Sheppard's Globaloria Blog

Demos Here We Come

2012-01-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

We are well on our way to developing educational interactive social issue games incorporating math concepts. We have gone through the tutorials, developed flash files, and blogged about our process. The students have learned to share their knowledge and become the teacher if needed. Game ideas are progressing and ideas are being finalized. It is about that time when the students will start working on their files whenever they have a free moment. They will begin to come in during lunch every day and they will be begging for me to stay after school. The perfection phase will soon be here. I cannot wait until these guys get to show you their demos and ever better their final games.

In My Spare Time

2012-01-17T12:31:00.000-08:00

For the past 20 years I have enjoyed baking and decorating cakes, candies, and cookies. The last few months I have been fixated on developing new and innovative flavors of cupcakes. The most satisfying part of baking the cupcakes is the joy that it brings my taste testers. I post pictures on my facebook page and people do not hesitate for volunteer for the job. Check it out....
Share the Goods

Designing Our Games

2012-01-11T21:00:00.000-08:00

My students are using the pen tablets to disply their awesome artistic talent. Everyday both of the pen tablets are used and I really wish that we could have one for each student. Ideas are flowing and brightening up the room. I absolutely love the new features on CS5.5 that we didn't have on CS3. We have figured out so many that make the tedious backgrounds less time consuming. I love working with these students every day and am so pleased with their progress. We will have to work hard to complete our demos before our projected guideline. I think we can I think we can. Nah I know we can :)

Have we moved to Florida?

2012-01-03T17:59:00.000-08:00

By this time last year, there had been over 15 snow days. We finally have a little snow but I say that in the light of words. The Greenbrier County winter consists of snow from Thanksgiving to Easter. The ground stays white until the crocus' bloom. We cannot get used to the change in thee mild winter. Everything is confused even the wildlife and vegetation. Flowers and trees are sprouting, birds are flying everywhere, and the ladybugs are crawling all through the house. I am begging that on the next day, we can build a snowman 12 feet high and go sleigh riding until the sun sets. Bring on the white stuff.....

Bring on the holiday.....

2011-12-20T09:22:00.000-08:00

The year is flying by and I cannot believe it is almost 2012. It is a very eventful year and I am thankful for my many blessings. I couldn't ask for a more fulfilling job. I love my students and love to see their smiling faces on a daily basis. We work together as a team and will remember these times for the rest of our lives. Have a happy and safe holiday....

Adding Sounds

2011-12-14T09:21:00.000-08:00

Most of my students decided that they didn't want to use sounds that were prerecorded. They are using sound recorder to make their own sounds to make their games more of their own. We are using all of our own images and own sounds along with our creative minds to develop the best games that you have ever played. Can't wait until we are done......

Adding Buttons

2011-11-30T08:59:00.000-08:00

I am amazed that my kids caught on so quickly to adding buttons. Several students become peer teachers and now the entire class understands how to add a button and link it to a scene. Mission button is a major success :)

STEMS Competition

2011-11-18T08:36:00.000-08:00

The pressure is on. We have had the best luck in the STEMS competition the past few years. I am looking forward to seeing the finished products of the current game designs. The students have such great ideas for games and I hope that they follow through and enhance their games. Hopefully we will have a winner that will join our past winners.

Drawing a Scene

2011-11-07T05:39:00.000-08:00

The game is one. The students have started to develop their games. Creativity is filling the room and the kids are excited to show their ideas in their demos and final creations. We are having major technological difficulties which has cause delays in our progress but we have the determination to move forward and conquer. We will survive!
“Any ordeal that you can survive as a human being is an improvement in your character, and usually an improvement in your life.” Viggo Mortensen

Halloween

2011-10-31T20:19:00.000-07:00

The Werewolves are restless and thinking about trick or treating. Halloween is a very important holiday for a 7th grader. It is their last official year to legally collect candy in costumes. They want to share all their experiences of past Halloweens and show their disappointment for it all to end. Some of them are too "mature" and are planning on handing out candy or helping with carnivals or corn mazes. I love my job and I love teaching my 7th graders. Every day is an adventure and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else. Blessings occur in the stangest ways.

Paper Prototyping

2011-10-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

We have been working on Paper Prototyping. The students have some great ideas on the creation of their games. We need to focus on the learning and educational aspects. I have postponed the videtaping for a few days so that we can revamp our games with more interaction and educational value. I think that the students are having a difficult time thinking everything through and putting themselves in the shoes of the learner. The know what they mean but they cannot express that to others on paper. We have been practicing talking about the game and details are being left out for the execution of clarity. I am extending the dates of recording in order to create more interactive educational games.

'Chuggin' Along

2011-10-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what goes on a 12-year-old mind? What are the most important things that they must accomplish? Some days it is definitely not Globaloria. The students have been working hard to complete missing assignments before the grades are released. Checklists have been given and they know exactly what they need to accomplish. Some days I feel like The Little Engine that Could saying "I think we can, I think we can." The foundation has been set and now we are on a fast train to success.

Technology Technology Technology

2011-10-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

The most frustrating part of teaching Globaloria is the technological issues. We have experiences so many issues this year including losing files, inability to save files, inability to open files, difficulty viewing .swf files, disappearing programs, and many other issues. Just think about this.......you spend 3 class periods developing a flash file and you upload it to the wiki. You try to imbed it the next day and the file is corrupt and won't open. Now remember you cannot save it on the computer or flash drive because the network is having issues. Now remember you have hopped from computer to computer to find one with CS5 installed. Now remember it takes 15 minutes to log on (if the login is actually working). I think you get the idea.......ughhhhhhhhhh

Our Challenge

2011-10-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

Our students have the challenge of incorporating a social issue and math concept into their games. The students will tackle both concepts and create an interactive game with educational value. The hardest part of the challenge is making the game flow and and have a learning factor in both areas. Choosing a Topic consists of researching areas of interest and taking notes of statistics and important information. Our students double up on the research on both areas of interest. Our students will be developing their games with mathematically incoporated social issues.

Playing to Learn

2011-09-28T06:58:00.000-07:00

Can we break away from the fun of the game to examine its educational value? Playing to learn is one of the students favorite assignments. It is so hard to transition from playing the games to writing reviews about the games. The kids want to play all of the games rather than compare and contrast for ideas for their own games. It is so exciting to see the kids involved in the games and making remarks on improvements or what they like about the games. Ideas are cranking and we will soon be starting our own creations.....

On Our Way

2011-09-22T04:48:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that the year is passing so quickly. An entire month has gone by and fall has begun. Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love to watch the leaves change colors and fall to the ground. I can see those leaves turning colors, flipping and turning in the air, and eventually falling to the ground. I see the explanation of chemical change and wind speed. Integers are floating on the leaves and we must collect leaves that will combine to make the sum of the number on the tree. Oops sorry I forgot I was excited about fall and started thinking about a learning game. So excited to see what lies ahead.....

Formulas

2011-09-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

Formulas tend to be a difficult concept for middle school students. We have decided in our Pre-Algebra Geometry Globaloria class that we will make a game focusing on various formulas. Students will be researching comics, videos, internet sites, textbooks, and other resources to find useful information in creating an educational game involving the concept of formulas. Stay tuned for our mini-games and maybe we can help you learn to solve formula-based problems.

Presenting the Mini Game

2011-09-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Today I experienced teaching a lesson by teleconference to five states including West Virginia, Florida, California, Texas, and New York. Technology is the best "WHEN IT WORKS." I had everything set up for the conference including all of my files, telephone connection, internet connection, and my notes. At the last minute I lost internet connection. I scrambled to fix a desktop in the lab. I transferred all files to my external hard drive and then to the desktop. I moved the landline phone closer to the desktop and the cord was not long enough. I opened internet explorer and the internet connection did not work. I searched to find that the internet cord was not connected to the computer. Finally everything was in working order one minute before the teleconference began. I had to stretch to hold the phone and share my desktop at the same time. After the fiasco, everything else went smoothly.

Thanks to Mrs. Bennett for helping me get everything in working order. I couldn't have done it without you :)

My Single Story

2011-09-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

Obesity is an issue for both sides of my family. I have been overweight almost my entire life. I remember being in junior high and high school and other students making fun of me by telling "fat" jokes. I have been eating healthy my entire life and keep busy all of the time. I have several medical issues that are the underlying cause for my weight problems. There are several misconceptions of obese people such laziness, overeating, and nonproductive. The single story video shows that people need to keep an open mind and not fall into the trap of an image that society has developed. All are equal and deserve the same. We need to be sensitive to everyone and think about things before we use our freedom of speech. Freedom means that we should feel accepted and treat others with respect and dignity.

Globaloria Poem

2011-08-31T08:07:00.000-07:00

Globaloria class will rock

and great games you will see.

Just be sure to make your codes

the best that they can be.

Join us at the end of the year

to see what we have done.

STEMS competitions will show

all the prizes we have won!

Welcome New Educators!

2011-07-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

"Reach for the moon, 'cause even if you miss you land among the stars." You have embarked on an amazing journey that you can experience the most awesome teaching moments of your career. Keep an open mind, be flexible, put yourself in the passenger seat, be a good role model, be patient, learn with your students, be accepting of "not getting it the first time," and make the most of every minute of the day. The Globaloria program is a major opportunity for you and your students. If you put forth the effort, they will follow! Have a great year and make the most of your experience!

Globaloreos

2011-06-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

The Globaloria Exhibition was a huge success! Parents, grandparents, siblings, administrators, and students gathered to share the yearly progress of the in-school and after-school programs. It is sad to see the year come to an end and I will miss all of the fun that we have shared throughout the year. Throughout your life, remember to enjoy your Globaloreos :)

Final Games

2011-05-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

All of the final games and demos are completed and uploaded to the game gallery. Everyone is excited to play all of the games and share them with the Globaloria community. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we have a finalist in the STEMS competition. The students have worked so hard throughout the year and have been so dedicated to the program. They have given up their lunch, recess, and have worked many hours at home on their games, blogs, wikis, and team pages. Most are wikimasters and have developed some advanced coding skills. It is the greatest feeling to come to work every day and know that you LOVE your job!

Countdown to STEMS

2011-05-07T18:20:00.000-07:00

Where exactly does time go? It is hard to believe that the school year is almost over and it is almost time to upload our final games. We have all worked so hard and have overcome many obstacles this year. Cross your fingers and hope that we win something in the STEMS competition. Lets get upload happy and may luck be on our side.

My Baby is 17 Today.....

2011-04-25T21:25:00.000-07:00

Seventeen years ago a baby boy was born into the world and it was one of the best days of my life. Garrett has been a joy and has entertained me through the years with his comedic personality and his unlimited talents. I couldn't be a prouder mom and everyday I am thankful for my blessings. Happy birthday baby boy! Momma loves you!

Amazing Prototypes

2011-04-19T18:13:00.000-07:00

My after-school Globaloria students had some amazing paper prototypes. Check this out:

Demo Presentatations

2011-04-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

We have been working on our demo presentations and things are going well. The students have worked hard on developing their demos, working on their gameplay, and keeping up with their wikis, blogs, and learning logs. I couldn't be prouder! Check out some of our team pages and leave comments.

Blogging

2011-03-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

Blogging has been a weakness in our classroom. Lately we have come to the understanding that blogs can help us see the development of our games. Many students have begun to blog more than once a week or have scheduled a time every week to post a blog. They are using the blog to post sites of research and progress without prompts. Finally, I think that we are starting to see how blogging can benefit our viewers by sharing our progress. My students remind me that I need to make a blog which keeps me on my toes. It has become a competition to make sure that we are all up-to-date and making media rich productive blogs. Keep up the great work!

Frustrations

2011-03-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

Technology is the best "WHEN IT WORKS!" We have recently encounted issues finding a working lab. One lab is not logging us in, another lab isn't connected to the network, and the third lab does not have Flash. We have been moving from lab to lab trying to find one that will work for us for the day. We have made compromise after compromise trying to get things accomplished. Our lab has been recently closed to determine why Flash is not working. We are hoping to get it up and running soon so we can present our demos. This too will pass.......

WHOA!

2011-03-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

Computer complications have been so frustrating this year. We have had our network crash, our Flash uninstalled, our log-ins removed, our labs closed, and many other issues. I can't believe that we have overcome so many obstacles and still moving on. Sometimes we feel that we are in the twilight zome and do not have technological advances on our side. We have the philosophy of The Little Engine that Could..."WE THINK WE CAN!" We will finish the school year with 15 working games!

Drag and Drop

2011-03-07T15:44:00.000-08:00

Drag and Drop is one of the most used concepts in our games. The tutorial showed us how to pop up a congratulations text but not how to advance to the next scene. By working with the codes, we figured out how to advance to the next scene. The progress that we are making! It is amazing how the simplest things excite you in this class! :)

Attendance

2011-02-21T18:12:00.000-08:00

Spring is in the air and students are feeling the need to be outside. The flu, viruses, and other illnesses are spreading because of the fluctuation of temperatures. Attendance is crucial for a successful Globaloria program. I am majorly pulling for this program to work so that we can keep the funding for the math enrichment tutoring. The days will be getting longer so I hope that the 1 1/2 hours will go back quickly and there will be splenty of time remaining for riding bikes, playing baseball and softball, and fishing. The choices of after-school activities are unlimited and it is so hard for students to choose. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the program will survive through this trivial time...

Demos Here We Come.....

2011-02-05T16:51:00.000-08:00

We are now assembling our demos. The games are coming together and the creativity of the students is shining brightly. The students are working hard to create interactive educational games incorporating both math and social issues. The students having completed Drawing a Scene, Adding a Scene, Adding Buttons, Adding Animation, Adding Imput with Keyboard and Mouse, and Adding Sound. Everyone is excited to finally see their hard working coming together. Our demos should be ready in a few weeks. Please check back to see our progress...

SO EXCITED!

2011-01-25T19:20:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, January 22nd, I visited the WV Museum at the Cultural Center at the Capital Compex in Charleston. I walked in the shoes of a West Virginian from the beginning of time. I will working with a team of educators to make a game for the museum to be viewed on their website as a resource and learning platform. Our team decided to create a game that will incorporate the life of a miner in the days of the company store. I am very excited to get started making the game and contributing to the learning of WV history. I will keep you posted on the progress of the game.

Snow Snow and More Snow...

2011-01-13T05:03:00.000-08:00

It has been snowing and snowing and snowing. It has not stopped for hours and we have a total of about 11 inches. I cannot believe we have missed so much school and it is isn't even the middle of January. The farmers almanac says that February is going to be the wet month. I hate missing class because we are getting further behind and I really want to video our demos. We will eventually get there when it decides to stop snowing. Looking forward to getting back to school and back to my Globaloria classroom...

S-U-C-C-E-S-S

2011-01-10T16:17:00.000-08:00

Our project is fully funded and we should be receiving our pen tablets soon. Thanks to the generousity of others and their dedication to our program we will be able to produce the graphics in our games to the perfection that we invisioned. Our scenes are coming together with graphics, animation, buttons, sound, color changes, math problems, and research about our social issues. I am amazed every day with the creativity and artistic abilities of this group of students. I cannot wait to see how the implementation of the pen tablets improves the look of our games. Thanks to everyone who contributed and we will be sharing our work soon...

The Greenbrier Lights

2010-12-29T17:10:00.000-08:00

Our family drove through the Greenbrier to view the beautiful lights and scenery. They were georgeous and very interactive. We were headed to McDonalds afterwards to get the 50 chicken nugget deal. Conversation in the car:
Tierra "WOW! They even decorated the golf course!"
Garrett "Tierra that is the Wendy's sign!"

Gotta love the blonde roots :)

2010-12-15T10:24:00.000-08:00

What exactly do you do on snow days? I have been wrapping presents, making candy and cookies, and decorating for the holidays. I am SO READY for family and friends, celebrations, and giving gifts. I have wrapped over 200 presents in a span of three days. I have baked over 40 different kinds of cookies. The entire house is completely clean and decorated. I have finished my Globaloria report. I have graded commercial videos. I have updated edline. I have redone my lesson plans 4 times. How much can a person do in a little bit of time? Actually, I am not used to the extra time and it has been so nice to catch up. Enough is enough, let's go back to school already!

Our first After-School Globaloria Experience

2010-12-09T16:44:00.000-08:00

Why is that technology is so wonderful....when it works? Today was our first after-school Globaloria class. The wiki was acting up and wouldn't let us create new accounts. My computer was the only computer that could make accounts so I typed them quickly, requested the accounts, and accepted them all within minutes. We had a horrific time logging into gmail and some students never got into their emails. Some computers were on the blink, some keyboards were not working, some computers were frozen, and others were loading so slowly that patience was not an option. I promise that this first experience is not the normal. Technology always has its issues but none so terrible as we had today. Hopefully the next class will be more of a positive experience and we will not have to spend so much time making it work. I am looking forward to seeing all of you again and we are going to make game design history.

As I Promised....My Christmas Village

2010-12-05T07:56:00.000-08:00

After 5 hours of stapling material, rolling layers of snow, unpacking 42 houses, wiring 70 lights, and putting over 200 people in the village it is finally complete. It is so amazing that each character seems to come to life in its own little part of the village. The ice skaters are twirling at the skating rink, the firemen are prepared to put out the fire, the bakers are preparing Christmas goodies (one of them looks just like me), the schoolhouse is filled with students, and all of the houses are filled with excitement and wonders. I started my collection 20 years ago with just one house, a railroad car, and a track that I made from toothpicks. It is hard to believe how something can escalate so immensely. May peace and holiday wishes come true for all this holiday season..

Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T20:05:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because you get to spend it with family. My entire life we have had the same traditions. We go to my mom and dad's house and help with the preparation of dinner including turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, green beans, peas, broccoli and cheese, stuffing, cranberry sauce, jello salad, deviled eggs, sweet potatoes, creamed corn, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie. The menu hasn't changed much through the years and we look forward to our favorite foods. The family has grown through the years and we have outgrown the dinner table so we added a table for the children. The children are getting older and have become too big for the table, so next year we will have to find different table arrangements. We each give thanks for the things that we appreciate from the past year. Good health and a positive attitude are always my favorites. After dinner my mom and I plan our annual Christmas shopping trip and make our Christmas lists. We finally head home and go to bed with a peaceful and giving heart :)

Progress Checklist Binder

2010-11-18T18:11:00.000-08:00

Are you about ready to pull out your hair checking wikis, blogs, and team pages for completed tasks? I have developed a new system that has cut my viewing time tremendously. I have fixed a binder with tabs for each student and within the tabs I keep checklists, evalutations, and all information need on each individual student. I highlight each topic as the students complete them. They show me that it has been completed, uploaded, and in its proper place. I make notes of things that I may see on the wiki or blog that needs to be fixed. I have an individual conference with each student on a weekly basis and let them know what needs to be accomplished, fixed, or share feedback with them. The system has allowed my classroom to work much smoother and the students have become more aware of what is expected of them. I will keep you updated on the progress!

To my students:

Thanks so much for your prompt attention to the binder check today! Keep up the great work! I enjoy spending every day in the classroom with each and every one of you!

I AM AMAZED...

2010-11-11T03:12:00.000-08:00

I am absolutely amazed at your creativity, ideas, and implementation of your social issue and math concept in your paper prototypes. Your artist skills are amazing and I enjoy watching your development on a daily basis. I have the greatest job in the world and it is so rewarding having students so willing to learn and excel. Congratulations on the first steps to your game development. I cannot wait to see what is to come!

Paper Prototyping

2010-10-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

Get your ideas ready and put your thinking caps on! We are ready to start our game development and logistics of the gaming process. Make sure that you include your research and your math concept. No quiz games are allowed, so make your game interesting to your learner. Can't wait to see the video footage....

Mini Game

2010-10-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

The mini-game is complete and we have developed many Flash and coding skills. It is time to use our research to develop an award-winning, most awesome, interactive, and educational math with a social issue game. I cannot wait to see what the future holds! WOOHOO!

Mini-Game

2010-10-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

The mini-game was a success! We worked hard to get our codes correct, our files uploaded, and managed to keep our sanity. All bunnies are moving, all carrots are moving, all scores are escalating, and we are avoiding the big bad wolf. We are most definately ready to encounter coding our ideas into our games. I cannot wait to see the creativity of these students. Onward to the next adventure...

LOOK AT US!

2010-10-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

Our first experience with Flash was awesome! I am so impressed with your creativity, design ideas, and your quick learning of the Flash tools. You guys are amazing and I can't wait to see what is to come...

Keep up the good work!

DEAR STUDENTS,

2010-09-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

Every day I look forward to spending 8th period with each and every one of you. Globaloria is my favorite class because of the creativity it lets you display for others to share. You will soon be using the research to develop a game that will involve math and social issues. You will be given the opportunity to create your own characters, actions, scenes, ideas, and many other creations to your individualized web-based computer-designed game. You will soon be experiencing Flash and all of the amazing things that you can do with this program. The slightest little movement will excite you more than you ever thought something so small could. Cooperation and sharing will become very important to you and all of your classmates. I cannot believe that we will be developing 15 unique games in just a few months.

I cannot wait!

Mrs Sheppard

Smooth Sailing

2010-09-22T17:19:00.000-07:00

Sailing into the Globaloria SEA!

It couldn't get much better than this! We have conquered so much this year and we are headed only for success. I am so proud of each and every one of my students for their patience and determination through all of the technological difficulties. We finally have all of our gmails, blogs, and wikis created. We have finished the Getting Started and Playing to Learn units. We have researched and developed our Participation Guidelines. Our CSOs are listed on our wiki. We will be working individually on our games because we have already developed our ideas during our "NON-INTERNET" days. We are preparing to finalize our math concepts and social issues in the Choosing a Topic unit which will be incorporated in our games. The exploration begins.....

Welcome to Globaloria

2010-08-11T06:24:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for the journey of a lifetime? Check out the course overview for an idea of what is to come. You will have the opportunity to research, develop a wiki, establish a blog, and discover gaming skills. Dedication, determination, collaboration, and creativity will help you develop a game that you can share with the Globaloria community. So buckle up and get ready to soar to the future for a learning adventure unlike anything you have ever experienced!