Caroline G. Atkinson Intermediate School successfully launched an experimental afterschool club this year to foster students' ability to create interactive computer games that are culturally and socially relevant.
The iDesign Club is a collaborative effort between associate professor and Director of Educational Technology Programs at Hofstra University Dr. Roberto Joseph and the district with an eye toward developing technological fluency. This approach is also in conjunction with the district's goal of improving computer literacy among students.
Dodd teachers Georgia Lambrinos and Kristen Wrigley began this pilot program in February with a group of sixth-grade students. They met weekly for 90 minutes and worked on creating games using the authoring tools found on various websites including Gamestar Mechanic (www.gamestarmechanic.com) and Scratch (scratch.mit.edu). The program will continue to follow this group of Atkinson graduates to John W. Dodd Middle School.
Two students will join Wrigley and Lambrinos for a two-week summer institute at Hofstra University.
