On Your Mark, Get Set, GO!
In mid-November, local students and their teachers were given the opportunity to participate in the first annual Red-Eye Video Shoot Out sponsored by the San Diego County Office of Education's iVIEawards.org (Innovative Video in Education). While video production is not typically considered a game or simulation, this event was a competition with set rules and a winner to be determined at the end of 24 hours, I thought it worthy of a mention in this blog.
The event began when the topic "Recycle, Or Else" (selected by the City of San Diego), was released to the student teams on a Friday afternoon. The teams brainstormed, storyboarded, scripted, shot the scenes, edited and submitted their final project for judging on Saturday afternoon. Watching the expressions on the faces of these teens as their videos were screened was inspirational. One team even admitted to editing their footage and burning the DVD on a laptop in the car on the way to the competition! The kids were all dead tired and yet still so full of enthusiasm. I came away feeling that this type of project is what we, as educators, need to be more involved with.
I am totally fascinated with Military simulations. I find the thought of fighting terrorists from my living room to be the only function of support I can offer. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the men and women fighting for our country and often feel somewhat helpless in the fact that I am not doing more myself. These simulations give (although false) a sense of combat and control.
For the past few years, I’ve been trying to find a web site that provides educational software reviews using a formal methodology. I still haven’t found any really strong sites (If anyone knows of any, I’d like to hear about them), but a number of years ago I ran into 
This website reviews educational software titles based on educational value, kids appeal, and ease-of-use, and employs a 1-to-5 rating scale (5 being best.). However, the site doesn’t provide any metric indicating how scores are arrived at. Still, it’s better than another review site I ran into, 
You can also check out some of my 
It looks like the producers of the newest sims-like online role-playing game, 
Sure, they're drills. But still, here is a resource for the K-12 classroom: 
Last weekend I stumbled across a great game store here in San Diego. It is called 
And you thought your Xbox was only for games…According to Andrew “Bunnie” Huang, a recent MIT grad, you can get around the many security features in an Xbox console and take control of the device, essentially converting it into a computer that costs less than $200. He has written a book, Hacking the Xbox, which outlines the steps.
I ran across this web page while performing a Google search looking for computer troubleshooting simulations. 
This website includes ‘scholarly investigations’ into the idea that we are living what we watched 
This game is pretty interesting! Vanished Planet is a cooperative board game, meaning all players work together to win. Either all the players win or they all lose. The object of the game is to strategically plan ship movement, resource management, and technology building while trying to delay the creature from destroying your world. Not only is it a cooperative board game but they have designed it such that the difficulty levels are scalable. This allows them to target children as well as adults.
It might make more sense to the kids if they could role play some of the important events in the history as part of their learning experience. Here is a website presented by 
Wanna take a trip to the future? There is a simulation site called "
Happy Turkey Day to all!
The online forums and chats are poorly attended with little insight into the fundamentals of good educational web site content development, and it is generally believed that our online hostess, 
most realistic war game they have ever played because you play against other people. The military is looking at using simulations similar to this to help train soldiers for combat. For those of us who have never been or even plan to be in combat, this game or simulation is perhaps the most realistic experience we can have.
Canadarm2 is a 35-foot crane-like machine aboard the International Space Station. Among other things, it is used to capture satellites and other free-flying objects in space. This is a difficult task that requires training in manual and visual dexterity. However, no practice was available once the astronauts arrived at the station. Through collaboration between Russian and Canadian space researchers, a simulator system has been developed that has the processing power to recreate the functions of the Canadarm2 and its interaction with other objects in space. The System for Maintaining and Monitoring Performance (SMP) On-Orbit Astronaut Training System consists of a small laptop computer which can interface with the station’s hand-controllers. It also uses a new simulation software tool known as SYMOFROS which was developed by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The system was launched on-board the Soyuz Progress Transport on February 2, 2003.
Here's one for the sports fans out there. This site provides inquisitive or wager-oriented sports aficionados with SimMatchup™ and SimLeague™. These simulations allow fans to pit teams against each other in simulated games based on team and individual player stats. Users aren't just limited to past teams either, since current and future teams can be compared.
Not surprisingly, 
Do you want to brush up on your mental mathematics? Then, this game is for you. You are given 4 numbers that you must add, subtract, multiply, or divide to get the result of 24. Look at the example to the right. Can you get 24? How long did it take you? Can you get 24 using another sequence?
I have used this drill and practice math program in summer school to test the speeds of incoming sixth graders. 
FlatWorld is a project at the University of Southern California that mixes reality with an immersive virtual environment. Using rear projection screens and motion tracking, a specially designed room displays computer animation and graphics that change based on the position of the user. With stereoscopic technology, elements can even appear to move into the room. Surround sound, props, wind, and room vibrations add to the experience. The installation was designed to be easily constructed using reasonably low cost materials and equipment for simulations in the educational, military, and entertainment industries.
Hey ladies (and gentlemen), here is a site worth checking out! 
Cooped up and don't know what to do? It can be a parents worst nightmare! Luckily, 
While looking for existing virus simulations, I came across the 
Sensors are attached to the player's fingers. Each player takes control of a dragon, which can walk, run, and fly. As a player relaxes, his dragon begins to walk, then run, and then fly. If the player stresses out at any point, the dragon will move back down through the cycles. The person who relaxes most wins the race.
While traipsing about the Web, I came across two wiki sites devoted to board games. The first, 
Surfing around the web, I stumbled upon a site for an elementary school in New Jersey who takes gaming seriously. Students at Hartshorn School have designed 
Here is a good article on how game addiction have taken over our lives. 
Facade is a prototype for a fully-realized interactive drama where the player interacts with artificial intelligence controlled characters. Through continuous dialogue, gestures and actions in 3D space, the player engages the main characters, Grace and Trip, who are on the verge of a break-up. In this first-person game, the player engages the hosting couple, altering the fate of their relationship. A Behavior Language (ABL) makes Grace and Trip capable of multi-intelligent verbal and non-verbal reactions. ABL will be made publicly available to the game industry around 2004.
Terminal Time is an interactive documentary of the past 1000 years that can be customized by the audience. Through a response-measuring device (applause meter), audiences are asked to respond to questions every six minutes during the documentary. The answers to these questions decide how the computer program presents the historical narratives. Using artificial intelligence algorithms, the program creates a unique cinematic experience depending on the audience needs and biases. The interactive documentary generated can be projected on a theater screen or broadcast on television monitors.
An 
I have been watching the growing controversy regarding this game with interest. I added a posting to this blog regarding this game earlier but pulled it because I felt I hadn't satisfactorily expressed my feelings. I find this game offensive, just as I find about 80% of everything on TV and the radio offensive. But the controversy surrounding this game bothered me for some reason, and I wasn't sure why. I think I've now figured it out.
Here is a simple simulation to learn about the plague that is suitable for K-12 and that uses readily available materials. This simulation uses role cards and a die. The role cards are for pilgrims and traders, the primary spreaders of the plague. The progression of the simulation relies entirely on the role of a die. Given the ignorance of the times regarding the plague and how it is spread, this randomness is valid. Although the simplicity of this simulation is its strength, the simulation could easily be adapted to allow for decision making.
This is an easy and fun site for elementary grade science students. I was drawn to the "Into The Wild" dairy entries from real scientists, "Dolphins in Depth" and the "Ways of Knowing Trail in the Ituri Forest" interactive games. Although the graphics and game designs are fairly basic, the knowledge reinforcement will be appreciated by teachers. The site provides the players with choices, includes corrections and chances to play again for mastery and more points. With budgets for software non-existant in schools these days, simple web-based Flash games have their place. Visit the 
There is a recent editorial column on 
