New Year's Resolution

In my last post, I came to the realization that it was time to refocus.  Now that I have filed my second quarter progress report, I am making a New Year's Resolution.  With that said, I am setting a goal to blog at least 1-2 times a week and to challenge my students to blog even when they don't have a specific prompt. 

I also plan to increase the amount of time devoted to checking my students' wikis, blogs and learning logs.  When the students come back from Christmas break, time seems to begin moving even faster than previously.  Then before you know it--it's the end of the year! 

Time to Reflect

It seems like time is starting to speed up.  I did pretty good until the end of October and then it seems like everything started happening at once.  First my hard drive died in my desktop computer and I lost all my files. Then I hit a deer on the interstate and totaled my car.  Throw in a couple of fundraisers for the junior class and the end of the six weeks and I realize that I haven't written a blog entry for about a month.

So it is time to refocus and get back on track.  

Nice to have visitors!

Last week Denise came to visit and brought a guest from the Entertainment Software Association.  We had a nice visit and it helped jump start the students' game ideas. The students were more enthusiastic after sharing their ideas.  Thanks Denise!

Playing Games

I don't play a lot of games in my free time.  When I do play games, I like to play Spider Solitaire or Text Twist.  I also like strategy games, but do not have a favorite one.  I am looking forward to seeing the games that you make this year.  Because you do play a lot of games, I think it will help you come up with a fun and interesting game.

Mini Game Project

We have been working on the mini game project the last couple of days. There were a few difficulties to be overcome. The machines seemed to take a while to open Flash.  After the file was downloaded, we found a few that were corrupted and had to be downloaded again. Needless to say, we did not get much accomplished in a 45 minute class period.  Hopefully we can get done tomorrow!

Check out what we did in our mini workshop yesterday!  Scroll to the bottom of the page and look for the Mini Workshop October 7th heading.

Choosing a Topic

I know that you are finishing up your "big questions" for choosing a topic.  Remember to answer the questions on your own "My Projects" page.  To see what some of the other schools are doing and to read student blogs, visit the Weir High School site.  The instructor has placed links on her page to several of the other schools.  Find at least three students in your area and make positive comments on their blog and add them to your blog roll.

If you haven't customized your wiki and blog, you need to ASAP.  Monday is the end of the 6 weeks.

Choosing a Game Genre

Now that you have had some time to play the games, it is time to start thinking about the type of game that you would like to create.  Remember, we will be creating games in the S.T.E.M. area--Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.  So put on your thinking caps and try to come up with a topic that will be interesting and fun to learn about.

Setting up your blogs

Your e-mail account is set up and your wiki account established.  It's now time to set up your blog.

If you have never blogged, it will be a new experience.  You will be expected to blog at least once a week and maybe more on special occasions. 

Good luck--now get started!

Welcome to Globaloria game design class!

Buckle up and get ready to blast off for a new year! I look forward to seeing the games that you will create this year and possibly enter in the STEM competition. In addition to creating a game, you will be working with your own wiki and blog throughout the year. Good luck and I hope you enjoy the class!

Looking Back

When I look back on my first year as a Globaloria teacher, I wonder where the time went. We had our training and it was time to start. Then the snow kept pouring down. Before you knew it, it was May and time for students to have their games done. My students accomplished a lot, but at first I was apprehensive that they would get finished.

My advice to new educators would be to not get overwhelmed. There is a lot to do, but if you begin to doubt your ability, your students will not get the full benefit of the program. Let the students know that you are learning too and will need their help. The students will grow more if you let them learn how to do things on their own and share with their classmates. So if you start to feel that you are not accomplishing anything, take time to sit back and relax and then start again!