Project ROAR (Radford Outdoor Augmented Reality) http://www.radford.edu/mdunleavy/445/ROAR.html Project ROAR’s objective is to develop engaging and effective augmented reality learning simulations to enhance middle school science teaching and learning in southwestern Virginia. Augmented reality (AR) uses handheld computers and GPS receivers to correlate students’ real-world locations to their virtual locations in the simulation’s digital world. As the students move around a physical location, such as their school playground or sports field, maps on their handheld devices display digital objects and virtual people that exist in the augmented reality world superimposed on real space. When students come within approximately 10 feet of these digital artifacts, video, audio, and text files provide narrative, navigation, and collaboration cues as well as academic challenges. Kids for Change (K4C) http://www.colab.soe.vt.edu/k4c/ In Kids for Change, middle school students in after-school programs create multimedia animations, stories, simulations, and games around energy security and sustainability topics (e.g., energy-efficient buildings and construction, renewable electric power, recycling) that require design and development using writing and composition, storyboarding, video editing, and modeling and presentation software. Participants use Web-based collaboration technologies—including blogs, wikis, and file sharing—to broadcast and share narratives creating a social network of collaborators and peers. This approach reflects the values of participatory learning whereby all members of a community contribute to and benefit from student development and growth. iLearn http://www.radford.edu/mdunleavy/iLearn/Welcome.html Every student enrolled in media and communication courses at Dalton Intermediate School and Radford High School receives an iPod touch for the duration of the course. They explore and document how they use the iPod to learn, play, and live. Standards-based activities culminate in the production of documentaries of their lives. interactive technologies for embodied Learning * Reading & Mathematics (iteL * RM) http://www.lml.soe.vt.edu/itelrm/ This program encourages elementary students to explore reading and mathematics using wireless mobile technologies with instructional and communication software. Learning opportunities incorporate the same technologies and learning strategies popularized by video games, personal broadcasting, and Web 2.0. The goal of the initiative is to help children develop appropriate thinking strategies and sufficient practice to improve fundamental knowledge in target areas and increase problem-solving skills using a range of emerging technologies for communication and computing.