Through coverage of the market, research and up-to-date analysis, Games and Learning reports on the opportunities and challenges facing those seeking to unlock the educational power of games. more »
Creating films can allow children to show their perspectives, and new technology allows them to film all 360 degrees for a fully immersive experience.
Through the 360 Filmmakers Challenge, 29 schools submitted student–made films shot with special cameras that allowed them to create a virtual-reality-like experience. Nine films earned an award, and four were selected as especially well-done. Those four were featured at the San Francisco International Film Festival this month. Digital Promise, a Washington-D.C.-based nonprofit that helps schools share best practices for using technology in classrooms, organized the student filmmaking project through its offshoot Digital Promise Global.
“We encourage empathy-building through the program,” said Dimitri Moore, a video producer and storytelling coach for Digital Promise Global. “Put the audience in your mind or place that matters to you.”
The special video equipment cost about $350 – not much more than the price of a regular camera. But Digital Promise Global provided the special cameras for free to schools that participated in the program, through Oculus’s VR for Good initiative, which aims to put virtual reality technology into the hands of people in need. They also arranged for filmmaking experts to provide feedback to students on the rough cuts of the films.
The goal is to help students and teachers work together to explore virtual reality technology. But that’s not all they hope to accomplish, said Chelsea Waite, program director of global learning for Digital Promise Global. The bigger goal, she said, is to break through the digital divide – the separation of the haves and the have-nots when it comes to technology in the classroom.
“It’s about offering students creative and challenging opportunities to use technology in the classroom,” Waite said.
One film explored the topic of anxiety and children, taking viewers into the life of a student dealing with an issue that might be difficult for others to understand. The 360-degree film technology made it possible to see the world through the eyes of the child suffering from anxiety.
The four films featured at the San Francisco Film Festival are:
“The Fakes,” by students from Monticello High School in Charlottesville, Virginia. The film featured a narrative that showed how bullying can lead to suicide.
“Raised by Charlottesville,” by students at Charlottesville High School in Charlottesville, Virgina. They allowed viewers to see the community – past and present – through the perspective of a young woman.
“Breaking Barriers,” by students from Parkville High School in Parkville, Baltimore County, Maryland. Viewers experienced the “inner thoughts” of a student with anxiety.
“The Drama Community,” by students at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton, California. The film showed how a high school theater production unfolds by letting viewers to experience it through the eyes of a director.
“The films were incredibly personal and very well told,” said Moore. “This program is helpful because it teaches them to be producers of content rather than consumers of it.”
This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Read more about Blended Learning.
Some Tech-savvy Schools Dive into VR for Education
By Nichole Dobo - May 1, 2017
Creating films can allow children to show their perspectives, and new technology allows them to film all 360 degrees for a fully immersive experience.
Through the 360 Filmmakers Challenge, 29 schools submitted student–made films shot with special cameras that allowed them to create a virtual-reality-like experience. Nine films earned an award, and four were selected as especially well-done. Those four were featured at the San Francisco International Film Festival this month. Digital Promise, a Washington-D.C.-based nonprofit that helps schools share best practices for using technology in classrooms, organized the student filmmaking project through its offshoot Digital Promise Global.
“We encourage empathy-building through the program,” said Dimitri Moore, a video producer and storytelling coach for Digital Promise Global. “Put the audience in your mind or place that matters to you.”
The special video equipment cost about $350 – not much more than the price of a regular camera. But Digital Promise Global provided the special cameras for free to schools that participated in the program, through Oculus’s VR for Good initiative, which aims to put virtual reality technology into the hands of people in need. They also arranged for filmmaking experts to provide feedback to students on the rough cuts of the films.
The goal is to help students and teachers work together to explore virtual reality technology. But that’s not all they hope to accomplish, said Chelsea Waite, program director of global learning for Digital Promise Global. The bigger goal, she said, is to break through the digital divide – the separation of the haves and the have-nots when it comes to technology in the classroom.
“It’s about offering students creative and challenging opportunities to use technology in the classroom,” Waite said.
One film explored the topic of anxiety and children, taking viewers into the life of a student dealing with an issue that might be difficult for others to understand. The 360-degree film technology made it possible to see the world through the eyes of the child suffering from anxiety.
The four films featured at the San Francisco Film Festival are:
“The films were incredibly personal and very well told,” said Moore. “This program is helpful because it teaches them to be producers of content rather than consumers of it.”
This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Read more about Blended Learning.
News Feed
Monkey brains and video games: Pittsburgh researchers learn how to learn
Learning a new skill can be tricky, and neuroscientists aren't entirely sure how humans do it. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University are using video games, brain implants and Rhesus monkeys in an effort to figure it out
Via WITF. June 12, 2019
It’s Game Over for the Institute of Play. But Its Legacy Lives On.
“When we heard the news, it was definitely sad... The idea of how education could be transformed through play and games was inspired by the research the institute was doing on games and learning, and which inspired us as social entrepreneurs and practitioners.”
Via Edsurge. June 10, 2019
STEM School Center Combines Air Force Training, Gaming
According to the Air Force Research Lab, the goal of the Learning Laboratory is to "serve as a national authority on the integration and application of game-based technology to address USAF education and training needs. In addition to leveraging off-the-shelf technology to benefit Warfighter training, our goal is to inspire student interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), specifically modeling and simulation, and to equip the next generation defense workforce."
Via Military.com. June 10, 2019
Tweets
Follow @games_learning