[game_edu] 3rd Annual Games in Education Event to Take Place August 5th & 6th at HVCC

[S. Gold]

 Local Educators Encouraged to ³Get in the Game²
at 3rd Annual Games in Education Symposium, August 5th & 6th

The third annual Games in Education Symposium, two days of workshops and
presentations about the use of computer and video games in the classroom,
will take place August 5th & 6th on the Hudson Valley Community College
campus in the Bulmer Telecommunications Center.

The symposium is FREE to educators from early childhood to post secondary
education interested in the use of games and technology to promote learning
in the 21st century. This year¹s symposium will explore the practical
application of interactive technologies like video games, social networks,
blogs and other media to inspire and promote learning in this generation of
³digital natives.²

Leading educators and experts from across the nation will discuss how they
have applied video games to all curricular areas, and offer teachers a
glimpse into new and exciting ways to reach their students, many of whom
thrive on this technology outside of the classroom.

"We are living in a technological age in which even the very youngest of our
children are being exposed to technology at home and in school at an early
age,² explains Professor Nancy T. Cupolo, whose Teacher Preparation
Department at Hudson Valley Community College is hosting this year¹s event.

Jennifer Goodall, Assistant Dean of the College of Computing and Information
at The University at Albany adds, ³Games are one of the technologies our
kids use everyday and we should capitalize on that in any way we can. If we
can capture the spirit kids have for games and use that for learning, we not
only enhance their education, we also teach all kinds of kids at a young age
they can be part of the future of technology. They are tomorrow's technology
leaders.²

This exciting professional development opportunity offers educators
throughout the greater Capital Region two days of free presentations,
panels, hands-on workshops, and round table discussions related to games and
technology in the classroom. Topics range from the exploration of virtual
worlds like Second Life and World of Warcraft and how teachers are using the
games successfully in schools, to Social Robotics experimentation aimed at
getting kids interested in Computer Science, to analyzing the real world
pressures teacher¹s face when attempting to straddle two cultures of
instruction. 

³During my attendance at professional conferences related to games, I have
been most inspired by the sessions on how games are being used by educators
to engage and motivate children to learn,² explained Tobi Saulnier, CEO of
1st Playable Productions. ³We wanted to bring this experience to the local
community, to educators who wouldn¹t otherwise have the opportunity to hear
about these exciting developments.² 

Says Ilene Frank, Director of Public Programs & Education at the Schenectady
Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium, who has sponsored this event 2 years in
row, ³Inspiring a sense of wonder about extraordinary scientific and
technological developments is what we do everyday and the Museum views this
event as one way to inspire today¹s educators on how to incorporate
technology including video games into their curriculums.  Through
inspirational and innovative education, our youth will receive the
motivation they need to pursue science and technology education and
careers.  

The 2009 Games in Education Symposium is presented by 1st Playable
Productions, WMHT Educational Telecommunications, the Teacher Preparation
Department at Hudson Valley Community College, the Schenectady Museum &
Suits-Bueche Planetarium, and the College of Computing and Information at
The University at Albany.

³WMHT is pleased to be a major sponsor of Games In Education,² says
Katherine Jetter, Director of Education at the station. ³For over 40 years,
PBS has provided educational content in multimedia platforms for learners of
all ages. The use of high quality educational digital media can support and
accelerate learning both in and outside the classroom. This symposium
provides local educators resources for teaching and learning in the 21st
century classroom.² WMHT has sponsored the event since its inception in
2007, and hosted its inaugural symposium that same year. 

Admission to the Games in Education Symposium is FREE for all educators from
early childhood to post secondary education. The event will run 8:30 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 5 and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Thursday, August 6.
For more information or to register, please visit www.gamesineducation.org
<http://www.gamesineducation.org> .  Hudson Valley Community College is
located at 80 Vandenburgh Ave, Troy NY 12180. Lunch and door prizes will be
provided!

Keynote Speaker
Makeda Mays Green, Director of Education & Research, Digital Media, Sesame
Workshop
Makeda Mays Green is the Director of Education and Research for Digital
Media at Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit children educational organization
behind Sesame Street. Green is responsible for researching and developing
content for various interactive platforms including online, mobile devices,
and video game consoles. She supports Sesame Workshop¹s mission by focusing
and examining the potential of current and emerging digital media platforms
to deliver quality educational material to children and families.

Most recently, Green was instrumental in the development and launch of
Sesame Workshop¹s re-designed website (www.sesamestreet.org
<http://www.sesamestreet.org> ). She has created content for Sesame Street
Games, an interactive game service available on Cablevision, Panwapa, a
website and outreach initiative to help increase children¹s awareness of the
wider world, and numerous games including the Parent¹s Choice award-winning
V.Smile title Bert & Ernie¹s Imagination Adventure. Green also co-authored
the study The Use of Mobile Phones to Support Children¹s Literacy Learning.

Previously, Green was a Senior Curriculum Specialist, who oversaw the
development of content for various Outreach initiatives, including Talk,
Read, Write; Happy Healthy Ready for School and You Can Ask. She also served
as a Curriculum Specialist for Program Research and developed content for
Workshop programs such as, Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat and Dragon Tales.
Green holds a B.A from Wesleyan University and a M.A. and Ed.M in Counseling
Psychology, from Columbia University. She currently resides in Stamford,
C.T. 

Panelists & Workshop Presenters
€    Brock R. Dubbels, PhD, Educator at the Minneapolis Public Schools and
Research Associate, Center for Cognitive Sciences, University of Minnesota
€    Silvia Lovato, Director, PBS Kids Go! Interactive
€    Bill Shribman, Executive Producer, Kids' Projects, WGBH
€    Scot Osterweil, Creative Director, Education Arcade
€    Peggy Sheehy, Instructional Technology Facilitator and Media
Specialist, Suffern Middle School, and Founder, MetaVersEd Consulting Ltd
€    Carla Engelbrecht-Fisher, Children's Technology Developer & Doctoral
Candidate, Teachers College, Columbia University
€    Mark Petersen, Instructional Designer, Hudson Valley Community College
€    Katherine Jetter, Director of Education, WMHT Educational
Telecommunications
€    Lucas Gillispie, Instructional Technology Coordinator, Pender County
Schools, North Carolina, and Author of the Edurealms.com Blog
€    Andrea Lauer Rice, CEO & Founder, Lauer Learning
€    Lenore Horowitz, Information Science PhD student in the College of
Computing and Information at the University at Albany
€    Matthew Jager, Information Science PhD Candidate in the College of
Computing and Information at the University at Albany
€    Elizabeth King, Doctoral Candidate in Curriculum & Instruction,
University of     Wisconsin-Madison
€    Marianne Malmstrom, Technology Instructor
€    Michael Tomaino, Game Design Teacher at Mildred Elley College of
Albany, NY and Project Lead of Kids Software Platinum Arts Sandbox Free 3D
Game Maker

For more on the speakers, please click here!
<http://gamesineducation.org/speakers.php%20>

PRESS CONTACTS:

1st Playable Contact: Zhenelle Falk & Nicole Plummer
Call (518) 271-8172 or email at zhenelle at 1stplayable.com &
nicole at 1stplayable.com  <mailto:nicole at 1stplayable.com>

HVCC Contact: Eric Bryant
Call (518) or email at e.bryant at hvcc.edu

WMHT Contact: Katherine Jetter
Call (518) 880-3444 or email at kjetter at wmht.org

CCI Contact: Jennifer Goodall
Call (518) 956-8245 or email at jgoodall at uamail.albany.edu

Schenectady Museum Contact: Erin Breslin
Call (518) 382-7893, ext. 223 or email at breslin at schenectadymuseum.org

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