Berkshire School's Pro Vita Day 5: I AM HAPPY!

My husband likes to talk about the Dunkin Donuts advertisement from way back where the little guy says, "it's time to make the doughnuts!"

 For me, it is a way of acknowledging that now we are going live and whatever we have, we have.  And, I think we have a lot of good stuff here!

This morning, the class is going to look at all of the notes I have written on the board and review our objectives and make something happen.

Stay tuned!

It has been a long day and I am doing my debriefing post much later than usual.
The final class went very, very well.  It is important to recognize the reality of where students are, what is needed for everyone to feel and be successful, and to still stick to the intended wish.

All of those notes I had written on the board kept us organized and on point.  I think I could feel the students looking at the board with some apprehension when I began pointing and talking, but it helped to get them into small groups and talking with one another.

My goals:

• Make sure all students complete the survey for ENTER THE CAVE.
• See the smaller groups or individual for Design, Programming and Art were seated with one another and talking about the tasks.
• Review objectives, group name, game name and the three game aspects that the group would redesign.
• Review the steps each small group would need to complete to redesign each aspect.
• Redesign at least one of the aspects.
• Encourage the group to complete the design steps in small groups, and then come together as the large group with at least one aspect.

All of this in 90 minutes, including a 5 minute bathroom break.

They DID IT.

It was important to cut the task of redesigning up into steps for each smaller group, but to also repeat the larger objectives so we could see both the small picture and the larger picture.

The group did a really solid redesign of the first aspect, which was introducing a new and more complicated scenario:

"You and your roommate are studying in the room.  Hall neighbors, while in the ceiling air duct, break through your ceiling falling to the floor in your room."

Card choices are ignore, go to the RA, or ask the pair to pay for the damages.

Designers began the task by saying they had already done their part.

Programmer, after understanding what it meant to break the scenario cards into action steps made a diagram.

Artists worked on creating the initial window art.

Ultimately, the Designers got involved in what the Programmer and Artists were doing.

It was a relatively easy jump to the final two aspects, using the redesigned window.

The second aspect was about making the choices more visual.  The third aspect was about creating an avatar.  The resulting discussion delved into making the overall game more responsive to individual players and pairs.

Amy, my fabulous teacher/mentor taped the entire class, capturing many invaluable comments and observations to use in my own design, and to share with the EMC at Champlain College.

Now, I can read Jon Kolko's Well Designed with even greater purpose.

It has been an epic week and I am....