I browsed through an image search of designs created using TurtleStitch, a program that lets users procedural generate files that can be embroidered on fabric.  After looking for a source of inspiration, I finally came across some spiral designs that I really liked. Initially, I was going to do something resembling a spiral galaxy, but… Continue reading TurtleStitch and BeetleBlocks

For this week’s Digital Foundations assignment, we had to use Makey Makey to create a new musical interface. I immediately thought of one of my favorite games of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.  In the game, players have to learn a number of songs in order to be able to access new… Continue reading Makey Makey and Unity

I looked at this interesting Scratch project. It uses very beautiful backgrounds, and I’m impressed by the hit detection for the “floors”. I think there are problems with using an art style like this for a platforming game, but dying is also extremely generous in this game. Admittedly, I still find Scratch to be a… Continue reading Working with Scratch

Algorithmic art allows designers to create art automatically by programming what they want drawn and then letting the code execute it. I used Logo as a small child in elementary school, and it has been interesting to go back and try it again as an adult. Of course, the Turtle Art program I used here… Continue reading Algorithmically Generated Art

Engineering education for elementary and high school students focuses almost entirely on the mathematics and physics understanding needed for engineering work. Children build bridges out of drinking straws or catapults out of popsicle sticks, but a crucial element of actual engineering is missed. Real engineers not only have to work within teams of experts, they… Continue reading Participatory Design and Planning in Latin America

As we understand more and more about what motivates human behavior, designers of new digital products are increasingly turning to behavioral economics, persuasive technologies, user-centered design, and gamification to create products that are more engaging. Frequently these systems are intended to hold users’ attention long enough to turn a profit off the data they generate… Continue reading The Ethics of Gamification and Citizenship

I thought I would dedicate my inaugural blog post to a thinker that has had a deep impact on my views of science education and society. Though he was professionally a religious leader and philosopher by training, Felix Adler was very much committed to the mission of science. Born in Germany but raised in New… Continue reading Felix Adler and Technical Education as Moral Education