Comp 080 Enabling Technology

Mini-Maze Day was fantastic. I think our visitors really enjoyed it. I was impressed with how well the various games worked and how much the kids enjoyed them. I hope you’ll all come back for Maze Day at the end of spring semester.

Remember to send me your feedback. I’ll get your grades out early next week.

As I understand them. Just making notes to keep me straight. Let me know if I’ve got this wrong.

BethanyJ, ChaseJ, ChristyS: Music creation using pad and/or camera “TechNote”

• DDR Pad
• Adapter
• Camera
• MusicPad and CamKeys software

BrennaC, CatherineC, RyanS: Tennis

• Camera
• MusicPad and CamKeys software

DanielB, ElizabethK, LizzyR, SarahT: Drums

• DK Bongos (or Rock Band Drum set)
• Game Cube adapters
• MusicPad software

RandyS, WaltJ: Light Saber Practice

• MusicPad software

MaggieS, RhiannonL: Guitar Hero (hopefully with vibration)

• KeyMotor software
• Vibrator motors with USB DIO box
• Frets on Fire software

AshleyA, JayH: 2 pad Simon with musical notes

• Super Dual Box Pro adapter
• 2 DDR pads
• MusicPad software

AlishaA, JasmineG, LalithaK: Bop it

• MusicPad software
• CamKeys software
• Camera

BrennaK, SaraW: Tactile Maze

• Hacked version of Pyramid Puzzles to correspond to your maze?
• AMaze software?

Do any of you have cameras you can use?

Everyone plan on bringing your laptop to Maze Day with your game installed and ready to run. We’re going to need all the computers we can get!

I invite discussion of the video and the issues around learning disabilities.

I hope you are as excited about your projects and Maze Day as I am! This is going to be great. I think your projects are going to be a ton of fun. But… We’ve got very little time remaining to bring all this together.

Here is my understanding of who is doing what. Correct me if I’m wrong:

BethanyJ, ChaseJ, ChristyS: Music creation using pad and/or camera.
BrennaC, CatherineC, RyanS: Tennis
DanielB, ElizabethK, LizzyR, SarahT: Drums
RandyS, WaltJ: Light Saber Practice
MaggieS, RhiannonL: Guitar Hero (hopefully with vibration)
AshleyA, JayH: 2 pad Simon with musical notes
AlishaA, JasmineG, LalithaK: Bop it
BrennaK, SaraW: Tactile Maze

I’d like to talk to each team for about 1 hour outside class as soon as possible. Check my calendar and propose an open time that works for you to me via email. My “prep” time on Tuesday and Thursday is available for this purpose.

I’d like each time to post to the blog a description of your project. After you’re logged in you all should have the ability to post new articles. Just put them in the Projects category like this one. In your description I want to know what need from me (equipment, software, information, help).

Up to 3 sign up below to go to lunch after class on Tuesday.

I hesitate to say “game” because that, to me, implies some objective. My definition is probably too limited.

Here is a link to the Electroplankton music game/toy I mentioned in class. Please post other links to find to things like this.

Another opportunity. Up to 3 can sign up in the comments for lunch after class on Thursday.

I wonder if anyone is interested in lunch on Wednesday 31 October about 12:15? If you’re available at that time sign up with a comment. Let’s limit it to be 3 of you so we can talk.

Over on my blog I’ve written some about the idea that came up yesterday for Arm Arm revolution (we gotta have a better name than that). I think we could make something work.

We’ve been thinking about games and activities for children with disabilities all semester. Now it is time to turn that thinking into action.

I’d like you to form teams of from 1-3 members and propose a project. I encourage you to think of activities we can try out at Maze Day but you don’t have to do that. If you want to work on something for the Center for Literacy and Disabilities Studies (or somewhere else) talk to me and we’ll work something out.

Your initial project proposal is due by Friday 2 November. A status report is due by Friday 16 November. And you should be ready to demonstrate your project for the class during the week of 27 November.

Here are some suggestions for things to do at Maze Day:

• Accessible Guitar Hero (or Drum hero?).
• Accessible DDR (use speech or vibration or something else to help kids know where and when to step).
• Make music using the pad, camera, keyboard, guitar or whatever.
• Whack-a-mole with or without directional sound, perhaps something with varying difficulty depending on the abilities of the child.
• Simon game.
• Street crossing game (could pose questions like Hark the Sound games with recorded sounds of traffic)
• Arm activity game using (or simulating) the camera switch.
• Generalized musical movement game ( Arm Arm Revolution? ).
• Make a maze for kids to navigate. This is why its called Maze Day and it always popular with the kids
• How about a treasure hunt? Americo will demonstrate his on-line maps next week. We could hide some treasures around Sitterson and let kids first find them on the map and then go to that room to collect their prize.

This list is not intended to be exhaustive. Make suggestions, brainstorm in your group, and post suggestions here. This is not a competition. I encourage you to share ideas and help one another. Our goals are:

1. A good time for the kids who visit, and
2. Good ideas for future computer games.

Remember, you don’t have to implement the activity on or even using a computer. You are simulating what a computer might do using Wizard of Oz methods.

I’ll be very pleased to talk with any of you about your project ideas.