Today I had the pleasure of volunteering at the Lunar New Year celebration at the Oakland Museum of California, a day-long festival marking the time when many Asian cultures celebrate the new year. It was a really fun day, with hundreds of visitors of all ages streaming through the museum, enjoying all the performances, displays, food and activities. I got to make mochi, ring bells, chat with visitors, and learn about all the different Asian customs around the Lunar New Year.
Yesterday, I got to attend the official opening of the new "Tech Test Zone" at the Tech Museum in San Jose, along with fifty or so other technologists, museum professionals and press. The Tech Test Zone is where the public can interact with the latest in interactive technologies, from eye tracking software to "digital foam", and provide valuable feedback to the designers as they further refine these exhibits and tools.
It was fun getting the first look at the Tech Test Zone. There were five exhibits available to interact with when I was there, including:
"Pixel" Eye Tracking Technology: The visitor wears a set of goggles and looks at different video screens. Meanwhile, others can see what the visitor is looking at, literally seeing through his eyes.
Digital Foam: A Pressure Sensitive Surface: Like clay, Digital Foam lets you sculpt 3D models with your hands using sensors that update in real-time the digital model.
Sketch-A-Race: A User-Generated Augmented Reality Game: Draw and then drive on your own racetrack in this augmented reality game.
Thermal Camera : Thermal cameras in the room capture infrared light, and display on a big display the thermal images of the visitors.
Body Zoom Technology: Gestural Interface: A detailed gigapixel image can be zoomed and panned using your body gestures.
While none of these exhibits were "perfect" yet -- the body zoom technology never really zoomed properly for me -- that is kind of the point: to get the public interacting with works-in-progress and giving valuable feedback to the designers. It's rather brave of the Tech Museum to allow these beta-versions of exhibits to be banged on by kids and adults. But this more user-driven design I think will lead to more effective and engaging exhibits in the end.
You can check out the "Tech Test Zone" and the other great exhibits at the Tech Museum everyday at 201 South Market Street, San Jose.
I updated my Work Portfolio to make it easier for people to see my most recent professional accomplishments in one place. Like this blog (and my life!), it covers a wide range of projects and disciplines, from virtual worlds to public speaking. And there's of course a lot I didn't include, since I've had such a wide ranging (and sometimes strange) career path. But my goal is to capture in a quick snapshot the most relevant, recent highlights of my work.
Give it a look, if you are curious. All feedback appreciated!
Today I managed a first, too-short visit to the Oakland Museum of California, a science, art and history museum dedicated to "telling the story of California." It was a quiet Wednesday afternoon, so I had much of the museum to myself, which was really nice for a first visit.
The museum is divided into 3 section on art, history and nature / science. The science section is actually scheduled to open up in the Spring of 2012. But in the interim there is a great exhibit about the naturalist John Muir being shown that had a strong science and environmental focus.
Here's a little recap of my first visit to the Oakland Museum of California..
I'm excited to announce thatGlobal Kids, a pioneering nonprofit that transforms the lives of thousands of urban teens into global leaders, is in the running for $1 million in the American Giving Awards sponsored by Chase. If you think that all young people deserve a chance to express themselves on important global issues, serve their communities, and expand their minds, I encourage you to vote for Global Kids now.
Voting ends in just a couple of days, October 5, so please vote now. Right this instant. Seriously. And tell your friends about it.
Just a reminder that TODAY is the last day of the Chase Community Giving Competition. My former employers and friends at Global Kids are in the running to win possibly up to $500,000 to support their amazing work helping at-risk teens become global leaders.
Please take a second to vote for them at http://vote.globalkids.org and then share your vote on Facebook. Notable folks like Spike Lee and Rosario Dawson already have.
My friend and former co-worker Amira at Global Kids sends out news of an opportunity to support Global Kids with just the click of a mouse. I hope you will consider helping out.
Global Kids is an innovative youth development nonprofit that helps thousands of at-risk young people every year to learn leadership skills, serve their communities, and connect with the world around them. This year, I'm excited to learn that Global Kids is expanding beyond New York City to Washington DC to reach even more young people in need.
To that end, Global Kids is competing in the Chase Community Giving Competition on Facebook to fund their important work. Supporters simply vote for their favorite charity on Facebook via this link. The top 100 organizations will win at least $25,000 and possibly up to $500,000, depending on where they place in the contest. That kind of funding might mean Global Kids can reach hundreds more young people who deserve a chance to be global leaders.
Please take a second to vote for them at http://vote.globalkids.org and then share your vote on Facebook. Notable folks like Spike Lee and Rosario Dawson already have. Thanks!
I have been playing around with augmented reality apps lately, seeing how they might be used for education and civic engagement. The field is still in its beginning stages, but we are already starting to see some interesting applications of AR.
Of course, augmented reality applications have been around since the early 1990s. But it has only been until the past couple of years the consumer grade technology has gotten to the point that you can literally have an augmented reality experience using a device in your pocket. And with various AR standards (open and proprietary) already on the market, the potential for AR is still uncharted.
One of the best examples of the educational value of augmented reality is LookBack Maps.
They have a bunch of neat simulations and games they created to teach various science, math and engineering principals to young people, using a really clever setup. They project onto the ground a computer screen using a powerful LCD projector, which the player stands on like a giant gameboard. the player manipulates objects in the games using Wiimotes that are tracked using infrared sensors placed near the game board. In addition, a hacked Roomba robot is programmed to interact with the player and digital game board in various ways.
The video here shows Barry Joseph playing a flying simulation that I believe teaches about the scientific principals behind flight, including acceleration, lift, and vectors. Another game projects a simulation of a desert area, in which the player is challenged to dig up water in reservoirs, deliver the water to nearby households, and return reclaimed water back to the reservoirs. I had a great time playing this game with a kid, who quickly mastered the water management system.
I love the way that these games involve your whole body, enabling a different kind of understanding of natural phenomena and scientific principles. I can't wait till they have more data about the efficaciousness of these tools in teaching science and math compared to more traditional methods.
I'm currently in Long Beach, California for the MacArthur Foundation-sponsored Digital Media and Learning Conference. The DML is a three day gathering of about 500 academics, educators, nonprofits, techies, and funders focused on "fostering interdisciplinary and participatory dialog and linking theory, empirical study, policy, and practice." I.e. the event is intended to get folks who work on digital learning to talk across the aisle with others who are working and studying in this space.
This is the second annual DML, and so far it looks to be quite the success. Last year's had about 300 participants, who were drawn largely from academia. This year it has grown to about 500 participants, with a wider cross section of nonprofits, educators, foundation officers, and tech industry reps. Adding to the MacArthur support is backing from the Pearson Foundation, Mozilla Foundation and Microsoft.
So the field of digital media and learning is definitely growing.
