My Work
Games in Education
That games in education “work” is without question. When used properly, games can uniquely motivate, teach, and encourage our students. If you really use games effectively, you can motivate poor performing or under-performing students; you can help bright students ask important questions and relevant questions about themselves and their world; you can help gifted kids simulate highly complex systems.
However, it is not simply a matter of sticking a kid in front of a computer game and hoping for the best. There are a specific set of circumstances which must coalesce in order for games to work. Games Work. Click here to learn how >>
Text-Based Games
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as computer games. In common usage, the word refers to text adventures, a type of adventure game with text-based input and output. The term is sometimes used to encompass the entirety of the medium, but is also sometimes used to distinguish games produced by the interactive fiction community from those created by games companies. It can also be used to distinguish the more modern style of such works, focusing on narrative and not necessarily falling into the adventure game genre at all, from the more traditional focus on puzzles. (source) Games work. Click here to learn more >>
How do I....
I believe in the open sharing of knowledge. I have written over 40 illustrated HOWTO's on a variety of topics, including: windows, google, basic computing, office, etc... I can't promise these are all up to date (technology changes very fast). You are welcome to use these in accordance with my site license.
I've also thrown all my Expression Engine tutorials and projects in here. Who would guess that I could make a help-desk system for my school in about 2 hours? Or I could whip up a building and grounds request system in half a day? As you can guess, I love Expression Engine. Click here for the HOWTO's and EE projects >>
Teaching Diary
As a classroom teacher, I have a wide range of issues which I wrestle with every day! Some are related to technology, and some aren't. Click here to read them all >>
Educational Technology
Well, this is it! You want to know what I think about anything related to ed tech, it's probably in here. If you'd like to read a brief paper I wrote to summarize my views of educational technology, click here for the google doc. Over a hundred articles written over 5 years (as of 2009). Enjoy. Get me to the articles >>
Blogging
Blogging presents an exceptional opportunity to connect and communicate with students and parents. It's also a great tool for students to express their learning. However, this opportunity is not without risk. Blogging has introduced a new and very interesting window into the life and minds of todays teens. In the past, teenagers ability to express themselves was limited to diaries, friends, and small community events. Now they are able to instantly reach a global audience.Blog away, Captain! >>
Moodle
Moodle is a fantastic open-source learning management system. I am the primary implementer for Moodle at my school, and I keep a "never-quite-finished" moodle instance running here on my site. Please check out the courses - all allow guest access - and please remember these courses are not even CLOSE to finished yet. MackMOO >>
Educational Technology Leadership
What does is mean to be a leader in educational technology? I've been wrestling with issues in educational technology and leadership for years. In this section, I address common issues, questions and answers, and many other aspects of leadership and educational technology.
Reserved for future use
Watch this space for other projects and interesting topics in the world of educational technology.