Archive for September, 2010

Including Samuel

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Respond to the video Including Samuel by posting a comment on this page. Come prepared to discuss it next time.

I enjoyed this quote http://www.schuylersmonsterblog.com/2009/09/on-limits.html

You can find some interesting supporting information here: http://www.includingsamuel.com/home.aspx

Service-Learning Internships

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

APPLES internships are unique, intense experiences in service for either the spring semester or summer break. Students intern at a variety of nonprofit and governmental agencies, receive funding ($1,250 for spring and $2,500 for summer) and three hours of academic course credit. APPLES interns are considered staff in their organizations and have a great deal of responsibility as well as professional growth opportunities. Interns also receive individualized academic instruction from a faculty member and “hands on” experience that will help them grow as community leaders.

The internship application is available online at http://www.unc.edu/apples/students/internships/index.html , and the deadline is October 14th. Interest meetings will be held on September 29th and October 7th at 6 pm in Dey 307.

Ideas for Accessible Games

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

The purpose of this assignment is get you thinking of ideas for accessible games.

Think of computer games you enjoy(ed). Pick one and describe it in sufficiently detail so that a person who hasn’t played can understand the game play and strategy. Include pictures or diagrams to help explain. What skills does a player need to succeed?

Then, think about variations on the game that would make it accessible to people with disabilities. Consider visual, motor, and/or cognitive impairments. Again, describe your variation in sufficient detail that a non-player can appreciate the new game play scenario.

Prepare your report as a PDF file and email it to me by 3 October.

Discuss Freedom Machines

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

Yesterday we watched the video POV: Freedom Machines, a film by Jamie Stobie and Janet Cole. Post your reactions, questions, and discussion as comments on this page. Come to class on Thursday prepared to discuss it. I’ve included pictures of the people in the video to help you remember them.
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Tar Heel Reader

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

This assignment will get you started with Tar Heel Reader . It has several parts.

Part 1: Due Thursday 9 September
Study the Beginning Literacy Framework .

Identify three reviewed books from Tar Heel Reader that you feel belong in the Transitional category, and three that belong in the Conventional category. That is six (6) books total. For each book, justify why you think it belongs in the category. Feel free to use the hidden index of titles at http://tarheelreader.org/index-of-titles/page/1/ (That last number is the page number; you can edit it manually to be any number to probe into the space without having to hit next page. They go up to 118 at this writing). Use the last 2 digits of your PID or something to pick a place to start looking.

Come to class on Thursday prepared to share your choices and justification. Also, email your list of books including the URL, classification, and your justification for each to me before class on Thursday.

Part 2: Due Tuesday 14 September.
Sign-up to write books on Tar Heel Reader. I’ll give you the secret registration code in class.

Write at least one Transitional and one Conventional book on a subject that interests you. Imagine you were just learning to read, what would interest/motivate you?

Post your book titles and URLs as comments to this post.

Part 3: Optional
Volunteer to review books. Email me if you’re interested. I’ll need your id on Tar Heel Reader to upgrade you to editor status. Then we’ll work out an assignment system based on how many volunteer.

Service Hours
Keep a log of the time you spend on parts 2 and 3 of this assignment to count toward your 30 hour service commitment.