Different Types of Games

Placeholder for more to come...

Gaming in the Classroom

   Here is some excellent information on the value of games in education. What I immediately latched onto was the idea of dopamine being the hook for games. Being a learning nerd AND a gaming nerd, as well as having children and watching them be mesmerized by digital games, I can attest to that hook being powerful. So much so that I wish this inforgraph would address what is inevitably a concern - that dopamine is obviously a double-edged sword, and that "hook" needs to be managed. I've watched my children learn to read because of educational games, learn advanced science and learn to even simply love learning, so I'm a fan. But it needs to be managed and this is such common knowledge I fear we shoot ourselves in the foot when not acknowledging how powerful it is. So powerful indeed that at the end of this piece, where "The Orgeon Trail" was mentioned, I was happily taken back to my early childhood where I'd squeal at having "died of dysentery"....

EDTECH 506: Personal Introduction Image

In Week 1 of EDTECH 506 – Graphic Design for Learning, here is part our first introductory assignment (beyond reading, videos etc):

Personal Introduction Image:  Using Adobe Fireworks (or other graphics editing software you prefer), create some sort of image or group of images that tell the class something about you. Consider images that represent your personality, interests, goals or anything else you’d like to share with the class. Be as creative as you’d like. Include text, color, graphics, images or anything that you feel represents who you are. Then, provide a one to two paragraph explanation about the image you create. Discuss why you chose the images, colors, designs that you did and how they represent who you are. 

Here is my image with explanation below:

Although I worried that me as a knight could give an unflattering impression to some who don't know me, I know where my heart is and that I'm not full of myself so I continued on. Rather than meaning a "hero" above others, I love the symbolism of a knight as someone nobly championing a good cause. This is the meaning I am after in the image. All of us may be far from perfect but can still strive for good things. Pursuing graduate studies in education is, to me, a worthy endeavor worth fighting (time, money, stress) for. Additionally I love fantasy (& sci-fi, and all things geeky...) so inserting myself into an image like this with armor, sword, and a Tolkien quote, really speaks to my soul. It's meaningful and fun. And I think that's important in life. 

I value design that is fairly simple and crisp, which is what I tried to do here, keeping spacial elements as consistent and contrasting as I could and balancing colors. Hopefully the simpleness of the design supports the simpleness of its message to help communicate that value I hold dear, to fight for good.