It's a beautiful summer day and I'm convinced that it's time to start a blog on what my ideas are for an innovative program that combines the use of student imagination and the popularity of world building technology such as Minecraft and DIsney Infinity. For all tense and purposes, I'm selecting Disney Infinity because of these very important factors:
I'm using this blog to track my commitment to putting together a program that will help students grow in their story telling skills and use the technology to build their worlds. Putting popular figures into the mixture of creativity, I hope to increase student mastery in reading, writing, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
I have had experiences in putting together clubs with high interest that resulted in student participation, but they floundered whence the money ran out. I'm hoping to make this leap with an understanding that this could be a model for future projects and take advantage of the innovation occurring with the technology available.
So, my thoughts are going to be bullet pointed and then processed. I think processing after spilling the beans is helpful enough to get this party started right. I hope this will be followed through and become helpful for anyone else who is considering their own programming using this innovative technology.
Here goes:
That's all for now. I have more ideas, but I'll put them in the next post. Happy Summer Vacation, while it lasts.
- I'm going into a new career in school administration with a population of K-4th Grade students.
- I have a wonderfully imaginative and passionately innovative story telling daughter that's 3 years old.
- I love the familiarity of the Disney brand and its products on Infinity.
I'm using this blog to track my commitment to putting together a program that will help students grow in their story telling skills and use the technology to build their worlds. Putting popular figures into the mixture of creativity, I hope to increase student mastery in reading, writing, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
I have had experiences in putting together clubs with high interest that resulted in student participation, but they floundered whence the money ran out. I'm hoping to make this leap with an understanding that this could be a model for future projects and take advantage of the innovation occurring with the technology available.
So, my thoughts are going to be bullet pointed and then processed. I think processing after spilling the beans is helpful enough to get this party started right. I hope this will be followed through and become helpful for anyone else who is considering their own programming using this innovative technology.
Here goes:
- Setup a spreadsheet that will look to connect (K-5) (6-8) CCSS to available content in Infinity. There are "playsets" that already come configured with stories that are interactive and give teachers/students with a primer of what can be accomplished using the "Toy Box" function in the "Infinity Hub", which makes for excellent content building. High schoolers can fend for themselves.
- I want to assemble an Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) to look into piloting this venture, which will need to include a hopeful group of volunteers, now known as "Infiniteers".
- I want to get all CCSS based content into malleable formats that students would be familiar with such as quizzes or activities that could test students understanding of "story elements" or "main idea" or "sequence", etc.
- I would love to get parents involved in getting their kids acclimated with the concepts of ELA and Math that would be integrated into the Infinity program.
- IF parents have this product already purchased for home consumption, it'll benefit students to practice building their own worlds at home. IF parents do not have this product for home consumption, then I would love set up a way that students could participate in the program offline to help them share their products and have an equal opportunity to participate.
- I'm interested in looking at eBay or Gamestop to purchase characters and playsets that are discounted to keep cost down. I'm also thinking of starting at the 3.0 version of the software.
- I'm thinking of also starting the programming at the baseline of a quick write assignment where students write up a story using two characters, Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse, who are on an adventure. The creation stems from that prompt, but could be put into practice using the Infinity world building engine. The stories could go through all facets of the "Writing Process" and use the feedback and revision systems that allow students to do some peer editing and production. The end of the event would have our "Infiniteers" to create the first world based on the top 3 student stories.
- I want to setup a wall or display of imagination (kind of like a hall of fame) that uses student work products, which will be housed in their "Student Portfolio", that have become "Infinitized" by our "Infiniteers"...I envision the pictures of the student author, their work nearby to be read by a visitor, and video of their student's world while they play it in class if a possible tablet can be used for the display. Hopefully, it'll show all students participating in the programming with their creations.
- I want to setup creative events throughout the year that will call upon students to put together "Infinitories", stories through Infinity, and share them in an award ceremony type of event for parents to see their kids play each level. I want to focus on the presentation skills and the ability for the students to be the center of attention in these events.
That's all for now. I have more ideas, but I'll put them in the next post. Happy Summer Vacation, while it lasts.