Rigs of Rods

I tested a few open source programs while searching for just the right one to write about. First off , I was very impressed with the depth and variety of programs available to the masses. There's literally something for everybody, if time is taken to sort through everything.

I used sourceforge.net to look for programs. The first two I looked at were poertry generators. They aided students in finding words that rhymed based on what they had already written and in the proper context of the poem. Pretty impressive. I wanted something a little different though. Something that I normally wouldn't look into. What I found was Rigs of Rods.

Rigs of Rods is a physics based game that allows the user to drive vehicles on various terrain. The physics is what makes Rigs of Rods valuable in an educational setting. I think the simulator would pair well with a technology course. I could also see it being used in a shop or auto design class. Vehicles handle and perform as they would in real life and,based on the conditions in which they are being driven, operate differently. It reminds me of a simulation based game I used in technology. My classmates and I had to construct bridges in order for trucks to pass over a body of water. If the bridge was shoddily built then the truck and the bridge would collapse into the water. We had to consider weight, materials, and cost into our design. Although not as involved as that particular simulation, Rigs of Rods shares many of the same fundamentals.

Student Driven Web Tech Course

This week my inspiration came from WebTech1011.  This blogger runs a course concerning Web Technologies.  Mohamed, the blogger, explained how students were allowed to drive the course in terms of organization and assessment of assignments and projects.  Conducting class in this way can be positive for a variety of reasons.  It fits in with what we're doing with our PBL units.  We aim to get students to think and create rather than regurgitate information we throw at them.  Allowing students to think about what project to create, how to execute it and how their work should be judged will truly challenge them.  There is certainly much less control when you give students free reign over a project.  As long as we set certain parameters and make sure that students know what we expect (in terms of quality and completeness I suppose) then I think conducting class this way can be very successful.  Also, students tend to know a lot about emerging technologies.  They may surprise you with what they know and what they can create.  Check the link for the blog post.....


http://mohamedaminechatti.blogspot.com/2011/02/webtech1011.html

Mobile Education

This week I'm taking a look at a blog entitled "Effective Teaching, Quality Instruction, and Professional Development.  As indicated by the title, this blog covers a variety of topics focusing on technology's impact on education.  More importantly is how this technology is used.  How will teachers use newer technologies to connect with their students?  How will technology aid in the learning process?  What I found of personal interest in this blog is the bloggers awareness of mobile technologies and how important they are to the 21st Century Learner.

He is aware that the traditional classroom may be in jeopardy.  It's not a bad thing either.  Instead of just 45 minutes for a single period, mobile technologies allow for much more flexibility in one's learning.  With the rise of smart phones (and now even tablets) students can take their classes, books, news, etc..  with them in a single lightweight device.  It makes the learning process much less restrictive.  

In fact, this blogger suggests that reading on a tablet or smartphone is a much more economical and efficient means of delivering books.  Ebooks can be bought, shipped, and shared in a matter of seconds.  Mobile devices can (and in some ways already have) revolutionized how we acquire and read text.  That's just the beginning.  Check the link for more...

Also, in his full blog, he has a list of apps he uses on his iPad.  If you have one you may one to check some of them out.


http://quality-instruction.blogspot.com/2011/02/three-trends-for-now-in-technology.html