My students need a Raspberry Pi and related books, 4 MaKey MaKey sets, Disney Infinity, OUYA console and Xbox One with Project Spark to enhance our constructionist learning environment!
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Isaacs's classroom raised $1,397
This project is fully funded
My Students
How would you like to work in a Game Design studio? Well, that's the feel I strive for as my students are actively creating games using a variety of tools. Students have many options to extend their learning through exciting activities that provide choice in the direction they choose to explore.
I teach video game design and development in a public middle school in New Jersey.
I teach a 7th grade computer cycle that all students take as part of our exploratory program and an 8th grade full semester elective. Students complete quests and earn experience points based on the path they take. Projects immerse students in the design process while they design, develop, test, troubleshoot, and ultimately publish their games. Some of the primary tools we use are GameMaker, MineCraft, and the Portal 2 Puzzlemaker. Beyond that, students can choose extension activities covering a wide variety of tools and approaches to learning. Many students come to the lab during lunch and after school to continue exploring the game design process and collaborate with their peers on projects. We have created a constructionist learning environment where students choose to spend their time based on their intrinsic interest in the subject matter.
My Project
It is my goal to empower my students to create and innovate. Raspberry Pi is a credit card sized computer that is an incredible tool for teaching and learning computer programming. Students are sure to gravitate toward MineCraft Pi edition which has students building minecraft creations through code. MakeyMakey is a wonderful tool that allows students to create a functional keyboard or game controller by completing circuits utilizing items that are conductors of electricity. Students will create a custom controller for the games they create.. The ouya console is a console built on the android OS geared toward independent game development. GameMaker, a product we use allows students to publish their games for Android, and thereby play them on the console. Finally, the Xbox One offers a development environment called Project Spark that will allow users to create beautiful game environments playable on the next-gen console.
This project will allow us to create a true Game Design Studio in the spirit of the Maker Movement.
I plan to empower students by putting the technology in their hands and seeing what THEY come up with. These are products that will excite the students and ignite their passion to learn. Creation and innovation empower students and help to build their skills, not to mention their confidence. I see this as a tremendous opportunity to introduce computer science in a FUN and engaging manner!
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