Goodbye 2077

Lots of things going on now. I'm sure I can still be tracked from 2077, but I won't be posting anything else as I assimilate into the culture and leave the future behind me. It wasn't great in 2077. But it is fascinating in 2018, and I know I can make a difference here.

Molokai Service Project Final

The workshop was a success even though we had a lot of set-backs. The weather was really cloudy and we weren't able to land on Molokai on our first attempt. It was interesting having to come up with some alternative options. I was a bit worried about how we were going to be able to figure something out. Some of our ideas were to try to give the workshop remotely, but in hindsight, it definitely would not have worked because of internet connectivity issues. We also thought we might have a tutorial session with Loke to walk her through how to give an hour of code workshop or see if we could present it remotely with her students during the week.  THANKFULLY, it did not come to that, and on our second attempt to land on Molokai, we were successful. I'd never been.

Molokai is beautiful and the landscape looks wild and untamed. It is absolutely gorgeous. I secretly long for a simpler life despite my interest in online activities and technology advancements. The students we had in the workshop were sweet, very quiet, but with their own enthusiasm. We got to share the Nintendo Labo with them, the foam note cards worked perfectly, and we ended up making it through our three ideas (sequences, loops, and conditionals) with the workshop. The internet connection was a complete wash. We had 20 chromebooks, but the connection was so slow, it would have made it too frustrating and almost impossible to do tasks individually. We thought on our feet, and ended up doing the workshop as a group.

I hope that some of the teachers and parents present will continue to encourage their students to learn coding. I had a wonderful experience at the workshop, so much so, that I will look for service opportunities like this in the future. Here we are altogether after the workshop: Keahe, Loke, me, and Dr. Peter!

Molokai Service Project Part 3

Dr. Peter wins the week for buying the Nintendo Labo! Dr. Peter, Keahe, my son, and I met at UH to put it together and see if it would work for the workshop.

I provided the Switch to play the created cardboard toys that interacted with the game. We wanted the kids to be able to see where computer science is going and the Switch has the capability to code in the workshop area that enables them to build their own projects from cardboard and code actions to make the items move with the controllers. It’s actually really neat and a bit involved. It took many hands to build the cardboard piano and several hours. 

I also created foam notecards as a tangible representation of the codes that the kids could use to make us move in different directions when they held them up in the air during the workshop. Take a look at what it looks like!

Molokai Service Project Part 2

This last week leading up to the Molokai workshop was a little crazy!

Before running the coding session on Saturday, we were fortunate to conduct a mock run of the tutorial at TCCO (Trinity Central Church Oahu) in Mililani for a group of homeschool volunteers. While there were no native Hawaiians represented in the group, we were able to reflect and revise on some issues that came up during the tutorial that led to a better workshop on Saturday. At the mock version, Wifi connection was spotty. This kept making the screens freeze, so we thought that it would be good to have a few alternative activities available in case we encouraged a similar situation on Molokai. Here were some of my thoughts from the experience:

Observations from practice coding session:

Initial set-up: It took roughly 10 minutes to set up five devices with the wi-fi and get the Wayfinding tutorial up and running.

Four children were observed and two adults. Two children were in first grade, one child was in second grade, and the third child was a fifth grader

Each child had individual access to a laptop. The first graders were paired with adult helpers.

The beginning activity went well. I explained how coding worked and had them “code” my actions by giving me directions. I think using the cards will work fine, but I need to provide clearer instructions and call on individuals rather than allowing them to call out at random. This will work as one instructor can be coded while the other calls on the students.


I showed had the students turn off their sound and when the video popped up, they had to wait for everyone to catch up so we could watch it together. We may need to have an activity to do for kids who progress faster than others. Maybe we could have some station activities.


I think we should have a timeframe for how long each task will go. In general, the first segment took students about 20 minutes to move through. Once we started loops, it took longer as the students tried to experiment. The attitudes of the students were interesting, as well. The fifth grader was a perfectionist and kept getting very frustrated when he couldn’t code right. It may be beneficial to explain at the beginning that part of learning to code means making mistakes/trial and error, and be willing to be wrong in order to learn how to code more efficiently.

There were also competitions going on to see how fast they could get through the tasks, and I’m not sure these were beneficial. They were students led, since I only encouraged do-it-your-own pace.


One student did not have a mouse and using the track-pad to grab and drag was very difficult for her. If we can have a mouse for each student, that will be hugely beneficial. Pairing the students together will mean ensuring they get equal time to try the tasks. I recommend we tell paired students to alternate who drags and drops between each task.


One student’s computer had a lot of lag and this was frustrating to him because he solved the tasks before everyone but was behind because the avatar moved slowly with the lapse.

From set-up to completion of task 19 took roughly 90 minutes. This also included me talking and hands-on activity, videos from the Moana coding session, and time to play at the end by making the kakamora dance. I had no projector available for the session, so I showed the videos from my chromebook.

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My suggestions for Saturday’s session:

1. Make sure all chromebooks have a mouse (if possible), are connected to wi-fi, and set up at the first coding task prior to starting the session.
2.  Open space for hands-on activities 
3. Separate table for alternate activities (the switch maybe?) while students wait for everyone to catch up. 
4. If we have one long session, extra activities are definitely needed

Molokai Service Project Part 1

Keahe and I chose Hour of Code, Wayfinding with Code, as our lesson plan for the workshop.

We did a mini-needs analysis:

What is. Currently, teachers are not utilizing the technology and resources at its fullest potential to enhance student learning due to limited resources and coding experience. Elementary students have only just received Chromebooks as of January 2018. Coding is not being taught until the middle and high school level.

What should be. A consistent offering of workshops or coding tutorials offered in and out of the classroom at the elementary level would better prepare and encourage students in computer science.

Gap. The gap is most likely due to limited exposure to the materials available for teachers. Coding at the elementary level is non-existent and there is minimal computer experience for the majority of elementary-aged students on Molokai.

Providing a very basic coding workshop will help fill this gap. The goal of the workshop will be to encourage students to have fun with coding and provide tools that teachers and parents can use to continue to develop and encourage computer science and coding in and out of the classroom. Hour of Code is the perfect solution to providing fun tools that are simple enough to get started with and provide more advanced tutorials as the users progress in skill.






Our lesson plan looked like this:

Lesson Plan for Moana’s Wayfinding with Code

MOVEMENT (video break) Au

Task 1: Move forward

Task 2: Move forward (more code)

Task 3: Move forward and turn right (move forward) fish

Task 4: Move, turns, and fish (mirrored directions)

Task 5: Multiple moves, turns, and fishing

LOOPS (video break) Pīnaʻiapuni

Task 6: Loop Inside forward movement

Task 7: Loop outside direction and inside direction (forward movement)

Task 8: Using loops one direction inside (forward), different direction outside

OPTIMIZING SEQUENCE (no video break)

Task 9: Sequence of directions inside the loop (creates a zigzag pattern - pūnini)

Task 10: Two different loops (have to change the number of times the loops repeat)

Task 11: More complicated loops (the sequence has to be in the right order)

REPEAT UNTIL (no video break)

Task 12: Repeat (action) until (thing)

CONDITIONALS (video break)

    IF/THEN (no video break) inā/ā laila

Task 13: If/then instruction

Task 14: putting the pieces together (using loops, sequence, repeat and conditions) Given help

Task 15: starting at move forward, build the instructions using all previously taught concepts

Task 16: Similar to 15 but more steps with less code

IF/ELSE (no video break) inā/ʻē aʻe

Task 17: If/else instruction

Task 18:  If/else more complicated

Task 19: Free form coding for dance moves

Here are some shots of what it looks like on the computer (or tablet):

No More Stardates

 Dr. Peter set up a Google DOC for us to work on the workshop and we had a contact, Loke, who provided us with several options to think about including doing a coding workshop to her 1st and 2nd graders at her elementary school. The weekend we were scheduled to present the workshop, the Native Hawaiian Youth Summit was occuring at the same time. So, Loke’s proposal was that we try to gear our workshop for the youth summit so we could reach more than just her students. Once we had settled the details, we brainstormed about the coding project we wanted to do. We needed something for children with limited exposure to computer science that would be engaging and tie in with Hawaiian culture. Keahe and I did a lot of searches for things that would work and we settled on Hour of Code since we could easily adapt it for our purposes.

Stardate 2077.12: Staying in 2018

I've left Defiance with their blessing, though I was sad to do so. An opportunity presented itself for me to stay in 2018 and make a difference. I wish them the best on returning to 2077, but I believe I can make a difference here, given the opportunity.

Things I've done that I've not journaled about yet..
I did a case study on the Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Switch. It was beautiful and engaging, immersive. The soundtrack was stellar. I have never played such an awesome video game before, and it sounds crazy, but the price of the Switch is every bit worth it to play this game.

There's some crazy stuff coming out for the Switch. The Nintendo Labo has cardboard games kids can make. It's wild:

The other thing is the Unity workshop we did. Wow! Once my computer is up and running without crashing, I'm going to have to go back and try it out. It seems so similar to building in SecondLife and OpenSim. This technology has spoken to me so much and it's the direction I want to go for my future educational endeavors. It would be really cool to become proficient at this stuff, and I know I can (once my master's degree is done).

Keahe and I are going to be working on a service project for Molokai that should be interesting. I'm nervous, but I think we'll come up with something exciting for the kids, and I really need the teaching experience.

Stardate 2077.11: Defiance Brainstorming and Computer Trouble

ATTN: Defiance
From: Jade Overkill

Hi Team! I hope you get this message. I enjoyed our session and getting used to this new technology that had been obliterated in 2077. I hope that you are getting your time travel feet settled and are in a groove. I got our next case from General Gravity and hope you received yours as well. I've chosen my video game on the Nintendo Switch called Legend of Zelda. I hope you enjoy your chosen games and I look forward to talking about them.

JO

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ATTN: Jade Overkill
From: Defiance

Let's brainstorm for our project tomorrow. This message will self-destruct in 30 seconds.

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ATTN: Defiance
From: Jade Overkill

Roger.
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Journal entry: We met as groups and talked about our project ideas. We used ConceptBoard to discuss. We have a few ideas going, such as a science fair app and a choose your own adventure maze game for teaching critical thinking skills. We'll need to hash things out a bit more. Gee's writings about all of the various aspects of game design were extremely beneficial and I learned about the various elements of creating good games. I will likely utilize Gee's writings for my final master's project if I choose game-based learning as an instructional strategy. I am excited about designing a game, but a bit nervous as I have been having a lot of computer issues. I haven't been able to download Unity without my computer crashing. That makes life frustrating, and I haven't been able to do all the quests that I had planned, either. Staying in character is challenging when I cannot participate the way I'd like.

Stardate 2077.10: Final Analysis of Case 2018

ATTN: General Gravity
From: Jade Overkill

Sir,

My Final Analysis

It is my view that Pearl Harbor Visitor Center and the USS Arizona Memorial are excellent cases of education technology integration into an informal learning environment. Because of the somber nature of the memorial, integration of technology at the memorial must be tasteful and done carefully to create enthusiasm for learning and preserving history, while at the same time, honoring the dead. For example, the audio tour could be done by smartphone, but it makes sense to keep it as-is due to the headphones allowing for a quieter atmosphere.

To upgrade the status from excellent to exemplary, a few changes might be made to the current technology. Basic fixes should be implement to ensure that broken equipment is fixed in a timely manner. Touch kiosks might be beneficial at the outdoor exhibits, but care would need to be taken for protection against the elements and keeping with the solemnity of the site.

Realistically, I believe the best choice of resource management would be to fund the development of the virtual reality application further. The groups partnering might do a usability study of the current application and continue the revision process through its continued development. The VR application should be upgraded to include educational and interactive content that could be used from home or in the classroom. Classrooms could visit as a virtual field and the interactive, educational content would only enhance this. It might be integrated in the same fashion as the Acropolis VR application (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rendernet.acropolis) as shown in Image 9:




Image 9: Acropolis VR Application



A VR video or animation might make sense rather than the time-lapse that is currently in the app. It might make a bigger impact on the viewer, rather than showing only photos of the damage. A video would also make the material less clunky and awkward. Sound effects and music could also be incorporated into the app. My recommendation would be to start the app in silence for use at the memorial and have added features that allow the user to choose to turn on the sound in a settings menu. Various settings might include a Narrator On/Off, Sound Effects On/Off, and Video On/Off. This also gives a bit of control to the user.

In McMamay’s article (2017), it was mentioned that interviews might be developed in to the app somehow. This would certainly take ed tech integration to the next level. This link to a TED Talk on history education through VR is an example of what could be possible with story-telling, history, and empathy for learning and understanding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea08yn4emPg. The Pearl Harbor VR app could potentially benefit from this kind of story-telling immensely since the stories are already being told through videos in the museum. The greatest benefit of focusing on the application development is not bringing a new form of technology and wow factor to the museum, rather, it is the capability of bringing the museum, monument and historical experience to the audience, most of whom could never afford to travel to Hawaii to visit these sites in person.

I hope you will agree to allow us to integrate this type of technology into our future cases. 

Stardate 2077.09: Report to General Gravity

ATTN: 2077 and Informal Learning Case Study Report Conclusion


General Gravity,

There is a ton of technology integrated into the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites. The audio tour plays in 9 different languages and every tour marker I listened to functioned well. I had no issue with sound or static interference, I could easily control my volume, and I found the audio helpful rather than detracting during the visit.

The VR application is where technology integration is showing the most promise and I think we should try to manipulate it in our future endeavors. In Image 1, a map of the USS Arizona is shown. By gazing at the yellow dot, the viewer moves to show you the various parts of the deck. Once on the ship, you can navigate forward and backward as you “walk” on the virtual representation of the Arizona (See Image 2).

Image 1: Map of USS Arizona






Image 2: On the deck of the virtual USS Arizona



Within the app, you can choose to explore the virtual replica of the memorial. Image 3 is the ramp from the boat into the memorial. Image 4 shows a bird’s eye view of the memorial and the outline of the USS Arizona under the water.

Image 3




Image 4



Image 5 shows another viewpoint on the memorial with information from the diver. At each point, you are able to see a panoramic view of Pearl Harbor from the memorial. Image 6 shows a partial, zoomed-in segment of the wall of names. Within this section, you can view the wall all at once or zoom in to read the names more clearly.

Image 5



Image 6


Image 7



Image 8



Here's where we may need to watch out.

While the implementation of technology is thoughtful and enhances the exhibits, there are a few ways in which technology is detrimental to the experience. First, though not the fault of the museum, there is a PokemonGo marker on the actual site of the USS Arizona Memorial. You cannot reach it unless you are physically on the platform. While no one was actively trying to catch virtual Pokemon, it would certainly detract from the experience if some visitors decided to play while at the Memorial. PokemonGo was unfortunately identified as the catalyst that began the destruction of civilized society and we should be avoiding it where possible.*

Second, while the VR application is very interesting, one negative is that there is not a lot of educational value occurring while using it. It is clear from articles and interviews that the eventual goal is to be able to educate through the application, but it is currently missing the mark in that aspect. (McMamay, 2017).

Third, while touring the museums at the Visitor Center, I noticed that several of the screens were not functioning. I went to the museum on two separate days, and both times there were issues with the same screens. If the material that is normally playing on those screens is not duplicated elsewhere, information is not being received by the guest.


*I actually love playing PokemonGo...story line purposes only. ;)

Stardate 2077.08: We didn't die

I've been facing time-traveling sickness for the last few days, but the good news is that we all made it. We're not all in the same location, but I landed on Earth in Hawaii in 2018. It's still February, so that'll make it easier to digest, but I am sticking out like a sore thumb. Everyone here has been exposed to sunlight, whereas I'm having to cover myself almost fully and wear special darkened glasses to protect my eyes. I don't feel prepared, but it's time to get the job done.

My first case here is to explore Pearl Harbor. I went to the visitor center and watched a movie to orient myself. I was surprised that we repeated history after watching the video. The theater was filled and everyone seemed very moved by the historical presentation given. We hopped on a boat and saw the sunken ship, the names on the wall, and the atmosphere was quiet and reserved. I think this is the type of learning to focus on in order to save our world. There were rooms to walk through where I could touch and see historical equipment and stories given from survivors of the bombing at Pearl Harbor. I felt very immersed as did those around me from my observations. I will be writing my formal report and sending it to headquarters as I ponder how this learning environment matches with the information we learned during our training. For now, I'm going to continue to enjoy my many firsts on Earth. The sky is blue and I saw a rainbow for the very first time in my life. If we can't get back to 2077, I wonder if I'll even care.

Stardate 2077.07: Traveling to 2018

I feel sick. We are time-traveling tomorrow. I'm gathering all the data for our team so we can be prepared. What if we don't get to the right time? What if we die? What if we can't come back... or worse... what if we make things worse than they are right now??

Data Collection for Defiance:

Team, we will need to focus on the essentials. I've compiled some data for us to help us when we get to wherever they portal us in. We looked through a lot of resources...from augmented reality to designing games in classrooms. Most importantly, we are getting tools to use to develop our informal learning content. We've been given our mission to explore various learning environments and provide a case study. We've also learned how to engage with people from 2018 through a gift giving exercise. Let's hope it all works out over the next few months as we try to save the planet.

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I learned that asking questions to get to the underlying feeling helps in the user experience. With my gift-giving exercise, my partner identified that I wanted a way to know if my gift had been received and liked. I, in turn, identified that he wanted his gift to be used. We're coming up with creative solutions to make this happen.

Stardate 2077.06: The Information They Gave

I'm freaking out. More on that after...

We were trained this week on all things to do with getting the people of 2018 to change their mentalities through various strategies. We don't have this information in the library anymore. Do you know how they are gathering the data?! Teams before ours were sent back to 1995 to collect information from the leading minds of the day on human behavior and motivation for learning. I just watched the track data from that team...we actually heard interviews from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Pine and Gilmore, and McLellon. They knew the destruction was coming and urged us to implement intrinsic motivation into learning spaces, to do whatever we could to get all of humankind interested in learning again. They warned that if humans lost their spark, creativity, curiosity and interest, we would be doomed as a species to only focus on our base tendencies and we would eventually destroy each other. Without motivation, humans will not better themselves.

We were also encouraged to activate the Four Realms Experience from Pine and Gilmore. The experience will vary based on active or passive participation and on absorption or immersion in the experience itself. I learned about flow and how the user wants to get to that point of immersion where they are fully integrated and enjoying it without even realizing they are working.

 

But the reason I'm freaking out is because the team that went back to 1995 has been stuck now for 5 years... How are we supposed to get back if they can't these other teams back. Is this a one-way trip for me??

Stardate 2077.05: It's NOT a Tracking Device

Remember that tracker in my neck? It's not just a tracking device. I actually was able to hack into it. It keeps visual data records received from my eyes. I had no idea this kind of tech was available, but I should have known since we are actually supposed to be time traveling. This week, we are being trained underground at the Library of Informal Learning. We were briefed on our mission and how helping those in the past can make a new and better future. Lots of flag waiving and ceremony for a mission that is supposed to be top secret. Makes me wonder what's really going on..,

One of the interesting things I gathered was watching old virtual footage from tours of museums and amusement parks. I've never been to one, but it was like I was actually there. The tour guides were taking me from place to place and telling me why things were built the way they were. We are supposed to take this knowledge and assimilate it into training material for people in 2018. This sounds complicated. I met Dennis Snow's virtual avatar. He told me that I need to look at products and organizations to see what the process the customer goes through to get the product. How can our training material give an entire experience rather than just provide the material we want them to learn? It sounds complicated. I'm glad I'm on a team of experts. We'll see what this training week provides.

Stardate 2077.04: Awake on Earth

Today was shocking. When I finally emerged from the holding cell and stepped into the light, I found myself on a different planet. Earth. I should have realized from the accents that this team hadn't come to Mars, rather, I had been transported sometime during the haze to their planet. I didn't have time to look around, but it's so much brighter here than home. I didn't think it was possible, but there's also more destruction...at least where we are. No blue sky and white fluffy clouds; I never thought I would see it, but I was hoping to. I shouldn't be surprised. I have no idea what day it is anymore or even the year, but I'll keep to my dating method.  It turns also turns out that they installed an eye-cam. It's supposed to send photos from when we time travel. Maybe they hope they can track us through photo changes? I hacked into it already and have a separate folder for my personal photos. I caught one before they ushered us underground to the facility. It's not blue skies, but it'll have to do.

Stardate 2077.03: Clean but Marked

I got my wish. The cuffs are off. I've had a hot shower, clean clothes, a hair cut. I even got a ration that didn't taste like chalk. A hot drink. My head has been in a fog the last few weeks as we've been poked and prodded. I am sporting a nice bump on my neck where my tracking ID went in. How do I know? I stole a copy of the x-ray when they thought I was still out.

I'd like to think the other two have trackers for "safety" but I'm pretty sure it's just me...I've been labeled the risk. I got my last shot today and feel like myself, so I'm pretty sure they negated the drugged effect. We are going to start our training tomorrow morning.                                                                                                                                                                                     

Stardate 2077.02: Secret Journal

I'm supposed to be keeping a journal for record-keeping that I have to hand in to the lab every day to prove I'm doing my end of the bargain. They won't get their hands on this one though. This one is mine.

Every day, I've had to record my nutrition intake, which vitamins I've had, get my booklet stamped by the lab. Get this. They opened some secret vault and we had to be immunized against all of these diseases that were around 60 years ago. Then, we got another round of shots making sure we don't bring back whatever new viruses are apparently lurking and waiting to hitch a ride back and wreak havoc on civilization. Whatever. I'm so tired of needles.

I don't really have a positive outlook on this mission. I'm not even sure if they are convinced this time machine is going to work. They actually put the inventor of it on the mission. She's got me on edge with all her nail biting and fidgeting and jumping like a startled cat whenever they ask her a question. I hope she knows what she's doing. But at least we've got a lectie in our group. 

The other one. Where to begin. Is she even legal? I mean, she looks 12. She creeps me out too. Creeper. HA! Lectie and Creeper. At least I've got something to make me smirk. But seriously. I thought I was stealthy. She's always where I least expect. She avoids everyone. I hope she's not a liability on this mission. I'm not here to hold anybody's hand.

Anyway. I wish they'd take off the shackles and let me take a hot shower. It's getting old.

Stardate 2077.01: I'm Jade Overkill

It's the year 2077, and I've really made a mess of my life. Actually, the universe is a mess. Someone thought it was a good idea to take volunteers to Mars on a one-way trip to colonize in 2034 (it got delayed 10 years) and my crazy father applied. Jason. He was 28-single at the time and foolhardy.  He always wanted to be one of those to do things "first." Well, he got a lot more firsts than what he had bargained for. He was the first to marry (my mom, how'd you guess?). Her name was Lottie. She wasn't what you would call strikingly beautiful, but she was 26, a brunette with jade green eyes, and had an insatiable thirst for adventure. He was the first to become a dad on Mars... Me? Not yet. They had my older two brothers before they had me and my youngest brother. I'm the only girl, and the only one who survived the initial blast from our family. But you know all about the blast and the war and the dystopia...Enough. You want to know about my mess and why I chose this assignment.

I wish I could say I had their adventurous spirit, but I don't. I'm in this so I don't go to jail. After the initial blast, I did what I could to survive. I got caught raiding the museums around Mars and hocking precious artifacts for cash, food, and toilet paper. Told you it wasn’t pretty. So my 32 year old self got the choice of 20 years in jail or “community service” which turns out to be this time travel mission. I don’t have anyone else and I guess this is kind of an appropriate sentence. I’ll be following in my dad’s footsteps of firsts. I guess if things go wrong, the government isn’t really out of an exemplary citizen. So yeah, that’s my story. I’m Jade Overkill, but my friends call me Jo.