Last Tuesday, the CloudKid team got into the Halloween spirit for our 1st Annual CloudKid Spooktacular. For inspiration, we checked out some extreme pumpkin carvings over our pizza dinner. Then, after some homemade treats were consumed, we plugged in our power-tools, popped in Killer Clowns from Outer Space, and got to carving!
Check out the photos on our Facebook page to see the final results! Hope you enjoy, and Happy Halloween to all!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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.
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.
