Technologies for Creative Learning

Thank you so much for your wonderful presentations today. Here's a summary of the groups and their presentation topics:

• David, Chris, Stacy
  Second Language Acquisition in Sierra Leone Using Computer Assisted Technology
• Derek
  Play-Doh-Mation
• Eyal, Steve
  Coda
• Gaia
  Scratch Apps: A Mobile App Extension for Scratch
• Gracie
  An Ethnographic Approach to Evaluating Teacher Comfort and Confidence Teaching Scratch
• Hannah, Bridget, Zach
  Illuminate: A Creative and Interactive Science Museum Exhibit
• Jason, Misha
  The Meta-­Design of a Prototype Adventure for a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game for STEM Learning
• Jennifer
  Sentiment Analysis in Online DIY Electronics Communities
• Micah
  Autism and Related Technologies
• Nathan
  Five Types of Creative Debugging
• Tiffany
  Designing, Documenting, Contributing: Sharing Design Projects Online
• Vanessa
  Remixing As Peer Feedback
• Sofia
  Concept and Design Process of a Mathematical Coloring Set

Just a reminder that our final class is Tuesday, December 13 from 9am to 12pm, with lunch provided.

The schedule for Tuesday is:
9:00 - 10:00: Reflection and discussion of major themes from the course and next steps
10:00 - 11:00: Three-minute presentations
11:00 - 12:00: Lunch and informal post-presentation discussions

Things for you to please do in preparation for class:

• Submit a copy of any materials (slides, images, videos) that you'll be projecting during the three-minute presentation to kbrennan@media.mit.edu before class starts on Tuesday
• Submit an electronic copy (Microsoft Word, .doc) of your final paper to mas714-staff@media.mit.edu before class starts on Tuesday
• Submit a hard copy (double-spaced) of your final paper at the start of class

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to let us know...

Our final class is Tuesday, December 13 from 9am to 12pm, with lunch provided.

It's an opportunity for us to share our work and to celebrate. Please bring a hard copy (double-spaced) of your paper to class and submit an electronic copy (Microsoft Word, .doc) to mas714-staff@media.mit.edu before class starts on Tuesday.

As we discussed in class today, we want the final session to be an interesting and valuable experience for you. In the comments area below, please suggest your preference for format. For example, we could structure the final session as:

• a series of short final project presentations
• a poster and demo session of final projects
• a combination of presentations and posters
• a discussion of course themes
• something else

Please let us know your preference by this Thursday morning (December 1).

By request of Nathan, this is a thread dedicated to coordinating the Creative Learning Social.

For this week, we're asking you to provide feedback on two other project outlines. Find your name in the list and provide feedback to the two people following you. (E.g. David provides feedback to Jason and Stephen. Gaia provides feedback to Sofia and David.) Leave your feedback on the outlines from last week, available at http://mas714.media.mit.edu/node/109.

• David Sengeh
• Jason Haas
• Stephen Bresnick
• Jennifer Jacobs
• Micah Eckhardt
• Vanessa Gennarelli
• Hannah Krakauer
• Misha Sra
• Gracie Elqura
• J. Nathan Matias
• Chris Mosier
• Bridget Binstock
• Derek Ham
• Eyal Shahar
• Tiffany Tseng
• Zachary Kaiser
• Stacy Rush
• Gaia Carini
• Sofia Rebeca Berinstein

Final Project Timeline:

• Nov 29: Feedback on others' outlines due
• Dec 13: Project presentations
• Dec 13: Project papers due (10 pages)

Find an article from the popular press about the educational use of games. Use this week's readings to analyze and comment on the article.

Please post your response by 5pm on Sunday, November 27. It's fine to keep the posts short (just a couple of paragraphs). What's most important is communicating your ideas clearly.

For this week, we're asking you to write a five-paragraph outline for your final project. Please post your outline by Sunday, so that others have an opportunity to read your outline and provide feedback.

• First paragraph: Research Questions
  Begin by framing your project. What is your topic, theme, or question?
  General advice: Scale it back. Keep it simple and focused.
• Second paragraph: Connections
  How does your project connect to the ideas from the course? What particular readings have helped you?
  General advice: Use (some of) the course readings to think about your project.
• Third paragraph: Methods
  How are you planning to approach your project question? Ethnography? Designing a prototype? Designing activities?
  General advice: We are open to many different approaches.
• Fourth paragraph: Deliverables
  What are the outcomes of your project? Analysis of an ethnographic study? Analysis of principles underlying your design? What will the major sections of your final paper include?
  General advice: Make sure to leave enough time to write and refine your paper.
• Fifth paragraph: Concerns
  What aspects of the project do you still need to determine? What concerns do you have about completing the project?
  General advice: Don't hesitate to ask for help.

Final Project Timeline:

• Nov 22: Project outline due
• Nov 29: Feedback on others' outlines due
• Dec 13: Project presentations
• Dec 13: Project papers due (10 pages)

Imagine a virtual samba school. What are the qualities that Papert and Jenkins admire that could be captured (and even enhanced)? What might be lost? How might it be designed for maximum potential?

Please post your response by 5pm on Sunday, November 20. It's fine to keep the posts short (just a couple of paragraphs). What's most important is communicating your ideas clearly.

For this week, please post a one-page proposal for your final project (by Monday evening).

Final Project Timeline:
Nov 15: Project proposal due (1 page)
Nov 22: Project outline due
Nov 29: Feedback on others' outlines due
Dec 13: Project presentations
Dec 13: Project papers due (10 pages)

Write about a good or bad personal experience with collaboration, using ideas from the readings to analyze your experience.

Please post your response by 5pm on Sunday, November 13. It's fine to keep the posts short (just a couple of paragraphs). What's most important is communicating your ideas clearly.