I’m happy to say that the inaugural Games+Learning+Society Educator Symposium on June 13th was a success! (Of course, so was the main GLS conference that took place the preceding three days!) We had over 50 educators, librarians, technology coordinators, administrators, industry experts, and higher education faculty attend the GLS Educator Symposium – which we offered for free and on a Saturday to allow for more local educators to attend.
We received so much positive feedback from participants and our committee (including myself, Moses Wolfenstein, and Damiana Gibbons) are working to make next year’s GLS Educator Symposium even better. In the meantime, please join us on the GLS Educators Network. Here’s a run down of the 2009 schedule:
Games+Learning+Society Educator Symposium
Memorial Union
Madison, Wisconsin
Saturday June 13, 2009
9:30-10:00
Registration and continental breakfast
10:00-11:00
Panel Discussion: Games, Media, and Learning in the 21st Century Classroom with GLS faculty members Erica Halverson, Rich Halverson, and Kurt Squire with Shannon Sullivan from Worldwide Workshop and Hank Duderstadt, a game design teacher in California’s Alameda Unified School District.
How are youth using games and media in in-school and out-of-school settings? This panel discussion will cover cutting-edge research and development in this area, and note highlights from the GLS conference. Panelists include internationally known GLS faculty members whose work has helped to shape the field of media and games, and they will discuss their ongoing research in online spaces, after school environments, and school settings. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in critical discussion with panelists on these issues.
11:15–12:15
Panel Discussion: 21st Century Standards Meets 21st Century Teaching and Learning with Emilie Amundson, DPI English Language Arts Consultant; Erin Schwane, English Teacher at New Berlin High School; and Brian Sniff, Mathematics Program Coordinator for the Madison Metropolitan School District.
What does a 21st century classroom look, feel and sound like? How does the definition of “literacy” change to meet the demands of our fast-paced, 21st century world? How can technology become an embedded piece of all that we do, rather than a list of skills we teach in isolation? These are just a few of the questions the English Language Arts and Mathematics Standards design teams have asked while working to update the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards. Come and get a sneak peak at the direction of the updated standards documents, and hear from educators from the writing teams about the possible applications for classroom level teaching and learning.
12:15-1:30
Lunch
1:30-3:30
Rapid Game Prototyping with University of Wisconsin graduate students Kevin Harris, Matt Gaydos, and Ryan Martinez.
Video games are just one way to integrate games into curriculum. Used within the video game industry, paper prototyping helps individuals explore content, think systemically, and iteratively develop game concepts – all using everyday supplies, such as dice, cards, pens and paper. In this workshop, participants will analyze a game in order to better understand how they work. Then, participants will develop playable games in small groups; afterwards, we will play the games created. The last portion of the session will be an open discussion between participants and the facilitators for feedback on how games and game design might be integrated into curriculum. Playful dispositions are a must, but no previous game design experience is required.
iPoetry in the Classroom with University of Wisconsin graduate students Jen Scott Curwood and Damiana Gibbons with Lora Cowell, Library Media Specialist at Hartford Union High School.
In this workshop, participants will create their own digital poems. The presenters will begin by examining the role that digital poetry can play in helping to foster identity development, critical thinking, and content area learning for students. They will cover the basics of how to create iPoetry; then, each participant will make their own digital poem by integrating visual images, music, and narration through the use of film editing software. The presenters will also touch on relevant issues of copyright, multimodal literacy, pedagogy, and engagement.
Demystifying Second Life for Education with Peggy Sheehy, Instructional Technology Facilitator and Media Specialist at Suffern Middle School in Rockland County, New York.
What is Second Life, and how does it support learning? In 2006, Peggy Sheehy established the first middle school campus in Second Life and will share what schools are already doing in this virtual world, what’s involved in establishing a virtual campus in Teen Second Life, and how increasing social interactions in an immersive 3-D platform can support learning. This workshop will address basic Second Life skills and provide an introduction to the educational possibilities. Sheehy will cover professional development opportunities, pedagogical uses and each participant will gain a sufficient level of skill to continue to explore independently. She will discuss support strategies, teacher and administrator buy-in, and policy issues. Participants will create their own avatars, alter appearance, and communicate via chat, IM, and voice; they will also learn how to navigate within Second Life, control the camera, manage inventory, and connect with like-minded professionals.
Games and Digital Tools for the Classroom with University of Wisconsin graduate students Moses Wolfenstein, Ben DeVane, and Suzanne Rhodes as well as Spencer Evans from Filament Games.
This workshop will offer educators hands on access to a selection of games and other digital tools for schools and classrooms. In addition to offering suggestions for how to deploy off the shelf games like Civilization and DDR, this session will also offer educators access to software designed by GLS researchers. Featured software will include: KidGrid, an application for collecting formative student data on the iPhone, and Game Star Mechanic, a web based game for learning game design. Innovative games for classroom learning from local developers Filament Games will also be available, including Resilient Planet, Coaster Creator, and Guardian of Law.
3:30-4:00
Debrief and discuss the day’s events
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