Minecraft - The Documentary

My son is 9-years old, and he IS a gamer.  Not everyone in the younger generation loves to just sit around and play video games all day--but he does.  As an instructional technology specialist and educator, I battle the stigma that all young people are tech savvy, and just want to play video games.  Young people are individually different.

Bottom line is this...give me something challenging, and I'll do it all day.

For some video games are challenging and entertaining.  At age 7, he received the Wii game Kirby. The goal of this video game was similar to that of many other video games we purchase today.  You work your way through the levels, until you defeat all levels and ultimately, defeat the world.  It only took my son two days to do this.  TWO DAYS!  A $50 game, and he was done in two days.  Mind you, it was a weekend of playing for couple of two-hour stints.  That was probably my fault for not pacing him.  It was his birthday, what can I say?!

Now his passion is Minecraft.  At first I thought Minecraft was 'just another game', but now I'm seeing it's more.  Just as in any game, it has a full community.  Adults are podcasting techniques, college students are posting videos of their play, and yes--9-year olds are creating their own servers with this very simple, block-style game.  The premise is easy, as you enter a world, collect (or mine) for materials to create your own house, weapons, and food while creepers, zombies, and spiders try to kill you.   Oh, and the lava, high ledges, and lack of food could kill you as well.  Just survive.  Play with others online and they could kill you, or work with them as a team to provide for the collective.  

In the Minecraft documentary, Minecraft: The Story of Mojang, software developers of this game compare it to Lego when they first came out.  Lego use to be a box of blocks, and you were to use your imagination to create.  Even now Lego is a box with specific pieces and detailed instructions to create a specific object, be it jet, helicopter, or the White House!  Where is the challenge in that?

Minecraft is a world created from blocks. There are twelve different biomes for your player to play in: forest, desert, plains, swampland, jungle, ice plains, taiga, extreme hills, ocean, mushroom island, Hell, and sky.   I haven't created my own Mojang (user), but it is the goal of my 9-year old to teach me how to play this summer.   I am tech savvy, but I'm worried my adult-trained mind will not be creative enough to share the fun.  I'll let you know.

Don't Forget They are Still Kids

Children are constantly looking for affirmation.  I always forget.  I always forget it matters.  Sure I look to see if anyone commented on my posted photo or status on Facebook, but it doesn't really matter to me.  My life will go on, and I will feel just fine about myself.  For children, they don't have 'adult' matters occupying their minds.  They simply want to know--did you see my photo?  did you like it?

Common Sense Media reminds me with this article, My Kid Wants to be 'Liked on Facebook, how important it is to have these conversations with our children.  How to find affirmation from the concrete events in our lives that make us feel important.  We, as parents, should also remember to notice their accomplishments--no matter how small, and model for them a no obsessive attitude with our social networking connections.

What parents need to know (and model)...

My son's 9th birthday party was this past Tuesday, and my parents were at the house before we arrived home from school (because that's what grandparents do--it should also be noted that they were at the hospital 9 years ago BEFORE we were).  Well immediately upon arriving, my son goes to get on his Minecraft game, which I've permitted on days we don't have any other after school activities like piano, soccer, Tang Soo Do.

"No son, you need to use your eyes and go be with mama and papa.  They are here for you," I said calmly; even though I was burning anger inside that he didn't instinctively know better.

An hour into our birthday celebration, I started hearing the 'ding'  'ding' of a phone chiming from a received text.  I look at my phone, because my brother had yet to arrive. He was stuck in traffic.  It was not my phone.  My husband looks at his phone, because he left work a little early to join us. It was not his phone.  So then I look at my 12-year old's phone...

"Sweetie, we are visiting with family.  It is proper etiquette to either tell your friend you cannot talk now, or at least turn your phone to vibrate.  Your little cousins would like your attention."

Again,  I was a little peeved that this knowledge of etiquette was not instinct.  After all, we have taught our children to use their eyes to say thank you for a visit at a friend's house, or when someone gives them a gift.  Do I do this?  Do I stay engrossed in my device at home?  I feel I purposefully shut down at the end of the day.  Sometimes I even give myself a moment in the car before going inside to pick them up to finish any immediate needs--that simply can't wait until the next day.  But is there such a thing?  Everything can wait, right? There will be another day to get work done, schedule time to finish that lesson, take a run, or help a colleague.

Inspired by the article from CommonSenseMedia.org:
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents/rules-road-parents-digital-age

Helping Students Choose a Good Username

Choosing a username can be tricky nowadays.

What you ideally would like to use may already be taken. This is very frustrating for students.  My daughter has been begging me to permit her on Instagram.  I'm a rule follower, so I keep telling her to wait until she is 13 yrs-old, the age permitted on the Instagram policy, and recommended by Commonsensemedia.org.

Months and months of, "Everyone else is on Instagram!  You don't trust me!" Well, this is another conversation... Now that I do feel she is ready, we've spent days thinking and talking about the best username.  Something cute, that reflects her personality, but that will be short so peers can find her.  The parental voice coming out, "No, you cannot be 'cupcakelover'!"  The word lover anywhere in username makes one a target for sexual solicitation.  Everyone knows that 12-17 year-olds are targets for sexual solicitation by the age group of 18-25 year-olds (thank you, commonsensemedia.org), because they are curious and vulnerable.

What does make a good username?

One can create a username based upon the online tool.  For example, I use betweenthewires when I assume the role of being a community service provider about technology integration.  At work, I'm kboswell.  As a mom, I'm also kboswell, but kboswell2, because kboswell was already taken, and I'm 2nd in command at the Boswell household.  I found an article that addresses the audience of one searching to brand oneself.  It seems that moving back to just your name, instead of 'handle' is becoming more popular.  We are more mature as digital citizens, (How to pick a good username, @eschmidt0).

Another site called reputation.com (How to Pick the Right Username), also toot the horn of using your real name, but if it's not available--be professional.  Don't pick a name that is vulgar or offensive.  Here's where you, the educator, the adult, can help a student.  They don't know connotation that well.  It's not part of their thinking yet.  We can simply explain how some words 'give a certain connotation or feeling'.  For example, if I say 'poop', you have a negative connotation from this word --yucky, gross might even come to mind.  If I say 'meadow', you might think --calm, peaceful, beautiful.  We have to tell them that 'lover' or 'kimxoxo' give off a sexual connotation that might attract unwanted attention.  Now, if the child is too young for this conversation, maybe they shouldn't be online at all.  Because the reality is this...newspapers and television of 'the day' even follow a certain protocol to keep viewers, to maintain a family reputation.  

The internet doesn't follow protocol.  We have to be mindful watchers and protectors of future.

Internet Manners

Being a digital citizen is to simply conduct yourself appropriately while accessing the internet; conduct yourself as you would in public. Don't: whisper, make negative comments, shout out profanity, walk around naked, slander people, push people, provoke people, or cut people off.

Just as we train students to 'play nice' with each other in the classroom and on the playground, we have to teach them to conduct themselves appropriately on email. Netmanners.com is great site filled with all the E-mail etiquette one could possibly need to train students (and adults) on appropriate E-mail use.

Do you have an Elmo?

ThenElmo document camera now has a slate. The slate is cool in and of itself, functioning as a remote for the document camera, but with the accompanying software, you can write on the screen with interactive board-type pens and highlighters.

The software is so advanced, ELA teachers can split screen and freeze one paper, then display notes or revisions on the other side. All you need to work the ELMO or document camera is a laptop or computer, the slate a screen, and data projector.

The software will also do screen recordings or experiments or revision steps, problem-solving, etc. I'm going to encourage my Science and ELA teachers who already use the document camera to get the slate now. They will not necessarily need an interactive board.

Using Blogs in the Classroom - Still

So if you've been using blogs in the classroom, it is not passé. If fact, it is easier than ever before to keep a website going that is fresh and student-created.

Posterous is free online blogging software where the user can create more than one blog or space on every topic in the classroom. To differentiate, students can post to the blog or space associated with the group in your class, like a book circle based on their reading level or a project based on their interest level.

Vocaroo permit the user to go to a website and record their voice. No need to have an email account -students can send voice capture to a blog. It will show up as a link.

To make this recording into a podcast that will appear in the subscribers iTunes library simple post the link but change the http:// to itps://. When the subscriber clicks on the link from the blog, it will open in their iTunes.

More tips like the above from Tony Vincent @ tonyvme.posterous.com

Jog the Web

I was just combing over my blog (that I haven't posted in for over a year) and found my old entry for Job the Web. I love this site. In previewing the home page, I noticed there are many 'jogs' through 'Professional Learning' land. There's one on differentiation, but it looks more like a PowerPoint to me. Jog the Web is designed for the presenter who have several websites to show his or her audience as a topic is narrowed down.

Let's face it, some days, you have to lecture. This application is a simple jog through your resources. Show the students where you are pulling the information, pull up the book's website, if you have to.

PSAs in Science, Health, and Humanities

I'm working with an awesome teacher at Decatur High School, Jennifer Gonzalez. She is determined to reach every single student in her Psychology class. I love it.

What has inspired me most about this particular project and working with Jennifer is how technology really supports differentiation. The students have a week to create a plan for a Public Service Announcement (15 to 30 seconds of information to change public interest). Collaborating with other students one must agree upon a "parenting topic", determine the target audience, target a goal for the PSA (what is the message), storyboard it, script it, collect images, lay the voice track or film, pull it all together, proof it, provide credits, and export it for viewing.

These students are so engaged and you know what?! If they don't finish the actual product, no big deal, the script, storyboard/idea with psychology theorist facts to support it are enough to earn you a high score on the rubric.

Now we are not saying every group must have a GarageBand podcast, nor must they have a movie. Some are actually choosing to do a PSA flyer in InDesign, which has a higher learning curve. Students are actually making choices based upon the expertise in their group AND every student has something to do. Now the editing day might get a little crazy. We shall see...

21st Century Skills and IB

So I received an email today from The Partnership for 21st Century Skills urging me to post my thoughts on a question from the White House: "What does a 21st century education mean to you?"

It's funny because I've been thinking about this very issue. As an Instructional Technology Specialist with City Schools of Decatur, it was my job to train and support teachers with the latest technology, so students would be exposed to using technology on a daily basis as tools of today. Much like a workshop class, where students would learn to use power tools to build or construct furniture. I did believe a 21st century classroom would have multiple desktops or laptops, and an interactive write board for students to use and build websites, webquests, create documents, etc. Students would use web 2.0 tools to collaborate with peers and possibly students of other countries. My vision was only the trough of water--there still needed to be a systematic approach to the "way we do school". A culture, a belief, and overall incentive for going to water to drink.

I now believe we will find our way to what a 21st century education means through IB, the International Baccalaureate umbrella. IB not only maintains we uphold our standards for content in the areas we teach, but it demands looking at the curriculum through the lens. The lenses are called the Areas of Interaction in the IB Middle Years Program, and they are Health and Social, Environmental, Community and Service, and Human Ingenuity. The student is not just looking at the life cycle in science from a textbook, but instead, reading articles about environmental problems around the globe as they relate to the life cycle.

It is the character building, collaborating with peers, and holistically thinking --Students working together at the real world, trying to solve problem with others. This is what a 21st century education is to me.

If all lessons fused together traditional content with these fundamental practices of then every individual student, and the student body as a population of people will begin sharing this world. Now, I do see more computer use and innovative projects utilizing web 2.0 tools. Only when students have a real thirst to drink, and only when teachers have a framework for justifying what "they really want to teach"---not teaching to the test. The teachers I work with really want to share with our young people. The pressure of standardized test has taken that joy away. Providing a framework for teachers, schools, and students to build character and work together. This is how we can and will discover a 21st century education.

Virtual School is Going to Take a Jump in Enrollment

I'm sitting here at GaETC 2009 listening to Michael Horn, coauthor of Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns, is projecting online learning will take a jump among high school students.

We are looking at the non-consumption markets in education. Examples would include the following:

• credit recovery
• drop-outs
• AP
• scheduling conflicts
• home-schooled and homebound students
• small, rural and urban schools
• unit recovery
• disaster preparedness
• tutoring
• professional development
• Pre-K
• after school
• incarcerated youth
• in-school suspension
• school bus commute
• summer school

These markets will bring forth the value of technology in education.

Wiki for Mapping

Someone started a wiki on all the various types of organizational maps, visual maps, or graphic organizers---whatever you call it, WikIT has it. When you find the type of map you want, click the Interactive PDF or the Interactive Flash to open and enter info.

Using Video in History

Check out these notes from the National Education Computing Conference on video in history.

Movies in Social Studies Classroom

• “I’m watching TV”
• “Watch this!”
• “Let’s watch this video” – this is passive, mindless, cognitive background is always an indicator for students to go to sleep or put the shade down.

Here’s what we should do before showing video:

1. We want students to contextualize (frame and/or re-cap)
2. · Engage (elicit input, questions
3. · Coordinate; supplement other media (maybe text-based)
4. · Identify learning purposes upfront
5. · Specify student behaviors

During the video:

1. Analyze: Use this video as an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf8Ig2M3Zq0
2. Use these questions:

· Where was this?

· When was this? (team of people)

· Summarize what you saw.

Show 2^nd video and ask: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ScexNfYbBQ&feature=related

· What is the same?

· Is anything different? (driver gets off and is waiting and then a little push to get everyone on).

Different years, bigger train? More trains? OHHHHhhhh….the country offered flex time for workers. Small social change impacts HUGE impact on Japanese life.

Teacher can’t just get kids to watch this without questioning, etc.

Different approach to Analyze:

Hollywood movie: Midway shows the shift in Japanese American Life – last of classic WWII movies made. Just showing the trailer showing the sub plot of an American soldier who falls in love with Japanese American woman (in the movie she was arrested for her parents having literature). Charlton Hesston intervenes in the arrest, so his son can be with his girlfriend, because he believes in the relationship. Then show flashback of 20 years to US internment camps for Japanese (45 minute movie shown by the War department). Years later Hollywood’s interpretation and public sentiment for the issue.

Creating Video

Various software:

Primary[DS2] Access (free) – movie lives on the web, put students don’t own the copyright license for the images in the movie, so every time the movie gets played, it assembles it from where those images sit on the web; add voice over the images while they play.

VoiceThread - same thing

Use mainly still images, not video because it just becomes so time consuming.

Technology Stuff

· Age verification on youtube for some videos with controversial videos – you have to sign in again.

· Use Zamzar to download youtube videos at home.

· If you twitter, type in the hashtag for the event. In this case it was iranelection.

· Here is a site with all the hashtags on twitter as they come up: http://hashtags.org/

Sample videos:

-1936 (Depression Era – Episodic messages) Chaplin modern times; socialist message, industrialize, anti-drug message you can’t show this all the way.

-Revolutionary Guard – video footage of protesters in IRAN; ban on foreign media

· Because it was an event that had over 50 tweets per minute, people will use a code RT (retweet) to post something someone said again so more people can see it, getting the message out.

Resource for more information on this topic.

• Use our ning (social community to share info) to add comments about this presentation.
• Title: Teaching Digital History
• Web address: Teachingdigitalhistory.ning.com (http://teachingdigitalhistory.ning.com/)
• Speaker: John hammond@lehigh.edu

Reminder: VoiceThread.com

http://voicethread.com/#home

Put the image on voicethread and set up 10 debates at the same time. The kids can make comments on an image and hear each other's comments all on the internet. Voicethread is now charging to download the final product. You can always link a video created.

Twittering? or Tweet?

Twitter is starting to catch on.  Twitter is like a status update to people you know.  I was first inspired to create a Twitter account when NPR utilized it to have people report their status in the voting lines.  Once you create an account, you go look for your friends or colleagues.  In my case I keep up with the latest and greatest from the various headliner speakers at my educational technology conferences.  They are traveling the country and in some cases--the globe, and there is always new information to report.  Some teachers or professors are twittering their homework assignments.

Very plainly put--it is a communication tool.  If you could round robin call 20, 30, 40 people you knew--what would you say?

Must Have Bookmarked Websites

These websites must be in your bookmarks---preferably on your toolbar:

• http://gpb.org/education
• http://georgiastandards.org/
• http://www.thinkfinity.org/

Resource: ETTC National Science Center

Each district in Georgia is assigned to a local college for educational technology needs. The ETC's provide professional learning in the latest technology instruction, as well as, serve as contract employees for research in technology or to ensure the state is implementing the National Education Technology objective as defined by ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education).

One such local ETC with the National Science Center has a wonderful web site packed full of resources, web sites, and information on teaching with the ActivBoards.

Georgia Society of Technology in Education (G-STE)

The Georgia Society of Technology in Education (G-STE) is officially affiliated with ISTE. Jill Hobson, our President, held our annual meeting to share with members the status of our group. The mission of the society is to function as a "voice" in the state. The importance of technology in education is only as effective as the organization and support for it.

Already the ETC's reviewed the school keys for the Georgia GAPS review. Now coming in June, we should see technology integrated with the schools keys so the instructional technologist will be supported with this update. Jill emphasized our group functioning as a voice with the DOE and Ann Ware, the Instructional Technology Director at the DOE is a member.

The goal is to establish a common language with board members and principals so the formative assessment includes instructional technology. This will help all instructional technology specialist to have some advocacy as will move forward as a support group for the differentiation in teaching styles and formative assessment.

We went around the room to see how districts were impacted from the budget cuts. Many said their professional learning was being cut. It seems this is going to be costly cut for district who will have to meet those Georgia GAPS review.

Wendy from Douglas County told me about dimdim.com which is a free video conferencing software online. This will be great for professional learning problems as well.

G-STE needs volunteers. All members are encouraged to contribute with areas of interest. Another goal is to collaborate with each other and share information or knowledge.

Learning with Small Devices

Tony Vincent started working with Palms in the classroom way back at the turn of the century. Now he goes around talking about all small devices and how students and teachers can use them in the classroom. In the GaETC session called I didn't know you could do that with an iPod! concurrent session.

Here are some free web sites that Tony recommends we utilize, so the digital file may be played back on an iPod:

• http://www.spokentext.net/ - With this site the user may upload a .pdf, .doc, or any online text and read it. Then the mp3 may be downloaded to the iPod. Take the text and copy/paste it into the Lyrics under the song info in iTunes and while the song it playing on the iPod, the student can read the text.
• http://zamzar.com/ - Use this free site to convert videos from teacher tube or youtube. It is very simple, copy/paste the URL into the field and then tell it what kind of file you would like. Tony says mp4 is the best for the ipod conversion. The user types in the email for a link to the coverted file and the link will be available to you for 24 hours.
• http://www.ipreppress.com/ - This site offers free downloads of books for the iPod.
• http://learninginhand.com/ - Tony's site has several downloads or templates for the iPod that were PowerPoints he exported to images. Tony suggests students create the PowerPoint for common facts like the state capitals, US Presidents, etc.
• http://www.iquizmaker.com/ - This is a free download for Mac users. It will only work on certain iPods. This program could also run on a computer in your classroom.
• Cool Games online - Brain Challenges is on iTunes store.
  

Videos downloaded from the internet may be dropped into the iTunes movies library, but .mov files will not sync with the iPod, so with the video selected go to Advanced from the iTunes menu bar and select create for iPod.

Tony suggests using the iPod as an external drive. When the iPod is hooked into iTunes, select Enable Disk Mode. Be sure to eject properly, before disconnecting. Carry the $9.95 key chain adaptor for the iPod.

Teachers can save notes in text files for students to put on their iPod. Many text documents are already available for you on ipreppress.com, like the Declaration of Independence.

iWrite is a program, about $30 for students to create stories that you can then download straight to the iPod. Or if you put the assignment on your web site, when users click your file, the iWrite installer will download so the user can see your file.

Some accessories for hiding your iPod: hymnal, Sony Walkman, thong, earbud speakers, and the toilet paper dock station.

Jog the Web

Jog the Web is a web 2.0 tool for pulling together several web sites as a step-by-step presentation of material. Okay, now how do people come up with this stuff! Amazing! If you have several web sites that students need to use the features and then move on, this is the tool for you. The more advanced students or students needing an extension could use Jog the Web to create their research path.