Blog Smith is inspired by the myth of Hephaestus in the creation of blacksmith-like, forged materials: ideas. This blog analyzes topics that interest me: IT, politics, technology, history, education, music, and the history of religions.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Friday, June 26, 2015
Archbishop on Gay Marriage Ruling
STATEMENT OF ARCHBISHOP CHARLES J. CHAPUT, O.F.M. CAP.REGARDING SUPREME COURT RULING ON SAME SEX MARRIAGE
June 26, 2015
STATEMENT OF ARCHBISHOP CHARLES J. CHAPUT, O.F.M. CAP.
REGARDING SUPREME COURT RULING ON SAME SEX MARRIAGE
"The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision on marriage is not a surprise. The surprise will come as ordinary people begin to experience, firsthand and painfully, the impact of today's action on everything they thought they knew about marriage, family life, our laws and our social institutions. The mistakes of the court change nothing about the nature of men and women, and the truth of God's Word. The task now for believers is to form our own families even more deeply in the love of God, and to rebuild a healthy marriage culture, one marriage at a time, from the debris of today's decision."
+Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Archbishop of Philadelphia
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Principles to Protect Communication: Stop Unwarranted Surveillance
Principles
https://act.eff.org/action/the-senate-is-about-to-vote-on-nsa-surveillance-reform-call-today
https://act.eff.org/action/the-senate-is-about-to-vote-on-nsa-surveillance-reform-call-today
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Monday, June 22, 2015
Sunday, June 21, 2015
13 Year Old Georgian Disagrees with Parents on Guns
13 Year Old Georgian Disagrees with Parents on Guns
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Obama Say Promote Islamism
Obama say, “the Islamic State is not Islamic.”
Obama say, “The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.”
Obama say, the Islamic call to prayer is “one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset.” Obama say, “We will convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over the centuries to shape the world — including in my own country.”
Obama say, “As a student of history, I also know civilization’s debt to Islam.”
Obama say, “Islam has a proud tradition of tolerance.”
Obama say, “Islam has always been part of America.”
Obama say, “we will encourage more Americans to study in Muslim communities.”
Obama say, “These rituals remind us of the principles that we hold in common, and Islam’s role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance, and the dignity of all human beings.”
Obama say, “America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles of justice and progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.”
Obama say, “I made it clear that America is not – and will never be – at war with Islam.” Obama say, “Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism – it is an important part of promoting peace.”
Obama say, “Throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality.”
Obama say, “The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.”
Obama say, the Islamic call to prayer is “one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset.” Obama say, “We will convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over the centuries to shape the world — including in my own country.”
Obama say, “As a student of history, I also know civilization’s debt to Islam.”
Obama say, “Islam has a proud tradition of tolerance.”
Obama say, “Islam has always been part of America.”
Obama say, “we will encourage more Americans to study in Muslim communities.”
Obama say, “These rituals remind us of the principles that we hold in common, and Islam’s role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance, and the dignity of all human beings.”
Obama say, “America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles of justice and progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.”
Obama say, “I made it clear that America is not – and will never be – at war with Islam.” Obama say, “Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism – it is an important part of promoting peace.”
Obama say, “Throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality.”
Friday, June 19, 2015
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Monday, June 15, 2015
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Friday, June 12, 2015
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Monday, June 8, 2015
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Ian Hunter, Sellersville Theater, 6 June 2015
IAN HUNTER
& THE RANT BAND
Sat, Jun 6 $57.50, $79.50
& THE RANT BAND
Mott The Hoople Founder & Frontman
"All The Young Dudes"
"All The Young Dudes"
Sat, Jun 6 $57.50, $79.50
Friday, June 5, 2015
Ian Hunter, June 5: The Bell House, Brooklyn NY
Jesse Patterson, Ian's son, opened the show with his band, Thousand Mothers. They are a thrash metal band that reminded me of Black Sabbath though Jesse said his big influence was Weezer. He has a big tattoo on his right arm inspired by the band though the reference escapes me. Jesse said his father was against and said it makes him "look like a fucking idiot and that is not a paraphrase."
The bass player, Matt, broke his strap and had to borrow Paul Page's.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Ian Hunter City Winery, 3-4 June
IAN HUNTER THE RANT BAND: "THE SPIRIT OF 76" - 6/3 6:00 PM DOORS 8:00 PM START ENDS 9:30 PM
(I'm the) Teacher/Central Park 'n' West
Honoloochie Boogie/All American Alien Boy
The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll/All The Way From Memphis/Black Tears/Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll
All The Young Dudes/Goodnight Irene
Encore, Happy Birthday, Life/All The Young Dudes/Goodnight Irene
Course Development
The recording of the critique session is available here for anyone who wants to watch it:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/
And below is a collection of links (not necessarily complete) to the projects critiqued. If you have comments or questions on any of these projects, you can continue the discussion on the project threads.
mpat10323: Engineering Design Process Tutorial
Problem pitch: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
Use Case: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
Assessment: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
cerijones: Chatterbox (the conversation simulator)
problem pitch: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
elevator pitch: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
use case: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
assessment plan: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
michelleful: Language Learning through Puzzle Solving
1. Problem pitch: maintaining engagement in language learning https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
2. Elevator pitch: language learning through puzzle solving, inspired by the Zoombinis game
https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
3. Use case scenario with Alex, who’s been wanting to learn Mandarin but hasn’t found the right solution, until she finds a puzzle game that teaches Mandarin:
https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
4. Assessment plan: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
hednhart: Tinkering with Text
Original pitch: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
Elevator pitch: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
Use Case: https://docs.google.com/
Assessment plan: https://docs.google.com/
smvogt: Fractionation
Elevator Pitch: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
Use Case: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
Assessment plan: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
https://plus.google.com/u/0/
And below is a collection of links (not necessarily complete) to the projects critiqued. If you have comments or questions on any of these projects, you can continue the discussion on the project threads.
mpat10323: Engineering Design Process Tutorial
Problem pitch: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
Use Case: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
Assessment: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
cerijones: Chatterbox (the conversation simulator)
problem pitch: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
elevator pitch: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
use case: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
assessment plan: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
michelleful: Language Learning through Puzzle Solving
1. Problem pitch: maintaining engagement in language learning https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
2. Elevator pitch: language learning through puzzle solving, inspired by the Zoombinis game
https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
3. Use case scenario with Alex, who’s been wanting to learn Mandarin but hasn’t found the right solution, until she finds a puzzle game that teaches Mandarin:
https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
4. Assessment plan: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
hednhart: Tinkering with Text
Original pitch: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
Elevator pitch: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
Use Case: https://docs.google.com/
Assessment plan: https://docs.google.com/
smvogt: Fractionation
Elevator Pitch: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
Use Case: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
Assessment plan: https://dd.edtechx.org/blog/
NPS
http://research.scoutanalytics.com/churn/net-promoter-scores-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/
http://www.clickz.com/iptac-F44E05219320-FCH1837V0GZ/S0001/535452415945525c676d69636b2e736d69746840737472617965724e544c4d446f6d61696e--1416239857--3568--1415720443--3ae7b6edf3a118867cd33b2c1d3377f7235a2c26ae533664c7481ef02637929e/http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/1707482/whats-wrong-with-net-promoter-score
http://www.quora.com/What-is-a-good-net-promoter-score-to-have
--
http://www.clickz.com/iptac-F44E05219320-FCH1837V0GZ/S0001/535452415945525c676d69636b2e736d69746840737472617965724e544c4d446f6d61696e--1416239857--3568--1415720443--3ae7b6edf3a118867cd33b2c1d3377f7235a2c26ae533664c7481ef02637929e/http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/1707482/whats-wrong-with-net-promoter-score
http://www.quora.com/What-is-a-good-net-promoter-score-to-have
--
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Monday, June 1, 2015
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Friday, May 29, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Unit 5
11.127x Unit 5 is now live! In this unit, we’re exploring assessment and classroom integration. We’ll hear how several game developers created support materials to help teachers use their games in an educational environment. We’ll hear from an organization working to build a community of educators around game-based learning. We’ll discuss assessment and consider how games assess players and the potential for using games to measure student learning. You’ll develop an integration or assessment plan for your game and provide feedback. Don’t forget that you can still join a survey-based working group and/or affinity group. We’re also thrilled to see participants meeting in the forum and then collaborating on projects.
http://youtu.be/jtlKYjbi-r0
http://youtu.be/jtlKYjbi-r0
Welcome to Unit 5!
In this unit, we'll talk about integrating learning games into the classroom and also consider how games can be used as assessment tools.
- Integrating Games: Case Studies: Scot Osterweil (with Prof. Eric Klopfer), Louisa Rosenheck, Susannah Gordon-Messer, and Joel Levin discuss their experiences developing support material and helping teachers to use their games in the classroom. Jennifer Groff and Peter Stidwill talk about their work creating a community of educators around game-based learning.
- Asssessement & Games: Prof. Eric Klopfer talks with Prof. James Paul Gee about assessment and they explore how games provide feedback to learners.
- Choice-Based Assessment: Prof. Dan Schwartz explains choice-based assessment to Prof. Eric Klopfer and considers how video games can be used as assessment tools to improve teaching and learning.
We will be reading chapters from the Mind/Shift Guide to Digital Games + Learning. Those who wish to dive deeper can read excerpts from Stealth Assessment: Measuring and Supporting Learning in Video Games by Valerie Shute and Matthew Ventura.
Appearances by: Scot Osterweil, Louisa Rosenheck, Susannah Gordon-Messer, Jennifer Groff, Peter Stidwill, Joel Levin, James Paul Gee, Dan Schwartz
http://youtu.be/jtlKYjbi-r0
Prof. Eric Klopfer and Scot Osterweil return to Lure of the Labyrinth. Scot explains the vision for integrating Lure of the Labyrinth into the classroom and also discusses challenges faced by the project team. How will a teacher learn how to play your game? Scot mentions that it would have been helpful to have a "game-like activity" for the teacher to get aquainted with the game. Consider engaging ways you could help teachers and facilitators learn how to play your game.
http://youtu.be/R___bVy92c4
Louisa Rosenheck, a research manager at MIT's Education Arcade, and Susannah Gordon-Messer, an education content manager at MIT's Education Arcade, are back to talk about The Radix Endeavor, specifically about how the team supported teacher use of the game. They reflect on how they responded to teacher input and figured out what resources were needed. They mention the importance and prominence of state standards in the minds of teachers. You may want to consider standards/guidelines that are in place in the environment where your game will be used. In this video, we briefly show some teacher resources created by Louisa and Susannah. If you want to see more, go here. You'll have to click on a quest (at the bottom) to see examples of connecting questions.
https://www.radixendeavor.org/resources/market-market
http://youtu.be/R___bVy92c4
Jennifer Groff, Executive Producer, and Peter Stidwill, Senior Producer, of Playful Learning, discuss their efforts to create a community of teachers interested in and passionate about using games for learning. They reflect on the wrap-around support that teachers need in order to implement games, the feedback they hear most frequently from teachers, and its implications for game designers and developers. Take note of their advice for game designers towards the end of the video (at 15:11).
http://playfullearning.com
http://youtu.be/pSghaxzLTQc
Joel Levin of MinecraftEdu talks about his experience building in supports for teachers to facilitate classroom use of Minecraft. Are there game mechanisms that will help teachers use your game in a learning environment? While you may not be able to implement them all right now, it is worth considering.
http://youtu.be/l9qRrOSI1MM
Let's take a look at teacher support for learning games. Take a look at the examples below or find your own. What feature or aspect of these guides do you find to be especially helpful for teachers working to integrate a game in their class? Why? iCivics Teach Teach with Portals - Portal & Portal 2 were not explicitly designed to be educational. MinecraftEdu Resources Lure of the Labyrinth for Educators Share your thoughts in the forum so you learn from these practices for your project.
Prof. Eric Klopfer talks with Prof. James Paul Gee at Arizona State University about assessment in schools. They discuss what it is, what it could be, and give examples of how it is handled in games. Think about how your game measures progress and provides feedback. Are there improvements you could make that would allow learners and teachers to better track and understand accomplishments?
http://youtu.be/MZxIVHCE8LA
Eric and Prof. Gee continue their conversation about assessment, explaining why and how games can fit productively in the context of a learning environment. Prof. Gee asserts that we can learn so much about the core principles of learning and teaching from video games.
http://youtu.be/lmezIMTI5v0
Prof. Eric Klopfer talks with Prof. Dan Schwartz, Stanford University, about his work on choice-based assessment and its implications for how we teach, learn, and assess. Prof. Schwartz recognizes that video games are great at giving players compelling experiences and that this can be leveraged to prepare students to learn. He describes his reboot of Space Invaders, which was designed to help students learn statistics (9:09 in the video).
http://youtu.be/hwPuC5Ik5sM
Eric continues his conversation with Prof. Schwartz, focusing on how choice-based assessment can be used to understand students' thinking for the purpose of preparing them to make their own good decisions about their learning. One project he describes allows students to practice inquiry, creative thinking, and presentation skills, while making their decisions available to mentors.
http://youtu.be/OVN2ghNpK4o
http://youtu.be/OVN2ghNpK4o
Unit 5 Reading INTEGRATING GAMES Read the chapters "How to Choose a Digital Learning Game," "Overcoming Obstacles for Using Digital Games in the Classroom," and "How Teachers Are Using Games in the Classroom" (pgs. 19-40). We chose this reading to expand your understanding of factors teachers consider when selecting a digital game and of obstacles they may face. Shapiro, Jordan, et. al. 2014. Mind/Shift Guide to Digital Games + Learning. Joan Ganz Cooney Center/KQED.
http://www.kqed.org/assets/pdf/news/MindShift-GuidetoDigitalGamesandLearning.pdf
DIVE DEEPER Read "Digital Games, Assessment, and Learning" (pgs. 17-29). Shute, Valerie and Matthew Ventura. 2013. Stealth Assessment: Measuring and Supporting Learning in Video Games. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
http://myweb.fsu.edu/vshute/pdf/Stealth_Assessment.pdf
http://youtu.be/l7OCJjShOzU
In this unit, we talked about integrating games into the classroom, with a focus on assessment as a key opportunity to provide value to learners and educators. For this assignment then, focus on one of two options. You may either: Develop an integration plan - consider how you might integrate your game into your targeted environment? Are you going to create materials to accompany it? Would you conduct workshops to help train instructors on how to use your game? Maybe a series of videos? Explain (in any format you wish) how you'll integrate your game into the target learning environment you have chosen. Include accompanying materials and/or describe them. Develop an assessment plan for one or more of the learning objectives for your game. How might you help learners and mentors/teachers understand accomplishments in the game? How can you give the right just-in-time feedback to learners or their guides? In order to answer that question, really consider what your game is asking people to do, and whether you could say anything about their learning based on how they engage with the game. Explain to the course staff and students (in any format you wish) how you will help learners and teachers understand accomplishments/progress in the game. Of course, if you wish to do both, you may, but we would prefer that you focus on one and do a thorough job. We’re in the final weeks of the course and we understand it may be hard to address all of the questions we've asked here. Ultimately, this work is for your learning and development, so do what will serve you and your project best. Peer Feedback Guidelines Provide feedback to at least three participants whose posts appear below yours. If those participants have already received feedback, look for participants who have not received any. Follow the Peer Review Feedback guidelines and consider the following: In your opinion, does the participant's integration or assessment plan seem appropriate considering the targeted group and environment? Do you have any recommendations for improving the plan? How has the participant's plan influenced your own thinking?
Monday, May 25, 2015
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Friday, May 22, 2015
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Monday, May 18, 2015
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Home Movie and Anti-Communist Educational Film
The joys of showing 8mm home movies (1957 14 #05B Sh t P1150373 xvid short drama2)
Watch an insane 1970s anti Communist educational film
http://youtu.be/JcHFEO0024A
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Friday, May 15, 2015
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
FBI Warns of Train Derailment Threat
Bullet Train
FBI
Yameen Allworld,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3079146/Amtrak-train-crash-video-shows-passengers-crawling-safety.html
OBAMA RIPS FOX: ‘WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE HOW THE MEDIA REPORTS’
I think that the effort to suggest that the poor are sponges, leeches, don’t want to work, are lazy, are undeserving, got traction. And look, it’s still being propagated. I have to say that if you watch Fox News on a regular basis, it is a constant venue. They will find folks who make me mad. I don’t know where they find them. They’re all like, “I don’t want to work. I just want a free Obama Phone, or whatever.” And that becomes an entire narrative that gets worked up. And very rarely do you hear an interview of a waitress, which is much more typical — who is raising a couple of kids and doing everything right but still can’t pay the bills.
And so, if we’re going to change how
andthink, we’re going to have to change how our body politic thinks, which means we’re going to have to change how the media reports on these issues, and how people’s impressions of what it’s like to struggle in this economy looks like. And how budgets connect to that. And that’s a hard process because that requires a much broader conversation than typically we have on the nightly news.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
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