Click here to visit John Kirriemuir's blog about games and learning.

Take the time to visit John Kirriemuir's blog, SilverSprite. He is a self-employed researcher and consultant who specializes in the use of technologies to support education and learning. His blog provides good resources for educators who are interested in using games and learning, especially through "Commercial Off the Shelf" games that can be easily adapted to the curriculum.

Here is a description of Kirriemuir's blog:

"Examples of COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) games being used for curriculum-based learning. These games are designed purely for entertainment, and not for learning or teaching. By compiling these examples, we show that such games are being used in schools and colleges by teachers and other educators, as part of curriculum-based learning."

Link video clip of Ray Kurzweil about the future of technology and learning.

From the eSchool News Video Resource Center:

'Explosive growth'

Speaking at the NSBA's Technology + Learning Conference Nov. 8, author and inventor Ray Kurzweil reveals what he believes technology will look like in the next decade--and he explains what the "explosive growth" in these technology developments will mean for students.

Credits: eSN TV
Runtime: 4 Minutes 4 Seconds

Note: The eSchool News Online video resource center has a variety of videoclips that highlight different aspects of technology and education. This is a great resource if you need content for presentations about technology and education! Also check out the Edutopia website!

Link to TechPsych Blog: Information about the MacArthur Foundation's $50 Million Digital Media and Learning Initiative, related resources

Take some time and visit the Tech Psych blog to learn more about the MacArthur Foundation's Digital Media and Learning Initiative and related resources!

FutureLabs Research: Teaching with Games

This on-line report from FutureLab (UK) provides new information about ways teachers can use interactive games in educational settings:

"Teaching with Games: A one-year project supported by Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Take-Two and ISFE Final report: Using commercial off-the-shelf computer games in formal education
By Richard Sandford, Mary Ulicsak, Keri Facer and Tim Rudd (September 2006)"

The appendix includes a summary of lesson plans.

Additional links from the FutureLab website include a literature review on the topic of games and learning, a games handbook, and the following external links:
Serious Games Interactive: www.seriousgames.dk
The Education Arcade: www.educationarcade.org
Serious Games Initiative: www.seriousgames.org
Room 130: labweb.education.wisc.edu/room130/index.htm
Games Parents Teachers: www.gamesparentsteachers.com
Department of Defense Game Developers' Community: www.dodgamecommunity.com
EdGames: edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec670
Games For Change: www.seriousgames.org/gamesforchange
Learning Lab Denmark - Rikke Magnussen's research on science games:www.lld.dk/consortia/learninggames/news/chi2004presentation/en
Serious games entry on Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serious_game

If you are looking for good resources for teaching and learning math using technology, visit the Math Tools website.

Game Accessibility: Universal Design and Access for Gaming (and Interactive Applications)

A growing number of educators are incorporating the use of interactive multimedia applications, including games, in learning settings. More educators are aware of the principles of Universal Design for Learning, developed by the great people at CAST.

Unfortunately, many multimedia applications, as well as computer and console games, are not designed to facilitate access for a significant number of people. People with vision, hearing, or motor disabilities have few options available to them for playing games. People who have color-blindness, attention/memory problems, auditory processing difficulties, and/or slower visual-motor responses also face barriers when they use multimedia applications and games.

There are people who are working hard to make game technology more accessible.

The International Game Developers Association has a Game Accessibility SIG has a wiki that contains links to a variety of game access projects.

The following is a partial list of links related to game accessibility:

IDGA Game Accessibility SIG

Game Accessibility.Com

Game Accessibility Games (links to information categorized by visual, auditory, physical, and learning disabilities)

Game Access Resources and Research

Audio Games

OneSwitch

Switch Gaming

SymbolWorld