Please click on the following links to view my Elevator Pitch and Venture Proposal for the first international extension of US based company Play-Well TEKnologies! (Play-Well TEKnologies is an existing company that currently only has branches within the United States. I am proposing London as a first location for an international branch.) (Links removed at […]
Continue reading Play-Well TEKnologies – London! Posted in: Venture Forum
My Elevator and Venture pitch are based on interactive technology that enable student/teacher manipulation on any surface. Unlike the traditional smartboard and white board that server pretty much one purpose, a glorified mouse and projector that a teacher uses from the front of the baord, my idea revolved it around multiple purposes in education and […]
Continue reading My Elevator and Venture pitch are based … Posted in: Venture Forum
Hi Suhayl:
Unfortunately your Venture pitch looses sound at 3:14 and it does not seem to recover so I can’t really do an evaluation unless it is complete. Your delivery is great in the first three minutes of the venture pitch, however you talk very fast in the elevator pitch, I think trying to get too much in, so it is hard to follow.
Doug.
Hi Suhayl,
From what I was able to learn from the elevator pitch and first few minutes of the venture pitch (as the sound cut off for me as well), I think you have a really great idea; one that I would very much like to learn more about. In particular, I like that it is pre-set for you with all the programs, doesn’t require wall mounting and is made more portable. However, besides those features, I wonder how it really differs from the SMART Board because in my experience with SMART Board, it already offers a wide range of interactive and engaging lessons and can automatically link to the internet. As well, I would like to know more about the financial plan that enables the MultiBoard to be sold at a lower cost.
Finally, one other tip is that I found you spoke way to fast in the elevator pitch and I had to listen to it a few times just to catch what was said. I think the ideas are there and the product is great but would have been better sold in that pitch if the script was kept more brief.
Julie
I concur with Doug and Julie, in that your elevator pitch was quite fast and didn’t really seem to offer a clear message. Upon reviewing your venture pitch I was intrigued with quite a few facets of your presentation. It was too bad the sound went out when it did, as your pitch was really gaining momentum.
I also wanted to know more about ‘Multi-learn’. what is that?
I will say that i disagreed with your critique of Smartboard technology. I use mine almost daily and have never even used the programs installed therein and still find it quite engaging because of it’s connectivity to the internet. You really are only limited by your own imagination.
Because your presentation cut out I don’t think I can go any further with comments or a possible investment.
If you do fix the bug I would be interested in seeing the rest!
Kent
I like the elevator. Nice touch.
Like the others, I think it went too fast. And the elevator pitch should really be a slick product in itself. This wasn’t particularly slick. For example, you stumbled on a few lines in there and probably should have cleaned that up. So while I am always attracted to ideas that involve combining cool gadgets, you didn’t sell me on this one. Good luck.
I liked the idea of your product and it definitely would be something I would be interested in seeing and assessing whether to use it in the classroom. Though you had enthusiasm in your presentation you stumbled a few times and made mistakes like forgetting the “e” in Venture. These mistakes can hurt a presentation even if the product is good. As for the rest the sound cut out so I wouldn’t be able to evaluate. Overall I liked the product idea.
I like the idea as a teacher, but your pitch, although interesting, was difficult to understand. Additionally I have seen some similar technologies, so perhaps including some information on how exactly this product is different would have bolstered it for me, and perhaps changed my opinion. Despite the great idea, I would not invest in this venture.
Job well done in the beginning Suhayl.
I could here the belief and support for your product coming through with your voice annotations in the elevator pitch. The multiboard is an interesting idea and worth of investment investigation. I did my best to piece together what the offerings/askings were for this product but the sound cuts and doesn’t return.
PC
Hi Suhayl,
I liked your elevator pitch as it did a good job of explaining your product. As others have identified, it wasn’t terribly polished, but it did do the job. I think that the product is innovative and does address a relevant problem. It is unfortunate that the audio cuts out in your venture pitch as I would have liked to have known what the expected retail price would be so that I could determine if such a product could compare with others, like SMART boards.
I do have to pass on this one mainly because too much is unknown. However, if you are able to post a transcript of what you would have said in the rest of your venture pitch, I would be interested to read it.
Please find below my elevator pitch and attached supporting venture pitch document for my fictional new business venture – Learn2Read that proposes to develop a range of digital books with voice recognition support for early readers. Elevator Pitch Venture Pitch Venture Pitch – Learn2Read
Continue reading Need2Read – Enhanced Digital Books Posted in: Venture Forum
My goal is to develop a professional ePortfolio application by the end of 2013 that can suitably address the competency assessment and professional development needs of medical schools. Please review my elevator pitch and venture pitch and I look forward to your feedback.
Continue reading ePortfolios for Health Professions Posted in: Venture Forum
Skoolbo is an interactive game that is targeted at K-7 students to improve their core literacy and mathematical skills. Skoolbo has been built for student use with its easy to navigate menus and enjoyable plot. With the use of exciting mini games, Skoolbo is sure to be a hit in a classroom, at home or […]
Continue reading Skoolbo is an interactive game that is t… Posted in: General, Venture Forum
Hi Jonathan,
Your elevator pitch video is still private and also I can’t open your longer version neither. Looking forward to view them 🙂
Same here. I’m quite looking forward to learning about Skoolbo!
I was dying to hear more about the enjoyable plot of this venture Jonathan.
I am having the same problems as Paula and Peggy.
Skool booo to it not working as I enjoy a good interactive game!!!!
Oh no. My apologies. I will make sure it is opened up. I think I have been pretty confused with all of the settings. It should be up now. Sorry it took so long!
Elevator pitch looks great Jonathan – you had me looking forward to the venture pitch, but I’m afraid the link to that isn’t working.
Hi Jonathan,
The idea of video gaming in education is an exciting phenomenon that I am sure will spark some interesting debates as its implementation progresses. I was unable to open your venture pitch but your elevator pitch was really well done and provided a great overview. My only concern is that you offer 20 free hours of game play to new members as a way to entice them into signing up. I thought that this may have been too much time and would turn an investor off as revenues would take a hit with that model.
Hi Manny —
Upon further thought, I think I would have to agree with you. Skoolbo itself is already in existence and I have a feeling that their current model of providing the game for free is probably the way to go. I was looking for an active way to interest investors (but I may have done the opposite).
If I were to revise the project, I may keep the game free and look to the value added projects (ie. digital books, teacher resources) for more revenue.
Thanks for the feedback Manny.
My apologies for not having the extended version working (I’ve been playing with the links endlessly..)
Hi Jonathan,
I really like your idea. I think the gamification of education is a great tool to leverage to increase engagement. I’ve only viewed your elevator pitch and am not able to access your venture pitch.
Hi Jonathan,
I also agree with many of the others in terms of the excitement generated by using games to teach. The concept is interesting but I wasn’t quite sure that giving 20 hours was quite right. I know quite a few games that I barely make to 20 so you’re pretty giving users all the usage they want out of it and then they may just opt to put it aside feeling as though they barely have anything left to gain out of it. I’d likely say that 5-10 hours is more than sufficient to determine the viability of a product and whether it deserves my hard earned dollars. Anything more is just a bonus in my end. As such, I likely would shy away from investing but would likely follow the venture to see where it leads.
Thanks for your feedback Patrick.
I was trying to figure out how I could increase revenue, but as I think about it more — developing the core product is really important. As I was mentioning to Manny, I think the way to go is to leave the game free. I hear what you say about 5-10 hours and shortening the game — but with the 20 hours I wanted to give enough opportunity for both teachers and students to try it out. Either way, upon some reflection, I feel that a hard cut off would be a turn off to educators and students. As I mentioned in a response to Manny — I think building upon the core product would be important to ensure that students continue to return.
Thank you for your feedback!
I’ve had a lot of difficulties posting up both my Youtube and my documents. I hope it works now, although I’m thinking that it is too late. Thank you all for trying to view my submission.
Hi,
I think that you have done a great job creating an elevator pitch that is simple and provides key points of interest for me to want to further explore your venture. I, like others, was a little surprised by the 20 hours of free gaming to start as I feel like that is a lot and students may lose interest after that or if a school uses it, 20 hours may be enough time to use it without actually paying for it. I would probably shorten it to 5 so that they can get a feeling for it, but not get to use it for the completion of a task.
Jhodi
20 hours is quite generous amount. The creators of Skoolbo actually have allowed this game to go for free. To me it isn’t clear how they are funded currently, but I do believe the way to go with content now is to provide a solid experience and monetize on products afterwards.
Build a product people can’t live without and then they will be happy to pay for it. Try before you buy, I feel is extremely important.
Thanks for your feedback!
Hi Jonathan –
Glad the tech issues were worked out with posting. I didn’t mind the wait and was happy to see your final product. I liked the quality and general content of the elevator pitch, but with so much competition in the educational gaming market today I didn’t really get enough in the brief pitch to sell me I’m afraid. I caught the pain point, but felt the solution could have been expanded upon. I’d like to know more, right up front, about what you mean by intricate story lines – some quick examples perhaps, that are intended to keep the students engaged. So I would have some concerns regarding how you would stand apart from the competition. As a potential EVA, I would be interested in seeing what you’ve got for me once you’ve got some samples to show me.
Hi Peggy !
It’s interesting that you say you didn’t get a good sense of what the product was about. I remember right at the beginning of the course we were tasked with watching a lot of pitches and thinking the exact same thing.
As we headed into doing our own project, I remembered trying to balance out how much about the game I should talk about and how much about the general direction of the venture. It feels like a fine balance because we were definitely suppose to keep it towards the investors. But one could argue that the investors need to have a good idea of what is going on in the product. I have quite a few ideas about how to redo the pitch and I think it would have to include some gameplay. I may be crossing over into copyright issues though if I do this as it is a real product.
Thanks for your feedback, Peggy!
The one size fits all approach of online videos is redundant and stagnating the growth of this powerful medium for communication and education.
Continue reading Micro One – Engage with your passion Posted in: Venture Forum
Stuart, just a wonderful job here. I was waiting for someone to show me both a great idea and production value. You obviously are quite skilled at presenting information, and the points you make – along with your easy pace and volume of voice – make for an informational and entertaining pitch.
In terms of content creation, would I need to create 3 copies of a video? Or would I need to create a ‘Ground’ copy and then the program itself sifts through the content to create lesser detailed overviews?
I love this idea, and would be interested in installing this type of service onto other aspects of educational media. Ebooks is one off the top of my head that would greatly benefit from this technology. Instead of overviews to ground level, you could have Grade level books, and the student could choose a harder level. ESL students could benefit, struggling readers, etc.
You have a solid, polished pitch and I would be interested in hearing more.
Thank you,
Kent
Thanks for the kind words Kent.
On the question of the delivery of videos there would be three options as I see it. First of all there would be just the ‘ground’ version and the software would extrapolate the other versions from that. The video and subject would have to be suitable which it would be able to decide automatically.
The second option would be to deliver 3 copies and the software would match the timings itself.
The final option would be to deliver the ‘Ground’ level and we would extrapolate it manually. This would be particularly useful for things like you mention – grade books, ebooks, and tutorials.
Naturally each would come in at a different price point – with the second option (3 copies delivered) being free to upload and then charging the end user to view OR the provider paying to use the delivery mechanism and it being free to the end user.
Stuart
Hey Stuart:
Great presentations and product. I like the way you demonstrated the Mirco One concept with the elevator and venture pitches – you are a pro.
I really can’t see anything wrong with what you have done perhaps because both presentations peaked my interest. That is the idea of pitches, if you catch an investors interest, then any flaws are not important. If we were to take this further, then as an investor I would say – lets talk.
Doug.
Hi Stuart, your presentation is a great example of how a quality presentation can really sell a product. I really like your presentation everything from the background music, sound quality and animations were all professionally done. You obviously have some experience in these areas. As for your product it does sound interesting but as you mentioned you would need to decide whether you have 3 videos or if you have the software able to manage the timings. I thought the presentation was excellent and well thought out and for that reason as an investor I would listen and view a demo to really evaluate if I would invest.
Hi Stuart,
Your elevator pitch is well-presented. From the perspective of an EVA, I think the pitch would improve with the support of a description of the pain point in an actual learning setting. Also, information on what the proprietary technology is, how the technology fosters learning and growth of the user base, and who the content contributors will be (i.e., who will be making & uploading the videos?) would also bring marketability to your product.
Thanks,
James
Stuart, I was very impressed with the overall presentation of both the elevator and the venture pitch. It was a very natural move to use you pitches to demonstrate how your product essentially works. As a potential investor, this gave me a much better understanding of the product and the problem that it addresses. Your credentials and experience speak to your credibility and the clear nature of your pitches speak to your ability in content production.
As I watched, I started to wonder how you would go about separating out content into the three levels that you propose. Is that determined on a client-by-client basis? As this is the crux of what your product is about, I think that it’s an important question to address in more depth. Apart from that, I was very impressed and as an investor would be interested in supporting this product.
Sorry for the late post. I have had sleepless nights completing other assignments. I do apologize and mean no disrespect.
I am going to base my feedback on what we saw in week 3 regarding the content of a venture pitch(Perfecting Your Pitch).
1. Pain Point: the market gap or problem the venture is addressing
Having to view whole videos when perhaps one could go direct to the part needed, is a time consuming problem.
2. Solution: the new product or service that resolves the pain
If it works, it would be great. Using key word searches is a great idea. My only question is who decided the key words?
3.Differentiation: the reason someone will buy or use this new product or service, versus the alternatives
– There does not appear to be anything similar out there
4. Marketing: where and how buyers/users will be reached
– I only watched it once, and cannot remember seeing this.
5. Championship: the competency of the venture’s leaders and advisors
– He knows what he’s doing.
6. Competition: an overview of competitors and partners
-Could have gone into more detail
7. The Ask: how much money, etc, is required to take the next step
– I can’t remember seeing this
8. The Return: how much and how soon will an investor be recompensed.
Can’t remember seeing this
9. The Message
Excellent work. Very professionally made and presented. Your message is concise and to the point, and you make excellent use of graphics. You also use a clear tone of voice and good stress and intonation to carry your message. Though I have some doubts as to how your product would work, you have me hooked on wanting to know more about it, and convinced there is a need for it. Well done!
This product addresses a gap in the market, as it changes the way that video education is accessed. I like the idea of streamlining content based on the level of knowledge that individuals need. It makes sense to have it all in one place. Who exactly would your market be? Would you start in one specific market and then expand?
I think that the idea is fabulous as online education through videos is a big market. As far as marketing goes: how do you aim to get your product out? This could be a stumbling block as there are many video sites out there already, as you indicate. How can you let people know about your service and how it is different? I think your video and eloquence make it clear that you are confident and competent in your product. This is a slick, clear presentation without a lot of extras which goes far in enticing me as an investor. It is clear what you are using your money for, and that was a major factor in my choice to invest, but the return isn’t as clear, nor is your timeline, which might be something to include to interest investors. Overall, a great presentation!
Welcome to KidConnect, an online learning program for young hospitalized patients in Canada. The goal of this venture is to bring learning, communication and entertainment to those in need. For a better look at what KidConnect offers, watch the elevator pitch below. As well, please keep in mind that although the pitch is delivered as […]
Continue reading KidConnect Posted in: General, Venture Forum
Nicely done Julie!
As the course comes to a close, I just wanted to let people know about a really cool website for product ideas, it’s called Quirky. Although specifically for consumer products, if the course stirred your interest in becoming a product entrepreneur, this is a great place to start. Or if you are just interested in […]
Continue reading Bringing product ideas to life – Quirky Posted in: Blog Café
I tried uploading a video to this post using the instructions given in 4.1 Venture Forum Resources and I am having trouble. The instructions state to use the upload video icon from the menu, however I can’t see this specific icon. I tried to use the general Upload/Insert feature (the only option) but that only […]
Continue reading Help – Uploading a Video Posted in: General
Hi Doug,
I am having the same problem! Hopefully we will have an answer soon.
Julie
Hi Doug, Julie
One alternative could be to upload it to YouTube and then embed this in the post instead.
Thanks
Melissa
Hey Doug and Julie,
I uploaded to Vimeo, (similar to youtube), and then posted the links. You can choose to embed them if you wish, but it’s up to you. Hope this helps.
Joel
Thanks, I went with the You Tube option.
Doug.
Here is the A3 Elevator and Venture pitch: My venture focuses on a new kind of software that attempts to blend the lines between educational and entertainment software in an attempt to make the new hybrid genre more marketable to the regular gaming community. It’s focus is contextual relevance and it’s explained more in the […]
Continue reading A3 Elevator and Venture Posted in: General, Venture Forum
Hey Joel:
Both of these links take me to your school district access portal, what is the log in and password?
Doug.
Hi Joel,
The same thing happened to me when I tried.
Jen 🙂
Weird. Ok fixed now. Apologies
Joel, fair play it works now for me anyway.
Well done – Sound argument, well presented with a good idea.
I would definitely want to chat to you more about the background you and your team have and what other projects you have done to make sure that you have the ability to develop the ‘Context’ project. Also I would be interesting in learning about the revenue model for the product, would you be pitching it at an educational market or take on the games industry in the ‘real’ world?
It is an engaging and fascinating product you are pitching. I would be interested in being involved early once the development and revenue questions were as good as the concept.
Well done
Stuart
Thank you for the kind words Stu. It’s going to be pitched to both the gaming and educational industries actually because of the nature of software. Remember that what we are trying to accomplish hasn’t actually been done before and recently the gaming industry, like the movie business has become a little shy about producing anything that’s a possible risk. This is one reason that we have been recently inundated with sequels and horrible reboots in both genre’s. One of the inspirations for this software was Lumosity but after working with it I believed that the idea could be expanded and marketed in a different direction. Once I started looking into it, I realized that the product pitch had grown beyond the constraints of Lumosity and that we could really revolutionize the concept and subsequent genres.
As far as the revenue model is concerned, Kickstarter is a model that allows for small donations, usually enough to cover one instance of the software and if the company reaches a certain goal, they can then continue with production based on the promise of customer delivery once the software is finished. It has revolutionized multiple industries because it allows startups to engage the public with products that are deemed too risky for regular production.
Hi Joel,
I see tremendous potential in your venture in terms of education but I’m not 100% sure on the viability of producing an endless continuum of content without a strong user base. If you are tempted to pursue this venture, I might look at crowdsourcing content to establish a larger content repository for use with your platform. Ideally, you would want to create the tools and provide them to others to generate the content for you. I think something like Minecraft comes to mind. Still, I see a great idea, the right person to lead it with passion and drive and those are elements that would encourage me to ask additional questions to determine the viability of the venture. Good work!
Hi,
I think that you have an interesting concept here. I think that if you are able to do it, you could have a very high demand product. However, developing the content for such a project seems like a very large undertaking. I think that you seem like a very confident leader and have made very persuasive pitches.
Jhodi
@ Patrick,
I think that to garner interest in the product/project, we have to showcase the capability of the software first. In order to do that we need to create the three modules first and then approach the crowd sourcing with a later release after we have enough funding to develop user friendly development tools for user created content and modules.
On the rubric for A3 there is a component where it says we will be assessed on self evaluation. I am not sure if I missed something. Are we supposed to submit an evaluation with A3? Nureen
Continue reading A3 self evaluation Posted in: General, Questions & Answers, Week 12:
Hi Nureen,
I plan to add this section within my blog post beneath the links to my pitches. I believe David wants us to take a step back and critically evaluate our pitches, similar to what we did in Week Three. I hope I have been able to add some clarity. Take Care, Jen
I agree with Jen, it is something I missed in the first assignment, and do not plan on missing this time as well. I do not plan on putting it into my pitch, but it will be part of my overall project. Hope that provides some help.
Tom
A lot of people I’ve spoken to had trouble with it in the first assignment as I myself did. My “difficulty” section is placed into my pitch as part of the sale.
“Had Trouble With” is a really nice way of saying, I completely overlooked it in the rubric… stuff I give my students grief for… Oh well, maybe I should be more understanding in the future…
Tom
Hi Nureen,
From what I understand we are also supposed to be submit a self-reflection of our projects in addition to the elevator and venture pitch. I included mine at the end of my venture pitch, but I am sure there are other ways to do so.
Hope that helps!
Julie
Thanks for the clarification. 🙂
Nureen
I spent some time creating my avatar and was not successful in creating what I intended to create. This is who I am for now and will re-visit in the future now that I am a Second City resident. Interesting virtual site, does take some time to figure out how to navigate to different regions. […]
Continue reading I spent some time creating my avatar and… Posted in: Week 12:
Pretty brief, but if, like me, you know next to nothing, it’s a start: http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/10/an-entrepreneurs-guide-to-patents-the-basics/
Continue reading An Entrepreneur’s guide to patents: the basics Posted in: Blog Café
Hi Frank,
Interesting shot! I am curious as to where you were in Second Life when you took this picture? As well I am curious, have you ever used Second Life before and what inspired this choice of avatar?
Julie
Hi Julie,
No, yesterday was actually my first time on SL.
I think it’s easy enough to create a loaded performance of yourself in other social media such as FB and Twitter. An Avatar allows us to do more: to experiment and be playful in a broader sense, maybe from a different perspective; which may land us anywhere from the mundane to the incredible.
Perhaps fittingly, one of the recommended stages had been designed with a Scary Halloween-ish theme, with several interesting sets such as the one in this pic. As you can see, I was caught by a human sized spider net, and an unearthly fem spider came down to check me out and determine what to do with me. It was interesting example of the creative potential of OLE, and I thought I should share the class.
MUHAHAHA!!
Here is my avatar; it is so amazing it looks just like me! In fact it is me in my real world environment. After reading many of the experiences people have had: improper loading pages, slow response, funny colours, wrong graphics card, paying for risqué clothing, slow internet, old computer, addiction to the program, I […]
Continue reading Doug’s Realistic Avatar Posted in: Week 12:
HI Doug,
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on creating avatar’s, though I would like to add that I am not sure that making or using an avatar is necessarily about hiding who a person is and more about having fun with creating a different persona.
As for second life, I think that like many other online programs and application the possibility for glitches or slow Internet access is always a potential issue but once accessed it does open you up to an amazing and exciting world (at least that’s how I felt when I started to experiment with it).
Julie
Hi Doug —
I did give avatar building a try and I’m going to have to concur with many of our colleague’s comments and your own about the difficulties of building an avatar. I think it’s probably important to point out that it is difficult because there are so many possible customizations that you can go through when designing your character.
Our students would probably be better equipped to deal with a lot of the imperfections in the process. I wasn’t very proud of any of my creations either, but I did sit through the process and create two different avatars. I can say that I have a grasp of the idea now. It is definitely avatar customization to a high degree. The more customization that you can do — the more complicated the process it is.
I can definitely see that a student or individual that is drawn to Second Life could spend additional time “getting their character” right.
Perhaps it just isn’t for us 😉 I’m glad that I had a chance to see it though.
— Jonathan
I managed to create an account, but when it came time to modify my avatar, I ran into very frustrating problems. I could not get to the point where I could customize the avatar because the page would not load properly or competely. Everything was very slow and so I finally gave up unforunately. So, I am just […]
Continue reading Jhodi’s Avatar. Posted in: Week 12:
Hi Jhodi,
Thank you for trying to customize your avatar, even though I know it can be quite frustrating when a program just doesn’t seem to load properly. As well, I agree that creating your own avatar and Second Life does offer many great benefits especially in terms of creativity and introducing students to opportunities they may not have otherwise had like with field trips etc.
Julie
Hi Jodi,
I had some similar issues. It was extremely frustrating. It took me over an hour to finally customize mine. It was so slow! By the time I finished customizing my Avatar I did not even feel like exploring. I am not sure why it is that slow. I thought it was just an issue with my access but maybe it has to do with the amount of people online at one or something like that.
Nureen
I struggled with customizing my Avatar because I found that the program was taking very long to load the different features, etc. Another issue I had, since I created an Avatar and entered the virtual world is purple shades blocking parts of my screen and even my Avatar’s face. I tried to get rid of these shadows but was not able to. Hence, […]
Continue reading I struggled with customizing my Avatar … Posted in: Week 12:
Congrats on your Avatar. I’m also glad we had to do this project, otherwise I would have never ventures into SL.
Regarding the purple problem, I found this in the SL community page. It does appear to have to do with your graphics card.
“Although it is necessary to download the last drivers for your graphics card, here is a solution which seems that works for some residents and it is worth to give a try. In Viewer 3 open Advanced Menu (Ctrl+Alt+D if you don’t see it) –> Show Debug Settings –> click the down arrow and find “RenderMaxTextureIndex”. Normally there you see the value 16. Set it to 0 (zero) and close the window. See if that makes any difference.”
and
“Some people who have ATI graphics cards are having this problem with the most recent V3 upgrade. See http://jira.phoenixviewer.com/browse/FIRE-4945 . For a quick but temporary solution, go to Preferences >> Graphics and disable Basic Shaders. For a more permanent solution update the 12.1 Catalyst driver from http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/windows/Pages/radeonmob_win7-64.aspx?type=2.4.2&product=2.4.2…. or run the AMD driver autodetect tool to update: http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/windows/Pages/auto_detect.aspx”
Ah, thanks Adriana. I first thought it was due to a sunset setting, but it seems the graphic card is the issue (as you point out).
Thank you so much. That will definitely be helpful. The purple on my screen was deterring me from wanting to use the program but now that you have given me some suggestions, I will try it out again.
Nureen
It appears in my previous explorations of Second Life – coupled with my desire to remain anonymous while probably reading some Science Fiction about virtual worlds, and the possibilities of creating something beyond ourselves, not just a digital replica – I created the attached avatar. If memory serves me correct, I was going for proportions […]
Continue reading Hey I Had An Avatar Already Posted in: General
Hi Tom,
Great avatar and response. You might enjoy reading Dr. Sherry Turkle (I’m sure you have already done so), and her research about how people use avatars to express other sides of themselves. Your entry supports her suggestions very well.
I completely agree with you, I do not enjoy the upkeep. In fact, if you see my avatar in the video, you will notice that my skirt and tights are white. This was the default and after fiddling around, I realized that I am not so passionate about the look of my avatar, but much more what I can explore and potentially do in SL.
I think this would be an amazing art project, but I would say that I would not recommend it under 18 years (as that is the new minimum age of SL). Perhaps you can use another VR? Perhaps your students already have avatars?
As for the art project, I agree. There are other avenues – I tried Meez awhile ago – not sure it still exists. However, the value of the avatar might be gaining ground, for our school is exploring the use of Mathletics to assist our more struggling students, and the avatar is now a component on the student side.
Thoughts?
I was quite excited to give Second Life a try after I watched the introductory video on the educational uses of Second Life. I must say though that when I first showed up I did find it cool (flying was fun) but then was quite disappointed. I don’t know if I just had bad luck […]
Continue reading Jenny’s avatar experience Posted in: Week 12:
Hi Jenny,
You make a great point – there IS an educational venture opportunity here. Since SL discontinued the teen SL version, I think many of us educators feel it is too risky to allow students into SL unless there is a way to limit them in certain areas. At this point, you cannot use SL with students under 18.
As for your Internet conncetion, this is very true. You cannot use SL unless you have a very fast connection. I found it much better when plugging into the Ethernet (instead of using wifi) at home. You might want to try that.
As the sloodle video shows, there are definitely ways to structure a curriculum activity and allow students to interact wtih it in SL.
I relate to your experience of wondering around and feeling a bit…lonely, actually. As I mentioned to someone else, SL and education is ideally suited to getting together with other students in a class. While we wished we could have arranged it, we knew it would present technical difficulties.
As for whether it is realisitc in a school system, I think I will be finding out in the next few years. My intention is to develop courses that are held in SL to teach filmmaking. As the videos tell us, many schools are already using SL. What did you think of the Spanish learning youtube video?
Hi Eva,
I thought the Spanish learning video was very fascinating, just like the introductory video and the Sloodle video. I guess the videos I watched didn’t match my experience as I didn’t have the knowledge base to find the cool, free, educational areas and my computer and connection are so slow that it is very frustrating.
That is is an excellent initiative to try to use SL to teach film making. I hope it goes well as I think with an invested effort by a teacher and support from the school for the right technology it could be a great tool (I think of students connecting with each other online where at the school they may be in different groups and not connect). As an Educational Venture Analyst – I just don’t see it being viable for most schools.
Here is a screenshot of the Avatar that I created. He is a cool, buff, tall, gentlemen who boasts unlimited amounts of swag. In a sense, he is everything I am not :(. The role playing feature of this kind of software is definitely engaging and I can see where the name “second life” came […]
Continue reading Manny’s Avatar Posted in: Week 12:
I like your description of your avatar. Very funny! I think this type of environment can be almost too engaging for some. My husband has a friend who has no “real” life because he spends every waking minute that he is not working, playing WarCraft.
Hi Jen,
I thought you might be interested in this, as there are some distinctions between Word of WarCraft and SL.
Warcraft belongs to what is called:
MMORPG—Massively Multiplayer Online Role Play Game
“In an MMORPG the player assume a role and identity not typically related to his or her real world self and attempts to earn points to move to a higher level within the game.”
http://msitsecondlife.wikispaces.com/Understanding+Online+Worlds
Second Life is best described as a:
Metaverse, which “now come to represent the idea of an online 3D world inhabited by avatars controlled by their real-life counterparts.”
http://msitsecondlife.wikispaces.com/Understanding+Online+Worlds
As the website describes, there are similarities, but also differences.
“A metaverse is similar to an MMORPG but with some big differences. First, in a metaverse, players are not playing a defined role such as a hunter or mage, they are playing a character they have created.
Second, the metaverse typically does not have specific goals or objectives created by the metaverse itself. Players can create their own goals or objectives but they are not an inherent part of the world.
http://msitsecondlife.wikispaces.com/Understanding+Online+Worlds
There is more useful information on that website. They also highlight that may major companies conduct their training in SL.
A metaverse environment can be used for training purposes. As mentioned in the opening of this article IBM and Cisco have both established classroom spaces within a metaverse for training purposes. It is also possible to create create other learning environments in which people can interact to learn about items in 3D. One can imagine providing instruction on how to repair a laptop through a virtual tour of the laptop within the metaverse.
http://msitsecondlife.wikispaces.com/Understanding+Online+Worlds
You may like reading about MMOLE-Massively Multi-learner Online Learning Environments (as they are much more tailored to specific learning and likely present less risk and distractions of the full metaverse of SL).
Let me know what you think. Rest assured there are differences between SL and World of Warcraft. I too know of people who are addicted to this, but they have different incentives than SL entirely.
Hi Manny,
Great avatar. As I mentioned to someone else, Dr. Sherry Turkle writes extensively how we can use avatars to act out versions of ourselves that we do not in our real life. She speaks from a psychological perspective and mentions that this can also be a very useful therapeutic method for certain people. I’m not suggesting that in any case with you, but just saying that it is quite normal to create an avatar that is very different from our ‘real’ self. Thanks for your thoughtful message along with your avatar pic.
Finance, loosing perspective and Second Life.
Continue reading avatar stuart Posted in: Week 12:
I fell short on this one, but only due to my reservations about this site. I’ve played some video games like this before and seen some not so pleasant things happen to people I know and, almost like a gambler avoiding Vegas (or Gamblor’s effects if you’re up on your Simpsons), I am unwilling to […]
Continue reading Rebecca’s Avatar Posted in: General, Week 12:
Hi Rebecca,
Your reservations about this kind of software are absolutely warranted. I have just begun playing around with some of its features and realized the addictive component built into it. Traditional video games have levels and an ending but this kind of game play (i.e. world of warcraft) only get more complex and addictive as you play. However, if it is designed correctly, I can see a lot of advantages in utilizing certain features for education.
Manny,
Agreed. I can see that there is massive potential there. “With great power comes great responsibility,” though, and I don’t know if I could encourage the use of this kind of virtual world in my own classroom, although I imagine in some cases it would be a good fit.
Hi Rebecca,
I do know of addictions to video games, which are very valid. However, did you have a chance to see the videos we posted? I think they speak to what Manny has pointed out – the very structured and innovative use of Second Life. I think it is important to consider the context we are presenting SL – within a highly structured assignment or curriculum. We are not suggesting that our cohort allow their students to randomly hang out in SL. We are asking them to consider entering a virtual classroom or guided tour of certain areas. This is an important distiction.
For example, in my experience, creating a Machinima video was a highly structured and educational activity. I only logged in to meet my classmates, scout locations and conduct our video.
I hope that the videos may inspire you to consider using SL in the ways that many other educators have done. What did you think of the SL educational applications?
Hi Eva,
Even though there are some fabulous ways to integrate it, and some very valid educational opportunities, I’m more concerned with the bigger moral implications. I don’t like where SL is going, it feels too much like “The Game” the Star Trek: Next Generation episode. Maybe it’s an irrational stand, which is very well could be, as at 28 years old I’m a seasoned gamer who has spent hours, days, weeks, months, and maybe even years playing games (though I do fall short of diaper-wearing to stay playing, I’ve pulled all-nighters and forgotten to eat). I guess I need to examine why I have such an emotional response to it, but thank you for sharing it as a good example of what can be done!
I agree with Rebecca on this one. Second Life has the potential to be Pandora’s Box. Great rewards with potential negative impacts. Prior to having my two daughters, I would often spend time playing video games of various nature but none were as time consuming as massive multiplayer online games. Although Second Life isn’t as much of a game as an online world, I still feel that it could be very addictive in nature and would never present it to my classrooms. For those who don’t remember, I teach a technology program that focuses on programming and technical support. The perfect type of student that could fall into a downward spiral of gaming addiction. I fully support gaming as an activity and still think it’s a valid educational tool but worry about certain types of escapism games such as Second Life.
I found editing my avatar impossible. I followed the instructions, then watched the video and right clicked on my avatar but nothing came up. I selected the clothing icon, clicked on several different things and hit save but nothing happened. I have never been a gamer – likely due to my lack […]
Continue reading Jen’s Avatar Posted in: General
Oh my goodness. Let me step out of student role for a second and say that your post here about winding up in the dark room and being stuck just made my day, I actually am near tears of laughter. I was feeling uncomfortable about the whole secondlife thing and actually did not download it to my computer, although I did create my avatar. Thank you for lightening the mood.
Thanks to you both for trying this exercise with a sense of humour. I recall that 2 years ago, when I attempted SL the first time, I was not even able to walk properly. It took time and watching videos to learn.
Jenn – I think your avatar looks good (even from the back)! You should be proud, as I think you manged well to build it. By the way, you would just have to view yourself from the front through the camera controls, to take a shot from the front. If you want to get out of the dark room, just go to destinations and teleport yourself out of there. You could try going to the USC campus, where we were in our video. However, don’t worry about the learning curve. I think you have done very well considering the obstacles.
I had a 2nd Life account years ago, but never ventured beyond beginner’s island. Perhaps I’ll give it a better try this time. You might find me wandering around sometime.
Continue reading Peggy’s Avatar Posted in: Week 12:
Hi Peggy,
Thank you for sharing you avatar. You mentioned that you after you had tried Second Life, you didn’t really continue using and I was wondering why that was? Also, being someone who had seen it in previous versions I am curious if it is different now and if so, would that encourage you to use it more often?
Julie
It’s hard to remember why I stopped, as this sort of stuff usually sucks me in, like Rebecca’s gambler. I suspect I was too busy with enough other things that it was better to quit before i got too deeply immersed. As I recall I never left the small introductory island where new avatars were born.
Hi Peggy,
I myself only checked SL out a couple of years ago, but never ventured further. Thanks to this project, I have now, and I’m glad I did. Like a lot of these tools, you never use them unless ‘forced’ to by circumstance. However, I intend to use it to engage students in my EFL classes. It’s great for role playing in all sorts of environments!
Hi everyone – from Jamaica! (No, not a holiday, unfortunately. I’m here to help a group of MET graduates launch a new venture – a non-profit enterprise called EdTech Jamaica that intends to provide national leadership in every aspect of learning technologies implementation here. A grand and worthwhile vision – hopefully it is an inspiration […]
Continue reading Posting Your A3 Posted in: Announcements
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Kent Jamieson 4:02 pm on November 27, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello Jennifer, thank you for your venture! I have always been a big fan of Lego, and its educational value. I’m glad that you added these learing features into your Prezi – gears/pulleys, engineering, math skills, etc.
I couldn’t see you elevator pitch, but i could hear what seemed like an introduction. Powerpoint kept loading forever, so eventually i just gave up on it. I also tried to import it into my Dropbox, but unfortunately i’ve lost that login information…urrgghhh. I’ll track it down soon enough and review your pitch then.
Back to your venture pitch, the Prezi was quite organized and flowed well. It was good to see the program in action through your pictures, as i’m a big fan of seeing the service working.
Your price range seems quite reasonable, but with so many ‘special pieces’ that you mention the kids having the opportunity in using i’m curious as to how you are less expensive then your competitors.
As well, your asking price of $25,000 seems low to me. Although this amount will be matched, i still don’t see $50,000 going very far in terms of starting a brand new venture in a place like England, where our dollar – or the States’ – doesn’t count for very much.
I did appreciate knowing when my money would be returning to me, however.
Another point I noticed was that much of your presentation seemed like an advertisement for potential employees looking for jobs. Information about ‘team buidling and training’ might be more geared towards potential employees, rather than investors in the venture.
I’m also wondering that with so much red tape involved in trying to get Play-Well in Canada, there must be the same issues regarding a European branch. Perhaps adding this fact to your ‘pain point’ would be helpful.
Although you have a terrific brand name, that many would recognize, I still think I would need a bit more information in regards to the legalities and financials with moving a brand into not only a new country, but a new continent. Your overview of your competition also seemed to be based in North America, and i’m wondering if England has any similar products. Is Mad Science in London?
Just a few things i’m still trying to figure out. However, a nicely polished presentation and venture pitch. Well done!
Kent
jenniferschubertubc 5:59 pm on November 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks Kent! I can see where maybe some of my points weren’t made in the clearest way by some of your questions…
The special pieces that we use in the kit are used only by the instructor. Students do not take home the projects we create. (That would get WAY too expensive.) Our employees successfully impart that the take away from our courses is the knowledge and experience over material things. We provide links to where parents can purchase materials online if their children would like to continue exploration on their own at home, but the only charge they incur from us is the class rate.
As far as the team building aspect goes, that was meant as a way of expanding our business (and not referring to anything internal). Instead of solely running after school enrichment, camps and experiences for children, why not branch out into the corporate world, providing interactive team building experiences for corporations at large? I am based near Boulder, CO in the States… home to many computer tech companies, including Google, who have expressed interest in this type of experience. It would obviously be more of a special event type of occurrance, but a new source of revenue regardless.
Thank you for your comments regarding red tape and other issues. I hear you! I have been trying to figure this out for a while. As I understand it, England does have a “loophole” of sorts which allows a single representative of a foreign operation to come in and do business under a standard VISA. Fingers crossed because I hope to push this to headquarters upon my return!
jkotler 7:12 am on November 28, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jennifer,
I really liked the learn by play with Lego concept presented in your venture pitch and also thought the presentation itself was very well organized. One thing I would suggest is to give the venture pitch an equal focus on how the programs actually work with the students and even perhaps some actual examples instead of focusing more on the marketing and future goals of the company.
Julie
jenniferschubertubc 6:03 pm on November 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thank you for the suggestion Julie! Obviously as an instructor, I am super passionate about what I have seen this program do in the lives of my students. Unfortunately, I was so afraid to overload my presentation with too much sentimentality that I neglected to really express what the individual programs do accomplish! I agree with you that perhaps I shouldn’t have played it so safe here. (We really do great things!)
I do hope that people visit our YouTube page to see the projects in action though! Prezi could never do that justice (though perhaps I should have included one or two in my presentation). Food for thought going forward! Thanks!
Colin 10:31 pm on November 28, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jennifer, I had problems with your elevator pitch so I wasn’t able to listen to it. Your Prezi was very well organized and personally I have always loved playing with Lego. I think your idea does sound interesting but I am not that familiar with the market in England so I don’t believe I can comment on how effective you would be. It sounds like you are doing the necessary networking and research gathering that you need to be successful so I wish you all the best.
jenniferschubertubc 6:06 pm on November 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thank you Colin. I was having quite a bit of trouble with my pitch as well. It seemed to end up working fine on my end in the end, but I am quite bummed that so many of you seem to be having trouble with it. Those that know me from other classes know my obsession with creating video, so being without a computer here has been murder. I weep for my Mac back at home!
I am currently staying in a part of England inundated with children and families. I have put out feelers with mummy groups and local enrichment sources and have actually garnered quite a bit of interest. It is all very exciting; I can’t wait to bring the news home with me in a few weeks.
manny 3:35 pm on November 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
HI Jennifer,
I like the concept of integrating play with education and what better way to do so than lego. I am having a little bit of trouble understanding how the business model would work for such a setup. I read it as an franchise in which you build partnerships with individual entrepreneurs who would buy the kit for $10000 and then receive training on how to go into schools and work with students. My wife had a similar activity in her class in which the school paid $300 for a third person to come into the school and work with students on building projects using lego-like materials. My only question is why someone would want to fork out the initial $10,000 for that specific kit and membership to this group. Unless this organization already has orders from schools that need to be filled, wouldn’t one do better on their own?
jenniferschubertubc 6:09 pm on November 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Our company currently is not interested in providing franchise opportunities. This venture would be in-house only. I am basically tasked with making the case for bringing it abroad. With the interest I have garned in one very small borough of London, I feel that I have more than enough ammo to back up my request. I am looking for additional funding as my company is slow to compensate any new territory, whether within the US or outside.
jhodi 1:53 am on December 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi,
Overall, I think that you have an interesting concept here. Learning with LEGO can be very engaging for students. However, I would have liked have been able to view and hear your elevator pitch for more engagement from myself to get interested in the concept. For me, this format was not very engaging and did not spark my interest. I would have also liked to have seen a stronger focus on the student in the venture pitch.
Overall, I think that you did a good job on both pitches. They were both informative and developed a positive view of your company and marketability.
Jhodi
Peggy Lawson 8:22 am on December 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jen –
I thought you did a great job with your pitches. I’m a fan of educational uses of Lego (never used them for that, but think they are great for that purpose). I liked that your elevator pitch, early on, distinguished Play-Well Tek from similar competitors, with the curriculum being the main difference. You provided more detail in your venture pitch. The vertical structure of your prezi (What is..; Why; Marketing; Who is behind…, etc.) took me clearly and logically through your venture. Your Ask – clearly mentioned in the elevator pitch but no mention there of what it was for, but you answered this in the longer venture pitch. Even matched by the company this seems low for what the funds were to provide, but the money aspect is something I am admittedly weak about myself. You say my investment will be returned in a year; with a tidy profit I hope? The team has plenty of credibility – I love the title VP of Marketing and Fun.
Well thought-out marketing plan.
I thought you did a great job. The product seems expensive to me, but you put it into perspective. I’d be interested in further discussions, but the competition would be one of my main concerns.
rebeccaharrison 6:19 pm on December 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
This service is an extension or alternative form of teaching, so it may be a more difficult sell based on that point. However, this service comes at a good time. There is a massive movement in education towards play. This is a great example of using play to teach and learn. I didn’t get a clear idea of how this is different from the robotics and lego options already out there? Why is this particular program special? The championship in this venture is clear and this is a definite point of strength. I also think that it would be easy to market this. Expos, schools, etc. would be great avenues, however, your “difference” from other similar types of services would be important to include in any advertising or marketing that you do. Your ask and return are very clearly laid out and seem more than reasonable. Would it be possible to do online instruction as well? Could this be another area of growth for your company? I would definitely invest in this venture.
Lisa Nevoral 10:49 pm on December 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jennifer,
Great job on your elevator and venture pitch! In your elevator pitch, I got a sense of who you were and what you were pitching. As well, you had an “Ask”. Depending on who you were targeting, I could see a need for this product. The idea about kids learning through play (especially LEGOS) is great.
Here is some constructive feedback on your venture pitch:
• Your elevator and venture pitch were well put together.
o The Prezi was easy to follow
• I was unsure as to what market problem Play-Well TEKnologies was a solution for.
• You did include the competition, but I think you could have stated why your product was better than these other products. You mentioned it in your elevator pitch, but I think you should have re-stated it again in your “Competition” section.
• Marketing – you do state where you will go to promote this product such as expos, community events/fairs, trial classes, promotional flyers but…
o Who will your major market push be towards? I am unclear as to who runs the programs and where they are held.
o Will you target schools or school districts? Do you target organizations that run after school programs like a YMCA?
• You included information about the cost of the “Play-Well TEKnologies” kit, as well as attendance fees and how much instructors would get paid. I thought this would be good from an investor’s point of view since it would give me an idea of where this product would make money. The amount of money for the kit did make me wonder if this was too high of a price for an organization to buy into.
• You did state an “ask” and “return”
• I’m not sure if I got a strong sense of the strengths and weaknesses of “Play-Well TEKnologies”. What are some of the issues that may arise?
Since I had quite a few questions as I went through your venture pitch, I would not invest in this product. But in saying that, good job on both pitches.
Lisa