I’m listening to Mitch Resnick at the ICTLT conference talk about Scratch a free tool for software creation for kids, by developers at MIT.
As Mitch Resnick explained, the aim of this tool is to get kids really creating. He made the point that kids might be able to use digital tools, but this doesn’t really mean that they’re digital natives. He added that they will not be true digital natives unless they’re able to make the tools and manipulate these themselves in a process/cycle: Imagine, Create, Play, Share, Reflect, Imagine, and so on.
Some great examples. But one of the most impressive things about the Scratch site is that there’s a community of people who’ve made stuff using the software. The variety of uses is impressive, but the depth of communication and reflection fostered by the community is truly impressive. Gonna get my own kids using this.
Here’s video tutorial showing how easy it is to make a Scratch game/animation:
Derek Roberston showed us what can be done with existing game console and handheld technologies in a learning context. He talked about affecting positive change in the classroom through using games.
The most striking thing about what Derek is doing is it’s relevance. He’s using simple technology that kids are already familiar with, but in a learning context. It has currency. He showed lots of video clips. The one that really hit me was of a young lad totally absorbed in a timed game on the Nintendo DS. He was doing sums. Doing them faster than I could. He was clearly engaged, clearly achieving, clearly aware that he was doing well. Apparently up to that point he had been considered a ‘problem child’.
He also showed some impressive statistics, anecdotal accounts and testimonials to show the effectiveness of games on speed and accuracy in test results using brain gym. Learners also felt better about themselves: improved confidence and self esteem. Read More…
I went to the Xmedia Labs conference ‘Learning from Games’ today. Some interesting bits.
Superstar game developer Noah Falstein gave some great insights into Serious Gaming. He showed us a game where kids with cancer learn about their illness, and the effects of chemotherapy on their bodies, by playing a cool game where they run around a virtual body killing cancer cells.
Deb Polson showed the great things they were doing in Melbourne at the Australian Centre for Interaction Design She showed us a location-based learning game for kids which integrated various technologies around a treasure hunt activity in Melbourne’s city centre.
But for me the best bit was Nokia’s Jyri Salomaa talking about how they will offer Nokia’s platform as open source. I reckon Nokia will start something big in mobile learning soon in Asia. Watch this space.
