Reminder: Upcoming Game Design Competition Milestones Deadlines

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to remind you of the upcoming Milestone submissions dates for the Silicon Valley Globey Awards and Spring Course Civics and STEM Game Design Competitions.  Please pass this information along to your participating students.

• Spring Course Civics: Game Demo Milestone Due Friday, March 16, 2012
• Spring Course STEM: Game Demo Milestone Due Friday, March 16, 2012 
• Silicon Valley Globey Awards: Game Demo Milestone Due Friday, March 16, 2012

I have included instructions below on how to submit a milestone to the competition. Email competitions@globaloria.org if you have any questions.

Best,

Yasmin

How do I submit milestones to a competition?

• Once you have completed a milestone, embed the file or video on your team page.
• For game demo and final game milestones, add the .fla and.swf to your Game page on the Game Gallery.
• Go to: https://www.progress.myglife.org/auth/login to log into the competition site.
• Sign in with your school wiki username, and your personal Competition password, which was emailed to you.
• Scroll down to the "MILESTONE SUBMISSIONS" section.
• Paste your team page URL only in the box for the milestone that is due.
• Click "save" to timestamp your submission.

Time to evaluate progress

Hi All

At this point in the year most of the classes should have the team pages totally completed except for the final game and updating the timeline.  Please take some time to see that your teams have their team pages completed.  Remind team members to upload progress at least once a week so their game progress is visible.

This is important because it is a major element during the competition judging. 

Remember that the game demo presentations are now the professional reviews and to request those right away.  The feedback can be used by students to make improvements before the final game.

If you need anything just let me know!
Denise

National STEM Challenge Deadline Extended

Hi all, 

The 2012 National STEMVideo Game Challenge just announced that it has extended its deadline to March 23, 2012. Globaloria educators and students are strongly encourage to submit their games.

Please note, students with finished games from the 2010-11 school year and Fall 2011 are still eligible to apply.

Globaloria students will be shining stars in these categories:

• Written game design documents
• Games made with any tool (Open Platform) - this includes Flash
• Educational games made with any tool

Globaloria Educators should also apply! There is a particularly great opportunity for teachers to submit games they have made. Educator Category: http://www.stemchallenge.org/about/Default.aspx?Cat=Edu.

Please let us know if any of your students plan to submit their game to the Challenge. If you have any questions email competitions@globaloria.org.

March 13th Mini Workshop!

Hey Everybody!

Just wanted to remind you that we will be having our next mini workshop on Tuesday, March 13th at 6pm EST on Adobe Connect. Mentor Educator Jeremy Ross will be leading a session on Sound Effects and Background Music. Check out the topics, refresh your memory, and think of any questions you want to ask! Find at least one free-use sound file that you want to use in flash before the mini workshop!



Here are some websites that can help you find free sounds:

• http://www.grsites.com/archive/sounds/
  
• http://www.findsounds.com/
  

See you all next week! I'll send out another email reminder with the link to Adobe Connect and the example file you'll be working on before the session.


-Yvonne

Civics, News & Social Issue Content Check List

Hi all,

We have created a Civics, News Literacy & Social Issue Competition Content Check List for students creating games about these issues. This is a great tool to help students make top contender games! Students participating in the Globey Awards who are creating games about social issues can also use this check list. You can find the checklist here.

Email competitions@globaloria.org with any questions or comments.

Nice Surprise

I was invited to attend the annual WVCTE Legislative Breakfast this morning in Charleston, WV. Little did I know that I was going to hear about Globaloria during this event. WV House of Delegates member Mary Poling, who is also the chair of the House Education Committee, said made some very surprising remarks. Ms. Poling stated that she had recently taken some time from her legislative duties to visit some schools in Barbour County. She said that one of the best educational programs that she had seen in a long time was Globaloria and discussed how the CTE game design class was working with a civics class to develop a game. Ms. Poling discussed how they had to work together to combine the two areas and we needed to be doing more activities like this.

Allyson McNaboe and Gerald Furby are the educators leading this collaboration. Check out what there students are doing to make such an impression on Ms. Poling!

National STEM Video Game Challenge Submissions

Hi everyone, I just wanted to remind you that the  2012 National STEM Video Game Challenge has opened for registration and submissions are due March 12, 2012.  Please share this with your students and encourage them to apply to the challenge.  Please note, students with finished games from the 2010-11 school year and Fall 2011 are still eligible to apply.

Globaloria students will be shining stars in these categories:

• Written game design documents
• Games made with any tool (Open Platform) - this includes Flash
• Educational games made with any tool
  

Please let us know if any of your students plan to submit their game to the Challenge. If you have any questions email competitions@globaloria.org.

Cash Grant for Science and Math

Hi everyone, we just wanted to let you know that the Intel School of Distinction Grant Competition is open for applications. This competition is for any school that demonstrates an exemplary math and science learning environment, and is open to all schools K-12. Many schools participating in Globaloria are perfect for this great opportunity! Eighteen winning schools will receive a cash grant of USD 5,000 from the Intel Foundation and a trip to Washington, D.C., for a four-member team from their school and district. Six winners will be selected from the finalists and receive an additional USD 5,000 cash grant for a total of USD 10,000. One of these winners will be selected as the "Star Innovator" and will receive an additional USD 15,000 grant for a total of USD 25,000.

Visit the Intel Education website for more information and the application needed to register. Applications are due February 23, 2012. Feel free to email us if you need assistance with the application. 

Digital Learning Day Success!

The Globaloria Team would like to thank all of you and your students for your amazing efforts in making the first ever Digital Learning Day such a success. We received national coverage! Check out the press page to see the articles and news clips about your schools and browse through these photos.

If you have not already done so, please submit any photos, stories and blogs to be included to dld@globaloria.org. The Digital Learning Day Video Challenge Contest is also accepting submissions until March 2, 2012. Students and educators are both encouraged to participate.

Stay tuned for a more comprehensive recap of the day.

January 21st Virtual Academy Videos!

Hi Everyone! In case you want to review anything we covered at the Virtual Academy on January 21st or weren't able to make it, here are the recordings.

Click Here to go to the January Virtual Academy Page!

They are separated by subject and presenter, you can choose the one you want to see from the list. Please drop me a line if you have any questions about any of the material covered here at yvonne@globaloria.org. Thanks again for all the great work you did for this academy!