Settlers of Catan Game by Vectorform Game Studio, on a Microsoft Surface |
| Settlers of Catan Game by Vectorform Game Studio, on a Microsoft Surface Posted: 03 Aug 2010 08:24 PM PDT Vectorform worked with Catan to develop the digital version of the Settlers of Catan for Microsoft's Surface: The game supports a range of gestures and interactions that are similar to the real game, but without the need to keep up with all of the parts and pieces! RELATED A New Frontier for the Settlers of Catan Vectorform to Launch "The Settlers of Catan" for Microsoft Surface" Lindsay Ruthven, Vectorform Blog 8/2/10 "Features: • Full multi-touch from the Microsoft Surface allows all players to interact with their elements of the board at once. • A digital playing surface breathes new life into the Catan experience through graphics and animations. • "State-free-trade" allow players to swap cards without entering modes or pressing buttons, keeping the experience as pure as possible. • Customized art unifies the multi-touch interface with Mayfair's 4th Edition release of The Settlers of Catan to create a seamless play experience. • Integration with real-world objects to maintain the original Catan board game feel." Settlers of Catan http://interactivemultimediatechnology.blogspot.com  |
| Back to school: Video clips that help students with autism learn and feel calm at the same time! Posted: 03 Aug 2010 05:09 PM PDT One of the schools I serve as a school psychologist has a number of students with severe autism. Over the past year or so, each classroom was outfitted with a new interactive white board (IWB). We've found that multimedia content displayed on these large screens is much more engaging than what is viewed on computers with much smaller displays. The exciting news is that some of the students who have minimal interest in computers pay a great deal of attention to activities on the IWBs. Students who have self-stimulatory or repetitive behaviors that interfere with their ability to engage in traditional activities don't seem to exhibit these patterns nearly as much when the focus is on the IWB. In my opinion, IWBs are great tools for reaching and teaching young people who have autism spectrum disorders! I'm in the process of creating a variety of short video clips that teachers can embed in learning activities that also provide a way for students to reduce their levels of anxiety, agitation, and/or repetitive behaviors. The following videos are my first experiments, and are not as polished as I'd like. They are best viewed on a large-screen display or IWB, set to high definition. Although various students have viewed these videos a few times this week, they were a great hit. In some cases, we found it useful to loop the video, especially for students who require repetition of content. The videos were shot using a small hand-held Panasonic HD camcorder, and quickly edited in iMovie. The music was either taken from the iMovie music library or created using riffs in Garage Band, an Apple iLife product. Enjoy! Lily Pond and Music In this video, I used a few subtitles to direct the viewer to points of interest, such as the little grasshopper hiding in the pink lily and a dragonfly, which appears near the end of the video. Butterflies and Flowers Set to Music I set this version to piano music for a student who listens to piano music as a coping strategy. I plan to create another version with other genres of music. This particular score was created with piano riffs from Garage Band. Up Close at the Charleston Aquarium - with relaxing music Even the most inattentive students paid maximum to this video when it was looped! I think they liked the variety of sea life, especially the turtles. Tip: If you plan to capture video at an aquarium, plan to visit at a time where there are few visitors! I can't wait to take my video camera to the Atlanta aquarium. Minnows and Music The minnows swimming around in the murky green tank are a little boring, but things get slightly more exciting when the bait-shop owner feeds them. The music makes up for what the video lacks. The students didn't mind at all. Jellyfish at the Discovery Place Aquarium, Charlotte, NC - with music I'd like to visit Discovery Place at a less-crowded time and re-capture the jellyfish in action from a better vantage point. (Cross-posted on the TechPsych blog) http://interactivemultimediatechnology.blogspot.com  |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Interactive Multimedia Technology To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
