I posted semi-recently about the convergence of my nerdery and work interests with the Urban Design Alignment Chart. That was a fun little project, but last fall I joined those two interests more seamlessly. So seamlessly, in fact, that I didn’t even think twice about it until just now. Last semester, I taught HISP471VV: Urban … Read moreIt’s all fun and games (until you build a city)
In the five months since the acquisition of the LEGO collection, rechristened the MBL (mobile build lab), I’ve been pretty busy with a number of projects. Still, I’ve started putting those LEGO to work, with multiple plans coming up this fall and into the future. First, back in May, the MBL was put through its … Read moreGetting the LEGO collection to work
Playing for work, it turns out, is both rewarding and completely exhausting. I found this out first-hand after a double dose of games workshops this week. First, I attended the “level up” workshop which focused on Aris, an open-source iOS game generator. I got to develop a game in a team with other profs. Our … Read moreGames Games Games
Gamification is not universally accepted or respected. However, LEGO and architecture go together like peanut butter and chocolate. There’s no need to convince architects. They’ve been on board for a while. Though I wasn’t exactly toy deprived as a child, LEGOs will forever hold the place of honor among the playmobil, action figures, pirate and … Read moreLEGO for work, or my idea of heaven
After so much buildup, your interest may have been piqued. Well, here it is: the Paris Scavenger Hunt. The rules are simple: students have one day, working in teams of two, to get as many of the items on the list. Photos of each item must be uploaded to the site by 8 pm. Then, … Read moreParis Scav Hunt!
I’m currently sitting in an obscenely overpriced* Amtrak train barreling (ok, more like lumbering) to NYC. I was planning on sleeping through the ride, but it turns out I’m feeling productive. Will wonders never cease? Anyway, I’ve got my ipad plugged into my seat, wifi connecting me to the internets – albeit very slowly – … Read moreOn the creativity train
In May, I’ll be co-teaching a workshop on gamification at UMW with Mary Kayler. I was shocked – not to mention elated – when the 12 slots for the course filled in a few hours. I thought very few people would be interested. How wrong I was! Now, I’m hard at work figuring out what … Read moreGamification badge UNLOCKED.
There are plenty of days when I teach about how you would expect: powerpoint, lecturing, asking periodic questions, peppering in some (corny) humor to keep students’ attention, etc. I take pride in my powerpoints: they rarely have much text, they are very illustration-heavy, they have numbered pages for easy reference. Also, they’re not actually powerpoint … Read moreOld-school