The Movie Theater Experience

Is it just me, or has going to the movies become almost unaffordable?  Regardless of the cost, my boyfriend and I decided to head to the movies at Ward to wind down after a busy weekend.

Before the experience...
After looking at the Flixster app on my phone, we decided to see Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind Rises- partly because of the content, partly because of the convenient showing time.  See the trailer for this movie below:

During the experience...
When we arrived and finally found parking in the back lot, I placed bags of arare and furikake for our popcorn into my purse- shhhh, don't tell!  It was on sale at Longs for $1.50, compared to the small bag that is sold at the theater for over $4.00.

After waiting in a very long line to purchase tickets, we made it up to the ticket window.  We attempted to use movie passes, but were denied because it was a new release.  We decided to just go for it and pay $11.50 each (yikes!) to see the movie.

What's a movie without popcorn, right?  We paid another $13 for a large popcorn and soda.  Since we were already running behind, we separated the popcorn into boxes prior to heading into the theater.

It's been awhile since I've seen a Miyazaki film, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  I was particularly interested with how emotions were depicted in the cartoon-like characters.  There were many silent scenes during the movie, as compared to the busy storylines of American movies.

Overall, I'm thankful that we can afford to head to the movies on a whim like this.  However, I often wonder why prices at the theater are so high.  I wouldn't consider myself to be particularly cheap, but I do struggle to spend that much cash on one leisure activity.  Any thoughts?  Am I alone on this?    

My Experiences with Design Thinking

Have you ever heard the same thing from multiple people in a short time period?  Then when that happens, does what they're saying begin to become engrained in your thoughts?  That's currently how I'm feeling about the design thinking model.

My first experience with design thinking took place in November 2012, when our all-school technology team was tasked with the job of picking a tablet tool to deploy school-wide.  We researched extensively, heard from subject-matter experts, voiced our own opinions, and talked to teachers.  Finally, it was time for us to tackle the question of which tool we would purchase.  I recall going through an abbreviated design thinking process, which involved lots of sticky notes.

Now that I've experienced the full, iterative process, I realized that we skipped some key points.  First, our point of view statement was very limited to the tool we would choose, not necessarily what was best for students- big problem!  Next, there was a lot of criticism among our group during the Ideate phase.  I recall being nervous to "dream big," which should've been remedied early on in the process.  Finally, we never prototyped our ideas.  This is a hugely important aspect of design thinking, which we missed out on.

My next interaction with design thinking occurred earlier this semester when my ETEC 613 group sat down to brainstorm a topic for our module.  Our first idea involved using the design thinking process in conjunction with building robots.  We got as far as writing an extensive hierarchy, then realized that it would be WAY too difficult to develop.  Although I wish that we could've carried the project through to the end, I'm glad that we honed our module to be more manageable.

Last night's workshop was the only time I've actually successfully completed a design thinking task.  While I initially had a difficult time getting into the ideating and prototyping, I ended up learning a lot and enjoying myself during the process.  It was freeing to be in an environment where "anything goes" as far as dreaming big.  As was mentioned in our debrief, I often find myself critiquing my own ideas before actually prototyping and seeing their potential.

I left last night's class excited about our workshop, but unsure about using this in my particular classroom setting.  As a resource teacher, I only have 40-minute blocks with each class.  After experiencing the entire design thinking process, I see how important it is to complete everything in one setting.  I could possibly use this model with upper grades, as I sometimes see them for special projects or extended periods.  Still thinking on that, though...

I'd love to use design thinking with my faculty, but am not sure what need we would attempt to design for.  My principal will love hearing about my experience, so I'm excited to share with her at our weekly meeting.  Perhaps we could use this as a beginning-of-the-year workshop topic?  Who knows...the possibilities are endless!

Our group's prototype of a new and improved CCC

Miarikan Museum Visit

Since pictures are usually worth more than words, I thought I'd share some photos of my visit to Miraikan, Japan's National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation.  While planning our trip to Japan last summer, my boyfriend and I knew that we wanted to attend at least one museum.  I was really hoping to go to the Edo-Tokyo Museum in Sumida, but we never actually made it there.  After spending nearly a week walking around Tokyo in July, we were ready for some relief inside an air-conditioned building towards the end of our trip.  We did a little research and chose to visit the Miraikan due to its convenient location in Odiba and its focus on technology and innovation.  Since I'm a technology resource teacher and my boyfriend is a network engineer, we knew that we would both be interested in the content of this museum.

Taking ETEC 643 this semester has given me a new lens to view my past informal learning experiences through.  I've also been reflecting on the complications and challenges that informal learning in a foreign country can bring.  We definitely experienced some barriers with language and accessing content during our time at the Miraikan.  Those hiccups aside, I'm so glad that we took time to visit this museum, as I would've regretted it later.  Below are some of our favorite "experience-ology" moments during our museum visit.

A display outside the museum

An engaging "hook" before entering the museum-
movements created music notes on the screen!

Neat characters on a display...wish I could read them!

A geo-globe of our planet that shows live weather patterns

My boyfriend taking part in one of the interactive exhibits

Me, writing on a "sound board"

How we were able to understand the content of the exhibits...

Our reward for learning so much in one day!

Waikiki Aquarium Reflection

Prior to our class visit last week, I have only been to the Waikiki Aquarium once.  My previous visit occurred nearly five years and was a perk of attending a family friend's wedding reception that was held at the venue.  While there haven't been any major changes in the years between my visits, I headed into this recent site visit with a fresh perspective for learning in informal environments.

Before the visit...
Aside from our brief class discussions about the upcoming site visit, I did very little to prepare prior to going to the Waikiki Aquarium.  Usually when I plan such excursions on my own, I visit the venue's website to research prices, hours, and parking information.  This time, however, I just tried my best to remember my last visit and anything that stuck out to me during that time.  Surprisingly, the jellyfish tank is the only significant memory I have of that first visit.

During the visit...
Knowing that parking along Kapiolani Park can be limited, I arrived early for our site visit.  After walking to Starbucks for an iced coffee, I walked back to the aquarium and waited with our group.  We then broke into groups and began our visit.


My group initially asked for a paper map of the aquarium, which the aquarium doesn't provide.  We were pointed in the direction of the exhibit entrance, but opted to start with the outside exhibits instead.  One of the museum volunteers showed us some of the hands-on exhibits, where we were able to touch sea urchins, sea anemones, and hermit crabs.  We also saw the monk seal in the same area.  I found the outdoor exhibits to be the most interesting, as there were actual objects to touch.  

As we headed into the indoor exhibits, I noticed that not much had changed since my previous visit.  Each exhibit seemed to be different in the way that it provided information to visitors.  Several sections had touch-screens, but some simply showed picture slideshows while others required visitors to actually push on the screen to gain information.  The glass barriers around the tanks made it difficult for me to engage in the surroundings, although I realize that they are necessary.  I enjoyed seeing the one tank that was somewhat open in attempt to simulate the tropical environment.

I was drawn again to the jellyfish tank and the beauty of these fascinating sea creatures.

Jellyfish tank

Overall, I enjoyed my second experience at the Waikiki Aquarium.  Visiting as part of this informal learning environments class gave me a unique perspective as I went throughout my visit.  While there are exhibits that could be improved through more unifying technology, the aquarium gives visitors a taste of the sea life present in our islands.  

An example of one of the indoor tank exhibits

Crowdsourced Maps at Sochi Olympics

As I was browsing my Feedly reader this morning, I came across an interesting article about crowdsourced maps at the Sochi Olympics.  OpenStreetMap (OSM) is an open map of the world that is contributed to and maintained by users.  The company emphasizes local knowledge, with users verifying the accuracy of the map with their own devices.  OpenStreetMap also draws a diverse group of contributors and is free to use with the proper credit given.

The title of the article caught my eye, as it stated that this crowdsourced map is "trouncing Google Maps" at the Sochi Olympics.  While author Greg Miller points out the navigation advantages with Google Maps, he supports the power of OSM with its users.  Currently, 1.5 million OSM users have registered to edit maps.  With the level of map detail left up to the users, some locations are shown down to the level of the plants that exist.

Maps around the Olympics sites in Sochi have changed drastically in the past few days.  Check out this amazing crowdsourced resource here!

Motivation from Jane McGonigal, Part I

While I don't watch very much TV, I do enjoy listening to TED Talks.  Jane McGonigal's "Gaming Can Make a Better World" talk from 2010 has been a recent favorite of mine.  As an educator, I'm fascinated by the possibilities of gamification within the classroom.  McGonigal's enthusiasm is refreshing, so take twenty minutes to watch it...now!

I recently purchased McGonigal's book, Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World.  Although I'm not very far into the book, I can sense her enthusiasm in her writing.  So far, her definition of a game is what has stuck with me the most.  She states, 

"Playing a game is the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles."

After listening to Charles Souza's experiences with using Knowledge Quest in his classroom, I am pondering the implications of gamification in my own locus of control.  As a K-6 computer teacher, I have many options for incorporating a gaming mentality and am seriously considering doing so next year.  I'll keep blogging as I read McGonigal's book!  

Old-School Gamification in the Classroom

As we listened to Charles Souza share about his former classroom, I recalled my own experiences as a sixth-grader in Kirkland, Washington.  Unlike his one-to-one Netbook setting, our classroom technology consisted of two student Compaq desktop computers and an overhead projector.  We did, however, participate in a simplistic, yet similar form of gamification to the one that Souza employed.

It was well-known at our school that sixth-grade students participated in the "community" set up by the teachers.  We each had jobs, which we had to apply and be selected for at the beginning of the year.  I was the secretary, seemingly because of my neat handwriting.  Our community had money, which we designed, printed, and distributed ourselves.  We also owned properties, which were constructed of milk cartons and set on a designated table designed like a mini city.  I also remember holding "market days," where we brought in products to sell to other students at our school.

Although I don't remember many details of the community system, I do remember being rewarded money for certain tasks throughout the day.  I also remember hoarding my community money, as I was easily motivated and competitive in school.  Finally, I remember the excitement of my younger brother as he watched me, anxious to have his own community experience two years later.

Now a teacher myself, I realize the value of creating such motivating situations for my students.  Listening to Charles Souza share his experiences led me to consider using a similar format in my K-6 computer classes.  Hmmm...something to think about!