Navta Associates

There is a Microsoft project, MILO, that has been generating some buzz. According to some, MILO is a more smoke and mirrors than real technology. I’m not inclined to get involved in that debate, and merely enjoy the possibilities. It’s one of the first really creative new video apps that I’ve seen in a while.

National Educational Technology Plan The U.S. Department of Education is developing a new National Educational Technology Plan to provide a vision for how information and communication technologies can help transform American education. The plan will provide a set of concrete goals that can inform state and local educational technology plans as well as inspire research, development, and innovation. A draft plan is expected in early 2010. This web site is hosted for the U.S. Department of Education by SRI International.

The emerging framework for the plan focuses on four areas in which technology has the potential to transform education:

Learning: Providing unprecedented access to high-quality learning experiences.

Assessment: Measuring what really matters and providing the information that enables continuous improvement at all levels of the education system.

Teaching: New ways to support those who support learning.

Productivity: Redesigning systems and processes to free up education system resources to support learning.

Green Comma and Navta Associates have combined resources to provide customers with a one-stop solution. Together, Green Comma and Navta Associates offer the breadth and depth to meet your product development challenges.

Press Release

I recently stumbled upon a new “reader” product, the Pi Book. Here’s the spec sheet. Doesn’t use the e-ink technology of the Kindle, instead it’s a full-on touchscreen experience. Plus, it’s gorgeous!!!

Some of the publications available: WSJ, ELLE, and LeMonde.

The US Department of Education is currently soliciting input on the development of a National Educational Technology Plan.  The initial content was recently developed at a leadership symposium at the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) held recently in Washington, DC.  It is important that the contributions of all stakeholders be reflected in the plan.  Discussion closes on July 12th – so act quickly.
To provide your feedback, register at https://edtechfuture.org.  Create an account, confirm the account from email, and then login to comment in five areas.  Access those areas and read the comments of others by clicking on the link under Participate -> NECC Brainstorming.

A few of the ideas/experiences that stand out as my attendance at NECC 2009 draws to an end:

- high energy level and enthusiasm at this conference–quite inspiring!
- at the same time, tech use in U.S. schools is woefully “behind the times”, and I am not convinced that meaningful change will take place before U.S. schools become irrelevant to the majority of students
- there was a relatively low number of educational gaming products demonstrated at NECC, probably commensurate with the low level of acceptance games have as classroom tools
- Interactive Whiteboards continue to dominate the hardware-scape. They are a useful tool, but I’d rather see the money spent on netbooks and a commitment to 1-1 computing
- teachers need to spend more time “walking the walk”. Sadly, I came across much more tech-illiteracy than anticipated.
- the sessions were incredibly useful, especially during the Q&A time. One of the major benefits to a gathering such as NECC is the chance to connect face-to-face. As much as I utilize social and professional networking online tools, often it is more efficient to conduct business in person.
- I became so involved in sessions, networking, gaming, and walking the show floor, that there was little time left for blogging and keeping up with my usual cast of online connections. Now it’s back to “the daily grind”!

The exhibits, sessions, and whole experience at NECC this year has been at the same time overwhelming and extremely informative.

One of the most interesting exercises has been face-to-face meetings with  people whom I had only met “virtually”. In most cases, our initial synergy was discovered through LinkedIn, Twitter, or blogs. Online profiles, writings, and social networking tools help establish a sense of a person or organization’s interests, talents, and focus. However, in most instances I learned more about someone in a 15/30-minute personal conversation than in the cumulative results of virtual interactions.

Wondering how/if this gap will ever be closed. Or should it? As great as virtual worlds may be, I still enjoy participating in the real world that exists all around me.

This is my first time attending NECC, so I don’t have a frame of reference to compared to past years, but am very impressed so far with a few particulars:

- crowd control, signage and directions
- energy level and high-impact engagement
- quality of speakers/presenters

During the Member Welcome and Orientation Session yesterday, the audience was entertained, engaged, and received clear and useful information about the conference. NPR’s Mario Armstrong’s costume changes, including Darth Vader and Indiana Jones, kept the tone lively.

Malcolm Gladwell’s keynote address certainly kept the audience’s attention, his case studies were compelling, and the crowd seemed inspired by his fresh ideas and perspective.

Just picked up my badge and goodie bag at NECC. This is my first time in attendance at NECC, and I’m very much looking forward to checking out what this conference is all about. I’m interested in:

- networking (my company has a depth of experience writing, editing, and providing a whole host of other services that help get educational materials created) We’re looking for partnership opportunities to develop curriculum for the future.
- new technologies, and creative uses for existing ones
- connecting with forward-thinking educators, administrators, and others
- hope that the educational system in the U.S. can be fixed
- the future of education in our flattened/global world

Let’s get this show started!

Andrew Hieronymi gave a wonderful presentation at Carnegie Mellon’s Game Education Summit on Wednesday (6/17). One of the the projects he showcased is called Move, and it’s an “active game”. A video projector is used to create a “game board” on the floor, and the players move on the “board” in actions that reflect the movements required by the particular game they are playing. Difficult to describe, easy to see. Check out the website for a better visualization. Andrew’s design aesthetic make the games beautiful on their own.