The Hidden Object Game: Old faces, new problems.

The latter two days were focused on actual game design aspect of the curriculum. This was also the time that the returning educators joined the fray. Flash design and programming was a new concept to the new educators. The returning educators had experience programming in Flash after going through their first year, but they had to work on a Hidden Object game, a new addition to the curriculum this year. So, ultimately everyone was on the same page as far as the project goes!

The new educators working on their games.

The new educators did a great job in the short period that they used Flash! The games weren’t perfect (what game is, really?), but they had some really wonderful ideas in the scope of a Hidden Object game. There were games about literature, game about history, and some about science. All of them were great! It was especially nice to see the educators grow more confident with Flash (quite literally) overnight! A lot of them surprised themselves on how much they understood about the program after a few hours of tinkering and experimenting with the features and with the curriculum. Future educators, please note: You can do it too!

The returning educators working on their games.

Watching the returning educators tackle the Hidden Object game was very encouraging to me. They really showed what a difference a year of experience can make. The returners were in the same shoes as the newcomers last year, so seeing them so confident with Flash after about a year of use was nice to see. Once again, future educators: You can do it too!

Overall, everyone did a great job! Kudos to all of the educators!

January 21 Academy

In the past we have traveled to Charleston for the mid-year academy and weather has always been an issue. So this year we'll try something new: a virtual academy (January 21--11:00 AM EST-2:00 PM EST) with some pre-academy assignments. A character will be doing the traveling!

As educators we sometimes forget that we need to continue to learn. We are so busy getting ready for the next day that learning takes a back seat. Then when you add family and other responsibilities, it seems like there are never enough hours in the day. So learning is moved to the trunk.

Globaloria forces us to move that learning to the front seat. We complain about it sometimes, but look what it is doing for us. We are doing coding we never dreamed we would use, editing and using wikis, blogging, and working as a group. My brain hurts thinking about it sometimes.

For most of us it is not an easy class to teach, but we do it because we think it is what the students need. Coming out of the comfort zone has been hard for many of us, yet seeing what students are able to achieve has been overwhelming. We are giving them opportunities to explore a world they did not know before.

So, I'll see you January 21 in the front seat with me. Beforehand, don't forget the pre-academy activities. Some educators have already posted their work there, so check it out and add your own activities.