Wi-Fi: highfive Twitter: #dustormagic Twitter Hashtag for all Dust or Magic events: Edit this book: Keep in touch: Read CTR’s reviews for a year: LinkedIn: http://www.twitter.com/dustormagic Hashtag #dustormagic http://dustormagic.wikispaces.com Our pledge to you:http://www.facebook.com/groups/dustormagic/ http://childrenstech.com Email address: dustormagic PW:sandy (temporary access) http://linkd.in/WJ4ZjD By the time you leave on Tuesday at 1:30, we will... • Share with you examples of innovative eBook design (the magic). • Clearly illustrate what not to do when designing narrative based interactive products for children (the dust). • Give you a theoretical tool kit for literacy, applied to children’s interactive media. • Contribute to your personal definition of “dust” and “magic.” • Introduce known theories of child development, applied directly to interactive media. • Introduce you to a community of others who are passionate about the potential of technology for children. • Provide a professional, comfortable, relaxed setting that will promote the most learning in the least time. No swiping required! Printed on 100% non-interactive, paper, with retinal display ink. Dust or Magic eBook Retreat 2 Tips for finding magic Illustration: Peter Reynolds In order to get the most out of this institute, we ask that each participant consider the following during the small and large In demonstration settings — group discussions. WHEN GIVING CRITICISM: Ground feedback in real examples and provide opportunities for differing opinions. 1. Represent: take a lot of notes and make sketches. Remember “modifiable” vs. “unmodifiable” issues, from the Learn from others, listen, and leave the institute as better perspective of the person getting the feedback. reviewers, critics, researchers, teachers, designers, and pub- lishers. Remember that it’s OK to sit quietly and reflect. WHEN GETTING CRITICISM: Make sure you are comfortable There is no pressure to participate. with the process. If not, ask for more feedback in a confidential setting. To this end -- 2. Keep a child’s-eye view. This is the key to understanding • Grouping and seating is flexible. If you end up in a group the magic. Try to look at each product through the eyes of a and you are not comfortable with the membership, it is per- child who will have little regard for public relations budgets, fectly OK to get up and change. cost, packaging, political context or size of publisher. • Participation in discussions is optional. You should not feel Remember .... a child can’t spell the word “hypocrite,” but obligated to express opinions at any time. they know what one is. • If you record any information or take pictures (other than note form), make sure that all people know that a recording 3. Manage your bias. It is natural to have cultural, commer- or photographic device is active. Not all participants want to cial and theoretical bias. This bias can help you, but it can be “on the record” all the time. also blind you. You can’t get rid of it, but you can understand and manage it. It helps to honestly disclose this bias when evaluating products or talking to others about a particular General Definitions product. Children— children from birth to 15 years. We must think broadly about this, however, as children use and benefit from 4. Keep an open mind. Interactive media is changing rapid- products designed for adults. ly, due to Moore’s Law. So think broadly and with an open mind. Try to avoid negative thinking at the start of a thought Interactive Media — the broadly defined category of "new" or stream. Phrases to avoid include “I can’t work with that plat- interactive media, or software that runs on hardware in any form” or “we don’t use that hardware in our office.” This is a form, such as a tablet, computer, game console (Nintendo Wii time to think outside the box. U, DS, Xbox, PlayStation, Wii, iPhone/iPod Touch), Internet site, a smart toy with embedded software. The key word is 5. Support the group process. Give and take, don’t domi- "interactive media" rather than “linear media.” nate the discussion, and don’t be afraid of healthy controver- sy or disagreement. Materials in the Room 6. Don’t sell (or if you do, at least do it honestly). Please avoid Please take care of all items as if they belonged to you. If you PR fluff, hype or promoting your own materials. Participants notice a tablet with low batteries, find the charger and plug it are free to put materials on the handout table for anyone to in. If you use one of the game consoles, return the software and take. This event is about evaluating, designing and creating, controllers for the next person. and not about marketing and selling. If you take some software or a book from one of the collections, 7. You may end up on YouTube. Many of the discussions please make sure you put it back when you’re finished, with all and presentations are being recorded; please keep this in the internal materials intact. We cannot be responsible for any mind. Participation in any conversation or staged photo- lost items, but we’ll try our best to keep your items safe. graph is optional. We can’t control informal photographs being taken by other participants, however. If you plan on recording the sessions, please let us, and the speak- er, know. The phone number for the barn: Jo Lloyd 570-729-7903. 3 Dust or Magic eBook Retreat The Story of Dust or Magic nce upon a time (1996), the world’s oldest and largest children’s book fair wanted to start a Oprize initiative for “new media.” They asked Children’s Software Revue if we’d create it for them. We accepted on the condition that they would host a juried competition that included a face-to-face meet- ing of editors, in a setting where each juror could demonstrate a variety of products. Early in the spring of 1997, a group of reviewers were flown from around parts of Europe, Asia and the USA to participate in three days of debate and product demonstrations. Participants included some of the top minds in the The first Dust or Magic Institute. Speakers include Aleen interactive space -- people like Judy Salpeter from Stein, Mark Schlichting and Bernadette Gonzalez. You’ll see a young Daren Carstens and Kelli Winters, too. Technology & Learning, Dr’s. Ann Orr and Ellen Wolock from CSR, James Oppenheim, Peter Scisco (former editor of Compute!), Dr. Kyung Woo Lee from Korea, Thomas Feibel from Germany and Caterina Cangià and Gigi Tagliapietra from Italy. From France, repeat jurors were Georgia Leguem and Claude Combet; and from the UK came Pam Turnbull and Jon Smith (Editor of CD-ROM Today, and today a producer for Travelers Tales, aka LEGO Star Wars). In 2001, when the market for the software slowed, the Bologna New Media Prize ended. In an effort to keep the spirited conversation growing, we decided to start an annual meeting to be financed by participant tuition. We also wanted to consider the expanding range of children’s tech- nology products, and to personally get to know others who where working in this space. Rather than coming up with a prize, we decided to review the year. The title “Dust or Magic” came with the blessing of Bob Hughes, author of the book Dust or Magic: Secrets of Successful Multimedia Design. In the forward of his book, Bob referenced the poem “An idea can turn from dust to magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it.” (Matsuo Basho, 1644-1694). The first Dust or Magic was planned for September 23, 2001, and the event sold out. Unfortunately, the disaster of September 11 forced us to change our plans. So the first Dust or Magic event actually was held in January of ‘02. Right away, it was clear that we had not only captured the essence of those early juror’s meetings, but we’d improved upon it. We, the media, could learn much more about the thinking behind each product without feeling bribed or manipulated. The spirited debates have continued each fall and the quest for the magic has become a celebration. We are thankful to everyone who has helped make this event possible, and hope it continues to influence the quality of children’s interactive media products for many more years to come. Warren Buckleitner, Editor Children’s Technology Review Dust or Magic eBook Retreat 4 Agenda We’ve created an agenda that mixes good food, future friends and fun with theories of literacy. It is thick with demonstrations, talks, and time to informally “assimilate” the new ideas you’ll need to understand this emerging space. Don’t worry — we always ground theory in app reality. Sunday Afternoon, April 21, 2013 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Arrive: The Barn at Highlights Foundation Meet in our intellectual home for the next three days to pick up your conference materi- als, check into your room, get a snack or informally share a project. Then check into your room. Park in the designated areas; note that cars are not permitted in the lodge area where grass is being grown. 5:00 Appetizers, Beer and Wine 5:30 Dinner Welcome. Overview of the agenda by facilitators Warren Buckleitner, (Editor of Children’s Technology Review), Mark Schlichting (Creator of the Living Books) and ,Daren Carstens (Carstens Studios). • Preview of the agenda. • Introductions. 8:00 Panel: What is an eBook? Four points of view. A panel moderated by Lori Collins Editor-in-Chief, Early Childhood Publications, for the National Wildlife Federation.