New "Sway" Portfolio

I finally finished my new portfolio using Sway.

I'm very happy with the results and how easy it is to drag and drop, import content from anywhere and share the final product. When you finish whatever project you're working on, you can easily post on Docs.com. From there, you just copy the embed code and post anywhere -- like right here, for example.

If you come across this post and see something that lines up with what you're doing, let's talk. I basically work on creative content production across all disciplines.

Outside of creative projects,  I specialize in designing educational programs. And, more specific than that, I work on visualizing new system designs for companies, startups, classrooms and schools. Thanks for dropping by!

Work, Projects, Ideas and Research by Lee Chazen—Lee ChazenDocs.com

Calling All Creative People to Rise Up

Something is missing from the discussion in the 2016* race for the Presidency. What is it? An untapped wealth of resources -- creative and intelligent people everywhere who are ready to help. 

But, no one is calling on them. 

by Lee Chazen, GliderCell 

you are disillusioned because the reality of what you are seeing each day does not match the great potential for what you envision and you realize that many of the problems we see are the result of outmoded philosophies, systems and structures -
And if you understand that such structures in need of massive reform include education, the banking system, government, insurance, health-care, the political system, etc. 
And if you believe that such systems are systemically flawed in that they are top down in nature, hierarchical, rigid and lack the ability by their very nature to empower and enable people to reach their full potential as human beings -- 
And if you believe that underemployment is just as great a problem in this country and in the world as un-employment - in that there are so many talented, creative and intelligent human beings that are not being enabled to help in solving some of the dramatic problems in the world today… and that such people are not rising up to positions where they can be of service, whether because of economic inequality, lack of support or because they are being drowned out by a sea of louder and wealthier voices --
And if you believe that even our great leaders or political voices or candidates out there, well-intentioned as they may be, are not employing advances in data science, technology, medicine, the human brain and the potential in things like crowdsourcing, collective intelligence and Distributed Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) to name but a few -- 
And If you believe that classrooms, textbooks and standardized tests are exclusionary and seemingly built around a model of rewarding the few and that such systems tend NOT to offer recognition for imagination, critical thinking and problem solving abilities and that they tend mostly to cater to a small subset of a wider intelligence spectrum -- 
And if you believe that such constructs tend to favor good or fast test takers and that we are often asked to learn, do business or participate in society in ways that do not necessarily match the types of people or learners that we really are -- and that games and projects in the classroom, while acceptable now, are still not widespread -- 
And if you believe in the power of “multi-potentialsim” (the notion that we can have more than just one pursuit or potential in life) and that many of our innate talents and abilities are being under-utilized on a daily basis -- 
And if you believe that incremental change is not good enough — and that, in order to make real changes, there is not a solution in one candidate or one person, but rather, solutions lie in fixing the very nature of our institutions -- 
And if you are someone with a set of good solutions and are effectively being shut out of producing said solutions because of a lack of support or funding or because you are tied down in a job that takes away your time and energy to get to work on such solutions -- 
And if you find it frustrating that those with money and the ability to make such changes or innovations, do not have or share your abilities, or vision or talent or imagination, and that the two “sides” (you and them) even lack the vocabulary or understanding to communicate on the same level --  
And if you believe that there are those with great math, science, technological, musical, artistic or imaginative skills who are not being “tapped” to be part of the greater good -
And if you believe that such people, if given the chance to start a company, share their ideas, or start a new political party could more effectively fix problems in education, energy, transportation, infrastructure, government, the economy, etc., in a way that doesn’t have to be dogmatic or ideological or filled with hatred and fear  -- 
And if you believe that our leaders and decision makers, in so many different ways are actually no more intelligent or creative than many of us who have not had the same opportunities or who may not have an equal level of drive or ambition or fearlessness -

perhaps it is time, in the middle of our tumultuous political season to either start a massive new political movement  -- or it is time to create our own visionary programs.

Note: Special thanks to Ed Mulder for his help on this.

Sources: 

Thriving On The Edge Of Chaos: An Argument For A Complex Adaptive Theory Of Education
DAOs and the Power of Self-Organization
The Global Challenge Project

Also see: Ed Mulder's essay: Surfing the Future, Pt. 1

An example of non-ideological problem solving

Tags: Education, Edu, EdTech, Tech, DAO, Bitcoin, Thinking, Innovation, Creativity, Collective Intelligence, Self-Organization, Politics, Third Party, Democracy, Independents, Election 2016, economy, income inequality, Media, Standardized Testing, Game-Based Learning, Bitnation, BTC, ETH, Holacracy

*2020 Could be different.

Applying Chaos Theory to the classroom

The Complex Adaptive Theory of Education
How you can use chaos and complexity theories in the classroom

Lee Chazen, M.A.

1. Turn the class into an open environment with broad units of study.


2. Use simple rules, but set high expectations.


3. Act like a facilitator by encouraging self-organization.


4.  Encircle the “complex system,” sending down occasional messages and reminders, while keeping broad parameters in place.


5. Set the tone for creativity, expectations and behavior early on in the semester.


6. These will serve as the broad parameters to guide creativity and scholarship.


7. Get students out of rows and into random arrangements where they will encounter divergent ideas and opinions.


8. Guide students to a middle ground or “edge of chaos,” where they can look for new discoveries and make potential breakthroughs.


9. Work with colleagues to rid the school of rigid, black and white thinking where ideas of perfection or failure and winners and losers exist. Cross any and all imaginary pre-established lines to work with people from all departments.


10. Work on building a new ethic of camaraderie, cooperation and collegiality.


11. Create a “hub” in your class or at your school, that serves as a meeting place where collaboration and brainstorming can take place.

For information on how I can help your school, company or organization please contact me at lchazen@gmail.com or theglidercell@gmail.com. You can also read more about my services here. https://www.upwork.com/o/profiles/users/_~01cbea3802076b197f/



For the research supporting these ideas, click here.

Note: originally published on June 1, 2005. Revised and edited on April 24, 2015

LaunchPad Solves Teachers' Organizational and Accountability Issues

It was only a matter of time before someone realized that those in the educational community needed one central site where school and district administrators as well as teachers and parents could visit for objective and professional reviews of education technology software. K12TechReview.com is currently in the process of building such a site and will have it up and running soon. It will be complete with criterion-based reviews by accredited reviewers from the education and technology sectors. Most importantly, instead of just looking at the technical features of a piece of software, these reviews will take a hard look at the actual educational value of these platforms. 

As an accredited reviewer, I’ve now reviewed 5 software applications. Below is a sample of my review of LaunchPad (by ClassLink)

Teacher Experience (A)
The quality and ease of use for the teacher, paraprofessional, or administrator.

LaunchPad is a cloud based k-12 desktop which gives teachers access to not only all their files, documents and media, but to over a 1,000 applications. What you get with this software is basically a desktop, tablet, laptop or smartphone with all of one’s teachers tools, apps and documents neatly and stylishly organized in one convenient place and accessible wherever there is an Internet connection.

The Instructional Desktop is a particularly nice feature. It allows teachers to distribute and collect assignments, upload course materials, create calendars, use whiteboards and create collaborative assignments and projects. A teacher could potentially run class from their desk, behind a laptop and take students on an interactive journey through virtually all class content (including ebooks) in real time and have students actually interact with and discuss information. Students could then go along with each presentation on whatever device they have, be it a laptop, iPad or even smartphone.

In terms of accountability, LaunchPad’s portal feature would be a great way to share practically the entire learning experience of a school or class with parents, board members and interested parties in the community.

Overall, LaunchPad offers easy setup, standard navigation, great collaborative and instructional tools as well as access to hundreds of helpful apps and educational websites.


Student Experience (A)
The quality, ease, and engagement for students and their families.

Students should find LaunchPad engaging, intuitive, easy to navigate, self-explanatory, rich with resources and visually stimulating. By using this platform, students could potentially throw away notebooks, folders and no longer have to worry about crumpled or lost papers as all assignments and class-work could be handed in online.

Because the platform is loaded with tools like real time chat, webcam, screen sharing, calendar function and the fact that students could easily hand in work and collaborate with others, there is an infinite number of ways to be engaged in learning. Plus, in terms of accountability, the students’ parents would have no trouble seeing exactly what is going on in class and what it expected.

No one really needs to refer to a class schedule or syllabus anymore, as instructions and expectations would be clearly visible to all students using the system, either by looking at posted assignments or by accessing the class calendar. A creative or tech-savvy teacher could allow students with different types of intelligence and understanding to demonstrate learning in an almost limitless number of ways. For example, a student might choose to demonstrate learning by way of podcast, blog entry or video if the teacher were so inclined to accept student work in this fashion.


Setup and Implementation (A)
How easy it is to set up and configure, implement, and manage the solution in a K12 setting.

With a platform of this magnitude, there could be a moderately steep learning curve for the non-technical user.  But LaunchPad offers instructional videos, webinars, a free demo,
a blog filled with ideas and explanations and a responsive customer service department. Setup should be relatively easy.


Quality of Features (A)
Feature rich; includes all anticipated features plus offers other at no or little additional investment; features integrated smoothly.

There is an exhaustive list of features offered on the platform. Some of the basic functions include being able to 1.) edit documents locally or from the “cloud,” 2.) run Windows applications on any device; 3.) use collaboration tools, drop boxes and interactive whiteboards; 4.) use SSO (single sign on) feature to access websites and more with a single click; 5.) create portals so people outside of class can access one’s materials and  6.) accommodate BYOD programs, allowing students to use smartphones, tablets, etc.

For the teacher who appreciates style and creativity, one can easily change the look and feel of the interface, change background screens and use an avatar or profile picture. LaunchPad also offers a Google sign on and makes it easy to operate on iPad and other devices.


Educational Value
The value to a K12 setting, especially how it impacts student learning. Non-classroom solutions are evaluated in terms of administrative value.

A platform or system whereby teachers, students and administrators store, share files and use applications, is not by itself educational. But the system does exactly what it is intended to do in that it offers great educational potential. LaunchPad is a facilitative tool, and as such puts the onus on the users to create educational value.

If one looks at the educational value in terms of a teacher being more organized and efficient or being able to streamline their teaching functions, then LaunchPad hits the mark. This platform does a great job of creating community, in that it brings all key players, i.e. teachers, students, administrators and parents together. Systems get better by way of communication and creating feedback loops, and in that sense LaunchPad is an invaluable tool.


Security & Privacy
To what extent and in what way can the solution be controlled in terms of access and privacy.

Access to the platform is encrypted using ssl/https. LaunchPad offers a single sign on feature allowing users to save their credentials for their favorite websites and the ability to log into their resources with a single mouse click. Like anything else, this is secure as long as teachers do not leave their computer unattended after having logged into the program.


Exposure
How well the product protects students from inappropriate or undesirable content.

Content is really determined by the teacher, student and possibly administrator and parent, so this can only be determined by the users. All applications featured on the platform are educationally based and appropriate for student use.


Support
Documentation, support, warranty, etc.

ClassLink offers a blog, FAQ section, instructional videos, webinars and product demos with ideas for educators and information on product usage. Their customer service department offers “100% dedication guaranteed,” and allows users to connect by phone or email.


General Rating
Overall, after considering all elements, how did the product feel?

LaunchPad deserves their many accolades and awards for offering a highly functional, organized, streamlined and stylish product. Once a teacher becomes familiar with the many features and apps and learns how to upload assignments and create classes, the platform should really help teachers and schools to increase (as well as promote and expose) their workflow.

Summary

LaunchPad solves the organizational problems that come along with teaching or running a school by creating a functional and useful place for teachers to put all their content and applications.  But the product goes beyond that by also providing a hands-on way to actually deliver content and evaluate student understanding.  For the administrator or school district, it solves the problem of transparency and accountability. Administrators, for example, can easily monitor how the system is being used and can examine the “output” of the teaching staff.  For these reasons, LaunchPad deserves a high rating.

Game Based Learning for Social Studies Teachers

The Global Challenge Project is a proprietary "game-based" educational program which has been tested with positive effects for nearly a decade in high school-level World History and U.S. Government courses. Though the game was designed as a new way to teach world history, it also covers geography and government and helps students to learn teamwork and understand the principles of money management.

For information about the program or to inquire about inservice workshops, contact the author at: lchazen@gmail.com

Important Trend Against NCLB and Standardized Testing

Recent grant writing may suggest a trend towards more creative, interdisciplinary studies - and away from standardized testing.  

Click on the title above for the full story.

Games May be the Key for Teachers

"What if every type of learner, every student would find a niche or a unique way to demonstrate their understanding of the material? Since this was a world history class, they would have to learn history, geography and some 40 chapters of a textbook. Could this be accomplished by playing a game?"

You can read the story of Global Challenge here.

Thanks to Brent Pottenger and Brian Geremia at Academic Impact for their encouragement and support of this article, Mike Powers for his on-going “technical support” - and Britt Easterling and Katie Murphy for their feedback and enthusiasm.  Special thanks are also in order for family and friends.

I also appreciate the help with editing and guidance provided by Colleen Belcher and Ben Ilfield at Sacramento Press

Check out the new Global Challenge website!

The new website is done. If you are a history, geography, government or economics teacher out there and want to try it out for your class – just send me an e-mail. If you’re the first to do so, try it out for free.

Why post this on Right Brain World? If you’re a right brain student, it’s sometimes easier and more interesting to learn through projects. During the playing of Global Challenge, it's often important to be a big concept thinker. Your vision or understanding of where things are headed could help guide students who do not see things in this way. Left brain students are sure to thrive too, since their keen skills in analysis are necessary to getting many things done in the game.  You'll quickly find out how much the two "hemispheres" need one another.

Here’s a quick analysis:

Right brain students will see historical patterns, put together creative plans, help create team logos, theme music, design currency, formulate plots, or interpret the behavior of other players.

Left brain students will enjoy calculating strategies based on per capita incomes, put together spread sheets to keep track of money, points, armies, teams, facts, etc. They will help in providing the much needed order and structure to keep the game moving forward.

The great part about this game, honestly, is that there is something for every type of learner.

If you’re a creative teacher, you’ll be free to integrate the arts. Have your students create theme songs, design team logos or a new look for the classroom itself. If you’re into the idea of integrating technology, then you may want to find creative ways to use Facebook or Twitter, create a class blog or wiki. It’s all up to you. Global Challenge will provide you the overall framework – and you can take it from there.

I hope you will give it a try.

Will Wright Talks About Games and Education

Will Wright, inventor of Sim City and the Sims, makes a good point about the value of games; it's more about motivation than content. That said, if we can weave the two together, haven't we solved a major problem in education?

Thinking Creatively in 21st Century Schools

I've stumbled into this blog a couple of times now, so it's about time I posted a link over to it. It provides a view into everything good that is happening in the public schools; things that are often "below the radar." In particular, you'll learn more about project-based learning and how to use blogs in the classroom.

Also, you should take a look at the writing of this student. He writes well about the importance of project-based learning.

Oh... and if you're looking for a way to put these concepts to work in your school, I'll have to quote the Video Professor and say "try my product."

Teachers Pay Teachers

A while back, I saw an interesting ad on Craigslist promoting a new site for teachers. The site, started by a former New York teacher (Paul Edelman), offered teachers a place to sell their lessons, classroom ideas, curriculum, etc. After months of sitting on the idea, I finally posted my classroom project.

If you are a social studies teacher and looking for a way to get your kids interested in international affairs, you should try this semester-long project and let me know what you think. It's a different (rebellious?) way to teach towards your state standards. You can insert whatever content you like into the game.

Here is the link:

The Global Challenge Project for Teachers

Using Chaos Theory in Organizations

Finding a link between chaos, complexity and education was the central theme of my thesis research. The research has implications in any large or small organization.

Excerpted from a piece I worked on in 2004 called Bridging the Gap: A Complex-Adaptive Solution to the Great Political Divide

…Chaos theory tells us that everything in the universe has an emerging nature, from the evolution of organisms, to volcanic eruptions, to weather patterns, to the growth of civilizations. Secondly, the greatest creativity, evolvability and progress appear to take place at the “edge of chaos.” In chaos theory, random forces can converge to form a higher order. Research in the field has gone from the study of planets to the study of the weather to microorganisms, to the growth of companies to organizational and group behavior. What one learns from a study of complexity is that random forces converge to form a higher order behavior. Keep your eye on the larger picture as we delve into the details.

Steven Johnson, in a book called Emergence: the Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities and Software (2001) wrote about studies of slime mold in the 1960’s by Mitch Resnick. The studies revealed that microorganisms displayed collective intelligence. Instead of one large organism moving across a floor in search of food, it was revealed that the “slime” was actually hundreds of single celled organisms coming together for a larger purpose.

In fact, evidence of self-organization is everywhere. Prigognine and Stengers in their much-cited compendium Order out of Chaos (1984) said that the biosphere as a whole and all its components existed in a state far from equilibrium. Based on this, they said life, as part of the natural order, was the “supreme expression” of a self-organizing process. Simplified, this means that the air, land and sea are all part of a complex system that tends towards equilibrium. It does so because it is adaptive. If it doesn’t – if it were rigid – it would cease to exist, and we would cease to exist.

Another example of a highly productive emergent process took place at the RAND Corporation in the 1950s. As Nasser told the story in A Beautiful Mind (1998), people drifted into each other’s offices, or would just chat in the corridors. The grids and courtyards were set up “to maximize chance meetings.” The interchanges would lead to new research and colleagues exchanging challenging problems with one another. In this informal way, RAND memoranda would often start out simply as a handwritten paper being handed over to a math department secretary (Nasar).

UC Berkeley Courses on iTunes

If you feel you've missed out on a UC Berkeley education, don't worry. Now, you can go to iTunes and download classes. This is great, but I wonder how the people paying tuition feel. Another thought: I wonder if high school teachers could supplement homework assignments - perhaps for gifted or AP students - by having them download and take notes on some of these classes.

Things to remember about your memory

The following points outline how mood and context can affect memory:

1. Emotions drive attention, create meaning, and have their own memory pathways (LeDoux, 1994).

2. While feelings travel a circuitous, slower route throughout the body, the emotions always take the brain’s “superhighways” (Jensen, 1998).

3. Emotions drive creativity, and this is a function of the amygdala. “Removing the amygdala, however, is devastating. That destroys the capacities for creative play, imagination, key decision making, and the nuances of emotions that drive the arts, humor, imagination, love, music and altruism” (Jensen, 1998).

4. “When you experience a gut feeling, it’s because the same peptides that are released in your brain are also lining your gastrointestinal tract.” Miles Herkenham of the National Institute of Mental Health says that 98 percent of all communication within the body may be through these peptide messengers (in Pert 1997, p. 139) “This view implies a far greater role for the understanding and integration of emotions in learning” (Jensen).

5. We remember that which is most emotional. This happens because all emotional events receive preferential processing (Christianson, 1992).

6. Emotions give us a more activated and chemically stimulated brain, which helps us recall things better. The more intense the amygdala arousal, the stronger the imprint (Cahill, Prins, Weber, and McGaugh 1994) from Goleman (1995). (see information on the amygdala above)

7. Conclusion: What is the effect of all of this on memory? We remember things that are emotional and meaningful and tend to forget those things that have no attachment to emotion or meaning. Even if dry material is presented in the context of something exciting such as field trip, it is more likely that the material will be remembered.

8. Context-dependent memory means that memory gets associated to the text in which they are studied. A person’s ability to recall an item depends on the person’s ability to reproduce the list context. There is evidence that subjects have difficulty recalling items when the context changes between study and test (Anderson).

9. “Subjects can show better memory when their mental states at study and at test match” (Anderson).

10. Mood congruency refers to the fact that people find it easier to remember happy memories when happy and sad memories when sad (Anderson).

11. How can one make use of this information? If you are a student trying to remember something for a test, keep the following in mind:

• Attach the content of the material to something personally meaningful or emotional.

• Paraphrase material to create personal meaning of content.

• Re-create an internal mood at test time similar to the one you had at study time.

More evidence in support of educational games

Games are good tools for getting students to use all their senses, particularly visual, auditory and kinesthetic, which makes this a good method for different types of learners. Recent evidence shows the values of bringing emotion into the learning environment. Games create a positive association with learning and “allow for the repetition and deeper processing that strengthens neural pathways” (Millis, 2003).

Excerpted from: The Global Challenge Curriculum: The Application of Chaos Theory in the Classroom, Lee Chazen, EDTE 227, Dr. Sherrie Carinci

Check out Global Challenge.

What's Ahead in E-Learning

Will we get to the point where a physical public school is an outdated idea from a bygone era? Will it soon be possible to have a “cyber-learning consultant,” whose purpose is to arrange a completely electronic curriculum for students? Will there come a time when students, for whatever reason, leave the public school entirely in exchange for a digitally-based education, designed specifically for them?

Under a program like the one described above, the student’s schedule would be filled with weekly podcasts, online tests and various online readings. For students who progress well and are in need of building interpersonal skills, there is the option of an educational online game with other students across the globe. What if the student experiences trouble in his or her classes and no one is around? No problem. Visit a cyber-tutor using instant messaging AV technology.

By creating a program to fit the needs of the students, the education becomes catered or more suited to the type of intelligence the student exhibits. Problems with ADHD are no longer significant in this environment. The cyber learning consultant comes in and constructs the type of program to fit the student who is easily distracted. A typical classroom with 30 other students and dozens of triggers and distractions may not be the place for this type of learner. Institutions are slow to react to the needs of special learners, but an E-environment adapts quickly.

Education is the second largest industry in the United States,* and many in this industry are familiar with E-learning. The world of online classes or cyber-based instruction and educational software is nothing new, but this three part essay takes us further down the path in order to ask some important questions: “where is this phenomenon taking us? Will it be good for students and teachers, and will it be good for business and the economy?

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Career Guide to Industries, 2006-07 Edition, Educational Services, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs034.htm (visited March 22, 2006). Last Modified Date: December 20, 2005

Navigating the Cyber-Learning Environment

New movements in consumer behavior sometimes sneak up on us. Consumers want to do things their way, and if they can find an easier, cheaper way to get what they want - They'll go after it. Take MP3s for example. There was nothing wrong with CD's in terms of ease of use and sound quality. But consumers, at times, wanted to download one or two tracks and not the whole album. They wanted to mix their own CDs and the freedom to instantaneously download and then play music. It took a while, but the music industry caught up to them. Proving this phenomenon was real, Apple's iTunes music store has already passed the billionth download of a song and the system they are primarily played on, iPods, have completely restored Apple to being a hugely profitable company.

Technology and the bottom-up revolution

MP3 players are not the only technology to make a bottom-up revolution possible. People can choose where they get their news and information or write their own on easy-to-use blogs. Companies like Technorati make it possible to syndicate a blog, or pick up news phenomena even if it is not being handled by one of the major news organizations.

Effect on Education

Will technology bring this type of bottom-up consumerism to education? Leaders in education have been quick to follow technological innovations. If teachers aren't driving it, then technically literate and game savvy students will. Adopting new technologies is unavoidable, but is also complex. Imagine being a teacher or administrator and trying to come up with plans that take into consideration podcasting, blogging, blog-portfolios, video-casts or even instant messaging. All the indicators show growth in these areas, which is why it is imperative to begin discussing creative and effective combinations. Thomas Friedman and Daniel Pink have been making the argument for more conceptual thinkers and generalists to help guide the way. In fact, in a recent article Friedman says that India and China will need more of these types of thinkers if their engineers, software developers and other technically trained people are to succeed.

Growth in Private Instruction

Growth in the tutoring markets also points to, what I think will be the next great combination, that of private instruction and instant messaging, AV technology. Imagine a system that will allow for expert opinion, coaching, assistance and teaching in real time, from anyone to anywhere. Given enough choices in this market, students and adults will be able to locate instruction and help from people who more closely match their needs and learning styles, creating an adaptable, catered learning environment. Watch for news from a company called Facebridge Research. They are developing a system which will help to monetize cyber-tutoring. The real creativity in all of this will come in the potential applications and combinations of this technology.

Gaming across disciplines

Also in the current Wired, author Steven Johnson explores the idea of virtual worlds colliding.

"One way or another, consolidation is all but inevitable. A single, pervasive environment will emerge, uniting the separate powers of today's virtual societies. And then we really will have built the Matrix."

Imagine an educational world that follows this metaphor ... allowing students and teachers to create connections where they see them... an adaptive system - bridging disciplines, filling gaps, forming new concepts, etc.

Picture credit

Video games and how students learn

In the current Wired Magazine, Will Wright has some interesting observations about video games and non-linear thinking. I've been putting the idea out there for years now, for the need for an online, interactive educational game. If you go to this site (not fully functional), you'll see the type of game I'd like to get out to the public. I'm hoping that someone in cyberspace can connect me to someone who can make this a reality. The game would have the additional benefit of teaching students about diplomacy and international relations.

"In an era of structured education and standardized testing, this generational difference might not yet be evident. But the gamers' mindset - the fact that they are learning in a totally new way - means they'll treat the world as a place for creation, not consumption. This is the true impact video games will have on our culture."

...

"Games cultivate - and exploit - possibility space better than any other medium. In linear storytelling, we can only imagine the possiblitiy space that surrounds the narrative: What if Luke had joined the Dark Side? What if Neo isn't the One? In interactive media, we can explore it."

Podcasting and "Wiki" Cities

The idea of someone still reading from a textbook to their classes has never seemed more distant, especially with all the exciting options now before us. I'm wondering if any student has actually said how much they prefer answering the questions at the end of a chapter -- to working on a project (embedded with content) that involves some form of technology. I recently came upon Dr. Bob Houghton's (of Western Carolina University) site. There, you can find all kinds of information about the educational possibilities of podcasting and "wiki" sites.

During Global Challenge (tm), I discovered that if information is "embedded" in the larger context of something fun or interesting, it will likely be more deeply absorbed. This does not mean that we shouldn't try to make content interesting in and of itself. Educators should. The idea of surrounding content in a larger framework suggests that one cannot always download or spoon feed tons of information down a student's throat. There tends to be a natural gag reflex. Podcasting, blogging, websites and wiki sites would add an interesting dimension to this game. A couple of ideas come to mind: Students possessing the nation of Djibouti could deliver a weekly radio address on the state of their nation. For a final project, students could summarize what they learned on a blog, and on that blog could be an interview or debriefing with fellow teammates or between opossing teams.

For more information on this "emergent" style of learning, please visit The Space Between Classes, workshops and tutoring are available to interested parties.