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9th Annual Games in Education Symposium
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Thursday, August 6
 

8:30am EDT

Breakfast Reception and Registration
Thursday August 6, 2015 8:30am - 9:00am EDT
Rotunda SUNY Poly, 255 Fuller Rd, Albany, NY 12203

9:00am EDT

Welcome and Opening Remarks
Thursday August 6, 2015 9:00am - 9:15am EDT
Auditorium SUNY Poly, 255 Fuller Rd, Albany, NY 12203

9:15am EDT

Keynote: Permission to Play
The good news is, the conversation has shifted! We are no longer asking, "Do games
belong in the classroom?" and "Is there really learning going on in that video game?" Instead, the questions are now, "How do we get the right games into schools?" and "How do we provide the proper incentives and training for teachers and get those who are still "on the fence" about using games feeling empowered and capable. In my experience, what teachers and administrators are rarely given is the time, and the mindset for game full learning. One giant leap in the right direction is granting us all "Permission to Play!" It’s time to revisit and unleash your inner child and take the time to play games and experiment with exciting ways to drive innovation, creativity, and problem-solving in your classroom— essential skills for the future. Games, and the entertainment value of play, have the ability to teach and transform.
Speakers
avatar for Peggy Sheehy

Peggy Sheehy

Teacher on a Mission, EPIC Learners
6th Grade Humanities Teacher, Suffern Middle School, Ramapo Central School District. After an exciting first career as a professional musician, Peggy Sheehy shifted her spotlight to the classroom, and to awakening dreams through education. For the past sixteen years, she has served... Read More →

Thursday August 6, 2015 9:15am - 10:00am EDT
Auditorium SUNY Poly, 255 Fuller Rd, Albany, NY 12203
  Keynote

10:30am EDT

Flip Your Class! 5 Key Strategies For Successful Classroom Implementation
The "Flipped Class" is a blended learning approach that leverages instructional videos to shift direct instruction online, freeing up class time for student-centered learning and innovation. This session will highlight five key strategies to help get you started right away! If you already have experience flipping your class, you will be provided with strategies to take your videos and instructional design to the next level! Come join us to collaborate with colleagues while learning practical ways to make the most of emerging instructional technologies and practices.
Speakers
avatar for Tom Driscoll

Tom Driscoll

Director of Digital Learning, Bristol Warren Regional School District
Tom Driscoll is the Director of Digital Learning for the Bristol Warren Regional School District in Rhode Island. Previously, Tom taught high school social studies for eight years in northeastern Connecticut. Tom also speaks at conferences, consults with school districts, and has... Read More →

Thursday August 6, 2015 10:30am - 11:15am EDT
Room 203 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

10:30am EDT

NY STEAM Girls Collaborative
Come hear what you can do to increase gender diversity in STEAM fields and join a state-wide effort to make a difference! NY STEAM brings together all types of organizations to collaborate on programs with a single goal: promote girls in STEAM.
Speakers
JG

Thursday August 6, 2015 10:30am - 11:15am EDT
Room 202 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

10:30am EDT

Digital Games for Middle School Science Learning
Education Development Center's Center for Children and Technology is conducting a workshop on using digital games to help middle school students learn energy transfer topics.

Organizer's note: spots are limited for this session. Please visit the Help Desk at the Symposium to learn more about reserving a seat. 
Speakers
WM

Thursday August 6, 2015 10:30am - 12:15pm EDT
Lab 211 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Workshop

10:30am EDT

Teaching Computer Science with App Inventor
In this hands on workshop, participants will develop an Android App using MIT's App Inventor, an introductory programming environment based upon Blockly. Attendees can use their Android phone or tablet if they download the MIT AI2 Companion but an emulator will also be available. The Mobile Computer Science Principles curriculum will be introduced as a guideline to teaching mobile app development.

Organizer's note: spots are limited for this session. Please visit the Help Desk at the Symposium to learn more about reserving a seat. 
Speakers
ME

Thursday August 6, 2015 10:30am - 12:15pm EDT
Lab 204 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Workshop

11:30am EDT

The Alternate Reality Classroom
Alternate reality games (ARGs) are cutting-edge learning systems that extend gameplay beyond the screen into the real world. ARGs combine digital and analogue elements to create embodied anytime, anywhere experiences. This session will furnish guidelines to create classroom ARGs by combining video game mechanics, social media, elaborate puzzles, interactive tools, and locative activities to immerse students in course material. Drawing on their experience as both teachers and educational ARG designers, Paul and John will provide concrete examples from their respective games and discuss their collaboration to create Blind Protocol, a cyber warfare simulation enacted across national borders. Student-players that engaged in the cyber competition became more responsible digital citizens, and applied critical thinking to learn about online security, privacy, and surveillance. Join us to learn how any teacher in any subject can use ARGs to create an unforgettable learning experience.
Speakers
avatar for Paul Darvasi

Paul Darvasi

Educator, Royal St. George's College
Paul Darvasi teaches at Royal St. George's College in Toronto, Canada, and he's a PhD candidate in York University's Faculty of Education, with a focus on digital and pervasive games in educational environments. He experiments with video games and interactive technology in his classes... Read More →
avatar for John Fallon

John Fallon

English Teacher, Fairfield Country Day School
John Fallon is a 7th & 9th grade English teacher at Fairfield Country Day School, a Prek-9 all boys school in Connecticut. His first game based learning project was a pervasive Alternate Reality Game to support the teaching of Homer's Odyssey in his 7th grade class. John also co-designed... Read More →

Thursday August 6, 2015 11:30am - 12:15pm EDT
Room 203 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

11:30am EDT

You Set the Context: Play, Games, and Assessment
We know that kids learn from games, and learn from play. The trick in the classroom lies in making that rich, focused play and understanding what students are getting from it. As the teacher, you set that context, and you in the best position to assess what students are learning.

I will present a couple of frameworks for ways to consider not just games, but play in your classroom. We’ll then play several games in BrainPOP’s GameUp together, examining different modes of play and different ways to assess the activity. This will be a very interactive session - while we have designed assessment tools and techniques for our games, we’re always learning about new ways to use them and will have time to share techniques between attendees.
Speakers
SP

Thursday August 6, 2015 11:30am - 12:15pm EDT
Room 202 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

12:15pm EDT

Lunch
Thursday August 6, 2015 12:15pm - 1:15pm EDT
Room 115 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203

1:30pm EDT

Chromebooks in Education
Chromebooks are the new powerful tool being used in classrooms everywhere, but what exactly are they? In this session we will look at what Chromebooks are and how they integrate with Google Apps and Office 365.
Speakers
CJ

Thursday August 6, 2015 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Room 202 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

1:30pm EDT

Tech-less Game Design: Bringing Tabletop Games into the Classroom
For a long time, most of the discussion about games in classrooms has focused on digital games. While these are certainly valuable tools for learning, there is much more to the world of games than just the digital side. Tabletop and board games bring a level of flexibility with them that is difficult to achieve within the restrictions of technology. Now, we want to talk about our experience having high school students design and create their own board games. From natural disasters to bank robbery, student ideas were limited less by technology hurdles and more by their own imaginations. During this presentation, we will talk about the process of having students make games outside of the digital space.
Speakers
TS

Thursday August 6, 2015 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Room 203 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

1:30pm EDT

[CANCELLED] PBS Learning Media
Due to an unexpected family event, this session has been cancelled.

Bring your classroom to life with PBS LearningMedia NY! Explore innovative multimedia content for learners of all ages. With over 100,000 free resources, learn how you can build interactive educational activities for and with your students. Check out the new student portal and create personalized learning experiences for students to explore inside and outside of the classroom.

Organizer's note: spots are limited for this session. Please visit the Help Desk at the Symposium to learn more about reserving a seat.
Speakers
KJ

Thursday August 6, 2015 1:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Lab 204 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203

1:30pm EDT

Finding Your Tribe
In his book, “The Element,” Sir Ken Robinson explains, “Finding your tribe can have transformative effects on your sense of identity and purpose." Too often educators feel alone and isolated. But wait! We have Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram, Foursquare, Flickr, YouTube--- the number of tools and their capabilities is mind-boggling. Unfortunately, many of us either jumped on board these spaces before we determined their scope, or else we allowed them to get out of control. Logging in to many, and managing your valuable time can become exasperating. The tool starts to become more a task-master than an aide for staying in touch, staying informed and sharing information. In this workshop, we’ll explore ten popular social networking sites, determine their capabilities and purpose, and also examine the privacy settings, or lack thereof. We’ll also look at easy steps to “clean up the SN mess”, and get a routine in place so that these tools empowering us rather than drown us in a sea of mismanaged information.

Organizer's note: spots are limited for this session. Please visit the Help Desk at the Symposium to learn more about reserving a seat.
Speakers
avatar for Peggy Sheehy

Peggy Sheehy

Teacher on a Mission, EPIC Learners
6th Grade Humanities Teacher, Suffern Middle School, Ramapo Central School District. After an exciting first career as a professional musician, Peggy Sheehy shifted her spotlight to the classroom, and to awakening dreams through education. For the past sixteen years, she has served... Read More →

Thursday August 6, 2015 1:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Lab 211 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Workshop

1:30pm EDT

Gamification without Technology
Many teachers would love to add more gamification elements to their classroom but feel that the lack of access to technology prevents them from doing do.

Participants in this workshop will be exposed to the basic elements that make gamification an effect way to activate student motivation . . . and none of those require technology.

Participants will be given time to collaborate to begin a plan for gamification in their classroom. Depending on the nature of the audience, the session may also include ways to include gamification with teachers and professional learning on a school or district level.

Organizer's note: spots are limited for this session. Please visit the Help Desk at the Symposium to learn more about reserving a seat. 
Speakers
LT

Thursday August 6, 2015 1:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Room 205 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Workshop

2:30pm EDT

The Games4Ed Initiative: Immersive Learning Through Games
Games4Ed (G4E) is a newly formed initiative designed to take a critical look at furthering opportunities to use games as a vehicle to advance learning opportunities for our students.

Our goal is to establish collaborations among educators, researchers, game developers, publishers and policy makers to further the use of games to help the education sector fulfill the mission of preparing children to become successful 21st century learners and citizens.

In this session we will explore 5 critical issues that have the potential to blow open the doors for fun immersive learning through games. Please be prepared to participate, as we all know that the truest path to engaged learning starts with active participation.
Speakers
avatar for Matt Farber

Matt Farber

Teacher, Adjunct Instructor, Doctorate, New Jersey City University
Matthew Farber, Ed.D. teaches social studies at Valleyview Middle School, in Denville, New Jersey. He holds a Doctorate Degree in Educational Technology Leadership from New Jersey City University, where he is an adjunct instructor. He is also a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University... Read More →
avatar for Steven Isaacs

Steven Isaacs

Education Program Manager, Bernards Township Schools
Steve Isaacs has been teaching since 1992. In 1998 began teaching in Bernards Township, NJ where he developed an internationally recognized middle and high school game development program. Steve is a pioneer in using VR and AR in the classroom. He is a champion for student choice... Read More →
YC

Yale Center for Health & Learning Games/play2PREVENT Lab

Research Scientist, Yale Center for Health & Learning Games
The Yale Center for Health & Learning Games, which houses the play2PREVENT Lab, builds and evaluates videogames that prevent adverse outcomes and promote healthy lives in youth and young adults, using the most rigorous scientific methods available.
avatar for Mitch Weisburgh

Mitch Weisburgh

3DBear Inc.
Mitch Weisburgh is a long time CoSN supporter and has worked as an EdTech advisor for almost 20 years. He has twice served as Education Chair of the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA). Mitch is COO of 3DBear Inc. Mitch has also given classes on Portuguese and Chilean... Read More →

Thursday August 6, 2015 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Room 202 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Panel

2:30pm EDT

MISSION US: Understanding History through Interactive Gaming
MISSION US is a series of free online games developed by WNET to engage upper elementary and middle school students in American History. Since the debut of the first game in September 2010, hundreds of thousands of educators and students have explored the past through the eyes of young people living it. This session will orient teachers to the games and accompanying classroom materials.
Speakers
AG

Thursday August 6, 2015 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Room 203 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

3:30pm EDT

Creating Space for Student-Driven Learning
Over the last decade Marianne Malmstrom has assumed a secret identity in pursuit of authentic learning. In the guise of her avatar, Knowclue, she placed herself at the mercy of her students and joined them as a learning partner in games and other play spaces. Through this process she discovered her own unique pedagogical outlook. Join her as she shares stories and experiences that have helped her re-imagine learners and learning.
Speakers
MM

Thursday August 6, 2015 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
Room 202 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

3:30pm EDT

Getting Started with MinecraftEdu
Minecraft is all the rage with today’s kids. Find out more about this popular game and how to integrate it into your classroom. The Rensselaer City School District, who recently started a Minecraft Club and began incorporating MinecraftEdu into classroom instruction, will act as the model for our discussion and demonstration. We will discuss how we set up clubs at the Primary and Secondary level. We will also discuss experiences and potential of uses of MinecraftEdu in a classroom setting. A demo of starting a MinecraftEdu Server and having students join will be included. Future projects including ComputerCraft and Minecraft Raspberry Pi Edition will also be discussed.
Speakers
SB

Thursday August 6, 2015 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
Room 203 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation
 
Friday, August 7
 

8:30am EDT

Breakfast Reception and Registration
Friday August 7, 2015 8:30am - 9:00am EDT
Rotunda SUNY Poly, 255 Fuller Rd, Albany, NY 12203

9:00am EDT

Welcome and Opening Remarks
Friday August 7, 2015 9:00am - 9:15am EDT
Auditorium SUNY Poly, 255 Fuller Rd, Albany, NY 12203

9:15am EDT

Keynote: Passion-Driven Learning
What really drives learning?  When we allow for student choice and interest to enter the learning environment we provide authentic opportunities for students to have agency as they are empowered about the learning process. Students rarely have opportunities to make choices about learning.  Why not?   Games provide a natural fit for tapping into student interest when it comes to learning as students make authentic choices, solve real problems, and demonstrate their creativity.  As educators we can model passion, learn alongside our students, and encourage them to find and pursue their passion.  This session will highlight educators that clearly bring their passion and invite student passion into the learning environment with great results.  While full on education reform takes time and may seem daunting, embracing passion in learning can transform your practice and the experience of your students.  Games are not the only vehicle to bringing passion into school but they certainly tap into the interest of so many making game based learning a strong frame of reference for passion-driven learning.  
Speakers
avatar for Steven Isaacs

Steven Isaacs

Education Program Manager, Bernards Township Schools
Steve Isaacs has been teaching since 1992. In 1998 began teaching in Bernards Township, NJ where he developed an internationally recognized middle and high school game development program. Steve is a pioneer in using VR and AR in the classroom. He is a champion for student choice... Read More →

Friday August 7, 2015 9:15am - 10:00am EDT
Auditorium SUNY Poly, 255 Fuller Rd, Albany, NY 12203
  Keynote

10:30am EDT

Play This, Learn That
Clever teachers are always looking for the best tools to connect students to their curriculum. It's what they do. What about commercial video games? Play This, Learn That introduces you to those amazing educators and their games they use and shows how to make it fit.
Speakers
avatar for Chris Haskell

Chris Haskell

Clinical Assistant Professor, Boise State University
Dr. Chris Haskell plays video games for a living, or at least that’s what his friends think. He's the director of the Varsity eSports At Boise State. As a professor and researcher, Chris also focuses on the impact of videogames, virtual worlds, social media, and digital culture... Read More →

Friday August 7, 2015 10:30am - 11:15am EDT
Room 202 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

10:30am EDT

Teaching Physics and Math with MinecraftEDU
MinecraftEDU worlds with learning goals will be presented to showcase how students can learn physics and math concepts. Examples in physics include kinematics, energy, vectors, electric and magnetic fields, induction, and snell's law. Examples in algebra and geometry include graphing, slope, linear equations, quadratic equations, transformations, etc.
Speakers
MM

Friday August 7, 2015 10:30am - 11:15am EDT
Room 203 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

10:30am EDT

Websites as a Media for Learning
Presented by two recent graduates of Tech Valley High School, this workshop will offer participants the opportunity to explore the use of website creation and digital portfolios as a tool for student learning. Participants will be introduced to different ways they can have their students build websites and digital portfolios. Platforms such as Wix and Weebly will be explored and participants will be given time to practice working with these platforms (remember to bring a computer!). The presenters will also discuss factors to consider when incorporating digital projects and the benefits to using this as learning tool.

Organizer's note: spots are limited for this session. Please visit the Help Desk at the Symposium to learn more about reserving a seat. 
Speakers
AG

Friday August 7, 2015 10:30am - 12:15pm EDT
Lab 211 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Workshop

10:30am EDT

“Templatized” Games Across Subject Areas
Games can focus well on two things: deeply exploring a system, or practicing useful skills. With BrainPOP, I’ve been exploring simple game mechanics that you (or your students) can adapt to "play" with whatever they're learning. You can use them as a bridge between subject areas, or to spiral back to old material in a new lesson. You can easily have students ‘remix’ the games by designing their own content.

In this workshop, I’ll briefly present how we set up GameUp to support skill practice and content learning. Then we’ll play our most recent ‘templatized’ games together digitally. Participants will get to design their own content for either game and will discuss challenges and opportunities in this skill-focused approach to games in the classroom.

Organizer's note: spots are limited for this session. Please visit the Help Desk at the Symposium to learn more about reserving a seat. 
Speakers
SP

Friday August 7, 2015 10:30am - 12:15pm EDT
Lab 204 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Workshop

11:30am EDT

Drama & Gaming: Maneuvering Conversations about Gender and Sexuality
In our presentation we will discuss how to use process drama inside the classroom and gaming outside of it to engage students in conversations about gender and sexuality.
Speakers
YD

Friday August 7, 2015 11:30am - 12:15pm EDT
Room 203 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

11:30am EDT

Let's Play and Learn in Middle School
Join a veteran teacher who will explain how and why she used NYS social studies curriculum to play a year long game with her students. This process could be used with any content. Also learn how she transformed her grading by using gaming elements. This session will allow participants to play the game in groups to get a real feel for how it works.
Speakers
TH

Friday August 7, 2015 11:30am - 12:15pm EDT
Room 202 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

12:15pm EDT

Lunch
Friday August 7, 2015 12:15pm - 1:15pm EDT
Room 115 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203

1:30pm EDT

Gone Home: A Model for Classroom Video Game Implementation
Implementing a video game in a classroom setting can be a challenging enterprise. Teachers have to consider technology, standards, assessments and buy-in from parents and administrators. This session will look at the journey to implement the award-winning video game Gone Home in a senior high school class. Although the game was used as a text in an English class, the experience will be universalized as a template by which teachers can find and implement meaningful games to whatever subject and age group they teach.

Using the Gone Home experience as a model, attendees will learn how to choose a commercial game for instructional purposes, some pointers to develop assessment strategies, and how to address any potential resistance from parents and/or school administration. There will also be a discussion on the importance of developing partnerships with research communities, and sharing successes and failures with other educators. Complete lesson outlines and resources will be made available to any teacher who would like to specifically use Gone Home in a middle school or high school setting.
Speakers
avatar for Paul Darvasi

Paul Darvasi

Educator, Royal St. George's College
Paul Darvasi teaches at Royal St. George's College in Toronto, Canada, and he's a PhD candidate in York University's Faculty of Education, with a focus on digital and pervasive games in educational environments. He experiments with video games and interactive technology in his classes... Read More →

Friday August 7, 2015 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Room 203 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

1:30pm EDT

Now That's Tiny
K-2 students are given an introduction to nano-scale by comparing tiny objects they encounter every day to items they cannot see such as cells, molecules, and atoms. Using a hand lens, students learn about the technology that allows nano-scientists to observe things that are too small to be seen by the human eye. Teachers completing this workshop will be NEATEC certified to borrow the "Now That's Tiny" module kit.
Speakers
BB

Friday August 7, 2015 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Room 202 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

1:30pm EDT

Do Online Now, Guys!
Many games are purpose-built to teach one skill or concept. Unfortunately, this means that their use in the classroom is limited. For games to be truly flexible and robust teaching tools, educators need the skills to be able to find new resources quickly and extract learning from them easily.

This workshop focuses on finding fun, free, accessible online games & activities and developing learning experiences from them. Participants will play a model game, discuss a framework for thinking about learning in this context, develop & share a mini-lesson, and walk away inspired!

Organizer's note: spots are limited for this session. Please visit the Help Desk at the Symposium to learn more about reserving a seat. 
Speakers
AW

Friday August 7, 2015 1:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Lab 204 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Workshop

1:30pm EDT

Minecraft Workshop
Join Michele and see how you can harness the power of Minecraft EDU in your classroom.

Organizer's note: spots are limited for this session. Please visit the Help Desk at the Symposium to learn more about reserving a seat.
Speakers
MM

Friday August 7, 2015 1:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Lab 211 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Workshop

2:30pm EDT

EK Theater presents 'The Tell-Tale Heart'
EK Theater, a group of students from the Pierrepont School in Westport, CT, will present a video game puppetry piece based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe. The performance will be followed by a discussion of the company's work, which has been presented in professional theaters since 2007.
Speakers
EK

Friday August 7, 2015 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Room 205 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Performance

2:30pm EDT

How to Teach Gaming When You're Not a Gamer
Using games in the classroom can be intimidating when your students know more than you do! Kathy Ceceri, author of "Video Games: Design and Code Your Own Adventure" for ages 9-12 (Nomad Press, Fall 2015), will help non-gamers get up to speed on what kids know, what they'd like to learn, and how to use game design to teach math, history, and thinking skills in a creative and dynamic way. Kathy has written 10 activity books for kids and families and presents hands-on STEAM workshops around the Northeast. Her website is craftsforlearning.com.
Speakers
KC

Friday August 7, 2015 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Room 203 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

2:30pm EDT

Making Learning Personal through PBL
Project-based learning is a teaching method that enables the learning to be personalized. We will look at several technologies being used in a PBL setting that allows for a deeper learning environment for ALL students.
Speakers
SS

Friday August 7, 2015 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Room 202 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

3:30pm EDT

EPIC Academy - An Experiment in Game-Inspired Teacher Professional Development
We've heard about bringing games into the classroom and using game-like design to our lessons with gamification. Our students are engaged! But, what about teachers? Who says that sit-and-get, PowerPoint slides, and thick handouts are best for us? We want engagement, too! ...and choice, and fun, and autonomy... Enter EPIC Academy! EPIC Academy is game-inspired PD for educators. Join Lucas Gillispie as he shares his latest project to bring fun and learning to professional developement.
Speakers
LG

Friday August 7, 2015 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
Room 203 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

3:30pm EDT

Interactive Fiction: Game Design Across the Curriculum
Presenters: Steve Isaacs, Matthew Farber

Interactive fiction (IF) is a genre of games in which the player makes choices to determine the outcome of a threaded narrative. Because it is text-driven, interactive fiction has a low barrier to adoption for classroom use. Matthew Farber will discuss his use of IF to teach systems thinking and empathy to his middle school social studies students. Steve Isaacs uses a variety of IF tools to provide opportunities for his Game Design and Development students to create Text Based Adventure Games. Tools like Inklewriter and Twine will be demonstrated and other Interactive Fiction resources will be provided.

Interactive Fiction is a great point of entry to game based learning in any area of the curriculum.
Speakers
avatar for Matt Farber

Matt Farber

Teacher, Adjunct Instructor, Doctorate, New Jersey City University
Matthew Farber, Ed.D. teaches social studies at Valleyview Middle School, in Denville, New Jersey. He holds a Doctorate Degree in Educational Technology Leadership from New Jersey City University, where he is an adjunct instructor. He is also a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University... Read More →
avatar for Steven Isaacs

Steven Isaacs

Education Program Manager, Bernards Township Schools
Steve Isaacs has been teaching since 1992. In 1998 began teaching in Bernards Township, NJ where he developed an internationally recognized middle and high school game development program. Steve is a pioneer in using VR and AR in the classroom. He is a champion for student choice... Read More →

Friday August 7, 2015 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
Room 202 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation

3:30pm EDT

Nano-Sand
Grade 3-5 students participate in activities that compare the properties of regular play sand to that of hydrophobic nano sand, observing the different effects water has on each and how nano has influenced each. They are then asked to formulate ideas on why hydrophobic sand is beneficial and in what ways it can be utilized to solve real world problems such as oil spills and water retention during farming. Teachers completing this workshop will be NEATEC certified to borrow the "Nano-Sand" module kit.
Speakers
BB

Friday August 7, 2015 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
Lab 204 Tech Valley High School, 246 Tricentennial Drive, Albany, NY 12203
  Presentation
 
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