And the rockets red glare...

Independence Day is fast approaching and I have managed to schedule and prepare for a vacation sans work and homework. Last week was the conclusion of my first graduate school class. It was exhilarating waiting for the results of my final exam. An open book experience that took days not hours to complete. In the end, I succeeded and earned an A.

Now I can focus on my second course. Whereas my first class was mostly online discussions and papers, the balance of my summer will be spent completing five labs - each covering a different type of Web learning technology. My first was a review of Second Life as a potential learning environment. Not very exciting, but a chance to write on a topic of interest in a formal setting.

The next two projects are currently in summative evaluation (pilot testing for the rest of the world). One is a Prezi presentation on the topic of Gamification. For those of you wanting to know a little more about this popular topic, take a look and learn a little. Feedback is welcome.

EDTC 7030 Multimedia Project: Gamification on Prezi

In four days the USA celebrates its independence and remembers what it means to be free. A lot of that freedom is due to our ability and privilege to learn and grow. With this in mind, I elected to produce a digital video learning program focused on teaching Newton's 3rd Law of Motion through the experience of building a simple, but effective, matchstick rocket. I invite each of you to carefully watch this video with your friends, your children (middle and high schoolers only), and anyone else that enjoys home-built fireworks. So just click here, start building, and this 4th of July let your own rockets red glare.

Have a happy and safe weekend!
- Ken