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Microsoft Deep Zoom – Hard Rock Café Example

During Martin Bean’s keynote presentation at the NAACE 2009 Strategic Conference one of the new technologies that was demonstrated was Deep Zoom. I’ve mentioned Deep Zoom before in relation to my recent visit to the UK Microsoft Innovative Teachers Forum in Reading.

The Hard Rock Café collection of music memorabilia was used as an example.

Here is a step by step walk through of what happened. There is also a video at the bottom of the post.

1) The demonstration stated zoomed in on Paul McCartney’s signature:

2) Then they zoomed out to reveal that the signature was actually a small piece of detail on the bottom of some Beatles “Bobb’n Head” Dolls (apparently one of the most sought after items of Beatles memorabilia – particularly if Ringo’s drumsticks are in tacked!).

3) Then they zoomed out again to reveal that the dolls were actually a picture in a shop keepers window, where some of the original Beatles outfits were stored.

4) Then they zoomed out again to reveal that  outfits were actually a photograph in a HardRock Café.

5) Then they zoomed out to reveal that the Hard Rock Cafe picture was just one tile of a 4×4 collage.

6) Then they zoomed out to reveal that the 4 x 4 collage was actually a stamp on an envelope to a letter from Sir Paul McCartney to Sgt. Buddy Dresner.

7) Then they zoomed out to reveal that the envelope was part of a larger collection containing the actual letter between McCartney and Dresner.

8) Then they zoomed out to reveal that the letter was only one part of the largest music collection in the world owned by the Hard Rock Café.

I’ve made a quick video of the sequence below (Blip TV Video embedded below).

 

Impressive Stuff that certainly demonstrates the wow factor. James Kent has used Deep Zoom to teach about the 2004 Asian Tsunami – but I wonder if there are any other good examples of it being used in education?

Computer Games Based Learning in Scottish Schools – NAACE Strategic Conference, Blackpool, March 2009

Below are a copy of my slides and on-line handout for the break out session that I ran at the NAACE Strategic Conference in Blackpool on the 4^th March 2009.

A slideshare version of the presentation can be found here.

The links that I referred to in my presentation are as follows:

• Wordle – Create fantastic Word Clouds to brighten up your lessons and also analise important documents.
• Promethean Active Expression – A world class Interactive Voting System.

Some examples of web based games that can be used for home learning:

• Classic Sim City – Useful for teaching about towns, cities and settlement.
• Ordnance Survey Map Games – Good for homework.
• Fantasy Famer – Manage a farm for a year
• Stop Disasters Simulator – Can you protect the world against floods, volcanoes, earthquakes and other nasty stuff?
• Sim Sweat Shop – What is it really like working in a sweat shop in a less economically developed country?
• An idea for setting web based games for homework activities

 

Games Based Learning to help Transition between Primary to Secondary Education:

• The Musselburgh Grammar School Guitar Hero Transition Project – Background Information and Timeline
• MGS Guitar Hero Transition Project – Part Two: The Virtual Battle of the Bands
• Guitar Hero Showcase: I love it when a plan comes together!
• Musselburgh Guitar Hero Project Features in the Times Educational Supplement
• Cluster Project that plays to all talents.
• SLF 2008: Enriched Assessment for Enriched Enquiry

In East Lothian we are rolling out this project to all P7 classes across the county. The 2009 version of the project will use Guitar Hero World Tour for the XBox. World Tour is particularly good as their is more than one instument, which provides more choise of students.

Partnership with Parents:

• Internet Safety and Responsible Use: How to set family settings on games consoles

 

The Use of the Nintendo DS

Some of the titles mentioned:

• Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain?
• Big Brain Academy
• My Word Coach
• Maths Training
• My French Coach
• Hotel Dusk - A good narative driven game to encorage reading and provide a context for other work
• Nintendogs - A great game to provide a context for learning (Aberdeenshire have been doing some fantastic work using this game in P2)
• Drawn to Life - Being used in P3 to develop writing and storytelling skills

The Use of the Sony PSP

Lots of good information on how the PSP can be used for education on the ConnectEd website. Hot Brain for the PSP is a similar to lots of the Brain Training title you can get for the DS. Also have a look at SUMS Online - they make great software for computers and other handheld devicces includeing the PSP.

Storage Solutions for Games Consoles

ConnectEd have made a fantastic storage solution for the PSP – hopefully they will also soon have one on the market for the Nintendo DS.

The Use of the Nintendo Wii

Some of the titles mentioned:

• Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree (currently being used in SfL)
• Endless Ocean (A great game to provide a context for learning)
• Wii Sports
• Mario and Sonic at the Olympics (A great game to provide a context for learning)
• Dancing Stage
• My French Coach

Graphic Novels

• Classical Comics
• Manga Shakespeare

The Play Station:

We are currently using Buzz the Schools Quiz and are looking forward to evaluation Buzz the Hollywood Quiz as soon as we get a copy? I am sure that there will also be Education Version of Buzz for the PS3 coming out at some point?

Games Design

• We have a site license for Mission Maker and will be exploring the possibilities for using this game to develop literacy and International links over the next 12 months.
• 2Simple DIY is also an excellent game for encouraging games Design in the early years. (you can see my efforts here)

Exergaming:

• Wii Sports
• Dance Mats (Zig Zag Dance Mats)
• EA Active Sports Coming Soon

Other Links:

• Learning and Teaching Scotland Consolarium
• Learning and Teaching Scotland
• Ideas Network Scotland: Innovation and Development in Education