TED-Ed videos, website, offer interesting tools for learning and teaching

TED-Ed aims share the wisdom and knowledge of great teachers by providing educators with the opportunity to have their lessons transformed into videos enhanced by creative animators. The videos and lessons are available for learners all around the world, online.  I'll share more about the TED-Ed concept in a future post.


 


Information from the TED-Ed website:
"TED-Ed's videos aim to capture and amplify the voices of the world's greatest educators. To achieve this, we pair extraordinary educators with talented animators to produce a new library of exceptional educational videos. This website, similar to TED.com, is ever-evolving and we depend on you, the TED community, to nominate inspiring teachers that have touched your life or clever animators who have the skills to bring a gifted teacher's lesson to life." -TED-Ed


Below is the TED-Ed Website Tour introductory video:


RELATED
TED-Ed|Lessons Worth Sharing (website)
Flipped Learning Network
"Flipped learning happens when the teacher’s lecture is delivered outside of the traditional class time, via a video students view on their own as homework. Class time is used for active problem solving by students and one-to-one or small group tutoring with the teacher. Students can watch the short lectures as many times as they wish to grasp the content and then come to class ready to jump into the lesson, answer questions, work on collaborative projects, and explore the content further.  Teachers are embracing Flipped Learning in elementary and secondary schools for all disciplines"  -Flipped Learning.


Cross posted on the Interactive Multimedia Technology blog.

Digital Media and Learning 2012: Video presentation and video of John Seely Brown's keynote

This is a video of students from Morningside, Crenshaw, Rosevelt, Locke, and Manual Arts high schools in L.A. who presented a session on Education for a Digital Democracy at the recent Digital Media and Learning Conference. 

What I especially like about this presentation is the way the students highlighted the current state of technology in their urban schools, and what they have to say about their schools' policies regarding the use of personal technologies during the school day.

Digital Media and Learning Conference: Kids from Locke High from School Library JournalVimeo. on

Thanks to the School Library Journal and Scott McCloud for sharing this!

If you are interested in digital media/new media/multimedia and learning, take the time to view John Seely Brown's DML 2012 Keynote:
Cultivating the Entrepreneurial Learner in the 21st Century

DML2012 John Seely Brown Keynote from DML Research Hub on Vimeo.

PDF transcript of John Seely Brown's keynote

RELATED

Digital Media and Learning Hub

John Seely Brown's website

Book:  A New Culture of Learning:  Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change

Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown 

Cross-posted on the Interactive Multimedia Technology blog.

Update; iGaze a[[ bu Dunedin Multimedia, good for group social skills activities

(This is cross-posted on the Interactive Multimedia Technology blog)


So what am I up to now?
I'd like to share with my readers that I've decided to continue in my present position as a school psychologist, while still devoting a portion of my free time to technology. From time-to-time I think deep thoughts about usability, accessibility,  and UX/Interaction related to off-the-desktop interactive multimedia applications running on screens of all sizes.  I'm hoping to create a few multimedia experiments using HTML5 and JavaScript, and explore jQuery if and when I can find the time!  


For the present school year, my main school is a program for students with more significant disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders.  My second school is a magnet high school for technology and the arts,  located on the same campus.  I also consult throughout the district on cases involving students who have suffered traumatic brain injuries, as well as students who have multiple disabilities.  I am thankful that I have a job in a school district that values 21st Century technology.  


I'm looking forward to another technology-rich school year. I've spent some of the time I usually devote to blogging devoted exploring iPad apps instead.  Since I'm new to the world of iPads, I'm still in discovery mode. What an adventure!


There are plenty of educational apps out there, and many of them are suitable for students with special needs.  On the other hand, there is much room for improvement - across all iPad app categories.  Since there is very little research about what makes up a killer app- or suite of apps- for students with special needs, experimenting with  iPad apps is uncharted territory. 


I made the decision to bring my personal iPad2 to work after I discovered a number of apps that I thought would be useful in my work as a school psychologist with students who have special needs, including autism spectrum disorders.


One of my intervention themes this year focuses on social skills.   This is especially important for students who participate in our schools community-based job training program.  I'm using some content from Unique Learning's transition materials,  as well as on-line activities from Do2Learn's JobTips website, because my aim is to facilitate social skills that will be useful in a variety of job and community settings.  


Although my main technology tool for working with groups is the SMARTBoard,  I've found that using a combination of interactive whiteboard and iPad activities to be especially effective.  I'm paving the way for more role-play activities in the future, and attempting to use technology to my advantage.


This past week, I used the iGaze app, created by Dunedin Multimedia, to help a group of high-school level students practice establishing and maintaining eye gaze, something that is difficult for most of them to demonstrate "in-person".  I was amazed.  Each student was excited to take his or her turn.  Even more amazing?  When each student took a turn, the other students looked at their eyes and faces.  No one rocked or "stimmed".  No one made noises.  I observed several instances of joint attention, much to my delight.   

Below is a video from Dunedin Multimedia's YouTube channel that is similar to what the students viewed during their group activity:

Here is some information from Dunedin Multimedia about the iGaze app:

"Eye contact is important to communication and social development, and yet the impaired ability to make and maintain eye contact is one of the most striking aspects of autism. iGaze is an eye contact simulator that can help to build confidence in using this important means of nonverbal social communication.  The app also contains information on eye contact and eye gaze, with links to relevant research."

During the social skills activity involving the iGaze app,  I used the SMART Board to display a large picture of a boss and a worker standing face to face, making eye contact, engaged in conversation.  The picture served as an anchor to remind the students of pictures and videos they'd previously viewed that illustrated the concept of face-to-face interaction and the importance of establishing eye-contact with others from time-to-time.

I'm hoping I will be able to access the YouTube videos from Dunedin so I can use them on the SMART Board. It will be interesting to see how this plays out!   I'm also planning to take a closer look at Dunedin Multimedia's emotion x app for the iPad.

RELATED 
Screen-shot of iGaze for the iPad Dunedin:



SOMEWHAT RELATED
The SMART Table at my school was updated today - I'm looking forward to using it for some group activities, now that it is back in working order and has new applications loaded up and ready to go!


If you are interested in learning more about technology related to students with special needs, be sure to check out Kate Ahern's blog, Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs

Kate's post about the features of Unique Learning Systems.


Upcoming:  more about tablets, interview with folks from Stantum, social-skills game-in-progress.....large displays in public spaces update....

Songify for Instant Musical Social Stories?!

I just finished a digital social story for one of the students I work with who has autism, and I was thinking about ways I could add some music into his story...and the idea occurred to me that something like the Songify app might be just the thing I needed.   


What is Songify?  It is sort of like a reverse Karaoke.  Whatever you speak into your iPad or iPhone's microphone is immediately transformed by the app into a song.   Key phrases are repeated and integrated into the melody.   The free app comes with a few songs, stripped of the words/singing.  (There is an option to purchase additional songs through the App store.)





My first few attempts using Songify with students was to create personalized "All About Me" story-songs, in real time, during group activities in the classroom, with input from the students.  I also created a few story-songs that focused on positive behaviors - following the rules, listening to the teacher, kind hands,  waiting patiently,  calming down, etc.


Although Songify was designed to transform the spoken word into music, I found that it worked nicely with I spoke in "sing-song".   I experimented with variations of the following story/song:


"name" likes  to go to school, he/she likes to go to school, get on the bus and go to school...
"name" is so cool, "name" is so cool...
"name" likes to see my friends at school..
"name" likes to........   "name" likes to..  (play with friends at recess, learn about animals and their habitats,  go to music class... wear cool shoes... etc.)
"name" likes to go to school 


The students had a chance to share information about what they like, what they like about school, and so forth. Most had no problem participating for a 30 minute session!  


Comments


I can see quite a few uses for the app:

• Use students' Songify creations as the narrative to digital social stories. This might be impressive on the SmartBoards - with the music coming from nice speakers rather than the small iPad.
• Use the Songify creations as part of other group or class digital projects.  (Remember School House Rock?) 
• Use Songify to create digital social stories for "on-the-job" routines and social skills.

The beauty of Songify is that it is simple to use- and it provides immediate, awesome feedback to the students.  I have a hunch that if Songify is used in a variety of ways, the novelty effect might be sustained. 


Cautions: If you work with students with significant special needs, you know how difficult it is to find activities and interventions that are effective - and also based on sound research.  The reality is that with budget cuts, it is difficult to implement interventions designed for classrooms with a higher adult-to-student ratio.  Technology can help, but iPad technology is  new.   It is highly unlikely that someone is researching the use of applications like Songify with students with special needs!


Reflection: I'm happy to have all of this technology at my fingertips.  Unfortunately, my digital life in my role as a school psychologist is far from seamless or "integrated".  Even the iPad2 requires a lot of work to create, move, share, and display content.  Mark Weiser would rolling in his grave.

RELATED
Digital Stories in Schools and for Special Needs Children
LIS 5315 Course Wiki
Songify
SmartApps for Kids: a Dad's quest to find the best applications for the iPad and iPhone, 8/4/11
khu.sh: Intelligent Music Applications
"Khush Inc. develops intelligent music applications for mobile phones. The company was founded by music technology enthusiasts at the Georgia Tech Music Intelligence Lab."
Songify makes your speech into song, sort of

Rafe Needleman, Rafe's Radar, CNET News, 7/7/11

SOMEWHAT RELATED

Songify This:  Songifications by the Gregory Brothers (YouTube)

The Computer for the 21st Century

Mark Weiser, Scientific American, 9/1991

Ubicomp website

Note:  My school district has not ventured into the iPad world, so I'm using my personal iPad2 at work, along with a speech and language therapist.  The district purchased two Dell multi-touch tablet PCs for the school, but alas, there isn't an "App" system for Windows 7.  We'll be using multi-touch applications from the Open Autism Software Project with the Dells.

Video Interview of 114-Year-Old Wlater Bruening: Words of wisdom from the timeline of his life

"Everyday is a good day...and make it that way!" - Walter Bruening



Some quotes from the video:

If you could give one piece of advice to today's youth, what would it be?

"I'd tell them to stay in school, get educated, as much as you can, because if you're not educated today, fully, all about computers and everything like that, you are not going to get a job, because you got to be fully qualified to go to work on any kind of job right now."


Walter Bruening's words to live by:
"Be good to everybody, be kind to them."
"People should be helping other people."
"The more you do for other people, the better your going to help your self."

Interview of Walter Breuning at age 11, includes a multimedia timeline:
(Video starts at the end of the CSI ad)


Idea:
Although younger generations will leave the world digital legacies in some form or another,  the ideas, and views of our elders are not often found online. Wouldn't it be great if we could capture the wisdom of our elders in a broad way and get it on the web?

It would be great if students in schools around the world could work on a shared on-line multimedia timeline project like this, highlighting their elderly relatives and friends of the family!

If something like this exists, please let me know.

RELATED
Centuries of Wisdom From the World's Oldest Man
Aaron Saenz, Singularity Hub, 1/8/11

Cross-posted on the Interactive Multimedia Technology blog

Digital Storytelling Resources: Make Me a Story (Lisa C. Miller)

When I first became involved with digital storytelling, there were very few resources around.  I'm  updating my resources and as I go through this process, I'd like to share some of my newest finds.  Lisa Miller's Make Me a Story: Teaching Writing through Digital Storytelling is a good reference for people working with K-5 students who want to support writing in a way that is meaningful to young people. This is especially important, since most children entering the fifth grade this school year were born in 2000, and their "formative years" have been influenced by the explosion of digital technologies.


Make Me a Story


Podcast:  Lisa Miller on Digital Storytelling

Kids and Tangible Tabletop Interaction: The NIKVision Project

NIKVision is an interactive tangible tabletop designed for young children, but suitable for "kids" of all ages. Javier Marco Rubio shared his team's work on the NIKVision system on the TechSpark website, and I thought I'd share some of the videos on this post. What I like about NIKVision is that the team encouraged the participation of children as design partners, which is a very special approach.

The NIKVision team is part of the GIGA Group, at the Computing Department of the Zaragoza University (Spain). The team collaborates with the ChiCI Group in the University of Central Lancashire, Preston (UK)



NIKVision Tangible Tabletop Demo

NIKVision Tangible Tabletop Demo from Javier Marco on Vimeo.


"NIKVision is a Tangible tabletop in which toys control the games. NIKVision has been created by Javier MMarco, from GIG Group in University of Zaragoza, Spain." http://webdiis.unizar.es/~jmarco
Researchers for this project included Javier Marco, Eva Cerezo, and Sandra Baldassarri.

NIKVision Toys & Games

NIKVision Toys & Games from Javier Marco on Vimeo.

NIKVision, highlighted in the news in Spain (in Spanish)


Cross-posted on the Interactive Multimedia Technology blog.

"Image Reveal" application for the SMART Table, by Vectorform.

The SMART Table from Smart Technologies now features the Image Reveal application, created by Vectorform, that supports multi-touch, multi-user collaborative learning activities for children. The Image Reveal is the first third-party application published for the SMART Table, and is available for free from the SMART website.



"Vectorform was eager to collaborate with SMART to create an early learning application for the SMART Table, which it feels is a groundbreaking technology product. Image Reveal enables young users to collaborate and answer a series of multiple choice questions in a chosen subject area. Each correct answer uncovers part of a hidden image until it is fully visible. Alternatively, students can guess what the hidden image is at any time to win the game. Using the SMART Table Toolkit, teachers can customize content, including subject area, hidden image, questions and answers, and use images to tailor questions and answers for pre-literate learners." -SMART Tech Press Release


SMART Table Introductory Video:


It is good news to see that SMART Technologies is providing new applications for the SMART Table. There is much room for growth in this field. However, the applications still have the look and feel of electronic workbooks,  with a few interactive media bells and whistles tossed in to ensure that the system appeals to young learners.  I wonder if the application supports teaching the skills needed for children to successfully work together, such turn-taking, negotiating with other children in a group situation, or settling differences of opinion.

Classrooms in elementary schools now contain a growing number of students who have autism spectrum disorders, as well as other disabilities that interfere with social interaction. For this reason, it would be important to learn if SMART Table applications follow the guidelines for Universal Design for Learning(UDL).

RELATED

Vectorform creates first third-party application for the SMART Table

Vectorform

SMART Classrooms YouTube Channel

SMARTTech Website

Reaching New Interactive Levels- The SMART Table

Universal Design for Learning Guidelines

Cross-posted in Interactive Multimedia Technology

Animoto, Tokbox, iSpeech: Good on-line resources for implementing Universal Design for Learning and supporting assistive technology.

I just received an email from a colleague with the following cool links:

Animoto
http://www.animoto.com --creates cool slide shows... You will want to sign up for the Educator Pass, it takes a day or two to verify.

"Animoto is a web application that automatically generates professionally produced videos using their own patent-pending technology and high-end motion design. Each video is a fully customized orchestration of user-selected images and music. Produced on a widescreen format, Animoto videos have the visual energy of a music video and the emotional impact of a movie trailer."

This would be great for student work presented on interactive whiteboards!

Tokbox
http://www.tokbox.com -if you have a webcam you can create messages and post to a website or email

"Tokbox is a free service that lets you talk with your friends over live video. Here's how it works: you sign up and we give you a link. When you want to talk with anyone, just give them the link - they click and you chat."

iSpeech
http://www.ispeech.org --- is a text-to-speech program. Has a speech synthesizer so you can type or paste in a message to hear it talk

"Read with your Ears: iSpeech blog covers text to speech topics relating to iSpeech.org. iSpeech converts websites, RSS feeds, blogs "

Funky Forest: Teaching about the ecosystem through interactive kinesthetic multimedia exploration

The Funky Forest was created by Emily Gobeille and Theodore Watson for the 2007 CineKid festival in the Netherlands, using OpenFrameworks, an open-source application used for multimedia and multi-touch applications. Take a look at the video and pictures of the children interacting with this technology!

"It “is a wild and crazy ecosystem where you manage the resources to influence the environment around you. Streams of water flowing on the floor can be diverted to make the different parts of the forest grow. If a tree does not receive enough water it withers away but by pressing your body into the forest you create new trees based on your shape and character. As you explore and play you discover that your environment is inhabited by sonic life forms who depend on a thriving ecosystem to survive.”

The trees and creatures in the installation look really beautiful; just abstract enough to make it look like a strange magical forest, but the processes of our real ecosystems are still recognisable. A really wonderful project. And it sure looks like a lot of fun!" -Tanja, from the TakeBigBites blog

Wouldn't this be a great space for the children's section of the local library, or the media center in an elementary school?
This is a cross post from the Interactive Multimedia Technology blog.

Links to papers presented at the CHI 2008 Workshop on Technology in Mental Health

A workshop on technology in mental health was held on April 6th at the 2008 CHI conference in Florence, Italy. The workshop participants covered a range of topics, including the use of technology with children who have autism spectrum disorders.

Several of the papers focused on how technology or digital media can support storytelling, an effective therapeutic tool. There is a need for technology-supported mental health interventions- I've read that In the US, up to four out five young people who have mental health problems have inadequate mental health care.

• Timothy Bickmore, Laura Pfeifer, "Relational Agents for Antipsychotic Medication Adherence". PDF

• Christine L. Lisetti, "Embodied Conversational Agents and Psychotherapy". PDF

• Julie A. Kientz, Rosa I. Arriaga, Gillian R. Hayes, Gregory D. Abowd, "Designing and Developing Technology for Caregivers of Individuals with Autism". PDF

• Joshua Hailpern, Karrie Karahalios, Laura DeThorne, James Halle, "Encouraging Speech and Vocalization in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder". PDF

• Eileen Brosnan, John Sharry, Carol Fitzpatrick, "Using collaborative multimedia stories as a means of engaging adolescents in psychotherapy". PDF

• David Coyle, Gavin Doherty, "Designing Adaptable Technologies for Talk-Based Mental Health Interventions". PDF

• Connor Graham, Mark Rouncefield, "‘Reminders’ for design in mental health care". PDF

• Giuseppe Riva, Andrea Gaggioli, "Virtual Reality as Experiential Tool for Supporting Empowerment and Clinical Change". PDF

• M Alcañiz, R. Baños, J Guixeres, J Gomis Tena, J Saiz, "TIPS-Intelligent Sensory Platform for Clinical E-Therapy" PDF

• Marije Kanis, Mark Perry, Willem-Paul Brinkman, "Positive Expressive Technologies for Mental Wellness". PDF

• Mark Matthews, Gavin Doherty, John Sharry, "My Mobile Story: supporting content creation and analysis in mental health interventions". PDF

• Helen Minnis, Warren Read, Tanja Schumm, Suren Putter and Jonathan Green, "The Computerised Manchester Child Attachment Story Task: a novel medium for a measure of attachment patterns". PDF

• Marcela Musgrove, "Towards a More Inclusive and Ethical InterventionT". PDF

• Markus Wolf, Stephanie Bauer, Markus Moessner, Benjamin Zimmer and Hans Kordy, "Online delivery of mental health treatments – Approaches and future perspectives for research and practice". PDF

Cross Post from Interactive Multimedia: Online Multimedia Library for K-12 and Higher from LEARN N.C.

Learn N.C. has a wealth of on-line resources for educators, students, and parents. I particularly like the on-line multimedia library. Below are links to resources for the following topics, obtained through the "tag cloud" on the multimedia library site.


4-H clubs Agra American Indians American Indian towns Angkor animals archaeology architecture artAsia Bali Bangkok beaches birds boat Buddhism Cambodia carvings children Colombia colonialcostumes deities demons drawings Ecuador Emerald Buddha Temple excavations families farming fishing flowers food forests geography girls grass Green 'N' Growing Hanoi Hanuman Hinduismhistory houses illustrations India Indonesia Jaipur Jodhpur John White Khmer kings labor landformslandscapes maps markets men's work Mexico monkeys monuments mountains murals music Mysorenational parks Nepal North Carolina Occaneechi paintings palaces performance Rama RamayanaRavana religion rice rivers rural life salt marshes sandstone Sita snakes Southeast Asia technologytemples Thailand theaters tourism transportation trees turkey Ubud urban life Utah Vietnam Vietnam WarVirginia water women women's work

LEARN NC is led by a number of knowledgable staff and consultants.

The website is worth exploring for a while!

Simulations and Games in Education

According to information from th SimSchool Website, "SimSchool Resources offer articles, research reports, links to human resources and multimedia, and other curriculum enhancements for teacher education. The collection is intended to support the growth of knowledge, skills and abilities needed for performance-based teaching and learning."

The Simulation & Games in Education collection has a wide range of articles by key researchers and practitioners in the field.


SimSchool is a digital library website of the Education Reform Networks, funded by the U.S. Department of Education Technology Innovations Challenge Grant and the U.S. Department of Ediucation PT3 Digital Equity Task Force.

About Wireless Handheld Devices in Education: Create-a-Scape and mscape

As I've mentioned before, the UK is often on the cutting edge of educational technology. Futurelab's "Create-A-Scape", an educational modification of Hewlett-Packard's mediascape software, gives students and teachers plenty of opportunities to explore the environment and be creative.

By the way, Create-A-Scape won the 2007 New Statesman New Media Award for Education.

If you haven't yet heard of this innovation, now is the time to learn, especially if you would like to create engaging educational experiences for your students. Integrating new technologies and applications takes time and thought, and the researchers, educational technologists, and educators at Futurelab have taken care of most of the groundwork.

What is a mediascape or mscape?

According to Futurelab's Create-a-Scape website, "A mediascape is composed of sounds, images and video placed outside in your local area. To see the images and video, and hear the sounds you need a handheld computer (PDA) and a pair of headphones. An optional GPS unit can automatically trigger the images, video and sounds in the right places."

"To create a mediascape, you start with a digital map of your local area. Using special, free software, you can attach digital sounds, pictures and video to places that you choose on the map (see below)."

"By going outside into the area the map covers, you can experience the mediascape. Using the handheld computer and headphones, you can hear the sounds and see the pictures and video in the places the author of the mediascape has put them. All sorts of exciting things can happen as you explore the mediascape."

Here is HP's promotional definition of a mediascape, a context-based application:

"Mediascapes are mobile, location-based experiences that incorporate digital media with the sights, sounds, and textures of the world around you. A mediascape blends digital images, video, audio and interactions with the physical landscape. Games, guided walks, tours, and destinations are among the mediascapes created to date. Download a mediascape onto a portable device, and see how your landscape comes alive as you move through the environment."

The mscapers website, a place where "mscapers" create and share mediascapes, offers free software. The wesbsite offers tutorials and demos. You'll need a Windows Mobile device with GPS to get started.

Here is a video clip from HP that shows people out and about engaged in mscaping:

If you are an educator who has used "Create-A-Scape", or if you are an mscaper, feel free to post your comments about your experiences.

Link to Interactive Multimedia Technology post about JOVE in Wired: "YouTube does Science"

Take a look at my post on Interactive Multimedia Technology about an article in Wired about JOVE: Journal of Visualized Experiments.

This is an example of how video/media can support engaged learning in science. This would appeal to visual learners.

Teaching in the Digital Age: Project-based learning and assessment

Edutopia is offering a video that profiles exemplary project-based learning programs in a mini-documentary format.

Project-based learning requires a broader means of assessing student progress, through portfolios, multimedia reports, and more. In the era of RTI(Response to Intervention), project-based learning and assessment practices appear to have promise.

Technology in Prevention Blog

I came across the Technology in Prevention blog recently. It is hosted by LaDonna Coy, who is interested in virtual learning and social media focusing on using Web 2.0 technologies for prevention and social change.

Those of you interested in technology's use in prevention should take a look at Ladonna's first post, from December 2005, that addresses issues related to integrating technology into the work of prevention:

Microsoft Surface Computing multi touch screen table

Take a look at this demo of Microsoft Research's Surface Computing on a multi-touch table:



I would like to work on applications for use on a touch-table to support students with special needs, especially those who have autism spectrum disorders. Last semester, I worked on prototype applications for use on a touch-screen surface.

I'm planning on posting a "how to" video and related materials for the photo-globe prototype using Google Earth on TeacherTube in a week or so, after the end of the school year- check back here for the link! I've posted a short video clip about the photo-globe on the interactive multimedia technology blog, if you want to take a look!

I wonder if Apple will come out with a similar system...

If you want to see a parody of the Microsoft Surface video, take a look at this
YouTube clip.

Middle school math: Intelligent Tutoring System

Here is an excerpt from a recent article about a new application to assist with middle school-level mathmatics teaching and learning:

"WORCESTER, Mass. – Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and Carnegie Mellon University have received a four-year, $2 million award from the federal Department of Education to continue development of a powerful computerized tool designed to help middle school students master mathematical skills.

With the award, researchers will enhance an intelligent tutoring system called ASSISTment, giving it new capabilities and transforming it into an unparalleled tool for both educating students and tracking their progress. The system will give school systems the long-term data on student performance they must report under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. More important, it will provide teachers—and parents—immediate, day-to-day feedback on what students have and have not learned, making it easier to offer individualized instruction to help students master concepts they may be struggling with.

Remarkably, the system does all this at the same time it tutors students. In fact, ASSISTments is the only system that can provide longitudinal data and a benchmark assessment of student skills without taking time out from classroom instruction, says Neil Heffernan, associate professor of computer science at WPI and leader of the ASSISTments research team."

Food for thought! If you know anything about this program, please let me know.

Visit the Interactive Multimedia Technology blog

I've posted a few videoclips of the interactive projects I worked on last semester in my HCI and Ubicomp classes on the Interactive Multimedia Technology blog. The demos were designed for use on an interactive multi-touch table or large-screen display. Here is one example: "Poetry Picture Share", Version 1.