Alan Wake – in the classroom (part 6)
In a perfect world I would have photographs and student testimonies to share with you how well the launch went. I am sorry to let you down. You will have to take my word for it and a few analytic …
edugames
Alan Wake – bringing it together (part 5)
It has been a busy few weeks and the project development has slowed down a little. On the plus side, Kelvin has managed to make real headway with the 4 station Xbox cabinet with the help of some sixth formers… …
Alan Wake hardware choices (part 4)
Gaming in school – for literacy? Gaming for literacy is not any easy sell to other staff, before you have had a proven track record of success with students, but as they say ‘Man cannot discover new oceans unless he …
Alan Wake (part 3)
The script for Alan Wake is amazing. It is even more impressive when the sound effects and background audio adds depth to the experience. Playing on the Xbox just amplified the experience. What is more, I have learnt a little …
Wake-ing a thirst for literacy (part 2)
Having only assumed the role of English teacher fairly recently, I typically have to read for the very first time, the text I am about to teach, for the very first time, a few weeks before the term starts. Being …
Wake-ing a thirst for literacy (part 1)
I had been on the look out for a cinematic, highly narrative video-game title to re-purpose as a writing stimulus for some time now, inspired by Tim Ryland’s use of Myst and following on from the success of using US …
Powder Toy
We have been fully booked every lunchtime this week. Year 7 boys hurtling across the playground, storming the stairway, one hand clutching the handle of a barely used rucksack, the other hand, a half eaten sandwich. But I just don’t get the attraction …
Atmosphir is Out of this World
Atmosphir is a 3D third-person game designer and game playing tool that is simply fantastic and with a number of developments since I last highlight it, its just even better. With our ability to now share it over the network, …