March 2012 Newsletter Vol 4: Issue 9

Dear Partners and Friends, We ended winter taking the nation by storm. In March, the Workshop made international news in US News & World Report, Austin Statesman, ZDNetAsia and EdWeek. We presented groundbreaking research at SITE and SXSWEdu, engaged over 100 educators in workshops in Florida and Texas, and brought international educators to see Globaloria in action. Globaloria learners also made headlines this month, with eight Globaloria students winning the Scholastic Awards in Video Design, including the national Gold Medal! As always, we thank you for your continued interest and support. Cheers, Idit

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1.

Meet Michael Alvarez, Globaloria Student Winner of

National 2012 Scholastic Awards 2. 3. 4. 5. International Media Coverage of the Workshop Globaloria Takes Austin by Storm: SITE & SXSWEdu Introducing Jon Hunter: New Web Developer Educators and Students Enjoy Globaloria Activities in

Florida A Slideshow

Meet Michael Alvarez, Globaloria Student Winner of National 2012 Scholastic Awards East Austin College Prep (EAPrep) 8th grader Michael Alvarez is one of only five students in the nation to win a Gold Medal and AMD Game Changer Award in the 2012 National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in the Video Game Design Category; and one of eight Globaloria students to receive regional awards this year. Michaels winning game will be featured in national galleries and events, and celebrated at the National Ceremony in June at Carnegie Hall. Last year, Michaels team won the Globeys Best Game Award with their environment awareness game Synchronized Saviors. 'What I like about Globaloria is that you get to express yourself, and learn more about important topics and get ready for a career. And it's fun! explained Michael. He wants to be an engineer when he grows up, to study technology and to help other people. We congratulate the Globaloria student winners, and all the recognized budding game designers around the nation! Read more about Michael's win in the Southwest Key Programs blog post. International Media Coverage of the Workshop This was a month of great national and international coverage. US News & World Report featured Idit Harel Capertons take on the need for investment from the public and private sector to make high-quality STEM education a reality for students across the country. While national campaigns have shed a much-needed light on the importance of cultivating and spreading STEM education everywhere, it will take many cross-sector partnerships and commitment of multiple players to move from light-shedding into actual implementations of STEM learning opportunities for America's 150 million K-16 students. Features in EdWeek, Austin Statesman and ZDNetAsia, as well as a new blog post in Huffington Post, also

heralded the Workshop and its Globaloria program as a cutting edge and leading example of innovation in education Globaloria Takes Austin by Storm: SITE & SXSWEdu SITE Roundtable: Laura Minnigerode, Globaloria researcher, and Teresa Valdez, Globaloria EAPrep educator, presented Globaloria as an exemplary teaching tool on March 5th at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE) 2012 Conference. Reflecting this years theme, Teaching in Exponential Times!, their discussion demonstrated the learning outcomes for students who design games daily with Globaloria as part of their ongoing core curriculum and computer science education. SITE Fieldtrip: On March 7, 30 educators and administrators from Australia,Canada, Holland, Israel, China, and Saudi Arabia attended a SITE Fieldtrip to see Globaloria at EAPrep, the nations first school-wide, cross-curricular integration of learning through game design in a charter school. Visitors met with 6th-8th grade students, and educators and school leadership to see STEM innovation and learning through Globaloria in action. Read more about the visit in the Austin Statesman and the SWKey Blog. GameOn! Texas: This AMD-sponsored SXSWEdu workshop on March 5th brought together over 80 educators from across Texas to explore game design as a powerful tool for STEM learning. Amber Oliver, VP of Programs and Operations, and Denise Stalnaker, Director of Professional Development, ran three workshops for participants to invent, build and share the Globaloria Way.

SXSWEdu Panel: Laura Minnigerode, Globaloria researcher, and EAPrep educators Teresa Valdez and Nyssa Arcos-Evans, presented on a panel at the second SXSWEdu Conference; an event that highlights best practices in 21st Century innovation in education. Their session, Game Design to Improve STEM Skills, provided a model for how educators can use game-design approaches in middle and high school classrooms and labs. Introducing Jon Hunter: New Web Developer Globaloria is pleased to introduce Jon Hunter as the Workshop's new Web Developer and Database Programmer. Jon is responsible for enhancements to all Globaloria platforms, and works closely with Cody Smedsrud, Director of Technology, on shaping a positive and productive Globaloria learning experience. Before joining the Workshop, Jon worked at Sapient, where he collaborated on projects for the National Institute of Health and National Database for Autism Research. Jon holds a BA in Computer Science from Oberlin College. "As a programmer who has worked in larger companies, I'm excited to join a small and dynamic team of innovators. The technology revolution has been late in coming to the classroom, and I want to bring more innovation to this generation. I look forward to contributing to the future of educational software with Globaloria," commented Jon. Educators and Students Enjoy Globaloria Activities in Florida A Slideshow Click the image below to view photos from the Hillsborough County, Fl. Educator Information Session.

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