Juliana
Hello Everyone! Thank you very much for a great week of posts! It was a great week of discussion and we learned a lot about your practical experiences in blogging. From our week’s discussion, we found that most people used blogging either in the classroom or for personal reasons. In this post, I will only […]
Continue reading Conclusion on Blogging Posted in: Uncategorized Hi Everyone! I just wanted to drop a quick message to say that we are all enjoying your posts! We are reaching the home stretch of our presentation and I have really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on the initial discussion topics from Day 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. I am really looking forward to hearing […]
Continue reading Home Stretch…. Posted in: Week 07: Blogs I played Spent and 3rd World Country and I have to say that that while both of these games were teaching about the choices we make in life, I enjoyed playing 3rd World Country a little bit more. With Spent I just felt very hopeless by the experience. I know that was the point of […]
Continue reading Spent and 3rd World Country Posted in: Uncategorized
Hi Juliana,
I haven’t played the games yet, but ugh. that sounds awful. When I read the description, I was more hopeful – it reminded me of a project assigned in a class I TA’d a few years ago on poverty policy (in the US) in which the students had to roleplay a single mother on social assistance for a few weeks. That set of assignments was really eye-opening for a lot of our students. It seems that successfully developing educational programs and games concerning issues of poverty and systemic inequality requires a lot of sensitivity – not only to the treatment of who is being represented, but also to the learners.
I think it is a very important type of lesson for students to learn and I think it is important for students to leave feeling like they can do something, rather than feeling like things are hopeless. In the case of Spent, the designers really wanted to give people a feeling of hopelessness so that they will be more likely donate money to the charity. However, I really wonder if this approach would work. I think in cases like these perhaps using stories of people who were helped by the charity would work. This way people who are donating the money can see the impact of their donations.
Juliana.
At the risk of disclosing my age, I am going to tell everyone the story of the one game that popped into my mind. It was a game that was played using a 5 inch floppy disk. My Dad got it for me to encourge me into learning about computers and their history. It was pretty much […]
Continue reading My Flashback – Quiz games Posted in: Week 05: Game-Based Learning
That reward system really works doesn’t it? I had the similar experience with the typing tutor which had a little guy jumping over hurdles. Whenever I missed a keystroke he would trip on the hurdle. It kept me typing for long periods of time to try to see how long I could go without the guy tripping. Such simplicity to get you hooked but it probably wouldn’t work today with the complex virtual worlds that are out there.
– Julie
I remember those typing tutors! Those were fun. The one that I really enjoyed was Typer Shark by Pop gap games. Very addictive, but it did improve my typing skills.
Juliana.
we must be from the same era..because I remember that too! 5 inch floppy disks were so up-and-coming!!
We are definitely from the same era then! It’s funny because now I have a memory stick that can hold up to 16GB of memory. Now that’s progress!
Juliana.
I am from the floppy era too and now when I look at one I just have laugh and say omg. You hit the nail on the head about reward. I dont know if it’s because most people experience more sad times than happy times in life why we embrace anything rewarding and successful. Games really have the power to motivate us and that’s the reason many persons are hooked on them. For some, this is the only medium where they find success.
Thanks Everton for your comments. You are right in that we seem to be a reward based society. I think it has something to do with how we are evolutionarily wired. Even when I am teaching it is amazing what people will do for a chocolate bar.
Juliana.
Juliana, I agree that rewards work for kids. Again there may have been an element of novelty there for you too even though the fireworks were in monochrome, there were not other games that could do that then. I wonder at what point that novelty wore off and then you started wanting more, perhaps asking your dad why the fireworks would not show color 🙂
Thanks for your question! I stopped playing the game when the fireworks weren’t enough of a pay off for me. I found that after a while I could do the whole test in 5 minutes flat without even really thinking about it. It is the same thing I face today with other games. I am only interested in them when I have to work to get to progress forward in it. However, when I get to a point where I am playing the game and having other thoughts running through my head (ie. what to do for work, grocery lists etc.), then I know it is time to move on to another game. When I start no longer focusing on the game, it means I am getting good at it and it is time for me to move on.
Juliana.
Founder-leader name: Shevy Levy Venture Name: Lambda Solutions Description of venture: Lambda solutions provide online course development services. They also assist clients with developing materials for the Moodle LMS and Mahara e-portfolio platforms. They are endorsed as an official partner for Moodle and Mahara. Their main focus is to create effective e-Learning solutions […]
Continue reading Shevy Levy – Founder and CEO of Lambda Solutions Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp
Interesting person and company, Juliana. As you have indicated, it seems that experience garnered by working in related fields is valuable for an entrepreneur’s perspective, and probably would increase the chances of a new venture’s success. It would also multiply the number of networking contacts.
Good job!
KJ
Thanks for the comment Karen. Yes, I think experience and contacts is key. In addition, having good people working in the company is important too. I think she has also made some good partnerships with Mahara and Moodle. Being the official partner with these organizations can help to create a market niche and encourage others to be referred to your services.
Juliana.
You’re right that running a company requires so many different skill sets, and its important to bring together people who specialize in specific areas (marketing, HR), not just in the ‘product’ category. Thanks for this intro to Lambda – I’ve heard a lot about them in Vancouver but never looked at the makeup of leadership.
Thanks for the comment Andrea. As I am based in Vancouver, I wanted to look at a local company. In addiiton, I was intrigued by their partnerships with open-source platforms Moodle and Mahara. And it is true, a good team makes a good company.
Juliana.
Hi Juliana. Great work! I think it is really important to have experience related to the field of the product and have experience in research. Also, having a team with many different skill sets is relevant too.
Angela.
Thanks Angela. I think that’s what made me feel better about examining these ventures. No one was an expert in everything, but they did connect with people who were an expert in their chosen fields.
Juliana.
I think a person who is starting a business must be knowledgeable of his or her product or service. It is necessary for the person to have research and practical experience because it will probably help him or her understand all pros and cons the product or service. Great points.
Thanks for your comment Everton. I think we often overlook the importance of research when we think of business, but it is an important aspect of success. How many times have there been poorly researched initiatives implemented in our school systems only to find out that they all flat? When this happens in businesses, people loose jobs and money.
Juliana.
I like how Levy seems to have created a strategic partnership with Moodle and Mahara. This not only gives people a reason to use Lambda Solutions, but is also a great way to market her company with a type of free advertising. Good report Juliana.
Thanks Doug. I think it was very good of her to form partnerships with those two companies. It creates a good business base since the two other companies can refer clients to her.
Juliana.
“As I am just starting out in this field it feels like I have a long way to go. I feel that I really need to have good practical experience to make it as an entrepreneur in this field.”
I found it interesting, while reading through just my own entry possibilities, how this is sometimes true and sometimes not. I think, like you, that getting into something as technical and broad as this topic would require some background experience. I was intrigued (and relieved / inspired), though, how some leaders / CEO’s started off with some goal or product that was very far from what they ended up doing.
Thanks for your comment. I think that is part of my problems with becoming an entrepenuer. I think I need to be an expert befor I purse it as a business. Perhaps I should re-think this. May be it is just a matter of seeing an opportunity and going after it.
Juliana.
I looked at the Royal Rhoades Open Courseware initiative pitch and I feel that this was geared to internal decision-makers than a venture capitalist. After watching the pitch, I found that I needed more details on the following items: Types and number of courses to be created Projected time and resources needed Details on the […]
Continue reading RRU Open Courseware Initiative Posted in: Week 03: Analyst Bootcamp I decided to do my critical analysis on “Top 10 IT issues”. My primary reason for choosing this report is because I do come from an academic background and I have had some brief dealings with the IT group. I had got a sense from my dealings with them that they were always under pressure and there […]
Continue reading Critical Analysis of “Top 10 IT issues” Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
Hi Juliana,
Your posting prompted me to take a look at the report. Your comment about IT issues faced by k-12 schools hit home with me. When delivering a professional development session recently, the top barrier identified by teachers for implementation of more web 2.0 teaching and learning strategies was reliability of the internet connection and security issues. Apparently the issues surrounding students loading apps on their computers and mobile devices to get through the network security are paramount. The connection speed is then being crippled by excessive downloading. Its unfortunate, because while we want to encourage students to use their own devices, we will not be able to do so effectively if there is not a solution found for these problems. In the article, security was described as a problem that was “big, and getting bigger” so apparently this is a universal issue. If someone could come up with a cost-effective solution to this problem (other than “don’t use your own devices”) it would be helping a lot of people.
Emily
Hi Emily,
It is true that k-12 schools lack of IT support is a huge issue. I remember that when I was doing my practicum, I had created all my lessons in powerpoint, utilizing videos and images. The problem was that the classroom I was using wasn’t set up for a projector. I had to set up everything from scratch for all of my classes.
Now with the advent of our mobile phones and apps, the technological landscape is completely different and the public schools just don’t have the support that they need to keep up. It usually falls on the shoulders of the Tech teachers who are already taxed to the limit, which is not really fair.
Juliana.
Reassuring to hear that our teachers are not the only ones finding these barriers that cause so much frustration. The article does not provide solutions to the issues, but at least can help institutions consider each of them before they make decisions that can impact our schools negatively.
Juliana,
Well said! The issues are broad-based and cover every level of the education spectrum. I think that these issues are here to stay based on the resource distribution pattern and the rapid advancement of educational technologies. The public schools will continue to take a battering from this wave especially in underdeveloped countries. Should we accept these issues or it is pointless trying to resolve some of them?
Everton
Hello Everyone! My name is Juliana and ETEC 522 is my 7th course. I have had a very varied career. I have worked as a research technician in the biotech field and I have also worked as a biosafety associate in the laboratory safety field. I have also completed my Bachelors in Education degree in […]
Continue reading Out of my comfort zone Posted in: Uncategorized
Hi Juliana
Check out http://www.jason.org…. an interesting and free middle school science teaching resource that combines curriculum, games, and a whole backend system for teachers to manage curriculum, give assessments, etc. The system allows you to create student, teacher and guest accounts, each with different features.
Hi Juliana,
Games are such an interesting area for online learning exploration and ventures. The possibilities are endless! I also agree with your point about a course on assessment in MET – I’d be interested in something like that too.
Andrea
P.S. Thanks for the link to your resaurant site. Unfortunately, it looks like the Red Door is changing! I live in the neighborhood and noticed it will soon be Luke’sCorner Bar & Kithen.
Hi, Juliana.
Love the look of your food site… I don’t recall seeing wix.com before. I may use it some day! I keep a beer blog now (have for just about a year), and use blogger to do it: http://www.peibeerguy.com
I’m glad you mentioned serious games. As a teacher who’s also a gamer, it’s a natural fit for me. I’m always surprised a what can be “sneaked” into a game, and what students can glean from them (Cold War history from Black Ops, for example… not really a “serious” game, but still…). Sims like Civilization Revolution (or a tweak thereof) have lots of cool possibilities. Games like the Assassin’s Creed series offer some impressive amounts of history.
Looking forward to seeing your thoughts!
Hello Juliana,
Great to see your restaurant blog, and I will have to show it to my wife, who may ask you for a link in hers (she writes about food in her Japanese blog and is always interested in what’s being served in Vancouver). Also very keen to see what develops with blended learning and on-line assessment. If UBC doesn’t offer this much needed course, perhaps one of us should design one, and sell it back to the university! 😉 As for the serious gaming, all the exposure I have had to James P. Gee has me convinced that those who play have the “level up” advantage over students in more traditional school settings. Looking forward to learning with you in this course.
Kyle
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jarvise 5:35 am on October 24, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks all for a great week. I like how you built in options of which discussions to pursue. Good job!
Emily
Deb Kim 5:59 pm on October 24, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Emily,
Thank you for your kind comment. We truly enjoyed presenting, reading, and participating in the discussions as well. Also, I learned a lot more about blogging as I worked on this assignment. Great experience!
Deb