literacy beyond books and reading to include visual symbols and other types of representation made possible through, among other things, current digital technologies.<\/p>\n

At this point in the evolution of education, it\u2019s critical that we expand our conception of literacy to include more than just words. In fact, we may need to reimagine how we nurture early literacy to make sure we provide a foundation not only for reading, but also for \u201cNew Literacies.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the following conversation with Gee, we discuss literacy, systems thinking, education, socio-economic inequality, and, of course, video games.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While I do agree with the idea that we should include more in our conception of “literacy” than words, I really don’t think it’s helpful to connect schools with the word ‘prison’.<\/p>\n

tags:Games,<\/a> School,<\/a> Learning,<\/a> Gee<\/a><\/p>\n

2010-2011 Ed-Tech Startups: Where Are They Now (Updated)<\/a><\/p>\n

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“So Long and Thanks for All the Fish<\/p>\n

I just got off the phone with Mike Lee, the founder of Edshelf, a startup that recently announced it was closing its doors at the end of the month.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s been a grassroots hashtag campaign on the part of some educators to #saveedshelf, and while I understand the good intentions \u2014 Mike is a great guy, and it sucks that his startup isn\u2019t successful \u2014 I\u2019m not sure I understand why this particular startup should be saved. I\u2019m not sure why we\u2019d believe that an expression of support via social media would trump revenue. Retweets don\u2019t pay the bills, yo. Indeed, I think the whole thing comes close to reinscribing a dangerous narrative being promoted by investors and ed-tech industry cheerleaders that scale scale scale matters and then magically the money will follow. “<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Any time entrepreneurs catch wind of some field they may be able to mine for profits, you get startups popping up all over the place. Many do not survive, even though they may have one or two really good ideas. Another bunch die because they didn’t actually know anything about the field in the first place. Sadly, there are also some in the latter group who survive, so wading through what’s left after a fall is no guarantee of quality.<\/p>\n

tags:Startups<\/a> updated<\/a> Games<\/a><\/p>\n

No More 1UPs: Why Video Game Studios Keep Dying<\/a><\/p>\n

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“Why does such a vibrant and promising industry keep losing its most veteran and celebrated developers?<\/p>\n

By: Liam Boluk<\/p>\n

In many ways, the video gaming industry has never looked more promising: smartphones and tablets have massively expanded the addressable market; wearables (including virtual and augmented reality devices) are enabling new interaction models and experiences; and user generated content allows studios to add depth and re-playability at little-to-no cost. In 2013, the industry generated more than $65 billion in revenue \u2013 representing a nearly 30% increase in only 5 years and totaling 82% more than the global box office and 3.2 times the size of the recorded music industry. Despite this, brand-name studios \u2013 including some of the most celebrated and commercially successful ones – continue to hemorrhage or shut down entirely.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I think a lot of them die because they aren’t dong anything new.<\/p>\n

tags:Media<\/a> Games<\/a> GameDesign<\/a><\/p>\n

How to Create Illustrated Characters in PowerPoint<\/a><\/p>\n

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“PowerPoint is a versatile application. You can use it for all sorts of things from presentations to online training programs. In previous posts I\u2019ve shown you how to customize clip art and create your own graphics.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s tip comes courtesy of blog reader, Daniel Albarr\u00e1n. He sent me an email stating that once he understood the versatility of PowerPoint it opened his eyes to all sorts of possibilities\u2014one of them being the ability to create illustrated characters.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A handy video how-to for anyone who wants to use Powerpoint to make a cartooned image of a photo.<\/p>\n

tags:illustrated<\/a> characters<\/a> powerpoint<\/a><\/p>\n

These are the 35 most influential video games of all time | Stuff<\/a><\/p>\n

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“But, with all appropriate respect to the coders and designers who slaved long hours to bring us all this entertainment, not all of these games are wildly original masterpieces. Just as in the worlds of film or books, there are an awful lot of \u2018me too\u2019 properties that try to expand on, improve on, or just plain rip off great games of the past.<\/p>\n

It would be folly bordering on madness to try to pick out those rare games in history that actually did something new. The games that made the gaming industry what it is today. Guess what we\u2019re going to do\u2026”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Not sure I agree with all of these, but there you have it.<\/p>\n

tags:video games<\/a> list<\/a><\/p>\n

On the Edge of Chaos: Where Creativity Flourishes | MindShift<\/a><\/p>\n

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“If it\u2019s true, in Sir Ken Robinson\u2019s words, that \u201cCreativity is not an option, it\u2019s an absolute necessity,\u201d then it\u2019s that much more imperative to find ways to bring creativity to learning.<\/p>\n

But first, we have to understand what conditions foster true creativity. One definition that scientists have agreed upon for creativity is the ability to create something that\u2019s both novel as compared to what came before, and has value. \u201cIt\u2019s this intersection of novelty and value, a combination of those two features that\u2019s particularly important,\u201d Dr. Robert Bilder, a psychiatry and psychology professor at UCLA\u2019s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. In any system, there are forces pushing towards organization and others introducing unpredictability. A truly creative idea straddles both of those states.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe truly creative changes and the big shifts occur right at the edge of chaos,\u201d Bilder said.<\/p>\n

For educators who have embraced the notion of the tightly controlled classroom, it\u2019s a worst-case scenario. But Bilder has a reason for this theory. He tested it by asking children what aspects of a learning environment make them feel most creative. \u201cOne of the things they found most valuable in their arts classes was the freedom not to have to seek right and wrong answers,\u201d Bilder said. \u201cIt was that freedom to explore that led them to be increasingly engaged and allowed them to forge connections that allowed them to be more creative.\u201d”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

tags:creativity<\/a> chaos<\/a> MindShift<\/a> learning<\/a><\/p>\n

Why Competition Can Be Healthy For Kids | MindShift<\/a><\/p>\n

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“Competition. The word conjures images of people pushing and shoving, trash talking, the exulted winner standing above a field of downtrodden losers. Not exactly what most parents consider healthy or constructive for their kids\u2019 development.<\/p>\n

Po Bronson presented a very different picture of competition when he spoke with Michael Krasny on KQED\u2019s Forum about Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing, his latest book written with co-author Ashley Merryman.<\/p>\n

The book examines competition from all angles \u2013 physiological, psychological, historical. Their main point: competition, if done right, is a good thing. In fact, competition and team activities can drive learning and performance better than solo endeavors.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

tags:competition<\/a> kids<\/a> Education<\/a><\/p>\n

Are Multiplayer Games the Future of Education? – Melanie Plenda – The Atlantic<\/a><\/p>\n

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“This intricate Maltese Falcon\u00ad-like story will unfold each day, over the course of semester, as a multiplayer game at Renssalear Polytechnic Institute in New York. It is being designed as a language-learning exercise by Lee Sheldon, an associate professor in the college’s Games and Simulations Arts and Sciences Program. “Using games and storytelling to teach\u00ad\u2014it’s not that radical of a concept,” says Sheldon. “It makes them more interested in what’s going on.”<\/p>\n

Sheldon is a pioneer in gamification, a new movement that essentially takes all the things that make video games engaging and applies them to classroom learning. Sheldon started developing the theory eight years ago. Since then, gamification now comes in all shapes and sizes and is used across educational levels, for kindergarteners through adult learners. Its practitioners range from individual teachers experimenting with game-like elements in their classrooms to entire schools that have integrated the games into their curricula. “<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

tags:games<\/a> education<\/a> multiplayer<\/a> sheldon<\/a> gamification<\/a><\/p>\n

Posted from Diigo<\/a>. The rest of my favorite links are here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n