Play Make Learn Conference: Full Schedule

4:00pm PDT

Digital Media and Learning Meet-up: Kickoff to Play Make Learn

Join us for a kick off celebration at Filament Games and Dan White's keynote address. To register for this free event, please visit the EventBrite page and click "register"!

Speakers

Dan White

Sunday August 13, 2017 4:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
Filament Games 316 W Washington Ave #1000, Madison, WI 53703

Kick Off Celebration

8:00am PDT

Breakfast and Check In

Monday August 14, 2017 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Varsity Hall 2

Breakfast

9:00am PDT

Keynote Address

Making Way: Removing barriers that inhibit youth participation in the maker movement

Speakers

Nichole Pinkard

Monday August 14, 2017 9:00am - 9:50am PDT
Varsity Hall

Keynote Address

10:00am PDT

Games and Civic Engagement

Speakers

Carrie Ray-Hill

iCivics

Monday August 14, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am PDT
Landmark

Learn

10:00am PDT

Higher Ed Fab Lab

Higher Education and the maker movement- Recent attention to the role of making has transformed the way IHEs, especially technical colleges, think about the ecology of teaching and learning. In this session we will discuss EMMET, a new project between UW-Madison and Northcentral Technical College that aims to bring excitment about STEM careers to rural communities through making.

Speakers

Darren Ackley

Erica Halverson

Author, University of Wisconsin

Erica Halverson is a Professor of Curriculum & Instruction at UW-Madison who studies how people learn in and through the arts. She’s written a lot about it, including co-editing the Makeology books as well as an essay with Kim Sheridan that has helped to define how we study making... Read More →

Michael Hlalidek

Monday August 14, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am PDT
Northwoods A

Learn

10:00am PDT

Learning By Design

Researchers at the Stockholm University Designs for Learning Research Group lead an international discussion for how technologies can transform learning in and out of schools. This team will share insights on the role of design in education and how new technologies can improve learning for all students.

Speakers

Staffan Selander, Stockholm University

Robert Ramberg, Stockholm University

Monday August 14, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am PDT
Fifth Quarter

Learn

10:00am PDT

Teacher Communities Around Making

This working session will feature members of teacher communities of practice that focus on maker pedagogies developed over time and wrestling with issues of how to improve classroom practice that involves making and production.

Speakers

Breanne K Litts

Assistant Professor, Utah State University

Emily Schindler

Doctoral Candidate, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Monday August 14, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am PDT
Agriculture

Learn

10:00am PDT

Programming and Making with Code

In this working session, we will start the process of making a simple game with code. No experience necessary!

Speakers

Matthew Berland

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Monday August 14, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am PDT
Industry

Learn Make

10:00am PDT

Games and Learning 101

Speakers

Mike Beall

Gear Learning Director, Gear Learning

I am the Director of Gear Learning, a video game development studio at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research. My career in designing educational games began by working side by side with Kurt Squire and Rich Halverson at the University of Wisconsin. Over the last decade, I have... Read More →

David Gagnon

Field Day Lab Director, Field Day Lab

Monday August 14, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am PDT
Varsity Hall 1

Learn Play

10:00am PDT

Making Kits

Speakers

Madison Public Library

Monday August 14, 2017 10:00am - 11:50am PDT
Varsity Hall 1

Make

10:00am PDT

Game and Gear Demos

Speakers

Matthew Berland

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Filament

Gear Learning

Monday August 14, 2017 10:00am - 11:50am PDT
Varsity Hall 1

Play

11:00am PDT

Community-Based Inquiry and Action

Learn about digital and analog tools, activities, and frameworks you can use to design community-based learning experiences for, and with, your students. This presentation will focus on place-based education, a pedagogical approach that engages students in studying their local community. The presenter will show how place-based education aligns with many current educational trends, such as personalized and project-based learning, and share resources and tools that can be used to inspire locally-focused exploration, inquiry and action.

Speakers

Jim Mathews

Field Day Lab, University of Wisconsin

Jim Mathews is a teacher, researcher, and designer, exploring the intersection of place, design, and civic engagement.

Monday August 14, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am PDT
Landmark

Learn

11:00am PDT

Conferring in Personalized Learning Schools

UW-Madison Personalized Learning Networked Improvement Community team will share insights about conferring, the teacher-student conversations at the heart of personalized learning reform. Teachers and researchers will present together to explain the purpose of conferring and how can work in any school.

Speakers

Richard Halverson

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Knock! Knock!Who's there?Water.Water who?Water those plants or they're going to die!

Julie Kallio

UW Madison

Monday August 14, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am PDT
Varsity Hall 2

Learn

11:00am PDT

Game Design in Class: Beyond Computer Science

Game design in a business curriculum can inspire students and weave together multiple subjects by giving students the roles of project manager, artist, writer, marketer, coder and more. We’ll share what teachers are already doing and discuss how to grow from there.

Here is a link to the presentation:
https://docs.google.com/a/waukesha.k12.wi.us/presentation/d/1dyvwmxAAmcYBnmljalNkIG3fVNOTzaOljqYEtOq8jIY/edit?usp=sharing_eil&ts=596f760a

Speakers

Kurt Kiefer

David McHugh

Education Consultant, DPI

I am lucky to serve as DPI's first Games & Learning Liaison where I foster connections to help discover and scale games & learning opportunities for Wisconsin teachers and students. I also work on strategic planning and professional learning for the agency. Outside of DPI, I study... Read More →

Dan Prothero

Business Education Instructor, School District of Waukesha - South High School

Dan Prothero is a Business Education Instructor at Waukesha South High School. Dan currently serves as a Business Instructor and as the School to Work Coordinator, and he advises the Yearbook and FBLA. Prior to Waukesha South, Dan taught at the Waukesha STEM Academy. Dan has been... Read More →

Dave Thomas

Education Consultant for Business & Information Technology, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Monday August 14, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am PDT
Fifth Quarter

Learn

11:00am PDT

Multi-Institutional Partnerships for Learning

This session features researchers and practitioners who design and study making and learning partnerships that stretch across classrooms and out-of-school learning spaces. During this time we will describe the development of partnerships, discuss pitfalls and victories, and examine comparisons across different partnerships.

Speakers

Erica Halverson

Author, University of Wisconsin

Betty Brinn Children's Museum

Emily Schindler

Doctoral Candidate, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Jesse Vieau

Teen Services librarian, The Bubbler at Madison Public Library

Jesse Vieau is a Teen Services Librarian who’s daily work puts him in the community to network with, and provide resources for, teens, teachers, social service agencies, community leaders, and others who provide direct service to teens. He is a passionate advocate for teens and... Read More →

Peter Wardrip

Assistant Professor, C&I, University of Wisconsin

Peter Wardrip is an Assistant Professor of STEAM Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research focuses on research-practice partnerships, assessment for learning and designing maker-based learning experiences. Peter earned his PhD in Learning Sciences and Policy from... Read More →

Monday August 14, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am PDT
Northwoods A

Learn

11:00am PDT

Small Games to Teach BIG Middle School Science concepts

Field Day Lab and BrainPOP have collaborated with DPI and WDLC in creating and disseminating a series of middleschool science games that have been used by nearly 500,000 learners in less than a year. In this session we will talk about the phlosophy of play and exploration that guided their design, what they teach and who is using them.

Speakers

Phil Dougherty

M. Sarah J Gagnon

Creative Director & Communications, Field Day Lab

I read everything I can about communication. I try to find a repeatable process for everything we do. I study leadership constantly. My favorite book is "The power of one." I've been to every continent except the one where the IceCube lab is located. I collect textiles. The most important... Read More →

Allisyn Levy

VP, Product Lead, BrainPOP

Since joining BrainPOP in 2007, Allisyn Levy has played an integral role in the creation, launch, and continued development of BrainPOP Educators, our online professional community. Now, as Vice President, GameUp, she leads outreach efforts for BrainPOP's online learning games portal... Read More →

Monday August 14, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am PDT
Agriculture

Learn

11:00am PDT

Video Games for Non Science Major Astronomy

Discussion of the pros and cons of designing, developing, and implementing a game designed to supplement an Astronomy 101 Classroom.

Speakers

Mike Beall

Gear Learning Director, Gear Learning

Rich Townsend

Monday August 14, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am PDT
Industry

Learn

12:00pm PDT

Lunch and Posters

Monday August 14, 2017 12:00pm - 1:20pm PDT
Varsity Hall

Lunch Poster Sessions

1:30pm PDT

Assessment in Non-Traditional Learning Environments

This session begins with the tenet that assessments are evidence-based arguments about what learners do, say, or make. While assessment is often associated with tests that are administered in classrooms, it can also support improvement to non-traditional learning environments, better feedback to learners, and provide evidence-based claims about what is learned. Through the sharing of work and practical activities, based on empirical research, this session will encourage and support participants to consider the purpose of assessment and the nature of the evidence of learning in their own educational settings.

Speakers

Sam Abramovich

Assistant Professor, University at Buffalo

Sam Abramovich is the director of the Open Education Research Lab at the University at Buffalo where he is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Learning and Instruction and the Department of Library and Information Studies. His research is devoted to finding and understanding... Read More →

YJ Kim

Executive Director, Playful Journey Lab

Dr. YJ Kim is the executive director of the MIT Playful Journey Lab (playful.mit.edu). Her work has centered on the topic of innovative assessment and how technological advancement influences what we are measuring about student learning and how we are measuring it. For more than ten... Read More →

Peter Wardrip

Assistant Professor, C&I, University of Wisconsin

Monday August 14, 2017 1:30pm - 2:20pm PDT
Northwoods A

Learn

1:30pm PDT

Exploring History Through Location-Based Games

This session presents a variety of approaches for teaching history with location-based games and stories using ARIS. Explore how students can design and create interactive experiences for mobile devices that connect local histories to current issues. See how classes can research digital archives and family records to create geographic journeys, memorial walks through historical sites, and collaborations with schools in other countries. Strategies for creating companion activities that focus on historical thinking concepts will also be presented.

Speakers

Craig Brumwell

Masters of Ed Tech Student, University of British Columbia

Craig is a social studies and physical education teacher from Vancouver, Canada where he has recently completed a Masters of Educational Technology at the University of British Columbia. His focus is on situated learning, mobile gaming for education and Constructivist strategies... Read More →

Monday August 14, 2017 1:30pm - 2:20pm PDT
Agriculture

Learn

1:30pm PDT

Gear Learning Studios

Panel session with the team formerly known as GLS and LGN has been rebranded as Gear Learning. Now at WCER, the team continues to make contributions to the University of Wisconsin, the world of learning games, and also the local communities.

Speakers

Greg Shives

Monday August 14, 2017 1:30pm - 2:20pm PDT
Industry

Learn

1:30pm PDT

Personalized Learning Models

Moderators

Richard Halverson

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Knock! Knock!Who's there?Water.Water who?Water those plants or they're going to die!

Speakers

Julie Kallio

UW Madison

Steven Netcoh

Postdoctoral Associate, The University of Vermont

Steven Netcoh is a Postdoctoral Associate with the Center for Teaching and Learning at The University of Vermont and is primarily responsible for supporting faculty members across the university with research projects that assess the effectiveness of instructional innovations in... Read More →

Jim Rickabaugh

Christina Sprader

Associate Director, Institute for Personalized Learning

@csprades

Candace Walkington

Associate Professor, Southern Methodist University

Dr. Candace Walkington is an Associate Professor in Teaching and Learning at Southern Methodist University, specializing in mathematics education. She holds a B.S. and M.S. in Mathematics from Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in mathematics education from University of Texas at Austin... Read More →

Monday August 14, 2017 1:30pm - 2:20pm PDT
Fifth Quarter

Learn

1:30pm PDT

Virtual Reality and Educational Gaming

VR is just making its way into consumer's hands and minds- what are the obstacles and opportunities for using VR in serious games and educational spaces?

Speakers

Sabrina Culyba

Principal Designer, Schell Games

Talk to me about transformational/educational games, game design, or the game development process.

Dan Norton

Filament Games

Monday August 14, 2017 1:30pm - 2:20pm PDT
Landmark

Learn

1:30pm PDT

Making 101

Join makers and tinkerers in the Varsity Hall for this introductory session on making.

Speakers

Matthew Berland

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Monday August 14, 2017 1:30pm - 2:20pm PDT
Varsity Hall 2

Make

1:30pm PDT

Making Hackathons

Speakers

Caroline Hardin

Conference Co-Chair, Games+Learning+Society

PhD student of Computer Science Education

Monday August 14, 2017 1:30pm - 3:20pm PDT
Varsity Hall 1

Make

1:30pm PDT

Game and Gear Demos

Speakers

Matthew Berland

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Filament

Gear Learning

Monday August 14, 2017 1:30pm - 3:20pm PDT
Varsity Hall 1

Play

2:30pm PDT

21st Century Exhibitry: Incorporating Interactive Technology into STEM Museums

This session explores a series of design considerations that interactive technology designers should take into account when incorporating tech into different types of STEM museums (like science centers, natural history museums, zoos, and aquaria). It's grounded in the sociocultural histories of these spaces and how those histories shape visitor needs and expectations and thus the design space for technology. Several different digital game form-factors would be reflectively discussed (e.g., mobile location-spanning games, participatory simulations, tabletop games), with real-life examples highlighting what did and didn't work about the designs given where they were deployed.

Speakers

Leilah Lyons

Monday August 14, 2017 2:30pm - 3:20pm PDT
Industry

Learn

2:30pm PDT

Gaming In Schools: A How To Guide

The eternal question: What works with games in schools? What are the barriers today, and how might they be solved?

Speakers

Matt Haselton

Dan Norton

Filament Games

Dave Ropa

Monday August 14, 2017 2:30pm - 3:20pm PDT
Landmark

Learn

2:30pm PDT

Interactive Media and Young Children

In this session, Dr. Heather Kirkorian will lead a discussion about interactive media and learning during the first five years of life. Dr. Kirkorian will share findings from her own empirical research on the extent to which infants and young children learn from interactive media (e.g., digital games, eBooks). Session participants will be encouraged to ask questions, share their own experiences, identify critical needs for future research, and brainstorm ways to bridge research and practice.

Speakers

Heather Kirkorian

Associate Professor, UW-Madison

Dr. Heather Kirkorian is an Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She received her Ph.D. (2007) in Developmental Psychology from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst where she also completed three years of postdoctoral... Read More →

Monday August 14, 2017 2:30pm - 3:20pm PDT
Northwoods A

Learn

2:30pm PDT

Personalization in Practice

The UW-Madison Personalized Learning Research team documents how educators are transforming schools by putting learners at the center of schooling. Researchers will share insights on enhancing student agency, how teachers facilitate learning, the role technologies play, and how personalized learning is led across schools and districts.

Speakers

Al Barnicle

Madison, WI, United States, University of Wisconsin - Madison

I'm an education researcher, Ph.D Candidate, and former teacher currently focusing on student-centered school design and leadership with an emphasis on students' involvement in the data-driven instructional decision-making process. I also direct the Personalization in Practice Research... Read More →

Sarah Hackett

UW Madison

Richard Halverson

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Knock! Knock!Who's there?Water.Water who?Water those plants or they're going to die!

Julie Kallio

UW Madison

Curt Mould

Tanushree Rawat

PhD student, University of Wisconsin Madison

1) Technology integration in developing countries/ non-English + low infrastructure communities.2) Using technology to make academics relevant to real life and promote creative thinking in students.

Arlene Strikwerda

UW Madison

Monday August 14, 2017 2:30pm - 3:20pm PDT
Fifth Quarter

Learn

2:30pm PDT

Google Making Spaces with MMSD

In this session members of the Google making spaces teams from Madison Public Libraries and Digital Youth Network in Chicago will share the development of their maker programs in schools. Lead institutions will share their organizational practices and teachers will share the development of their maker programs. The two groups will look comparatively at their approaches.

Speakers

Erica Halverson

Author, University of Wisconsin

Carlee Latimer

Rebecca Millerjohn

Youth Services Librarian, Madison Public Library

Rebecca Millerjohn is the youth services librarian with the Bubbler at Madison Public Library. Rebecca is a previous six year classroom working in Houston, Texas and at Gary Comer College Prep on Chicago’s South Side. A graduate of UW’s School of Library and Information Studies... Read More →

Julia Petraglia

Making Spaces Program Manager, Maker Ed

Monday August 14, 2017 2:30pm - 3:20pm PDT
Varsity Hall 2

Learn Make

2:30pm PDT

Learning Through Making Games with ARIS

In this session, educators, designers, and researchers will share stories and approaches for facilitating, implementing, and assessing youth game design for learning with the ARIS platform. Beth Stofflet will outline the pragmatics of classroom facilitation using as an example her middle school social science lesson in which students make games as an alternative to writing papers. Jim Mathews will discuss a range of implementations to illustrate design tradeoffs and considerations across learning contexts including in after school and place-based settings. Breanne Litts will describe strategies for capturing and assessing student learning, especially computational thinking skills, in ARIS game design activities.

Speakers

Monday August 14, 2017 2:30pm - 3:20pm PDT
Agriculture

Learn Make

3:40pm PDT

Closing Remarks and Q&A

Speakers

Closing Remarks