Steve Majors

School Polaris EL School
Job Title, Location

Media Technology, Spanish, Photography

Polaris EL School is located in Fort Collins, Colorado

How will I introduce Scalable Game Design in my school?
I will be using Scalable Design Agent Sheets for students to learn 21st century problem solving skills. Students will do this by understanding, and developing computational thinking by first creating video games; then the knowledge acquired can be transferred to science and practical math skills as well as creating scientific simulations.

ctpvideos


This video is displaying in programing terms movement (dog sees the ground, snow etc. and it moves forward), transportation (sort of) because it appears to be carrying something on it's back although the objects could be part of the robot.



This video is displaying in programming terms choreography. This is when one agent or object is synchronized with another or others.



The first two images of this video in programming terms a generation of the fire from the lighter and the water from the persons mouth. The third and fifth images in programming terms are collision. The water balloon section is collision and transformation. The rocket image is generation, movement, and the gun image is generation by the gun generating the bullets shells.

Project Journal
Week 1, Tuesday:

This first class did a great job introducing me to the concept of Agent sheets as well as the philosophy of what Scalable Designs is trying to accomplish. The thing I loved about the first day is that we began creating our first video (Frogger) or as I called mine Facer (because I put in my face instead of trucks or cars driving down the highway). I believe engaging us within the first hour of a two week course by creating our first video game was a great idea! I did not have any experience creating video games, or programing before today, so needless to say it really stretched my mind but in a fun and addictive way.

Week 1, Wednesday: Sokoban is a great experience in game strategy and learning how two objects need to be able to talk/understand each others messages and commands. My skills greatly improved the second day with this new game. Going back to improve and work on finishing up my Frogger game was much easier by some of the repetitive nature of using similar code.

Week 1, Thursday: Pacman is even more complex and layered but builds from all the previous skills that one develops from Frogger and Sokoban. Each layer including the floor works together to create a predator and prey relationship between Pacman and the Ghost.

Week 1, Friday: Today was a good assessment in comprehension of our skills as a group and as a result we were working together collaboratively to identify programing actions using utube videos.

Week 2, Monday: Today we learned about how one could transfer their knowledge from AgentSheets video game making to scientific simulations. Myself and the teacher that came with me to the summer institute had a flood of ideas of how we could use it in our classes as well as others in our school.

Week 2, Tuesday: Today's Contagion simulation with the class was a good introduction to understand the data that we collected later on with the computer contagion simulation. Today was a good example of how one could use a scientific simulation and basic statistics in the classroom.

Week 2, Wednesday: Today was a great time to work on our projects. I appreciate this time to work and allow the process to sink in.

Week 2, Thursday: Today was great working with others to create my final project of Space Invaders. Also working with Kevin Denton to see how one would implement his Science simulations of the a cell was fascinating. Getting to work with the kids during the week was a eye opening experience. The kids (5th grade I believe) were programing and doing a great job of problem solving kinks in their games.

Week 2, Friday: Today was a good use of time building my final game of Space Invaders but more so in seeing how others were using AgentSheets in their classes. There was everything from Social Studies, World Languages, Science, Math, and games. The AgentSheets Institute has really opened my eyes to how implement technology in my class room and other classes as well.

Contact Information

 * [mailto:name@youremail.com Email]:smajors@psdschools.org:
 * Mr. Steve Majors