VIKING VILLAGE - And other eras.

No reason for this except that I got my hands on an Apple Pencil

This came from something Justin said that got me thinking about getting the kids more interested in historical events, anthropology, social changes etc.
In the Google Drive Folder (ask Charlie) is an interactive visit to a Viking village. At the moment you just wander around using the mouse and arrow keys but there is no reason in the near future why this can't be a VR experience.

Even as it is we could hide 'artefacts' throughout the village that when collected will reveal a fact about vikings that not many people would know. Something the kids might not have head before but will get curious about.

I didn't make this village but had it on file. I cleaned it up a bit and added some navigation.

There is no reason why we can't do this for other eras like old England, Native America or Ancient Rome or Greece, Feudal Japan and so on. Really give the kids a 'feel' for the time and what they might have seen if they had been there. Plus they'll pick up a few facts that not many people know.
And with VR helmets they will 'be there' in a way and can explore like no historians or other students have been able to before.

As I said I've made an example of a Viking village and here are some pics of that. I've also included some interesting viking facts at the end. I bet some of them will be really surprising.

VIKING FACTS!


Translated REAL Viking names:
Desirous of Beer
Squat-Wiggle
Lust-Hostage
Short Penis (I'm not making these up!)
Able to fill a bay with fish by magic
The man who mixes his drinks
The man without trousers


Vikings who died in bed rather than in battle went to a special afterlife where is was always foggy!


The name of the first human being in Norse mythology is ASK.


In the UK, Nottingham was originally called SNOTTINGHAM after a viking called SNOT!


The Louvre in Paris was built in 1190 as a defence against Viking raids.

In old Norse, kveis meant 'uneasiness after doing bad things' (debauchery)




Viking used you play a really interesting game that looked like this.



This is from a version I programmed many years ago. And maybe I'll do it again!


It was called Hnefatafl.

And they used to carve pieces from wood or stone to play with.


The name ‘Viking means ‘a pirate raid’ in the Old Norse language.

Vikings invented freeze drying food and showed the technique to the English King.

They didn't wear those helmets with the horns!



Jab (me) owns an actual piece of viking jewellery. It is a cross but it still has the symbols of the hammer and the wolf in it. This is when the vikings were slowly moving into believing in Christianity.




Vikings were excellent farmers, really good cooks and some of the best ship-builders of that time.

Most Viking men died in their 40's and the ladies in their 30's!

Their Longships usually had names, could hold 60 men and go 200km in one day! But they didn't have toilets, so there was that.

Some Vikings travelled on camels!








Vikings were quite clean (compared to most other people at the time) so they had a nice bath and smelled quite nice when they killed you and stole all your stuff.

The insulted each other quite a lot, for fun.

TASKMASTER #3 - Update

The TaskMaster Rocket is now fully playable.
I'm calling it version #.09 while I check for final errors.
But even with a clear bill of health I will be adding to it.




Charlie has a link to the GOOGLE DRIVE folder with all of these demos.

Progress is recorded throughout, as it the highest altitude reached.
The student can choose to start a journey from TM01 all the way through to TM20 seamlessly.
Once a question is answered correctly twice it is not likely to come up again and the list moves on.
With almost 1000 questions in there that's quite a lot of play.

I've made it so that when they get tired and want to stop the students can self destruct their own ship with a glorious explosion. All progress is saved and the next time the game is run they will continue from the launchpad with a perfectly new shit and not be asked the same questions they have already passed. So essentially they are continuing where they left off.

Later the student can choose to 'revise' any of the TM levels. Records for that level are cleared and the journey begins from there.

I've also added a few methods of play so that students AND teachers can have a go.

1. Normal. This is for the students.
2. This time you only have 2 options to click but gravity is heavier.
3. Even a fully fluent English reader will have trouble here. Gravity is 6 times normal.
          (you'll be lucky to get the ship off the ground!)

I was going to add a spelling level here but I've thought of a much better new game to test and improve spelling. I will make that very soon.

I am also thinking of using the alien character to illustrate the words. Like Anxiety would show an anxious alien. In fact I think the alien character can be used for many different things related to the words and game.

There is much more to come in this rocket game and remember, at its core it's just a simple flashcard system so any questions can be slotted in easily. Anything that need revision.

The Alien practicing his dance moves (and I'm testing the animations)

HTC VIVE

The first Vives will be available at the end of 2015 and the ones for people that didn't already sign up will be available in the first 3 months of 2016. If I had to guess which VR headset would win it would be this one.

HTC Vive demo: some of the most lifelike VR experiences you’ll ever see

Imagine being virtually transported and then walking around in another, real location. This is now possible through a process known as photogrammetry

AR - MAGIC LEAP

Magic Leap Gears up to Build Millions of Its Secret Augmented Reality Technology

Working in Secret

The secretive Magic Leap has been working on their augmented reality device in complete secrecy for years now, but they’ve still managed to raise almost half a billion dollars from Google. Speaking at the WSJD conference in Laguna Beach this past week. Magic Leap President and CEO Rony Abovitz said, “we’re actually gearing up to build millions of things. We’re not ready to announce when we’re shipping, but it gives you a signal that we’re not far.” The company is currently using part of an old Motorola factory in Florida.

What We Know So Far

The company has yet to reveal what the Magic Leap device will look like, although Abovitz has described it as a “small, self-contained computer that people will feel comfortable using in public” and involves retinal projection technology. Magic Leap has also released a demo video, which featured its technology in a real-world setting.

Coding for Kids

Kids can learn to program and have fun with Dash and Dot

Playtime is important for children, but its essential that you try to add some educational value to that fun. Children of all ages love robots, and a product designed just for kids will let them control their own robots while learning programming concepts. Thats the idea behind Wonder Workshops Dash and Dot robot pack.

The Facts

• Company Name: Wonder Workshop
• Product Name: Dash and Dot
• Price: $229.99
• Compatibility: iOS, Android
• Website: Wonder Workshop
• Date Reviewed: Sept. 23, 2015

The Basics

Dash and Dot are a pair of iPad- or iPhone-controlled robots that children can have hours of fun learning about and interacting with. Dash has wheels and can move around, while Dot is stationary. The robots interact with the world using sensors, and can hear sounds, detect objects, and know if your kids are moving them.

Integration With iOS Devices

Integration between Dash and Dot and your iOS device comes through apps for the iPhone and iPad. Children can play with the robots like remote control toys using an iPhone app called Go for Dash & Dot robots. To get the most out of the package, unfortunately, requires an iPad or other supported tablet. Blockly for Dash & Dot robots is the iPad app to help kids learn programming concepts, from the basics to more advanced topics. Other iPad apps that work with the robots include Xylo, for making music with the optional xylophone add-on, and Path, a program that allows your kids to create their own adventure with Dash and Dot.

The apps use Bluetooth to communicate with the robots, and the process is easy for even my 9-year-old son to do on his own.

Use and Feel

The robots are cute and kid-friendly, and are very durable to boot. They can play indoors or outdoors, but are not waterproof so make sure your kids keep away from rain and puddles. Battery life is quite good on both robots, lasting for several hours on a full charge. When the battery is depleted, it takes just 60 to 90 minutes to fully charge the robots using the included USB to micro USB cable. If you drain the batteries on both robots at the same time, though, youll have to find another cable to charge them simultaneously – only one cable comes in the box.

The biggest complaint I found with Dash was that the robots optical sensor doesnt always seem to recognize objects in front of it. You are supposed to be able to program the robot to stop when it detects something in its path, but I found that more often than not, Dash would just repeatedly bump into walls and other obstacles instead of stopping when it should have.

Whats Hot

• Cute and fun way for kids to learn programming
• Durable bodies that can handle a childs rough-housing
• Long-lasting battery for hours of fun

Whats Not

• Limited functionality with an iPhone or iPod touch
• Only a single USB to micro USB cable included for charging
• Optical sensor doesnt always detectobstacles

How Does It Stack Up?

There arent many toys that teach programming and robotics, but Dash and Dot are definitely among the best that do so. The software is easy to use, and includes excellent tutorials that help kids learn how to program the robots, and the devices themselves are rugged and kid-friendly.

Where Can You Get It, and How Much Does It Cost?

You can purchase Dash and Dot, along with any accessories you may want to add to your programming package, at Wonder Workshops Web page or through Amazon with free Prime shipping. You can also find Dash and Dot in the Apple Store.

Our Advice

If youre looking for a fun way to teach your children about robotics and programming, I cant think of a much better way than Dash and Dot. This is a toy that can be used by children from five years of age to almost infinity, as evidenced by the hours of fun Ive had with the robots long after my son has gone to bed.

Dash and Dots Overall Scores:

• Aesthetic Appeal:
• Wow Factor:
• Fun:
• Value:

• Go for Dash & Dot robots - for iPhone
  
• Blockly for Dash & Dot robots
  
• Xylo for Dash robot
  
• Path for Dash robot
  

Kids can learn to program and have fun with Dash and Dot is a story by AppAdvice.com

AppAdvice - iPhone, iPad, iPod, App Reviews + News

Sent from my iPad

TASKMASTER #2 - Update

The TaskMaster lists are all in and I'm just updating the game to allow for the HUGE database.
There are over 1000 lines of formatted questions!

This will result in a fully playable game but without some of the bells and whistles that will surely be added over time.

I am adding some abilities to the game as you saw it previously:

1. Every taskmaster lesson, in many different questions.
2. Typing an answer for added difficulty.
3. A recorded progress, so that the user can start from where they left off.
4. An indication of progress, 0-5 stars on each TM section and an indication of how far along the TM course a player is.
5. The ability to just play ONE taskmaster lesson. E.g I just want to play TM 5!
6. Behind the scenes capture of the average time to answer all questions and each question.

Beyond this, here are some of the other additions that will happen over time:

1. Collectables and Unlockables. That is, new ships, colours, atmospheres, power-ups etc.
2. An 'alien' database of word example. Need to see what ANXIETY looks like on an alien? Just check the database for an animation!
3. Other things to do while answering the questions. Shooting a few asteroids, collecting power-ups, facts and other info.
4. External text files so that question sets can be changed and swapped easily.
5. Music.

AI - BIG DATA

http://futurism.com/links/mits-data-science-machine-outperforms-human-analysists-in-big-data-analysis/

ENERGY ROCKET #1

The Energy Rocket uses the same engine and graphics as the TaskMaster game.
However, this time a camera is live and will detect any motion it sees.
It will then convert this energy into rocket fuel!

The more crazy one or more kids move in front of the rocket, the more fuel it will get.
Students can try to beat the day's high score or just use it to blow off a little steam.

Calories (or at least a rough approximation of calories) are recorded.

There are many fun things and visuals to see the higher they go, so this can be an exploration game too.

SCHOOL ICON #1

First of the schools logos rendered in realtime 3D.
This will be used in various upcoming games in a manner of ways.

THE TASKMASTER SHIP #1

The TaskMaster Rocket Ship. It's word-fuelled.

As this is one of the most pressing issues I've attacked it first.
Learning grammar and new words can be tedious, requiring a lot of repetition.
The idea behind this 'game' is to turn flash card learning into a visual treat.

Not only does it ask the general TaskMaster vocab questions but it mixes them up a little and asks the same questions in many different ways. The game also contains some motor skills to rotate the ship and click on annoying hitch-hikers (aliens!). The psychological interruption of changing from purely cognitive to motor tasks breaks the monotony but has also been shown to enhance recall. Short bursts of adrenaline and endorphins.*

*You can see the words 'Blue Umbrella' written in graffiti and you probably will forget it in an few weeks. A stranger walks up and says 'Blue Umbrella' to you and walks off, you'll remember it a lot longer.But a stranger who walks up, says 'Blue Umbrella', SLAPS YOU IN THE FACE, and runs away; you'll remember that for the rest of your life, even if English isn't your first language.

At the moment the questions are asked in as many different ways as possible. And soon, there will be many different ways of answering the questions too. Once the student answers a question correctly a number of times the 'randomness' of the next questions are weighted accordingly. That is, they are more likely to encounter their weaker words than the ones they obviously know.
So the student seamlessly moves along the word list (and course).


THE WAYS OF ASKING:

1. The kids are given the usual taskmaster 'fill in the blank' question with multiple options. They click on the correct one to fuel the rocket. Usually there are 5 words to select from and all are real words.
2. There is a second set of blank questions based on the same words but using a different version of the word. (Adjective instead of verb, past instead of present etc.). Again though, all options are real words. 
3. There is a small subset of questions where a blank is given in a sentence but the multiple options are now all different words from the course and the student must choose the right one.
4. Using the same word list questions such as 'Which one of these words is FAKE' appear. This gives multiple versions of a course word with one glaring error. They must spot the impostor.
5. Using the same word list again, the question 'Which one of these words is REAL' appears. Again multiple answers appear with misspellings, corruptions, common mistakes and they must choose the correct one.
6. Optional and elaborated on below. The student must TYPE the correct answer!

THE WAYS OF ANSWERING:

1. They student is given 5-6 multiple options and must click on one of the answers. If correct they are immediately given a new question and the ship is given a little more 'word fuel'. If incorrect they are given the correct answer and a painful wait of 3 seconds. If your ship is losing altitude, you really do feel it!
2. The student is given just two options. This is easier that the previous method but less fuel is added to the ship, so it balances out (game-wise). Not only can they click on the correct answer but the keys "1" or "2" can be pressed or the LEFT & RIGHT arrows can also be used.
3. The student is given two options again BUT this time they either have to wave their right or left arm, lean to the left or right or  STAND UP and JUMP to the left or right. This is just to add a bit more real life action to the game. (no aliens will annoy you in this version).
4. This is the HARDEST. The student must TYPE the correct answer. No options are given. The only help is the dictionary version of the word required. Once the correct word is entered the ship gets a refuel. This is really hard!

BEHIND THE SCENES:

The answers are recorded and weaker words come up more often. The game blends the taskmaster levels into each other but the starting level can be chosen if needed.
When the student plays the game again their computer will remember where they failed, which words are their best and the game will simply start from where they ended it. With a fresh new ship obviously.
There will be an option to erase all history and play from the beginning again. In the real world this would be called reviewing. In the game it's a good way of beating your high score.
Answer times and problem words can be recorded so that the staff can collect data from all computers and another app (which I will make) will show you the statistics of ALL (not individual) students.
In this way difficult parts of the course can be targeted and the general reading speed of a class per TaskMaster level can be ascertained.

The game graphics and answering methods can be used for just about ANY list that can be compiled from flash-cards. So it can be applied to other subjects if necessary. The difficulty level can be set by choosing the answering method, fuel amounts given per word or increasing the gravity on the ship.
I've programmed in multiple looks for the game including a cartoon style sky for younger kids.

I am also in the process of converting all the mechanics of the rocket ship to be fuelled by 'KIDDIE-ENERGY'. But I'll discuss that in the next post :)

Here are some of the game graphics so far....

The basic ship and multiple question layout

The camera can be rotated and zoomed in or out using the trackpad or mouse

The ship in flight. YES that is a Death-Star in the distance. Sue me. There is a lot to discover the higher you go

Occasionally alien hitch-hikers will appear from another dimension because, em, science!

They're cute but they make the ship heavier. Click on them a few times to knock them off

Don't worry. They do this for fun, they can't get hurt

And here are variations on the graphics. Changing the backdrops can have a dramatic effect on the look of the game. These can be chosen in advance or changed during the game (SHIFT + S) and really show off the power of Unity 5. The camera angle and zoom is completed under the control of the player. Zooming in is handy for finding those pesky aliens.

Sailing into the sunset

Of course if the student answers incorrectly while airborne the ship will begin to descend fast and faster. Although they might never reach their highest altitude (the score) again this time they will be given a bonus is they can at least answer a few questions and slow up the ship just enough to land gently (or not so gently).

Landing hard isn't a good option but it's LOUD and very pretty....

FACE RECOGNITION #1

Face recognition technology I've created at the moment can flag whether the camera can see a face or not. Currently I have a closed door onscreen. If a face, any face, is detected then the door will open.
Anything can be behind the door, like the fact of the day. Something of interest to the kids.

I plan to be able to use the camera info to also measure the height and distance of the person. This means we can open a door ONLY for a short person like a young child.

The door is closed. No faces detected.

A face has been detected, the door opens to reveal whatever we want.

THE ROTATOR #1

This rotator can be used passively (constantly running) or fully interactive as a game. Any object such as a biological object, device, astronomical object etc. can be rotated in any direction using tai-chi type motion.

The user can be urged to find a certain part of the object such as the medulla in the brain or another example would be 'Find France' and so on.

The object can also be just an object of interest that the user can control if they feel like it when passing.