A decent introduction, with rich links. Nothing really new, though. The problem, as experts like Ultima creator Richard Garriott and Infocom veteran Steve Meretzky explain in a recent documentary, is that gaming is a relatively young field. Game makers still haven’t mastered their craft the way artists, playwrights and filmmakers have. When compared to more…
A note on the conference room door says the Serious Games SIG will be meeting at the Bedford party. I was actually kind of looking forward to attending the SIG instead of the party. Oh, well. Similar:No, Dr. Seuss is not being "banned" or "censored" — but Dr. Seuss Enterprises is voluntar…It’s nothing new that…
Here are my rough notes, almost liveblogged (posted when I passed through the lobby and had momentary access to WiFi). Laura K. Smith, journalism; TV news background and PR. English and communication arts program. Journalism and j-education going through turmoil as the profession changes in life-altering ways. Technology, convergence, multi platform; changes in our revenue…
We are mindful that questions have been raised about the educational value of an approach to learning so heavily dependent on the experimental use of a very new piece of mobile technology—skeptics have called the iPad a gimmick, a marketing tool, a toy, or a passing technology whim. Yet our faculty and staff believe that…
Overheard as people settle in… “Are we ARGing or LARPing?” These are my rough notes, very lightly edited. Looks like 50 or 60 people — a good crowd. Liz Losh and Bonnie Lenore Kyburz are presenting in separate panels elsewhere… I hope somebody’s blogging there. Chair Matt Davis Samantha Blackmon Designing Education: What Video Game…
These are very rough notes; not liveblogged, but posted as I walked through the lobby and got a free wifi connection. SRO Scott Geisel, “Analytical Steps toward Creating Self-Sufficient Writers: Rubrics, Peer Response, and Self Assessment” (Comp and business writing.) There isn’t much research into peer review. Cindy Selfe: “I can’t believe we’re still asking…
I am in Atlanta for the big annual conference for writing teachers. I did not attend last year because of a family conflict, but I have attended (and presented in some manner) almost every year since… hm… I’d have to look on my c.v., which I can’t do because the WiFi access is restricted. I…
I’m very interested in this, since I’m hoping to teach “Video Game Culture and Theory” again this January. Atari’s Greatest Hits brings the best of retro gaming to iOS with 100 Classic Atari Games. This suite brings you the hottest Arcade and 2600 titles from Atari. For those who love the classic gaming experience this…
Just stumbled across the wonderful “Story of the Week” web page, from the Library of America (publishers of the ubiquitous black-with-a-red-white-and-blue-ribbon classics). The current run of baseball-themed stories aren’t really my thing, but the archives go back to 2009. Further exploration of the site led to this thoughtful response to “Bartleby the Scrivener,” a precursor…
I realize that video-chatting teenagers everywhere already know this, but last night, while holing up in my hotel and preparing for the Conference on College Composition and Communication, I checked in with my family by video call. My wife, who usually doesn’t really care for computers at all, was interested enough to hang around for…
Striking story of how, on the very spot where African captives first landed in the American colonies in 1619, slaves who had been forced to build fortifications for the Confederate Army claimed asylum on Union soil. Back at Monroe — dubbed “the freedom fort” — fugitives continued arriving daily. Each morning, dozens lined up to…
Interesting exploration of correlation vs. causation, on a topic that will likely appeal to freshmen. They called 106 teenagers on special cellphones as many as 60 times over eight weeks and asked what they were doing. About half of the teens had been diagnosed with clinical depression by a psychiatrist. When called, the teenagers reported…
At the Mariott Marquis in Atlanta. A citadel of formed concrete. I’m in a Half Life 2 state of mind. Your browser does not support the video tag Similar:In Which I Ask a Hard-working Journalism Student to Consider UndeadlinesA student recorded this interaction on h…AestheticsI just looked up the context for the bald guy dropping…
I wore out my key to the media cabinet. It snapped right off in the lock. Similar:Culture Desk: My Life in PencilsDevotees of the Blackwing had been payin…AestheticsThe GE Mascot That Proves They've Never Seen 'The Matrix'On a scale of 1 to 10, this definitely r…AestheticsThe Current War (Quantum Theatre Musical)Waiting for The Current War…
The move would transform the electronic market and add to Rowling’s already impressive net worth. J.K. Rowling is considering releasing digital versions of her lucrative Harry Potter books. Though she has declined eBook deals for years, her agent Neil Blair now says, “The e-book format is now something that is being actively considered,” according to the…
via YouTube – Complete History Of The Soviet Union, Arranged To The Melody Of Tetris. Similar:You'll Cry When You See This One-footed Penguin Rescue the Blind Vegetarian Orphans Who Ru… Watch A Trailblazer Become An Inspir…HomeHypertext as a Teaching Tool — Brown University Poetry Classroom 1974This short film documents an early attem…AcademiaYour Brain Does Not…
Here’s an interesting reflection — are iPads worth the extra cost, when compared to netbooks? EdReach says no. (More on that later.) At Seton Hill, students get a very nice MacBook (and they trade up after two years), as well as an iPad. It’s been great being at a university that is so supportive of…
Okay, this one was cute, too. Top 5 Viral Pictures of 1911. Similar:dungeon.jpg (JPEG Image, 2535×1616 pixels)Great Zork map.AestheticsThe Interactive Fiction CompetitionDownload and Play The Games of the 2014 …Current_EventsIf you like to play with words, good newsI wish there were a secret day between F…CultureDesert Bus: The Worst Video Game Ever CreatedPenn and Teller…
One of the better April 1 gags I’ve seen in a while. Love the “lick a stamp and place it down” gesture. Gmail Motion BETA. Similar:Sesame Street had a big plot twist in November 1986My older siblings say they remember our …CulturePreview of "The Fantasticks" (thanks, Tribune-Review, for covering the arts community)For Luisa, Jerz’s character, “the…
Why read? You’d think that with the e-book and the Internet, with Google searching and channel surfing, the experience of curling up with a good book is as archaic as a buggy ride. You’d think, too, that with graphic novels and celebrity memoirs, and with Wikipedia offering their entries in “simple English,” the very idea…