<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16LE"?> <?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" media="screen" href="/~d/styles/rss2full.xsl"?><?xml-stylesheet type="text/css" media="screen" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~d/styles/itemcontent.css"?><rss xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0" version="2.0"> <channel> <title>Games as Practice</title> <link>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Games-as-Practice.aspx</link> <description>Gaming platforms become critical training areas for work, problem-solving, and learning. A genre of  serious games  aimed at education, professional training, cultural immersion, cognitive fitness, and exploring ideas is expanding the practice of gaming beyond entertainment for youth. Games are not solely digital many emerging games utilize hand-held mobile technologies to supplement and encourage face-to-face interactions. Blending play, research, and collaboration, games will become a medium and literacy in many facets of life. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;Explore how the forecast for 3D web technoogies, applications, and markets impact your organization at &lt;a href="http://www.metaverseroadmap.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Metaverse Roadmap&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;Use social impact and education games with your students at &lt;a href="http://www.gamesforchange.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Games for Change&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;Participate in the world's first massively multiplayer forecasting game, &lt;a href="http://www.superstructgame.org/" target="_blank"&gt;SuperStruct&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;Stay up to date on the use of games in health, education, training, and public policy at &lt;a href="http://www.seriousgames.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;SeriousGames&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;div class="watch-video-desc description"&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&gt;Jane McGonigal, Director of Game Research and Development at Institute for the Future, talks the differences in the increased level of engagement and optimism students have with games over the classroom.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;a href="&lt;object width=" height="364"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OrZiWqGILKs&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp&amp;showinfo=0;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" /&gt; </description> <name>Games as Practice</name> <atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Games-as-Practice" /><feedburner:info uri="games-as-practice" /><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="hub" href="http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/" /><item> <title>Pattern Recognition (Driver of Change)</title> <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;An extremely visible world demands new sensemaking&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Information proliferation will continue, exacerbating the burden on families, learners, educators, and decision-makers to make sense of vast amounts of data. New tools for visualizing data will require new skills in discerning meaningful patterns. Social media and collaborative tools will leave  data trails of people s online interactions  including contributions to group activities, inquiries and searches, skills, digital resources, and preferences (such as playlists, buddy lists, and topics tracked)  and social networks. At the same time, sensors and global positioning systems in devices such as cell phones and car navigation systems will be able to capture location-based information along with health and environmental data. Together these tools will provide a robust, visible  data picture of our lives as citizens, workers, and learners. Families, learners, educators, and decision-makers will need to become sophisticated at pattern recognition in order to create effective and differentiated learning experiences and environments. Furthermore, new skills in collective sensemaking will redefine forms of knowledge, knowing, and assessment.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;How do ubiquitous, visible data impact teaching, learning, and the assessment of learning experiences?&amp;nbsp; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;How can we use data to enhance human decisions rather than automate them? &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More on This Topic&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; New technologies for sensing, aggregating, and displaying information will demand &lt;strong&gt;new methods of sensemaking&lt;/strong&gt; interpreting and gaining meaning from abundant data.&amp;nbsp; This deluge of data will take many forms: &lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Biometric (such as health status data, fingerprints and retinal prints), &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Cognitive (such as collaboration histories in wikis or online games), &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Neurological (brain imaging data), &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Genetic (dna histories), &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Online personae (avatars and reputation profiles), &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Tagging (such as keywords on flickr or delicious), &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Taste trails (as documented in applications like Last fm). &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;The challenge is no longer finding information but making it meaningful.&amp;nbsp; Several &lt;strong&gt;strategies for sensemaking&lt;/strong&gt; will emerge:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mashups&lt;/strong&gt; will blend multiple data sets to reveal discern underlying stories (for example, websites that use Google maps to display health status and poverty rates in a particular geography).&amp;nbsp; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Increasingly complex &lt;strong&gt;visualizations and simulations&lt;/strong&gt; will help convey the meaning of abundant and diverse data through multi-sensory modes such as color, 3D spatial rendering, and even sound.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pattern recognition and play&lt;/strong&gt; will merge as gaming expands far beyond the world of entertainment.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Video games and collaborative alternative reality &lt;strong&gt;games &lt;/strong&gt;(that&amp;nbsp;leverage group knowledge and expertise) will become platforms for learning, especially for&amp;nbsp;understanding dynamic systems when variables change and uncertainties are introduced into problem solving. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;Reductionist metrics (such as an average score on a standardized test) will prove inadequate for accurate evaluation of performance the standards are simply too static and often narrowly defined to encompass all the various forms and kinds of data being generated.&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href="/trend/Open-Source-Assessment.aspx"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Open-source assessment&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/a&gt;will prove much more powerful, incorporating multiple forms of capital and leveraging collective assessment platforms, such as reputation profiles and other forms of peer assessment and recognition of mastery.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; All this will lead to &lt;a href="/trend/Personal-Metrics.aspx"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;a quantified self&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; the self represented and understood through various data trails.&amp;nbsp; This quantified understanding will extend to schools and educational systems initially through the transparency afforded by social media applications.&amp;nbsp; The quantified self opens the opportunity for &lt;strong&gt;differentiated learning&lt;/strong&gt;, where the learner can forge a personal path through the morass of tools, information sets, and augmented experiences.&amp;nbsp; What distinguishes a person won t be their performance in a particular subject or through a particular method but rather their unique patterns across an unbounded range of subjects and methods.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Implications for Learning&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;Educators and learners will need to learn how to participate effectively in an abundant data world.&amp;nbsp; New ways of seeing, knowing, and communicating will redefine learning environments, roles, and even forms of knowledge, knowing, and assessment.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Perhaps most significantly, abundant data and the emerging opportunities for sensemaking create the opportunity for learners to become &lt;strong&gt;more self-reflective&lt;/strong&gt; and aware of their learning. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;As it becomes easier to leave personal data trails (voluntary and automated self-documentation) about performance, preferences, and interactions, &lt;strong&gt;learners will have an ongoing reflection of themselves&lt;/strong&gt; in the learning process. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Educators and various learning agents will also have &lt;strong&gt;more transparency&lt;/strong&gt; to reflect on their impact on&amp;nbsp;and experience with learners. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;Students and educators will need &lt;strong&gt;training&lt;/strong&gt; to be able to participate in this world, to engage in various forms of sensemaking and help create new ones.&amp;nbsp; Working with visualization tools, contributing to reputation economies, gaming, and moving through the metaverse (the fusion of the World Wide Web and the physical world) will be essential skills for life in the next decade and beyond.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Many students are worlds ahead of their educators in navigating these domains, but education must wrestle with questions about engaging in these practices in meaningful ways. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5 Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Use social impact and education games with your students at &lt;a href="http://www.gamesforchange.org/" target="_blank"&gt;Games for Change &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Support students in developing electronic personalized learning plans &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Retool assessment to focus on learning as demonstrated by a body of evidence that reflects students' personalized learning plans &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find out what impacts your actions and food intake have on your body using &lt;a href="http://www.bodybugg.com/" target="_blank"&gt;BodyBugg&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Explore a revolutionary approach to academic publishing at &lt;a href="http://ricepress.rice.edu/" target="_blank"&gt;Rice University Press&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/GxdnYDnWJSY" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/GxdnYDnWJSY/Pattern-Recognition.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/driver/Pattern-Recognition.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Beta Building (Trend)</title> <description>Transparency, collaboration, and rapid iteration create a beta culture displaying open critique and reflective practice. In a world of transparency and open contribution, collective creation and critique, and rapid iteration, &lt;i&gt;beta&lt;/i&gt; status (a stage of testing and refinement) is a norm. But in this world, &lt;i&gt;beta&lt;/i&gt; is fully functional, just open to improvement. &lt;i&gt;Beta&lt;/i&gt; building reflects both a mindset that any product or process can be improved, and the platforms that encourage input and enable revision. Organizations engaging in &lt;i&gt;beta&lt;/i&gt; building must be comfortable with open authorship making things transparent even when  incomplete  and participating in a community of contribution. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Focus on fostering imagination, creativity, thoughtfulness, and collaboration over providing training on specific technologies that will soon be outmoded &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Be a citizen journalist by contributing to &lt;a href="http://www.nowpublic.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;NowPublic&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Create an internal wiki to collaborate within your organization with one of the tools listed at &lt;a href="http://www.wikimatrix.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;WikiMatrix&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Announce real-time organizational updates to the public using &lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Twitter&lt;/a&gt; or within your organization using &lt;a href="http://www.yammer.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Yammer&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Adopt &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iterative_design" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;iterative design&lt;/a&gt; principles throughout your organization &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="watch-video-desc description"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Henry Lowood, Curator for History of Science &amp;amp; Technology Collections at Stanford, and Henrik Bennetsen from the Stanford Humanities Lab speak on how virtual worlds and sharing of information can have a dramatic impact on education.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;&lt;a href="&lt;object width=" height="364"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2OHKi7_E7ok&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp&amp;showinfo=0;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/a2j5k96_jm4" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/a2j5k96_jm4/Beta-Building.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Beta-Building.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Personal Metrics (Trend)</title> <description>Personal data trails about preferences, attributes, and performance shape an evidence-based culture. A multitude of sensors will generate and aggregate massive amounts of data about the self. These data trails will drive a deeply quantitative understanding of our selves  and new strategies for using complex quantitative data for modifying behavior. The wide array of data types will inspire people to navigate their own paths, focusing on data they deem personally relevant. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find out what impacts your actions and food intake have on your body using &lt;a href="http://www.bodybugg.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;BodyBugg&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Track and understand your baby's patterns using &lt;a href="http://www.trixietracker.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Trixie Tracker&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Share travel plans with colleagues and friends using &lt;a href="http://www.dopplr.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Dopplr&lt;/a&gt; and meet up when you're in the same place &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/jBwJuTCIuFc" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/jBwJuTCIuFc/Personal-Metrics.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Personal-Metrics.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Visual Literacy (Trend)</title> <description>Vast data streams require visual tools to discern underlying stories. Various visual displays will emerge as sensemaking and navigation tools for these data streams -- biometric, geographic, cognitive, neurological, tagging, taste trails, online personae, etc. Many data sets will prove too complicated for linear or text-based analysis: visual representations of multiple variables will reveal underlying patterns much more effectively and eloquently. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Tell a more compelling story about education with data visualization (see &lt;a href="http://www.flowingdata.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Flowing Data&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Debunk third-world myths with &lt;a href="http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen.html" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Hans Rosling&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Explore &lt;a href="http://www.horizonmapping.net/projects/tmc/tmc_gallery/Tutor_Mentor_school_maps.html" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Chicago Schools on the 2007 Warning List&lt;/a&gt;; if you can find a similar resource for your community, promote it; if not, consider starting one&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Generate a housing map in your zip code at &lt;a href="http://www.zillow.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Zillow&lt;/a&gt; and determine whether the prices are related to the quality of the local schools&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/Kw3CUtzUHfs" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/Kw3CUtzUHfs/Visual-Literacy.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Visual-Literacy.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Open-Source Assessment (Trend)</title> <description>Data trails, participatory media, and visual tools create new bases for reputation, mastery, and recognition. The slough of data being produced will often require methods of interpretation and evaluation beyond what reductionist metrics can provide. One powerful sensemaking strategy will be to make such methods open-source, i.e. allow a community of users to judge performance according to open criteria. Reputation economies are an early form of such assessment: rather than relying on algorithms to weigh multiple variables, different platforms can aggregate evaluations. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Support students in developing electronic personalized learning plans&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Explore a revolutionary approach to academic publishing at &lt;a href="http://ricepress.rice.edu/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Rice University Press&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find an entrepreneur in the third world on &lt;a href="http://www.kiva.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Kiva&lt;/a&gt; and and help empower them out of poverty&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Visit the remarks of a student's teacher on &lt;a href="http://www.ratemyteachers.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Rate My Teachers&lt;/a&gt; and discuss why they do or do not create a realistic description of that teacher&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/bhkf4Itkpfw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/bhkf4Itkpfw/Open-Source-Assessment.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Open-Source-Assessment.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Games as Practice (Trend)</title> <description>Gaming platforms become critical training areas for work, problem-solving, and learning. A genre of  serious games  aimed at education, professional training, cultural immersion, cognitive fitness, and exploring ideas is expanding the practice of gaming beyond entertainment for youth. Games are not solely digital many emerging games utilize hand-held mobile technologies to supplement and encourage face-to-face interactions. Blending play, research, and collaboration, games will become a medium and literacy in many facets of life. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;Explore how the forecast for 3D web technoogies, applications, and markets impact your organization at &lt;a href="http://www.metaverseroadmap.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Metaverse Roadmap&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;Use social impact and education games with your students at &lt;a href="http://www.gamesforchange.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Games for Change&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;Participate in the world's first massively multiplayer forecasting game, &lt;a href="http://www.superstructgame.org/" target="_blank"&gt;SuperStruct&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;Stay up to date on the use of games in health, education, training, and public policy at &lt;a href="http://www.seriousgames.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;SeriousGames&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;div class="watch-video-desc description"&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&gt;Jane McGonigal, Director of Game Research and Development at Institute for the Future, talks the differences in the increased level of engagement and optimism students have with games over the classroom.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;a href="&lt;object width=" height="364"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OrZiWqGILKs&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp&amp;showinfo=0;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/N-mSWCPoIaw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/N-mSWCPoIaw/Games-as-Practice.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Games-as-Practice.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Metaverse (Trend)</title> <description>Blended physical-digital worlds create new learning geographies.  Learning in the real world is complemented by the navigation of virtual worlds through avatars.  Google Earth and Second Life merge to become the 'Metaverse.'&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/9SoAvr-obTc" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/9SoAvr-obTc/Metaverse.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Metaverse.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Autoimmune Responses (Trend)</title> <description>Brittle hierarchies will continue to act in ways that seem institutionally rational but which further destabilize weak, inflexible systems. Faced with a score of bottom-up innovations, many traditional hierarchical education systems will adopt such autoimmune responses. These responses, usually acts of self-protection and risk-reduction, require immense resources and end up making the entire system less flexible. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.openthefuture.com/2007/09/turning_the_body_against_itsel_1.html" target="_blank"&gt;Read Jamais Cascio's blog post &lt;/a&gt;and how "open source warfare" is affecting societies &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Analyze how No Child Left Behind might be an auto-immune response &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Start a discussion in your community about whether the banning of services such as &lt;a href="http://www.myspace.com/" target="_blank"&gt;MySpace&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/" target="_blank"&gt;YouTube&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_message_service" target="_blank"&gt;SMS Text Messaging &lt;/a&gt;from schools is helpful or harmful to students &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jamais Cascio, research affiliate at Institute for the Future and a blogger, talks about the responses we make to issues can often be more threatening than intended. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kIBMaoiboZ4&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp&amp;showinfo=0;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/Bb_pjdVKOnU" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/Bb_pjdVKOnU/Autoimmune-Responses.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Autoimmune-Responses.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Shadow "Schools" (Trend)</title> <description>&lt;p&gt;Super-empowered, networked learning agents leverage the growing learning economy to enable provisional learning systems. These informal education systems operate alongside the public institution. These  shadow schools offer learning environments that are highly responsive to local education needs but are independent of the formal system. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Advocate reward structures that give teachers incentives for sharing and creating collective educational resources&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Encourage teacher preparation institutions to move away from courses and toward issue- or project-based learning experiences that will help candidates prepare for future learning environments&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find some budget figures and success for &lt;a href="http://www.afterschoolnetwork.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Afterschool Funding&lt;/a&gt; in California, and apply them to your city or region&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Read about the origins of the &lt;a href="http://www.hole-in-the-wall.com/Beginnings.html" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Hole-in-the-Wall&lt;/a&gt; project and how children learned to use a computer on their own&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Learn about &lt;a href="http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/dave_eggers_makes_his_ted_prize_wish_once_upon_a_school.html" target="_blank"&gt;826 Valencia&lt;/a&gt;, a tutoring center that started with 12 tutors and grew to 1400 in one community &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/jLlKwHkYvx8" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/jLlKwHkYvx8/Shadow-Schools.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Shadow-Schools.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Cognitive Modification (Trend)</title> <description>The brain becomes a site for alteration and maintenance. An array of services, products, and programs aimed at cognitive enhancements has already hit the market. Advances in the study of neuroscience and neuroplasticity (the brain s ability to create new neural connections throughout life) will inspire further developments. Students are experimenting with off-label uses of Adderall, and more such drugs will follow. Haptic feedback devices (using the sense of touch) and neural feedback interfaces (using direct communication between a person s brain and a computer) are just on the horizon. These will combine to make the brain a battleground in learning. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Add articles from &lt;a href="http://www.brains.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;www.brains.org&lt;/a&gt; to your PTA or school newsletter &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Improve your brain's health by spending ten minutes per day on the &lt;a href="http://www.sharpbrains.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;SharpBrains&lt;/a&gt; website &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Learn how Adderall is &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adderall#Performance-enhancing_use" target="_blank"&gt;helping students study longer &lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/5Xwwk6dXVUU" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/5Xwwk6dXVUU/Cognitive-Modification.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Cognitive-Modification.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Bio-Distress (Trend)</title> <description>&lt;p&gt;Threats to our biological, ecological, and built environments drain resources and demand coordinated responses.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Climate Change &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Chronic Illness &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Food Insecurity &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Toxic Materials &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Urbanization &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Pandemics &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Pollution &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;Such threats pose complex challenges for schools and communities. The primary and secondary effects of climate change are disrupting the basic systems we rely upon. Unsustainable development and industrial processing are harming our bodies. Rising chronic illness requires new management strategies. Altogether, these forces are creating a feral environment.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Join a group for advocating children's health or environmental safety in schools, such as the &lt;a href="http://www.healthyschools.org/" target="_blank"&gt;Healthy Schools Network&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Learn about how &lt;a href="http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2008/me_iran0128_05_13.asp" target="_blank"&gt;Ug99&lt;/a&gt; is killing wheat plants across the world &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Explore ten &lt;a href="http://www.ecoliteracy.org/education/exemplars.html" target="_blank"&gt;key strategies &lt;/a&gt;to prevent obesity at schools &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/Qg_zr84FYWA" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/Qg_zr84FYWA/Bio-Distress.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Bio-Distress.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Whendidji.com (Signal)</title> <description>Whendidjii is a game of 'Who Did What, When?' Focused on collaboration as a key aim--the game allows learners and teachers to create their own content, publishable if desired.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/m19GlUbk2ek" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/m19GlUbk2ek/Whendidjicom.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Whendidjicom.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>McDonald's to use Nintendo DS as employee training tool (Signal)</title> <description>McDonald's is developing a training program for part-time employees to complete on the Nintendo DS called "eSmart." The company plans on placing two DS consoles in all 3,700 McDonald's locations in Japan this year, costing over $2.2 million.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/jychc7SlZh4" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/jychc7SlZh4/McDonalds-to-use-Nintendo-DS-as-employee-training-tool.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/McDonalds-to-use-Nintendo-DS-as-employee-training-tool.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>The Learning Games Network (Signal)</title> <description>This non-profit group, seeing little interest in educational games in the for-profit game industry, is organized to promote the development and dissemination of games for learning any subject from "electrostatics to Shakespeare."&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/xQcqeb5h1aI" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/xQcqeb5h1aI/The-Learning-Games-Network.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/The-Learning-Games-Network.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Simulation Platforms for Learning (Signal)</title> <description>Baltimore County students are exploring Mt. St. Helens through a 3D virtual environment developed at Johns Hopkins. Future plans include moon exploration.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/T_KiDk69Kho" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/T_KiDk69Kho/Simulation-Platforms-for-Learning.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Simulation-Platforms-for-Learning.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Pandemic Preparation (Signal)</title> <description>The Japanese government is working with a cell phone company to test the use of cell phones with GPS capabilities to monitor the movements of children exposed to the disease and follow up with messages to parents of other children they encountered while they were contagious.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/aiuvb_1qlVo" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/aiuvb_1qlVo/Pandemic-Preparation.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Pandemic-Preparation.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Anti-Bullying Game (Signal)</title> <description>Bridgewater-Raynham middle and high schools are using video games to teach students about the dangers of bullying on the Internet and in real life. "Braincells," a Canadian computer game, is helping Massachusetts students tackle cyber-bullying by showing them how to team up to stop bullies. In the first 10 days, the link to the game was shared among more than 1,000 schools in British Columbia and Massachusetts on the gaming site at braincells.net .&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/5BQ8lb47ujw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/5BQ8lb47ujw/Anti-Bullying-Game.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Anti-Bullying-Game.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Nintendo Wii Debuts in D.C. School (Signal)</title> <description>Representatives with Nintendo recently showed students how Wii worked at H.D. Cooke Elementary school, a D.C. Public School. Teachers say it will be used as a supplemental tool to get children more engaged in music. The Wii music program shows a renewed effort to make music an important part of the curriculum. The Wii music program will eventually be in 50 cities throughout the country.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/cH7wQJw4EIc" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/cH7wQJw4EIc/Nintendo-Wii-Debuts-in-DC-School-.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Nintendo-Wii-Debuts-in-DC-School-.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Age of Empires (Signal)</title> <description>Age of Empires I is not designed as an educational game, but players experience the management of resources starting from life in a Stone Age society 10,000 years ago. Games like this are part of the resources available for the creation of personal learning ecologies.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/vnspmjAOG2s" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/vnspmjAOG2s/Age-of-Empires-.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Age-of-Empires-.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>SimCity (Signal)</title> <description>SimCity is not designed as an educational game, but players have experiences in designing and executing strategy. Games like this are part of the resources available for the creation of personal learning ecologies.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/EwQ88Ms2VRE" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/EwQ88Ms2VRE/SimCity.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/SimCity.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>World of Warcraft (Signal)</title> <description>World of Warcraft is a popular simulation game. It is not designed for learning, but nonetheless can teach leadership. Games like this are part of the resources available for the creation of personal learning ecologies.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/ZFzMC-UypOg" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/ZFzMC-UypOg/World-of-Warcraft.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/World-of-Warcraft.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Darfur Is Dying (Signal)</title> <description>This game was the winner of a contest sponsored by the Reebok Human Rights Foundation, the International Crisis Group, and mtvU.  A player gets a glimpse of the challenges and threats faced by displaced people in Sudan. The site also offers opportunities to get involved by donating funds or signing petitions. Games like this are part of the resources available for the creation of personal learning ecologies.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/CtqfX0sVH-c" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/CtqfX0sVH-c/Darfur-Is-Dying.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Darfur-Is-Dying.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Serious Games Initiative (Signal)</title> <description>The Serious Games Initiative was founded at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington, D.C. Its purpose is to develop new policy tools using computer gaming technology, skills, and designs.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/LRyLvXs7kWY" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/LRyLvXs7kWY/Serious-Games-Initiative-.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Serious-Games-Initiative-.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Electrocity (Signal)</title> <description>This game is an online game in which players manage their own towns and cities, with an emphasis on energy, environmental management and sustainability in New Zealand. Games like this are part of the resources available for the creation of personal learning ecologies.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/_ZMGvNANB_A" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/_ZMGvNANB_A/Electrocity.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Electrocity.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Operation Climate Control (Signal)</title> <description>This game is an environment for students to deal with climate change. Games like this are part of the resources available for the creation of personal learning ecologies.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/1qw7Le1U4mk" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/1qw7Le1U4mk/Operation-Climate-Control-.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Operation-Climate-Control-.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Superstruct (Signal)</title> <description>Jane McGonigal is also the Director of Game Research and Development at the Institute for the Future, where she has introduced a massively multiplayer forecasting game. Games like this are part of the resources available for the creation of personal learning ecologies.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/YKbIZqu1oiQ" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/YKbIZqu1oiQ/Superstruct.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Superstruct.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Jane McGonigal and Avant Games (Signal)</title> <description>Jane McGonigal is a pioneer in the field of alternate reality gaming games that blend the game world with the real world. She designs games that are massively multiplayer, played in physical space, and designed to create collaborative communities. Such games are part of the resources available for the creation of personal learning ecologies. McGonigal was one of the minds behind World Without Oil.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/jkRTK-cQveE" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/jkRTK-cQveE/Jane-McGonigal-and-Avant-Games.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Jane-McGonigal-and-Avant-Games.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Games for Change (Signal)</title> <description> Games for Change (G4C) provides support, visibility and shared resources to organizations and individuals using digital games for social change. This community tracks emerging games focused on educating users about social issues from poverty to race to the environment. Such games are part of the resources available for the creation of personal learning ecologies.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/t38cGsjcMpo" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/t38cGsjcMpo/Games-for-Change.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Games-for-Change.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>World Without Oil (Signal)</title> <description>WWO was an open, massively collaborative alternate reality game in which participants explored what their lives would be like after peak oil (the point when oil production start to decline permanently). The  gamers uploaded podcasts, wrote blogs, and even organized local meetings, chronicling the participants various reactions and strategies in such circumstances. The website now includes education modules teachers can use to explore oil and energy issues. Games like this are part of the resources available for the creation of personal learning ecologies.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/e3Cq549fkww" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/e3Cq549fkww/World-Without-Oil.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/World-Without-Oil.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Learning Fitness Instructor (Learning Agent)</title> <description>Learning fitness instructors will help learners build and strengthen the basic cognitive, emotional, and social abilities essential to learning by using simulations, biofeedback, and hands-on activities to reduce stress, hone mental capabilities, and learn brain-friendly nutrition.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/2QFvzPiVC9A" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/2QFvzPiVC9A/Learning-Fitness-Instructor.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/learningagent/Learning-Fitness-Instructor.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Learning Partner (Learning Agent)</title> <description>Students who test for compatible personalities but who have different cognitive strengths will be matched to support each other throughout the year, maintaining a constant thread amid shifting peer relationships.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/WNSWts5tM8M" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/WNSWts5tM8M/Learning-Partner.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/learningagent/Learning-Partner.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Assessment Designer (Learning Agent)</title> <description>Using social networks and insights into cognitive functioning, assessment designers will create appropriate methods for evaluating media literacy, learning discovery journeys, and other innovative forms of instruction.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/ciqSEOHCyio" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/ciqSEOHCyio/Assessment-Designer.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/learningagent/Assessment-Designer.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Edu-vator (Learning Agent)</title> <description>Edu-vators will build platform prototypes, experiment with new tools, evaluate new practices, and generally explore innovations in the learning sphere. They will team with learners, who will get credit for being in  edu-vation workshops. &lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/ogvkpRTb-RA" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/ogvkpRTb-RA/Edu-vator.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/learningagent/Edu-vator.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives (Resource)</title> <description>John Palfrey, author of &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Born Digital&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;, discusses "Digital Natives" - children who were born into and rasied in the digital world - and the impact on their learning experiences.  The interview is part of a series of monthly webinars sponsred by PBS Teachers and Classroom 2.0.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/sISFpUMkSis" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/sISFpUMkSis/Born-Digital-Understanding-the-First-Generation-of-Digital-Natives.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Born-Digital-Understanding-the-First-Generation-of-Digital-Natives.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>What K-12 students think about education and technology (Resource)</title> <description>As part of the Future of Education Interview Series, Julie Evans speaks about the research Project Tomorrow found around students, education, and technology. Her research show why kids want to take online classes, and how they find gaming helpful in learning.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/lFINULDEai4" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/lFINULDEai4/What-K-12-students-think-about-education-and-technology.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/What-K-12-students-think-about-education-and-technology.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Modernizing Teaching Tools and Processes (Resource)</title> <description>This paper explores participants' perspectives from a convening hosted by KnowledgeWorks Foundation on the topic of "Modernizing Teaching Tools and Processes." In hosting this convening, KnowledgeWorks Foundation hoped to: 1) Examine how a variety of technologies are being used to meet the needs of today's learners, 2)Examine how technology can transform teaching and learning, 3) Identify the types of learning experiences our students need today and into the future, and 4) Identify programs, projects, and policies that can support learning experiences of the future.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/rZa7mI8Rpog" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/rZa7mI8Rpog/Modernizing-Teaching-Tools-and-Processes.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Modernizing-Teaching-Tools-and-Processes.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Jane McGonigal speaks on the skills students are learning from games (Resource)</title> <description>Jane McGonigal, Director of Game Research and Development at Institute for the Future, talks about the differences in the increased level of engagement and optimism students have with games over the classroom.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/gTeTj_D9QxI" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/gTeTj_D9QxI/Jane-McGonigal-speaks-on-the-skills-students-are-learning-from-games.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Jane-McGonigal-speaks-on-the-skills-students-are-learning-from-games.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Mark Gibson says we need to look to gaming for ways to imporve education (Resource)</title> <description>Mark Gibson, an independent marketing consultant focused on education, says we will take lessons learned and experiences held from gaming and online communities and apply them to education.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/8qZJePrkIBo" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/8qZJePrkIBo/Mark-Gibson-says-we-need-to-look-to-gaming-for-ways-to-imporve-education.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Mark-Gibson-says-we-need-to-look-to-gaming-for-ways-to-imporve-education.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Future of Education Community (Resource)</title> <description>This community is devoted to providing an opportunity for those who care about education to share their voices and ideas with others. It's a place for thoughtful discussion on an incredibly important topic.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/WTx4ZblAkvw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/WTx4ZblAkvw/Future-of-Education-Community.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Future-of-Education-Community.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Videogames Have Changed: Time To Consider  Serious Games?' (Resource)</title> <description>Benjamin Stokes of NetAid explores three educational opportunities in games  raising public awareness, affecting behavior, and empowering learners. Stokes also discusses collaborative ways to move the agenda forward.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/A3e3nzPINwg" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/A3e3nzPINwg/Videogames-Have-Changed-Time-To-Consider-e28098Serious-Games.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Videogames-Have-Changed-Time-To-Consider-e28098Serious-Games.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>World Without Oil (Resource)</title> <description>This alternate reality game pulls people into alife where oil rises to $7 a gallaon. How will people react? How will the prepare? Participants post videos, blogs, and images as they prepare for a world without oil.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/JOd2KU4v5uw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/JOd2KU4v5uw/World-Without-Oil.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/World-Without-Oil.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Video Games Can Aid Students, Surgeons, Promote Pr (Resource)</title> <description>Researchers gathered in Boston for the American Psychological Association convention to explain studies suggesting video games can be powerful learning tools, from increasing younger students' problem-solving potential to improving the suturing skills of laparoscopic surgeons. One study even looked at whether playing "World of Warcraft," the world's biggest multiplayer online game, can improve scientific thinking. In a Fordham Univ. study, 122 students in 5th, 6th, and 7th grades had to think out loud for 20 minutes while playing a game they had never seen before. Researchers studied the students statements to see if the game improved cognitive and perceptual skills. Younger children showed more interest in setting up a series of short-term goals needed to help them learn the game. They also focused more on their planning and problem-solving while they played the game. Older students were thinking less strategically than the younger kids. Studies by Iowa State Univ. psychologist Douglas Gentile and Dr. James Rosser, head of minimally invasive surgery at Boston s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, compared surgeons who play video games to those who don't. Laparoscopic procedures require small incisions, thin surgical tools, and video cameras to see inside the body. How much they played video games was a better predictor of skills than years of training and number of surgeries performed.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/Gt8hxXgNiZ4" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/Gt8hxXgNiZ4/Video-Games-Can-Aid-Students2c-Surgeons2c-Promote-Pr.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Video-Games-Can-Aid-Students2c-Surgeons2c-Promote-Pr.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>ZeniMax Goes Virtual With New Game Studio (Resource)</title> <description>ZeniMax Media of Rockville said yesterday that it was opening a new game-design studio with the aim of tapping into the booming market for computer games that are played in online virtual worlds. The new operation, ZeniMax Online Studios, will be in Hunt Valley, Md., outside Baltimore, and develop "massively multiplayer" games in which players pay monthly subscription fees to manage the virtual lives of their characters and interact with other players. The most successful example of the genre, World of Warcraft, has 9 million subscribers worldwide. ZeniMax, by contrast, is best known for the single-player games produced by its Bethesda Softworks studio that do not feature online interactivity. The studio's next game, set in a radioactive and bombed-out version of the District, is scheduled for release next year&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/oqgqT5p7aWY" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/oqgqT5p7aWY/ZeniMax-Goes-Virtual-With-New-Game-Studio.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/ZeniMax-Goes-Virtual-With-New-Game-Studio.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>New Kid on the Blox (Resource)</title> <description>Boom Blox is the first of three games from Steven Spielberg to be published by Electronic Arts under a deal he signed with the company in 2005. The game publisher has not revealed many details about the other two titles. Spielberg's new title is a family-friendly game centered on the low-key destructive kicks that come from knocking down toy fortresses and towers made out of toy blocks. To play, a user points the Wii's controller at the screen and makes flinging motions with his arm to wreak some G-rated havoc with the game's virtual baseballs or other projectiles. Spielberg is said to be a fan of "action" games such as an epic sci-fi adventure game called Crysis. But he felt like there was a void between him and his kids when it came to video games.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/K-n3_UiSfjM" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/K-n3_UiSfjM/New-Kid-on-the-Blox.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/New-Kid-on-the-Blox.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>IBM Executive Calls For "Virtual Planet" (Resource)</title> <description>Nick Donofrio, IBM s exec. vice president, innovation and technology, is calling for the creation of what he termed "a virtual planet" where rival virtual worlds are more interlinked, so users in one virtual world can take assets they create and move them to other worlds. IBM urges its partners to take more advantage of virtual meetings and training and has set up a special PartnerWorld island in Second Life for their meetings&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/xUMGLMbyesM" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/xUMGLMbyesM/IBM-Executive-Calls-For-Virtual-Planet.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/IBM-Executive-Calls-For-Virtual-Planet.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Here Be Dragons, Through Nikolas Schiller's Eye, A (Resource)</title> <description>Nikolas Schiller, 26, goes to the source, the bird's-eye rendering of America placed in the public domain by the U.S. Geological Survey. Then it gets complicated. On his computer he will take a swatch of a neighborhood, then he will tessellate it by creating mirrored repetitions, then he may impose radial geometry on the repetitions. The result is elaborate abstraction assembled from realistic detail, ready for framing at 5 by 3 1/2 feet. "It's just a cool idea," says Dave Roberts, a USGS cartographer. "I've never seen anything like that before." USGS employs contractors flying airplanes to get the pictures. Some cities were shot in 2005, but the D.C. imagery is circa 2002. Schiller will have to wait for the next flyover in a few years to make a map revealing his rooftop declaration of "No war." "He's at the cutting edge between cartography, art, visualization . . . helping people look at the Earth in new ways," says Joseph Kerski, a former USGS cartographer.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/RQvst5nu52c" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/RQvst5nu52c/Here-Be-Dragons2c-Through-Nikolas-Schillers-Eye2c-A.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Here-Be-Dragons2c-Through-Nikolas-Schillers-Eye2c-A.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Copyright Warnings Disputed (Resource)</title> <description>Google, Microsoft and other computer-industry companies contest what they say are excessive copyright-violation warnings by media providers, including film studios, sports leagues and publishers. The Computer and Communications Industry Assoc. filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, to get copyright holders to stop issuing misleading warnings with movies, games, and books. The conflict stems from interpretations of how to use copyrighted works without an owner's permission. Web sites such as Google's YouTube make it easier for consumers to share such material, prompting efforts by filmmakers, publishers and sports leagues to protect their property.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/IllZKzCPe2w" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/IllZKzCPe2w/Copyright-Warnings-Disputed.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Copyright-Warnings-Disputed.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Casual Friday: Virtual Vacationing (Resource)</title> <description>Rising fuel prices may force vacationers to take staycations instead. Staycation = "A vacation that is spent at one's home enjoying all that home and one's home environs offer." -- Urban Dictionary First stop, the airport, Microsoft Flight Simulator, at least. Going cross-country in-game can take hours, so hit autopilot and read a book or catch a movie. 1000 miles of Hawaiian roads await you in Test Drive Unlimited. Go to a beach, sit there and read a book as you hear the waves roll in. Want to go on a trip with some friends? Buy a couple extra copies and meet up online. South America is beautiful this time of year, so visit some exotic locales. Over 250,000 lush acres are simulated in this huge, open environment. You have many ways to g see the sights: paragliding, sky diving, jet-skiing and base-jumping, etc. Like Test Drive Unlimited, the Just Cause game is a little older, so a quick online search should find a copy for cheap. Play darts in a dingy club. Shoot pool, go bowling, do some shopping in midtown via Grand Theft Auto IV. GTA's Liberty City is a reflection of New York, with attention to detail.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/jdtoglxug94" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/jdtoglxug94/Casual-Friday-Virtual-Vacationing.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Casual-Friday-Virtual-Vacationing.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Bethesda Board-Game Maker Enters Cyberspace (Resource)</title> <description>Like most board games, the trivia game, Wits &amp; Wagers, was designed to be played around a table. Now, a new version will let Xbox-owning players challenge one another around the world. Bethesda's North Star Games will debut on Microsoft's video game console, with the company's flagship trivia title as a $10 download from Microsoft's online service. The online release is part of efforts to make Wits &amp; Wagers a household name.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/QQ2JNjCU9H8" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/QQ2JNjCU9H8/Bethesda-Board-Game-Maker-Enters-Cyberspace.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Bethesda-Board-Game-Maker-Enters-Cyberspace.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>GAO Report: Schools Need More Training on Handling (Resource)</title> <description>Many of the nation's public schools are short on both the equipment and expertise they would need in case of a full-scale terrorist attack, natural disaster or biohazard emergency, a government report says. In many cases, schools have never trained alongside local emergency response teams, and in a few districts, school officials won't even be able to use their walkie-talkies to communicate with first responders during an emergency, says the new 50-state study conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The findings are part of testimony delivered May 17, 2007 before the House Homeland Security Committee, which is looking into school preparedness and emergency responses. The GAO, Congress' watchdog agency, surveyed school districts nationwide and found that:&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/euIHAVq0giU" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/euIHAVq0giU/GAO-Report-Schools-Need-More-Training-on-Handling.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/GAO-Report-Schools-Need-More-Training-on-Handling.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Classrooms of the Future (Resource)</title> <description>Virtual teachers provide instruction in language skills to the military. W. Lewis Johnson, a professor at the University of Southern California has developed  Steve  Soar Training Expert for Virtual Environments as a computer-animated persona who guides students through a virtual environment. Steve can use his gaze and gestures to direct students attention. Johnson s latest venture is a company called Alelo, which teaches battlefield language skills. Alelo s programs combine the linguistic and speech recognition skills of Steve with the virtual environments developed for 3D Games. Ben du Boulay at the Univ. of Sussex is working on applications which can supplement normal teaching. A math teaching program called  Homework was field-tested across Sussex primary schools with great success. The ability to maintain an exact and accurate record of student knowledge, concentrate precisely on areas where students are weakest, and adjust questions to a student s demonstrated ability gives computer programs have an advantage over teachers. New research is exploring how computers can detect motivation levels and encourage learners when their attention seems to be lagging. The newest area is research into whether computer games capacity to engross children can be harnessed successfully. New Visions for Public Schools, an American educational charity, has hired a games designer to integrate computer games into all parts of the curriculum. Researchers at MIT have even envisioned the replacement of the classroom with small, single-teacher schools, where the teacher becomes a kind of director guiding students through different software-based tasks.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/cWEN7Jp24w8" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/cWEN7Jp24w8/Classrooms-of-the-Future.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Classrooms-of-the-Future.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Virtual Worlds Pose Business Risks - (Resource)</title> <description>Gartner research analyst, Steve Prentice, who recently published an in-depth study on virtual worlds, said virtual worlds can pose problems to security, access management, confidentiality, and corporate image, but shouldn't be automatically written off as time-wasting games. Large companies are beginning to take virtual worlds seriously, with enterprises such as Intel, IBM and Sun setting up virtual offices in Second Life, and using it to hold press conferences and even internal meetings. Dell uses Second Life to allow customers to build custom PCs and then order the real thing, while US retailer Best Buy uses its Second Life facility to give customers access to troubleshooting experts, and Cisco hosts virtual user-group meetings at its Second Life HQ.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/kKbMV8H-wYI" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/kKbMV8H-wYI/Virtual-Worlds-Pose-Business-Risks--.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Virtual-Worlds-Pose-Business-Risks--.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Serious Games for Global Education (Resource)</title> <description>The Serious Games Initiative is focused on uses for games in exploring management and leadership challenges facing the public sector. Part of its overall charter is to help forge productive links between the electronic game industry and projects involving the use of games in education, training, health, and public policy.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/7M-meLHfeBI" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/7M-meLHfeBI/Serious-Games-for-Global-Education.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Serious-Games-for-Global-Education.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>P.E. Classes Turn to Video Game That Works Legs (Resource)</title> <description>Children yell in excitement when they are let into class at a West Virginia middle school gym. At least several hundred schools in at least 10 states are now using Dance Dance Revolution, or D.D.R., as a regular part of their physical education curriculum and as the latest weapon in the nation's battle against the epidemic of childhood obesity. Incorporating D.D.R. into gym class is part of a general shift in physical education, with school districts de-emphasizing traditional sports in favor of less competitive activities.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/tgOtr1xm0XQ" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/tgOtr1xm0XQ/PE-Classes-Turn-to-Video-Game-That-Works-Legs.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/PE-Classes-Turn-to-Video-Game-That-Works-Legs.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>In an Era of School Shootings, a New Drill (Resource)</title> <description>Many schools are preparing for unusual emergencies: bomb threats, hazardous material spills, shelter-in-place preparation (students would use schools as shelters if a dirty bomb s plume were dangerously close) and armed, roaming sociopaths. School administrators and police officers push increased emergency preparedness efforts, as many states encourage schools to practice for dire situations. Kenneth Trump, pres. of National School Safety &amp; Security Services, a private company that counsels campuses on how to prepare for emergencies, sees a  tremendous lack of training particularly for school secretaries, bus drivers, and other support staff. Since Sept. 11, more people have been killed in school buildings than in terrorist attacks in this country.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/wijGhL7xYyQ" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/wijGhL7xYyQ/In-an-Era-of-School-Shootings2c-a-New-Drill.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/In-an-Era-of-School-Shootings2c-a-New-Drill.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Games for Global Education (Resource)</title> <description>In the June 2005 edition of the Development Education Journal, NetAid s Benjamin Stokes reports on the potential of  serious games to teach global citizenship. Readers can find out how digital games can help educators fight global poverty.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/Hs_-cGfDbjw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/Hs_-cGfDbjw/Games-for-Global-Education.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Games-for-Global-Education.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Experience Science First-Hand with Field Trips (Resource)</title> <description>A collection of hands-on experiential science projects&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/Df1jEQiAWww" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/Df1jEQiAWww/Experience-Science-First-Hand-with-Field-Trips.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Experience-Science-First-Hand-with-Field-Trips.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Institute for the Future Technology Horizons Program (Resource)</title> <description>Given concerns for security, flexibility, and health risks, centralized infrastructure will no longer be key to economic progress. New materials and technologies will make it possible to use more flexible infrastructures for transportation, people and information.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/dN6ydLNX_50" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/dN6ydLNX_50/Institute-for-the-Future-Technology-Horizons-Program.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Institute-for-the-Future-Technology-Horizons-Program.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Second Life, IBM in Open Borders for Virtual World (Resource)</title> <description>IBM and Linden announced a partnership work on ways to let people use a single online persona in different online services. Interoperability is emerging as a key goal of the virtual world industry, attracting millions of dollars in the hopes that video-game graphics and rich 3-D environments will supplant flat Web pages. The partnership was announced before a virtual worlds conference in San Jose, Calif. where presenters discussed the formation of industry standards. Participants were start-ups but also included heavyweights like Cisco, as well as software and entertainment giants Microsoft, and Sony. The event is seen as something of a coming-of-age milestone for an industry that is starting to be taken seriously as a provider of useful business tools and not just a quirky offshoot of the video game sector.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/xPthc6vQbdc" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/xPthc6vQbdc/Second-Life2c-IBM-in-Open-Borders-for-Virtual-World.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Second-Life2c-IBM-in-Open-Borders-for-Virtual-World.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>One Laptop Per Child Book &amp; Music Drive and XO Hackathon (Resource)</title> <description>SJ Klein, director of community content for OLPC notes a collaboration between One Laptop per Child, Creative Commons, and Textbookrevolution.org.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/VSEbJAgHfM8" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/VSEbJAgHfM8/One-Laptop-Per-Child-Book--Music-Drive-and-XO-Hackathon.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/One-Laptop-Per-Child-Book--Music-Drive-and-XO-Hackathon.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Video game. Educational tool? (Resource)</title> <description>Computer and video game-like productions could become major new tools in higher education. Researchers are finding that simulation and role-playing games are powerful educational tools for building vocabulary, reasoning and social skills.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/eS2mDznNlAc" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/eS2mDznNlAc/Video-game-Educational-tool.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Video-game-Educational-tool.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>John Moravec's Chart of Education 3.0 Features (Resource)</title> <description>This chart depicts a networked education system in an open learning economy...&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/q5BzZn3qbik" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/q5BzZn3qbik/John-Moravecs-Chart-of-Education-30-Features.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/John-Moravecs-Chart-of-Education-30-Features.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Dance Dance DNA (Resource)</title> <description>Photograph and link to explain the use of kinetic learning at an exhibit at the Scripps Aquarium near San Diego, devoted to teaching kids about science.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/dLBadjxpqRQ" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/dLBadjxpqRQ/Dance-Dance-DNA.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Dance-Dance-DNA.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Technology Helps Reform Large Lectures (Resource)</title> <description>At Virginia Tech, students in most introductory math courses work through problems individually at one of 500 computer workstations in a giant room that is open 24 hours a day. And at hundreds of colleges nationwide, professors use personal response systems technology, or "clickers," to gauge whether students understand important concepts before moving on. These are just some of the ways colleges and universities are striving to transform large lectures into more personal experiences for students and technology is playing a key role in such reforms.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/Fiubvecj3tY" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/Fiubvecj3tY/Technology-Helps-Reform-Large-Lectures.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Technology-Helps-Reform-Large-Lectures.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Students Want More Use of Gaming Technology (Resource)</title> <description>Educators are missing chances to capitalize on students' appetite for electronic games and simulations to teach them about core curriculum topic. Project Tomorrow's  Speak Up survey shows a disconnection between students' and adults' views on technology in schools. The survey reveals that online or electronic gaming is a technology that students use often, and that educational gaming is the emerging technology that students most want to see implemented in their schools. Yet, only 10% of the teachers adopted gaming as an instructional tool. 64% of students in grades K-12 say they play online or electronic-based games regularly. On average across all grade levels, students play electronic games 8-10 hours weekly. 50% of students in grades 3-12 want more educational gaming in their schools yet only 19% of parents and 15% of administrators favor the idea. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) sees the potential for gaming technologies in education. Tabula Digita makes a series of immersive educational video games, called DimensionM, designed to help students to master key algebraic concepts. Students can play in a single-player format or a tournament-style format with students in their class, district, or around the world. The software also correlates with both NCTM and state standards. Nearly 2/3 of middle and high school students said  let me use my own laptop or cell phone at school. 50% want to access their school work and related software applications and projects from any computer on the school s network and have unlimited internet access while on campus.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/FeawzDImqCM" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/FeawzDImqCM/Students-Want-More-Use-of-Gaming-Technology.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Students-Want-More-Use-of-Gaming-Technology.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Online Safety: Dispelling Common Myths (Resource)</title> <description>At the recent 2008 National Educational Computing Conference (NECC), with more than 18,000 educators, technology coordinators, policy makers, and administrators attending, a panel of internet safety experts agreed that education is the best tool to keep kids safe online&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/9mW30QZbdf0" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/9mW30QZbdf0/Online-Safety-Dispelling-Common-Myths.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Online-Safety-Dispelling-Common-Myths.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Feds Tout Computerized Tests for Key Skills (Resource)</title> <description>A federal report funded by the National Center for Education Statistics says computer-based testing holds promise for measuring "21st-century" and higher-order thinking skills that cannot be measured easily via traditional pencil-and-paper exams. Researchers noted, however, that the U.S. may be years away from developing the infrastructure to support such testing.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/YOL9Y2ZXPx0" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/YOL9Y2ZXPx0/Feds-Tout-Computerized-Tests-for-Key-Skills.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Feds-Tout-Computerized-Tests-for-Key-Skills.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Creating the 21st-Century Classroom (Resource)</title> <description>Preparing today s youths will require a new kind of teaching and learning. Skills such as global literacy, computer literacy, problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, and innovation are critical in an increasingly interconnected workforce and society. Technology is the catalyst to change the classroom. In a 21st-century learning environment, all students are able to learn. Project-based learning lets them acquire skills in real-world scenarios. Also, integration of video and other media support instruction to link students with outside resources and lets teachers address many learning styles at once. The 21st-century learning environment creates teachable moments. This site has pertinent articles with examples and explanations.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/TXFZoFqVjOY" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/TXFZoFqVjOY/Creating-the-21st-Century-Classroom.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Creating-the-21st-Century-Classroom.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Animal-Rights Groups Push for Virtual Dissection (Resource)</title> <description>Animal-rights organizations are using software donations and outreach efforts to spur interest in the use of "virtual dissection" tools among schools-- adding a new chapter in the debate over whether these tools offer a viable option for teaching biology. Mandates in 14 states that allow biology students to opt out of dissection without jeopardizing their grades are fueling interest in virtual dissection as an alternative for teaching anatomy. Virtual dissection software, such as The Digital Frog, is an alternative for students who find dissection repulsive, and it can save schools money. Besides the SPCA, the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS)--a Chicago-based nonprofit organization--also is dedicated to this cause. NAVS sponsors the Biology Education Advancement Program (BioLEAP), a library of state-of-the-art dissection alternatives, available on a free loan basis to students, teachers, school boards, and others interested in advancing science education without harming animals. NAVS does not produce its own software, but the group promotes The Digital Frog and other programs from sources such as Dissection Works, Thieme Interactive, Ventura Educational Systems, the UC-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and Nebraska Scientific.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/L0wLVOG08MA" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/L0wLVOG08MA/Animal-Rights-Groups-Push-for-Virtual-Dissection.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Animal-Rights-Groups-Push-for-Virtual-Dissection.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Balancing the Risks and Benefits of Social Network (Resource)</title> <description>This article from the California Schools Boards Association discusses the risks and benefits of social networking web sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, for high school students. Although risks include online pedophiles and cyber-bullying, these sites can also be used to enhance learning through discussion blogs and opportunities to write for real audiences.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/6jqMJkt1szQ" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/6jqMJkt1szQ/Balancing-the-Risks-and-Benefits-of-Social-Network.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Balancing-the-Risks-and-Benefits-of-Social-Network.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>A Knockout of a Workout (Resource)</title> <description>The Wii is a video-game system that is taking on new life as a fitness tool, thanks to its use of hand-held motion controllers and its release of tennis, golf, bowling and baseball programs as well as boxing. The hand units substitute full arm and body motions for the notorious thumb-driven controllers that helped plant a generation of kids on the couch while the Mario Brothers and Donkey Kong did all the work. Retirement homes are starting Wii bowling leagues; the New York Times recently reported that gym programs in at least 10 state school systems are using Dance Dance Revolution, a video game that is kind of like Twister set to music -- and it can't be long before one of the gym chains builds the Wii into its equipment. The technology is here, and it could offer a real contribution to fitness among sedentary adults, among the elderly, and among kids. Fitness-themed software, called WiiFit, is due for release in Japan this year and should be out in the United States in 2008.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/9bT78JSslWk" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/9bT78JSslWk/A-Knockout-of-a-Workout.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/A-Knockout-of-a-Workout.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Second Life: It's Not a Game (Resource)</title> <description>A description from CNN's Senior Editor, David Kirkpatrick on why many senior leaders in the technology industry believe Second Life could be a gold mine. Could it also revolutionize the way we conduct education, libraries, museums, learning? Yes.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/yJmIQbK8wKA" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/yJmIQbK8wKA/Second-Life-Its-Not-a-Game.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Second-Life-Its-Not-a-Game.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Government Grant to Preserve Virtual Worlds (Resource)</title> <description>The Library of Congress announced last week that it had awarded a two-year $590,000 grant to several institutions to help preserve online games and virtual worlds. The project, Preserving Virtual Worlds, seeks to develop archiving methods for early digital games, electronic literature, and virtual worlds. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Maryland s Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities, the Rochester Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and Linden Lab, creator of the virtual world Second Life are leading the project. The grant is part of a broader effort by the Library of Congress to preserve content that was created in digital formats.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/CIwXW1PdaY0" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/CIwXW1PdaY0/Government-Grant-to-Preserve-Virtual-Worlds.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Government-Grant-to-Preserve-Virtual-Worlds.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Class, Take Out Your Games (Resource)</title> <description>This article from Business Week online tells how teachers are using computer games to pique the interest of tech-savvy kids.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/7lqAQ_vSQkY" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/7lqAQ_vSQkY/Class2c-Take-Out-Your-Games.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Class2c-Take-Out-Your-Games.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>New Book: Born Digital (Resource)</title> <description>The first generation of  Digital Natives  children born into and raised in the digital world  are coming of age, and soon our world will be reshaped in their image. The book is a product of the Digital Natives project, a collaboration of the Berkman Center for Internet &amp; Society at Harvard University and the Research Center for Information Law at the University of St. Gallen. In Born Digital, leading Internet and technology experts John Palfrey and Urs Gasser offer a sociological portrait of these young people. What does identity mean for those who have dozens of online profiles and avatars? Is privacy even a relevant concern for them? How does the concept of safety translate into an increasingly virtual world? Are online games addictive? What is the Internet's impact on creativity and learning? What lies ahead  socially, professionally, and psychologically  for this generation?&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/0wM0yX___1o" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/0wM0yX___1o/New-Book-Born-Digital.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/New-Book-Born-Digital.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>A Call to Fund the Young and Risky (Resource)</title> <description>In a recent white paper,  ARISE: Advancing Research in Science and Engineering from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a coalition of researchers urged greater commitment among policy makers, universities, and private donors to support scientists early in their careers and encourage potentially  high-risk, high-reward ventures. The report offered recommendations to alter longstanding federal funding and peer-review mechanisms and foster a new generation of scientists and stimulate the daring investigations that will generate competitive advantage in a global economy.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/vXuYGnY234E" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/vXuYGnY234E/A-Call-to-Fund-the-Young-and-Risky.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/A-Call-to-Fund-the-Young-and-Risky.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Ed Jones said...</title> <description>How do we bridge the gaps between developers and teachers? Students want the games, we know. Teachers' time is very limited. We have the old-skool textbook publishers, who try to create some simple interactive for every third lesson. The results are not deep, not innovative, and not engaging. We have the game console people with the odd full featured video game which impart some skill and some content, but mix the two with much fiction. We have computer games people like Muzzy Lane with it's Making History, again in order to make payroll blending in fiction. Finally, we have the big TV content producers like PBS and BBC who tried to adapt games, and did well with narrow, rich content, but sort of moved on after the fad ended and the funding, cost, and use did not match. What seems to be being used is teachers making the class into a game on their own, as at mrroughton.com. How do we get independent developers the opportunity to work with teachers and students? I'm thinking Ohio's new Flexible Credits law could be of some legal help. Its nice to think that one's game could be turned in for credit absent it being in the lesson plan of the month. Still, there's work to be done by the foundations and intermediaries. Money for educational gaming is still extremely tight. We can look at the Hastac competition as a fairly rare and minimally funded example of funding for game developers. And there's some Web 2.0 infrastructure to be build too. Jane talks here of collaboration. At classroom 2.0, teachers collaborate in a way as to the general use of all kinds of resources. There's much still to be done. Beyond the NING discussion type platform, I'm thinking there is new social-media type infrastructure which could be built to aid teachers in sharing and improving and combining online gaming.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~4/N-mSWCPoIaw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Games-as-Practice/~3/N-mSWCPoIaw/Games-as-Practice.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Games-as-Practice.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> </channel> </rss>