Teaching with Portals: Why Gaming may have Educational Value ...

Culture, Education, Featured, Gaming ? By J.F. Arnold on July 24, 2012 at 7:00 am

If you are a gamer, at least one who is not exclusively tied to consoles, this last week was potentially painful. It was a blissful sort of pain, though, since Steam?s now famous Summer Sale happened. Many gamers flock and buy what would constitute tons of discs worth of entertainment, were it not entirely digitally based. Valve, the company behind Steam, can barely keep up with the server strain, and with good reason. A number of people picked up Portal 2, a game I?m more than familiar with. But the game is starting to pick up, well, a bit of steam within the educational community.

Valve is offering what they are calling ?Teach with Portals,? a free version of Portal 2 and a Portal 2 Puzzle Maker, intended to allow teachers to provide a sort of digital testing ground for a variety of subjects: physics, math, chemistry, game design, language arts, and more. I?ve suggested before that thoughtfully interacting with games could provide a number of benefits, including a shared world and setting to discuss ethical issues. I suspect many students in high school will already be familiar with the game, so finding a way to encourage students to learn while playing something they already enjoy seems like a pretty solid plan. Some of my fondest memories from elementary school include playing Oregon Trail, though I can?t for the life of me remember what lesson I was supposed to learn there, though I suspect it had to do with avoiding dysentery. I did learn quite a bit from the typing game we played, though I can?t remember what the game itself was called.

Here?s the kicker, though. I?m pretty sure that this is not only a winning strategy, but one that makes me excited about pursuing teaching. This isn?t because I want to play games in class; I?m actually just excited that a medium I enjoy is becoming sophisticated enough technologically to be useful. Aside from the physics simulation, however, I am glad to see ?language arts? on the list of subjects Valve believes you could teach with Portal 2. I find studying literature fascinating, and video games have mostly been lacking in this area. We?ve come a long way since the story line stopped at ?A giant reptile has captured a princess, so the plumber had better go save her? which, I have to admit, sounds more like a mad-lib than perhaps the most famous video game series in history. The realm of role-playing games had better stories, or at least ones that were more involved. But rarely did the writing of games have the wit of the?Portal series, the emotional weight of?the?Mass Effect games, or even the action-movie level of madness of the now yearly installments of Call of Duty.?

But?Portal is not unique for its wit and clever writing. On that Steam sale I mentioned earlier, I picked up?Quantum Conundrum.?It was designed by Kim Swift, the creative director behind?Portal, not to mention working on Half-Life 2, both Left 4 Dead games, and the weirdly titled Fat Princess. It is clear that?Quantum?borrows heavily from Portal?s style: we get rooms of puzzles and a nearly omniscient voice directing us (voiced by none other than John de Lancie). The game is far cuter than its spiritual predecessor, but the wit is all there. There are a number of books lying around with names like ?Henry ^8? and ?Beowatt.? So far the game is a bit more of a platformer than a puzzle game. That is, it takes more raw skill than Portal did, but ends up feeling a bit more like a traditional game.

This recent push of ?smart? games strikes me as mostly a good thing. Of course, we don?t want to encourage our children to become addicted to video games, but recognizing their strengths will aid us in wading through a world that is saturated with digital goods. Even if our schools don?t immediately pick up ?teaching through games,? we can use games to teach those who already play them. Sometimes, you just have to ask the right questions.

Image via Wikipedia.

Tags: Education, Game design, kim swift, Portal, Portal 2, Quantum Conundrum, Steam, teaching with portals, Valve
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Source: http://evangelicaloutpost.com/archives/2012/07/teaching-with-portals-why-gaming-may-have-educational-value.html

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6.4-magnitude quake hits Indonesia's Sumatra: USGS

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the west coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island on Wednesday, sending terrified residents fleeing from homes and buildings.

One man collapsed and died of shock while rushing out of his home, authorities said.

The quake, at a depth of 22 kilometres (14 miles), struck around 07:30 am (0030 GMT), some 34 kilometres northwest of Sinabang, capital of Simeulue -- a small, remote island off Sumatra's west coast, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

Residents of Sinabang said violent shaking was felt for about a minute and had caused an electricity blackout.

"People were crying, grabbing their belongings and rushing out of their homes," said an AFP reporter in Sinabang.

"There is no electrical power in some areas and I can see cracks in the walls of homes around me," he said.

"Some people are returning inside their homes, but others are still outside, afraid there may be aftershocks."

National Disaster Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said one man died while fleeing from his home on the island, which has a population of about 80,000.

"A man on Simeulue died of shock. He had a history of high blood pressure and was rushing out of his home when he collapsed and died," Nugroho said.

Local media and Indonesia's meteorology agency said there were no immediate reports of significant damage or other casualties directly related to the quake.

The agency said the quake occurred in the sea off Simeulue, but did not issue a tsunami warning. It said slight shaking was felt in the city of Banda Aceh, about 360 kilometres from Simeulue.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said the Indonesian quake posed no tsunami threat to Australia.

The USGS initially reported a 6.6-magnitude quake, but downgraded the intensity to 6.4 -- the same strength as Indonesia's meteorology agency reported.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/6-6-magnitude-quake-hits-indonesias-sumatra-usgs-011347471.html

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Apple: Mountain Lion OS X upgrade arrives Wednesday

2 hrs.

Devin Coldewey

During their third quarter earnings call, Apple reported solid sales of iPhones and iPads, and announced it would release OS X 10.8 (also?known as Mountain Lion) on?Wednesday. The update brings Facebook integration and several iOS features to the Mac, and will cost $19.99.

The release date was previously only known to be sometime in July. iOS is still coming out "this Fall," according to CEO Tim Cook, who also said they have some new products "in the pipeline."

Mountain Lion includes iMessage and a Notification Center, two popular?iOS features, and a new ubiquitous share button is coming to many applications. New dictation and iCloud features have been added, along with?a mode called PowerNap, which allows newer Macs to receive updates and messages while asleep.

The company sold 26 million iPhones and 17 million iPads this quarter, up significantly from the same time from last year. Some analysts were concerned that the upcoming iPhone 5 would dampen demand for the current model, and others suggested that the most recent revision of the iPad was underwhelming and would not see a major increase in sales. Although they did sell more than the same period last year, the numbers were still below analysts' expectations.

Eligible Macs (2GB of RAM, 8GB of hard drive space, and OS X 10.6.8 or newer) will be able to download the update from the Mac App Store tomorrow. As with the Lion release, there won't be a DVD version of the OS?for sale.?

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News. His personal website is coldewey.cc.

Source: http://www.gadgetbox.msnbc.msn.com/technology/gadgetbox/apple-mountain-lion-os-upgrade-arrives-wednesday-908626

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Colorado shooting: Columbine survivors reach out to help Aurora survivors

Colorado shooting: Columbine students who survived what in 1999 attack are reaching out, on Facebook and by phone, to those families of victims and survivors of the Aurora theater shooting.

By Kristen Wyatt,?Associated Press / July 24, 2012

Anne Marie Hochhalter and her friend Roxy Chesser, standing to right, attend a prayer vigil in a park outside the Aurora Municipal Center in Aurora, Colo., Sunday. Hochhalter survived the Columbine High School tragedy over 12 years ago, and is now reaching out to people who survived the Aurora theater shooting.

(AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez)

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Anne Marie Hochhalter, wearing a silver cross around her neck, sat in the front row of a vigil for the victims of the Colorado theater massacre.

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Her connections to those wounded in the attack early Friday at an Aurora movie theater was closer than most.

Paralyzed in the 1999 Columbine massacre, the 30-year-old Hochhalter said she can offer a little hope to the victims' loved ones and the survivors. "I would tell them that with time, it does get better. But it never goes away," she said.

Columbine students who survived what in 1999 was the worst school massacre in U.S. history are reliving their own experiences. And they're banding together to try to help. On Facebook and by phone, they are reaching out to people who witnessed the attack.

Young people were victims and witnesses in both the theater shootings and the ones at Columbine. The Columbine survivors want those at the movie theater to know that the road ahead of them won't be easy.

"Similar to the graduating senior class from Columbine, they may soon find themselves surrounded by people who have no clue that they were involved in a traumatic event," Columbine survivor Ben Lausten wrote on a Facebook page for survivors of school shootings.

"Breaking down and crying for no apparent reason (which is perfectly normal!) is harder to do in an office, or a business, or in 'normal' society," he said. "These victims have a challenging path ahead of them."

Another piece of advice: Don't waste time trying to figure out what motivated the shooter or shooters.

"It's a waste of time, and it gives them exactly what they want," said Hochhalter, who was eating lunch as a 17-year-old junior when she was shot on April 20, 1999. Even as the years pass, she said, she's no closer to understanding why Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shot and killed 11 classmates, a teacher, and then themselves.

"I don't think I'll ever understand," Hochhalter said.

But the Columbine survivors understand this: The Aurora survivors will need to talk. And they promise to listen.

"We know what they are going through, and we can help," wrote Michelle Romero Wheeler, a Columbine survivor who posted links to sites supporting people at the theater shooting.

Sunday's Vigil

Among the thousands at Sunday's vigil was Darius Harvey, 18, of Aurora, who was in the theater during the shooting and lost a friend in the massacre.

"I was there and I'm part of this community. I felt I should be here," Harvey said. "It's good for healing the community and I felt that it is very necessary for our state and community to know that our nation cares about us." He then joined the crowd in singing "Amazing Grace."

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/WzwfP4YTRrk/Colorado-shooting-Columbine-survivors-reach-out-to-help-Aurora-survivors

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Hypnosis For Improving Athletic Performance | The Secret & The ...

Hypnotherapy has progressed to the point where it can now be applied to any field. Sports and athletics have also made use of this technique so as to motivate players and contestants. This is a new age concept that has gripped the sports world and stress isn't just being laid on their physical fitness but also on their emotional and mental wellbeing.

Use of Images

Hypnosis uses imagery as a technique to stimulate the consciousness of deeper levels of the mind. When the brain sees image of an excellent performance, it sends the message to your body. Hypnotists are known to prompt a thing by the name of muscle memory in the athlete?s mind.

By utilizing images of a good performer, they allow the recipient to absorb the subtleties of a successful sportsman. By visualising a brilliant performance, the sportsman reinforces it in his mind and starts associating it with his performance. This realigns the brain and body to reach the same goal thereby improving an athlete?s performance.

Decreasing of Stress

During hypnosis, the mind becomes relaxed. The feelings are in control and the focus is on delivering a better performance.

Release

Hypnosis allows you to release unhealthy emotions and cleans your thought-process. A positive person will always deliver better results than someone who is tied down with mental luggage. Hypnosis is the best way to vent out such unwelcome feelings.

Building Confidence

Hypnosis is a good system to overcome mental blocks. It can offer you a new start and alter your thought process. Once you've conquered and dumped your negative feelings, you can push on. This enables you to renew your confidence and belief in your abilities.

Target Performance

With hypnosis, a sports figure can channelize his feelings and emotions and only permit his brain to focus on the sports event. This channelizing of energies increases the senses and reinforces the performance.

Self Hypnosis

Athletes have been observed to make use of this system before their big event. This permits an athlete to wash out all unnecessary thoughts and feelings to chill the body and spirit. You can accomplish this, by sitting or lying down in a quiet room without any disturbance. It'll bring a sense of clam over you pushing up your ability to concentrate on the task at hand.

State of Awareness

Hypnosis gives you higher sense of awareness. This gives you a bigger capability to concentrate and helps you to visualise. The strategies become clear in this state and you can plan your game according to the final results that you want to achieve. Put simply you program yourself to meet your targets.

A Performance ?High?

When a sportsman is happy after completing a session or winning the competition a condition of welfare is achieved. Hypnosis permits the athlete to retrieve these sensations and this helps the athlete to feel more assured and reared up for another good performance.

Rick Smith Hypnotist from MindRelease Hypnosis London Ontario. Coaches clients using Hypnosis Techniques to improve their Performance in Athletics

Source: http://www.el-secreto.biz/blog/nlp-hypnosis/hypnosis-for-improving-athletic-performance

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EU rejects Israeli request to blacklist Hezbollah

The European Union turned down a request Tuesday by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman to blacklist Hezbollah as a terror group after last week's deadly bombing in Bulgaria.

"There is no consensus for putting Hezbollah on the list of terrorist organisations," said Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency.

Israel blames Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah for Wednesday's suicide attack at the Black Sea airport of Burgas in which five Israelis and their Bulgarian driver died.

But an EU decision would require the unanimous approval of all its 27 members.

Sitting beside the Cypriot minister at a news conference held after annual EU-Israel talks, Lieberman said: "The time has come to put Hezbollah on the terrorist list of Europe."

"It would give the right signal to the international community and the Israeli people."

But Kozakou-Marcoullis said Hezbollah was an organisation comprising a party as well as an armed wing and was "active in Lebanese politics".

"Taking into account this and other aspects there is no consensus for putting Hezbollah on the list of terrorist organisations," she said.

The EU would consider this if there were tangible evidence of Hezbollah engaging in acts of terror, she added.

Lieberman said Israel was continuing to compile evidence from the Bulgaria attack and would onpass proof to the EU.

But in Israel, Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP that "for years we have been providing Europe with information on Hezbollah's direct involvement in terror attacks.

"But certain states in the EU have clarified to us that because of political reasons, they prefer to not add Hezbollah to the list, despite them not disputing the evidence."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eu-refuses-israeli-request-blacklist-hezbollah-001813930.html

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Investing in Silver or Gold Bars for Sale | 2leep.in - Free Article ...

Silver and gold are the most popular precious metals with regards to financial investment. Before you begin buying gold UK, find out more about precious metal investments. Finding out how to monitor the several factors that affect silver or gold selling prices and investment tactics can help you make the most out of spending your cash on gold or silver bars.

What are the Perks of Making an investment in Silver or gold?

The primary reason many people want to invest in precious metals like gold or silver is they function as good safeguards against monetary crises. For example, if the currency in your region starts to depreciate, you can conserve your wealth by purchasing gold bars. The prices of your gold bars do not depreciate according to your currency?s value. The value of precious metal also tends to grow as time passes, so you may even generate an income if you sell your collection at the correct time.

Is Gold Superior to Silver?

Silver is a less costly substitute for gold, but that doesn?t suggest you should dismiss it quickly. Silver?s more affordable rates are perfect for first-time buyers. Try buying silver first, then start working on gold once you understand the principles of making an investment.

Are Silver or gold Bars the Only Options?

Gold and silver are available to investors in various types. The most standard are silver or gold bars, which are offered in diverse weights and sizes. Some countries, such as Canada and Switzerland, have gold bars easily obtainable at their banks. Gold and silver coins in the UK are likewise a well known asset, even though they?re slightly more expensive than bars.

Some traders elect to carry certificates of ownership rather then storing the actual silver and gold themselves to avoid theft. Other investors get their very own mining companies to have a continuous supply of the metals and potential revenue from product sales.

What Influences Precious metal Costs?

Supply and demand are the most significant variables that affect the cost of your precious metal investment opportunities. The greater demand is and the less supplies are readily available, the more costly your investments become. Demand has a lot more impact on gold prices, however, because there is a large amount of gold kept aboveground.

What Must Traders Remember?

You must research
a whole lot before you decide to buy gold bars. Observe how the global economy impacts gold costs, and research past price shifts to identify any patterns.

Determine which kind of gold or silver you want to get. Do you want to invest in bars or coins? Once you?ve made a decision, search for reliable gold or silver suppliers on the internet. You may also speak to your bank and see whether they have silver or gold bars for sale, and find out if you?re able to buy from them directly. This is the best way to purchase gold or silver bars, and makes it easier to store your financial investment in a safe place.

The author wishes to find out more on silver coins UK, and how to buy gold bars.

Source: http://2leep.in/investing-in-silver-or-gold-bars-for-sale.html

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