Or even more interesting, I should say. Alex pointed me to Bow Street Runner, an historically accurate game being developed by Britain’s Channel 4. It’s a murder mystery that takes place in the seedier neighborhoods of Georgian London, and the production values are fantastic. You poke around at things, talk to people, and little by little the facts are uncovered.
Makes me wish for programs of similar quality to be developed here for education. Imagine doing problem-based learning in this format as a way to teach history and reasoning at the same time. The Jasper Woodbury videodiscs pointed the way years ago. Today’s kids would want something a bit edgier and more interactive. Who’d be up to the task? Discovery Learning? The History Channel? Has to be someone with deepish pockets.
Maybe we’ll be returning soon to a time like the post-Sputnik years when federal dollars were spent developing creative new curriculum and not just on testing the bejesus out of kids. One can hope.
Bernie have you checked out IBMs new release, PowerUp
an environmental game for kids
http://www.powerupthegame.org/
You can PC on your Mac, can’t you?
http://www.worldsinmotion.biz/2008/02/
ibm_announces_environmental_le.php
Comment by Suzanne Aurilio — February 22, 2008 @ 7:21 am
Thanks, Suzanne. Hadn’t seen it. Will load it into the darkside partition of my Mac and check it out.
Comment by Bernie Dodge — February 22, 2008 @ 8:11 pm
Thanks for the info on Twitter. This is so much better than myspace and more applicable to the classroom. Sorry to leave my msg here, but don’t have ur email. I’ve learned so much from you and I share your knowledge with my students at the university. Have a great weekend.
Comment by Andrea — March 1, 2008 @ 10:04 pm
We can’t rely on the goverment to help our schools, if that was the case why are teachers still ridiculasley underpaid? (no I’m not a teach) The power of change is with the student’s themseves. Help the student’s to help themselves, and teach them to pay it forward, instead of keeping it all.
Comment by Tony — March 18, 2008 @ 4:39 pm
By the way, good job Bernie.
Comment by Tony — March 18, 2008 @ 4:41 pm
Hi! I’m really into the crime scene webquests, as the kids love them. they teach inference, logic, reasoning, etc…I tried the bow-street-runner one, and I’m stuck. Any suggestions? They give a “help” link, but it doesn’t help.
Comment by SUZANNE — March 27, 2008 @ 10:55 am
Bow Street really looks sharp. Whatever happened to Tom Snyder or the Oregon Trail programs? Surely there’s a “new and improved” uptown version of what seemed so cool at the time. I’ve never even attempted a webquest, they seemed ultimately boring, but some of what I’ve seen today gives me a headache. The Holy Cow Look What I’ve Been Missing headache. I’m WAY out of touch with what’s available and I’m WAY out of touch with what’s possible. Thanks for overloading my poor old brain with new inspiration!
Comment by Jenny Brandon — April 27, 2008 @ 2:04 pm
Your question about Tom Snyder prompted me to look him up. Tom sold the company to Scholastic and got into TV show production. Funny guy and a brave pioneer. His story is here.
Comment by Bernie Dodge — April 27, 2008 @ 2:19 pm
Hmm well i love those kind of games but it takes too long to load
Comment by Spiele — April 30, 2008 @ 7:22 am
Professional Development Meme…
I’m a big fan of goal setting. It can provide a road map for the short or long-term and can be an effective motivational strategy. I have set a few professional development goals for this summer and have challenged a few of my friends/colleagues …
Trackback by Clif's Notes — May 28, 2008 @ 4:48 am