The Future of Storytelling

A few months ago, we highlighted the work of Latitude Research in a blog post about their study on kids’ visions for the future of technology.  We’ve continually been impressed with their approach to innovative research and were delighted when they asked us to take part in a new study on the Future of Storytelling.

We were also extremely excited that they chose to feature their interview with Dave in their “Expert Series.”  Take a minute to check out his interview.  We hope you enjoy, and that this gets you thinking about your visions for the future of storytelling!

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Art for Awareness

One of our very own CloudKids, Kendra Mattozzi, was honored this week at the International OCD Foundation’s event, “A Night to Believe.”  Kendra’s short film “OCD+Me=5” was featured at the event, which served as part of the organization’s efforts for OCD Awareness Week. Kendra and her work were also featured in an NPR on-air report and online piece last week.

We are very proud of Kendra, and hope you get the chance to check out her amazing work!

Shout-Outs

Peg + Cat = Launched!

Today, we’re excited to announce the launch of our latest project: the Peg + Cat pilot website over on PBS Kids! Peg + Cat is a pre-school math show that follows its namesakes, the adorable Peg and her sidekick Cat, as they use math to solve problems of all shapes and sizes in their fantastic graph-paper-backed world. We created the interactive content to accompany the pilot episode and had a great time doing so!  We were very excited when the show’s creators, Jennifer Oxley and Billy Aronson, chose to work with us on this project, and we enjoyed the exciting challenges that the production process brought. This was our first time tackling the process of converting Peg + Cat’s After Effects animated style into Flash animation and games.  We went through a few tests and were really pleased with the results. We hope you are too!

Production

Apple Picking-Palooza!

Last week, CloudKid team celebrated autumn by embarking on our Second Annual CloudKid Apple Picking-Palooza.  We put down our Wacom pens, zipped up our hoodies, and trundled on over to Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow, Massachusetts for a fine New England afternoon in the sun.  While picking fresh apples, drinking hot cider, and petting goats is pretty darn fun, we’d be lying if we didn’t say the best part was eating the warm apple cider donuts (just don’t tell Professor Fizzy on us).  Yum!  Happy fall, everyone.

Check out the photos on our Facebook page!

CloudKid Shenanigans

Designing in the Margins

While attending the Open Workshop on Technology and Autism Research at the MIT Media Lab last week, we were inspired by the potential of designing for students “in the margins.”  This  concept is one often explored by The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) in relation to their concepts of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Behind it is the core idea that when one designs with the needs of a particular group of individuals in mind, technologies that work better for the population at large often result.  According to this principle, the needs of students in the margins continue to be catalysts for advancements and adoptions of new technologies for all learners.

As presenters at the conference this week showcased technological advancements specific to the field of autism, we were reminded of the potential for designing for those in the margins. We were inspired by technologies ranging from AI and avatars that can meaningfully interact with individuals on the autism spectrum to speech therapy apps that engage users by reflecting restricted personal interests. The experience allowed us to pause and consider what such advancements can mean for all learners.  Much of the work being done in the autism technology sphere focuses on customization and personalization of learning experiences, which we believe has the potential to impact learners both on and off the autism spectrum.

We plan to keep this concept of designing for those with particular needs in mind moving forward, and we suggest you do the same.  If you get the chance, take a moment to brainstorm how designing for someone in a margin could lead to advancements that benefit all.

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CloudKid Open HQ!

Last Friday night, CloudKid opened its doors to family and friends. Over a hundred guests packed into our penthouse headquarters for some old fashioned merriment (aka vittles and spirits).  Some of the star-studded guests included the likes of Fish McGill, John Holland, Tofu Squirrel, Bob Flynn, Joe Gaudet, Renee Kurilla, Scott Nash…and most of our parents.  A good time was had by all!

Check out the photos on the CloudKid Facebook page and follow us to learn about our next shindig later this fall.

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How Promising is Digital Promise?

Last Friday, the White House and Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, announced the launch of Digital Promise, a new national center created to “advance technologies that can transform teaching and learning.”  The goal of the new center is to bring together the likes of innovators, educators, researchers and citizens so that breakthroughs in learning technologies can ideally come quicker and be more effective. Through initiatives such as creating a league of innovative schools, increasing investments and grants related to cyber-learning, and funding educational video game challenges and research studies, Digital Promise hopes to make sweeping advancements across the field of educational technology.

As strong supporters of “collaborative play,” we see a lot of potential in an initiative that aims to bring together a variety of expertise. When tackling a problem as gargantuan as maximizing education in a digital age, having all hands on deck seems like a great first step.  That being said, we also realize that a “promise” is just that.  Fulfillment of that promise will only come if the visions of collaboration, action and innovation can truly come into fruition.

We strongly encourage all of you to take an active role in this initiative by:

After all, the only way for this promise to be truly promising is if we all take it upon ourselves to jump in and play along.

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CloudKid Workspace

Last spring, photographer Jorg Meyer stopped by the CloudKid Headquarters to photograph our workspace for MassArt’s annual admissions guidebook. This year, it’ll feature a small article about Dave, Matt, and CloudKid. The photos are also featured on a new website that gives a sneak peek into the creative spaces of MassArt students and alumni.  You can check out some of the photographs from the shoot here.

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Rethinking Family Game Night

Many of us here at CloudKid HQ have fond memories of our own family game nights growing up. From whole families strategizing around a Monopoly board, to intense Duck Hunt stand-offs between siblings, we can recall the fun (albeit competitive) times that were had by gathering to play as a family. The way families are playing together, however, has changed. The need to gather around a table or hook controllers up to the same gaming console no longer exists. Technologies the likes of XBox Live and apps such as “Words With Friends” make it possible for gaming together to happen anytime, anywhere.

Although many may point out what is being lost in the shifting definition of family gaming (e.g. a displaced emphasis on physical interaction), there is a lot to be said about what is gained. For one, the ability to extend the net of what is meant by “family” from those who live in one geographic location to those who live virtually anywhere with access to technology is heartening. Similarly, a shift can be made from a “one size fits all” difficulty model offered by board games to an experience that can be appropriately scaffolded to meet the abilities of gamers of all ages.  Websites such as Let’s Play Please and Ohanarama are two examples of how technology can provide significant advantages in redefining what it means to play as a family.

Our hope, and challenge, as content creators is that technology will continue to evolve in a way that provides new and most importantly meaningful ways for families to play together. For our fellow dreamers, we suggest thinking about creative ways to defy conventions of one-place, one-time and one-difficulty gaming so that family members of all ages in all locations can gather for the next generation of family game night. We are excited to see what you come up with…

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TGIF

Since the dawn of man, Friday has been revered and celebrated as the best day of the week.  Fossilized remains of party cups have been found all over the globe, and though Wikipedia will insist otherwise, Loverboy’s Working for the Weekend is actually a cover of an ancient Aboriginal chant that dates back thousands of years.

In keeping with this ancient tradition, we like to make Fridays a little special here at CloudKid.  Each week, everyone at the studio gathers together to eat lunch, share what we’ve been working on, and discuss new projects that are floating on the horizon.  The coveted MVP Award is given out to the deserving CloudKid of the week, and we usually end things by watching a little entertainment.  Sometimes a theme is suggested: present the worst piece of artwork you’ve ever created; show us an animation or video that particularly inspired you this week … you get the idea.

Here’s a little taste of what we did last Friday.  To celebrate our Escape from GreasyWorld game — what else?  An ice cream sundae party!

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