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Gamification for the Win! Escape from Detention

gwynethj


You’re looking at the proud smiling faces of two middle school Game App designers.  Howard County Middle School student Tekye (and family friend to MHMS) and MHMS 8th grader Lasya, participated in an exciting program called HiTech – wherein they helped to create a super cool APP Game called Escape from Detention. And by the way, it’s NOT EASY! It somehow reminds me of Frogger

Get a peek at the game with this YouTube video!

Here’s a few screenshots I grabbed off my iPad to give you an idea what it looks like!

From an email from Tekye’s proud mom, Catina (and former MHMS English teacher!)

“The new game offers a variety of break out scenarios at escalating levels of complexity. Download the (free) game and try your hand at “springing” the student from captivity while avoiding myriad pitfalls.

Escape is available for iPhones, iPads, and Android systems.

App Store linkGoogle Play image

I am so very proud of the work completed by the teenagers and the HiTech team that I had to share with you.”

According to an HCL press release: “More than 1,200 students between the ages of 11 and 18 [all of whom are students, public, private, or home-schooled, living in Howard County] have participated in HiTech classes since its inception … creating music, 3D images, videos [and] e-books.”

From an article by Technically Baltimore:

“Mindgrub Technologies, the Catonsville-based innovation agency that started a new gaming division this year, has released its latest game.

Escape from Detention is a collaboration with students participating with the Howard County Library’s HiTech, the library’s new STEM digital media lab, who helped with the game’s design and development. Players maneuver detention-serving digital students around time-based obstacles (desks and other students) inside of classrooms.

Download Escape! From Detention for Android or iOS.

The game itself was produced in Corona, said Alex Hachey, Mindgrub’s creative lead, at the Baltimore Mobile Meetup in December. Producing the game in Corona makes it cross-platform, so it’ll work on iOS, Android, the Kindle Fire and the Barnes & Noble Nook. Hachey also said the game development was paid for, as it’s a “client services game.”

Over a six-week period, Mindgrub employees served as instructors teaching students at the HiTech lab principles on game design, theory and logic, as well as teaching classes on producing sound effects, characters and game layout. It was the students who came up with concept for Escape! From Detention.”

Again, I played it….and it’s NOT EASY — but I really want to make it to the library!

 

Resources:

Escape! From Detention: Mindgrub and Howard County Library students collaborate on new mobile game

Escape from Detention: iTunes Preview

Howard County Library Game Released!

Credits:
Photos of Tekye by his Mom, Catina & PicMonkey designed by me

HiTech is funded in part through a federal grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and IMLS.

From the Planet of Trashitron it’s Recycle Man!

gwynethj

Recycle Man travels from his home planet of Trashitron to convince MHMS students that they need to recycle. His methods may be harsh but his message is one of hope!

Back by popular demand, created by the MHMS GT video production crew in concert with the Green Team it’s RECYCLE MAN! Starring lots of our kiddos & Mr. Christopher Yetter as RECYCLE MAN executive produced by Elizabeth Singleton! (Special Thanks to NibbleTheKitty for requesting this upload!)

Also available on the YouTubes! On our MurrayHillPD Channel!

 

 

Imma B Gotcha Back: Anti-Bullying & PBIS Videos

gwynethj

Gotcha Back!
I want to share this amazing video that one of our outstanding, talented, amazing, adorable – ok, I’m a bit of a fan grrl for Denise Adams our new MHMS Guidance Counselor. (Ms. Shuman’s pretty cool, too!)  She did this video all by herself! W00t! (With a little help from her kids!;-) Starring our awesome Murray Hill Middle School kiddos. She used a stop action sports setting on her camera to get the step-effect of the photos. We have an ongoing anti-bullying PBIS campaign in our school and this video supports it wonderfully – and it gets me a little choked up…”I’m all farklempt!”

Here’s the video link on the SchoolTubes and the embedded vid below in case the YouTubes are blocked in your district or the embed doesn’t work for you!

Imma B
Another GREAT video for PBIS is this inspiring one from Nashville, TN!

“This video was written, directed, produced, and edited by Mr. Rob Dennis from John Early Magnet Charter School in Nashville, Tennessee. Imma Be features several students from the John Early Student Body, and promotes a very positive message for meeting expectations and dreaming big!”

We at MHMS created an activity and lesson plan on our Wikipage   based on this video!

Imma Be from Michael Kennedy on Vimeo.

Fun side story:  I was so impressed with this video that I wanted to track down the creators & tell em so! So I Googled (of course!) and found the Teacher Librarian at the school where this was shot to let her know that we used it and how awesome we thought it was –it was a shot in the dark! This was my letter:

Hello!
Somehow my assistant principal stumbled across the video that was made at your school called Imma Beand we’re using it for a PBIS lesson! I just wanted to compliment you as several of the scenes took place in  your lovely library & the video ROCKED!

Here’s the Wikispace page I created for this lesson centered around your awesome vid!
http://murrayhill.wikispaces.com/PBIS

I hear Rob Dennis is no longer at the school but I just wanted to say
Thank you!!!

~Gwyneth Jones – MHMS

And a few days later I got this back!

“Good afternoon!  Thank you so much for your compliments on the video.  We actually made it a few years ago.  I helped out with the lyrics and some of the scenes.  It was fun and the students really got into it.  I love your lesson, and I’ll have to visit your wiki again as I see a lot of useful information there!

Thanks again!!!

Amanda Tucker

Library Media Specialist

John Early Museum Magnet Middle School 

Rob Dennis's profile photoAND then……I got in my gmail account THIS email from Rob Dennis! W00t!

Hello Ms. Jones!
So I googled the Imma be video and can’t believe it’s being used by a school all the way in Maryland! That is so cool!(Not to mention you look like the coolest librarian in the entire world!) [[heh heh, aww shucks!]]

I am honored that the video I made to help keep our kids doing the right thing is having such a big impact.
You Rock!

Thanks,
Mr. Dennis

Isn’t that the coolest? That’s how our PLN grows, right? AND it says something about shameless sharing, open collaboration, professional generosity of spirit. Letting people know you’re using their stuff, giving them props (full attribution!), complimenting them on their hard work, paying it forward…well, it’s a good thing

 

Super Marvel-ous Comics

gwynethj

—

I spent such a fun week working with Mrs. Michaelson’s amazing students to create Super Marvel-ous Comics!

We used the Marvel create a comic generator and though it had some quirky side-effects – our saved .PDF’s didn’t look the same as what we had on our screen! Some of our backgrounds disappeared and some had extra speech bubbles that I swear weren’t there when we saved them! Maybe we should have just taken screen shots??


We had time after the comic creating & we watched & danced to the latest craze UMD Gangnam Style!

FEAR THE TURTLE!

Super Marvel-ous Comic Book Lesson

Our Common Core State Standards Alignment: Standard 3 & 6 for Reading Literature –

Standard 3 for Reading Literature:

Grade 6:
Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward resolution.

Grade 7:
Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).

Grade 8:
Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character or provoke a decision.

Standard 6 for Reading Literature:

Grade 6:
Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

Grade 7:
Analyze how an author develops and contrast the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.

Grade 8:
Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader create such effects as suspense or humor.

 


Choose Civility HiTech Teen Day!

gwynethj

This Wednesday! 

From the HCL Website:

Create (or Edit) an iBook
Register today to collaborate with your friends to create a Choose Civility iBook! A community-wide initiative, Choose Civility aims to enhance respect, empathy, consideration, and tolerance.

All you need to do is write a brief summary, poem or letter (no longer than 1 page) on one of the following topics:

• importance of being respectful,
• a kind or thoughtful message for those going through a tough time, or
• how to make the world a better place.

Please make sure your document is on a thumb drive. You may also bring original pictures and photos that best depict your written document or create it during the iBook session.

HiTech is funded by a Federal STEM grant from IMLS and the MacArthur Foundation.

PS. Brekkie & Lunch included! Nom, nom!

Register HERE!

for more information contact our good friend:

Sarah Moore
Teen Specialist
Howard County Library System
Savage Branch
410-880-5980

Daring Back to School Cartoon!

gwynethj

Here’s the Animated Version!

MHMS_Daring_Library_Media_Orientation Animation by gwyneth on GoAnimate

Animated Presentations – Powered by GoAnimate.

Welcome Back Kiddos, Parents, & Families!

Visit our Aspen table at Back to School Night & our Wikipage for all kinds of great tech resources! We also have a couple crowdsourcing polls for you to take!

And don’t forget our Tech Help at Home Wikipage this is a helpful site for all those pesky techy troubles & queries!
Research_Databases3.jpg

Our Research Databases Wikpage helps with homework & school projects!

 

 

Caine’s Arcade: Ingenuity, Persistence, Optimism, & Lots of Tape!

gwynethj

MHTV Top Story:

“Caine Monroy built it and the people did come.

The 9-year-old boy from Los Angeles spent an entire summer building an elaborate arcade inside his father’s used auto parts shop.

A 10-minute video (above)  about his creation has been viewed more than two million times and has generated more than $100,000 for a scholarship fund.

Using old cardboard boxes and packing tape, Caine constructed elaborate games, according to the film. He priced tickets — $1 for four plays or $2 for a “fun pass” and 500 plays.

He pinned prizes to the wall. He even developed a high-tech security system for validating the arcade fun passes.

Caine, wearing a blue staff t-shirt he made himself, waited for customers.

But didn’t get any. His dad’s shop in east L.A. does most of its business online and gets very little foot traffic.

Enter Nirvin Mullick, who needed a door handle for his 1996 Toyota Corolla. He explains in the film how he bought a fun pass (it was the better deal) and played some games.

It turns out that one customer was all Caine needed.

Mr. Mullick is a filmmaker and decided to make a video about Caine’s Arcade.

“I said (to Mr. Mullick), it’s actually kind of a little joke around here because you’re his only customer,” says George Monroy, Caine’s dad, in the film. “If you can get him one customer, that would make him happy.”

“At that point we hatched a plan to get everybody in L.A. to come play Caine’s Arcade,” Mr. Mullick says.

Mr. Mullick got on Facebook and organized a flashmob to come to the shop on a Sunday afternoon. The event information went viral and ended up on Reddit, which Mr. Mullick calls “the front page of the Internet.”

Caine’s dad agreed to take his son out for pizza to give the flashmob time to gather and construct colourful signs.

With a honest grin showing uneven teeth, Caine was clearly thrilled to see a massive crowd had gathered and were chanting “we came to play!”

“I saw they were cheering for me,” Caine says at the end of the video. “And I was proud.”

Mr. Mullick’s film has now been viewed nearly one million times on YouTube and 1.5 million times on Vimeo.

A fund set up to send Caine to university — where many have wondered if the boy will study engineering — quickly raised thousands of dollars.

An early push for fundraising for Caine came from Justin McElroy, a video game journalist and managing editor of the Polygon, a video game website that will go live later this year.” –

The MHMS Daring School Library Loves Caine’s Arcade!

What does this have to do with the MHMS Daring School Library? Well, this is the kind of spirit of  ingenuity, persistance, optimism, & creativity we foster here at Murray Hill! I’d like to think our kids could learn a thing or two from Caine. We showed this video to all of our 727 kids this during our daily live MHTV show & the our kids were really touched & inspired by it – and Mrs. Singleton & I were fighting over the Kleenex box! Great job, Caine! AWEsome job filmmaker Mr. Nirvin Mullick! You saw something special in this kid and helped realize a dream come true!   Viva creativity and the power of social media!

Caine’s dad Tweeted this morning:

caine is shopping for caps for @cainesarcade

smartparts1 caine is shopping for caps for @cainesarcade http://twitgoo.com/5osb29

Credits:  Story Source: Caine’s Arcade video about inventive L.A. boy raises $100,000 for scholarship fund
Photo Source: Caine’s Arcade Official Website – Used with Permission

Twitter Sources: Filmmaker Nirvin Mullick  @nirvan

Caine’s Arcade: @cainesarcade

Caine’s Dad Mr. Monroy: smartparts1


 

Edublog Nominations & Shameless Campaigning!

gwynethj

You know how most people say about awards “It’s enough just to be nominated?” Well, I think most people are fibbing! Sure, it’s TOTALLY true that it’s a distinct honor to be nominated! Especially for a crowdsourced award like the International Edublogs Award! And admittedly, I collect these blog badges with undisguised avarice & glee! I also gotta argue with the quote from the cinematic oeuvre Blazing Saddles “We don’t need no stinkin badges” – because yes, YES we do! Oooh shiny shiny!  Maybe because I was kicked out of the girl scouts for talking too much in 5th grade – I just can’t help but love the monetarily free but oh so personally rewarding little square .jpeg that shows that my contemporaries & colleagues feel that we and what we’re doing matter! So yeah, WOW! I can’t help but be psyched that we were nominated for Best Educational Wiki our Daring Tech Wiki! That’s totally mind-blowing, humbling, and a true honor! And sure – I could be all “I don’t care if we win” but that would be disingenuous, and why the heck not try to win!?? LOL  Do you think that Lady GaGa doesn’t want to win the Grammy? Do you think that ANYone nominated for an OSCAR doesn’t wanna get that sweet shiny gold statue? HA! It’s human nature! 

So am I gonna campaign? Well, yes and no. I’m not gonna hire PR guru Donnie Deutsch or the Goodyear Blimp! (Cha ching!) But I am writing this to blog saying YAY! Thank you, We’re honored & Please Consider us & Vote! both with my parents & students and my Daring Librarian blog readers. Is that shameless? YES! Thank goodness I’m totally OK with being shameless!

Here’s how you can vote for us!

(Comic tutorial directions below for my fellow visual learners!)

Best Educational Tech Wiki – Drop down & look for Daring Tech Wiki!~

Ms. Jones, your Daring Librarian, was also nominated in 3 other categories (I know, pinch me right?) If you would like to vote for her,  here are the links & what to look for! Thank you!

Best Individual Tweeter — Drop down the Category on Right to Best Individual Tweeter again & look for GwynethJones

Most Influential Blog Post – drop down last on the list Gwyneth Anne Bronwynne Jones for Lady GaGa Librarians Unite!   Nominated by The Mighty Little Librarian Tiff!  – Thank you!

Best Librarian / Library Blog – The Daring Librarian.com  Nominated by The Library Girl, Jennifer LaGarde! Thank you!

 

Thank you everyone else who nominated us! We’re thrilled to be considered – and in the words of the venerable Wayne Campbell “We’re not worthy!!!!!!!!!!!”

Directions on HOW to Vote

Here's How to Vote - it's trixy! Click above for larger size. Thank you!

 

My Edublog Nominations

gwynethj

To celebrate the #Eddies this year I thought I would do my nominating both on my professional blog and here on our NEW! Daring School Library Edublog! The EduBlogger award nomination process is a wonderful opportunity Pay it Forward by recognizing those in our PLN for their hard work and generosity. I wish I could name more than one on several of these categories! Gah!  The Edublog awards have had a lot of buzz the last couple of years (both positive & hater) but I find the event & experience invigorating! I’ve been humbled & honored to be nominated a couple times (first by the amazing Shelly S Terrell! Thank you, Shelly!) and even came in second runner up once or twice! But what I get most from the Edublogs is an ever growing list of great new voices and views to add to my personal learning network.

To practice what I preach about educational thieving, when I like something I STEAL IT!  Here are my cribbed & adapted Edublog nominations! Heh heh heh! If you recognize something that looks familiar to something you nominated or wrote, I hope you’re not mad & take it as flattery! 

  • Best ed tech / resource sharing blog – Steven Anderson  & his Web 2.o Classroom blog.  Honestly, sometimes people email me asking me how to do something & if I haven’t blogged about it before  before I write it up for them I check Steven’s blog and Voila! It’s usually there!
  • Best individual blog Librarian by Day by Bobbi Newman   fellow Libary Journal Mover & Shaker Bobbi Newman always has interesting information to share and a unique voice in the EdTech Librarian world!
  • Best group blog http://denblogs.com/ I have to agree with Steve Dembo “the DEN Global blog is far and away the best group blogs in the EduVerse. Whether you grade based on quality, quantity, or value to visitors, our Leadership Council bloggers are doing an unbelievable job and absolutely deserve to be recognized for their efforts!” So I hereby nominate for the Best Group Blog!
  • Best NEW blog: Tamara Cox – Eliterate Librarian She’s another Geek Tribe shameless sharer and I LOVE that! She also was kind enough to leave a comment or two on this blog that were so spot on it drew me to her blog & I was hooked!
  • Best individual tweeter: Shannon Miller Shannon Miller has a zest for the new, the challenging, and is a true change agent in her school, district, & community! She also is one of Cengage/Gale and SLJ’s 5 national new library leaders program and a Shorty award winner! Her useful & positive Tweets brighten & inspire me! I also have to give mad props to Steven Anderson Seriously, the guy is a rock star!
  • Best twitter hashtag– #tlchat, This is the hashtag that I always check to keep a pulse on library trends and news. I also like #EdChat a LOT!
  • Best Educational Use of Audio/Video/Visual/Podcast Flocabulary @Flocabulary I’ve blogged about Flocabulary before but honestly, this has been one of the most relevant & incredibly enriching video resources in my school!
  • Best Student Blog Hagan’s World of Awesome @haganemiller – I’m not a little kid person…I admit it. I teach middle schoolers & find most elem kids well, a little whiny & annoying – but this kid is amazing! Sure, I’m a wee bit biased as he’s the son of a friend but seriously – you gotta check out this blog! It’s visual, upbeat, interesting, engaging, and very very AWEsome!
  • Most Influential Blog Post #You Matter…..Two World-Changing Words @angelamaiers I am a huge admirer of Angela Maiers! She’s positive, insightful, and oh so on point! The #youmatter movement – I’m totally behind it!
  • Best librarian / library blog– Adventures of Library Girl. This is the toughest one for me EVERY YEAR because within my PLN there are so many wonderful librarian bloggers, but this year my nomination goes to one of my mentees Jennifer LaGarde’s blog! She has consistently inspired me with her creative ideas and passion!
  • Best open PD / unconference / webinar series: TL Virtual Cafe The TL Virtual Cafe is such an incredible FREE PD opportunity offered every month! Participating in this terrific webinar series has helped me to grow so much as a teacher-librarian and it always leaves me refreshed and full of new ideas. Our Geek Tribe is so giving… having so many willing to share makes for something really great!
  • Best free web tool – Sweet Search for Students.
  • Best educational Ed Tech Wiki: The Mighty Little Librarian’s Tech Tuesdays. I love this series because it helps her teachers learn more about technology, improve their teaching, and advocates for her role as a tech leader in her school. All around a wonderful project. I always get great ideas from Tiff! I’m flattered she considers me a mentor but honestly, it’s a lovely symbiotic relationship where she takes ideas from me & expands them into new fabulousness and I take ideas from her and get continuously inspired!
  • Best open PD / unconference / webinar series– TL Virtual Cafe– my source for all the latest and greatest in the library world – now co-managed by Jennifer LaGarde & welcoming new moderators Librarian Tiff, Joquetta Johnson, & Shannon M. Miller!
  • Best School Administrator blog: Eric Sheninger – A Principal’s Reflections Eric Sheninger is an inspiring administrator he’s a super advocate for social media in schools.
  • Best educational use of a social network: Joquetta Johnson – The Digital Diva– Energetic and exciting – Joquetta brings it all together from blogs, tweets, nings, to amazingly inspirational sessions and presentations that make you want to jump up and drink whatever koolaid she’s serving. Yeah, she’s that good.
  • Lifetime achievement: Joyce Valenza Joyce is the queen of our Geek Tribe. She’s brilliant and inspirational. She’s an incredible leader and fabulous speaker. She is a shameless sharer and my official mentor. (I never get tired of typing that, right!?) Joyce is also kind, generous, and a great collaborator. With everything that she has done and continues to do to push our profession and education forward, she completely deserves to be recognized!

Why Edublog Awards?

The Edublog Awards is a community based incentive started in 2005 in response to community concerns relating to how schools, districts and educational institutions were blocking access of learner and teacher blog sites for educational purposes.

The purpose of the Edublog awards is promote and demonstrate the educational values of these social media.

The best aspects include that it creates a fabulous resource for educators to use for ideas on how social media is used in different contexts, with a range of different learners.

To nominate, all you need is to:

1. Write a post that includes your nominations on your blog, link to them and link to this site (See an example from 2009.)
2. Use the form at the bottom of this page to send us a link to your nominations

Tips

– Nominate in as many categories as you want!
– You can’t nominate yourself 😉
– Nominations must be made somewhere public – your blog, a forum on a ning, a school website, etc.
– Even if you see your favorite has already been nominated, it is best to nominate them again
– Categories are competitive, and only the most nominated will make it to the voting round
– Share your nominations using twitter (#eddies11), facebook, Google+ and email