During my recent trip to Disney world, there was one reoccurring theme which caught my eye constantly, hiding in plain sight:

The use of technology was everywhere!

Although in some aspects it was subtle, such as touching your wristbands to a plate to gain entry to the park, there were other aspects which stunned me.

The projections of color on the castle during the fireworks display, animatronics on rides which looked so real that guests thought Abraham Lincoln was an actor at the 'Hall of Presidents' or Johnny Depp was visiting the park at the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' ride,  shows such as 'Turtle Talk with Crush' or 'Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor' where animated characters would talk to guests in a very personal way by using guests names or answering questions, the many photoPass capabilities on site which captured pictures like the one above, and even their trash collection process was more high tech than most people would immediately guess. This is just to name a few examples, but I would argue that the way they used the technology was simply the mechanics behind creating the magical experience around us.

This is not a new concept for Disney, in 1932 Disney released a film called 'Flowers and Trees'. What a lot of people don't know is that he was almost halfway done with the film when he came across a new technique called technicolor. Intrigued by this concept, Disney signed a three year deal and completely restarted the project from scratch to include this new colored feature. In 1932, 'Flowers and Trees' became the first commercial film to use this system. This film won Disney his first Oscar and it was the first time an Oscar had been given to a cartoon.

In today's age, technology is exploding at an exponential rate. I firmly believe it is our duty to charge forward into this unfamiliar territory and capture these concepts to use as tools for instruction in each of our given fields. 

One type of technology I'm currently working on is the use of Virtual Reality.

Over the next few months I will attempt to integrate the concept into this website. I believe it is a new tool to the trade which can be used to teach important skill-sets in the area of Higher Ed. If used correctly, I see a future where Resident Assistants can learn how to assess rooms for damages by looking at a 360 view of a room, I see how 360 video can come in handy when running training simulations (BCDs), I also see the integration of this technology into programming as well.

Have a program about using art as a tool to release stress before finals?
Wonderful!
Let's also include a virtual reality tour of the Louvre for students to get inspired and create their own master pieces!

Want to host a program about staying healthy during cold season?
Fantastic!
Let's also download an app called 'InCell VR' where students can learn about the science behind viruses while playing a roller-coaster style game where they collect proteins and race to the nucleus to combat virus symptoms!          

Want to take your students on a camping trip, but it gets rained out?
Not to worry!
Pitch a tent in the common room and have your students download a constellation app so they can still lay out beneath the stars and learn about the world around us!

This new technology expands the possibilities which we can bring to our students! It is our duty to take charge and blaze that trail. We might need to scrap some current projects and start from scratch, but I promise you the outcome will be truly magical.

​Question time: What type of technology excites you? 

Sources:
http://www.mywaltdisneyquotes.com/walt-disney-animation/
​http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/oldcolor/technicolor5.htm

are suddenly transformed back into a kid! The worry of tomorrow leaves your mind and your heart becomes lighter when you give up your hardships and believe in magic once more. Below is a list of my favorite rides/shows at Epcot, Animal Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom which did just that, enjoy.

Epcot:
Living with the Land- Call me a dork, but this ride really surprised me! Tucked away in the "land pavilion", it is easy to overlook (especially with Soarin' next to it), but give this ride a chance. What seems like a simple boat ride to get out of the heat quickly became an amazing educational experience as you travel through four different greenhouses, a fish farm and other research facilities to learn about agriculture and horticulture!

Turtle Talk with Crush- In retrospect, this experience is more geared toward the kids, but it puts into perspective how amazing technology can be. For about ten minutes, Crush (the turtle from 'Finding Nemo') swims by and answers questions about turtles and other marine life. Although it might not sound that interesting, the animated turtle on the screen actually does talk with the kids and uses their names! It is a great way to relay knowledge to the kids and is a very comedic show for the adults. It totally rocks dude!

Animal Kingdom:
Wilderness Explorers- Another easily overlooked area. Before heading over to Everest, grab a Wilderness Explorers book from the kiosk close to the entry of the park. As you travel through the park, you can visit various sites on the map and earn merit badges (stickers) for learning different facts. Some of these facts are about animals (why flamingos are pink), some are about cultures (meeting individuals from Asia and learning how to write our names in Hindi), some discuss the importance of conservation and others are just plain fun (The Yeti Badge!) It's an easy way to ensure you don't miss anything at the park and you actually learn a lot when you complete all 31 badge tasks! "The Wilderness must be Explored! CAW CAW ROAR!"  

Festival of the Lion King- If you ever want a reminder what Disney is all about, look no further than the Festival of the Lion King! With so many beautiful colors, costumes and magnificent singing voices, it is a show you won't want to miss! The video below is only a section of the show where the monkeys show off their acrobatic skills! 

Magic Kingdom:
Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress- Easily my favorite ride in the entire kingdom, the Carousel of Progress takes you on a journey through the 20th century with an all-american family. Maybe it is because this was the only ride Disney had touched in Orlando when he took it to the World's fair, but I have always found the message beautiful. 

Enchanted Tales with Belle- The concept is simple, you reenact the story of Beauty and the Beast with Belle. But by letting the kids play the part and adding a magic mirror, this show has crept quickly into my heart!

The Haunted Mansion- An old frightening classic with some new magic recently added if you are wearing a "magic band". Keep an eye out for hitchhiking ghosts!

Mickey's PhilharMagic- Very possibly my second favorite attraction. During a behind the scenes tour this year, our tour-guide informed us that this show was created to represent the way Disney always pictured the movie 'Fantasia' to be. With 4D effects as the ushers misted the audience with spray bottles when it rained in the movie or to spray various perfumes when flowers were shown. If anything it reminds me of the magic Disney has created throughout the years, how far he has come and is a secret nod to where the company used to be. 

Question time: What is your favorite Disney World ride?

Good afternoon world! The blog posts will be temporarily postponed until the 27th of June. The summer is a perfect time for a vacation and I look forward to sharing my experience next week!

Best wishes,
​Mark

This Hunger Banquet brought understanding and awareness of world poverty and did so in a very visual way. During this banquet, participants are divided into three socio-economic classes, low, middle, and high income group.

The low class (1/2 of the group) sits on the floor and are given a meal of water and rice.

The middle class (1/4 of the group)  sits at plastic tables and serve themselves rice and beans and are allowed to drink water.

The high income class (1/6 of the group) are served chicken, salad, and cheesecake by waiters and have many different options of drink including water, soda and juice.

While the students are eating, we discuss the effects of poverty, and have an in-depth conversation about how they felt in their given class. They are even asked in "introduce themselves" with cards they were given at the beginning of the event which gives a quick background of who they are and makes the experience more personal. 

This experience would not have been possible without a group named "Oxfam". Although we personally paid for the meals and reserved the areas, Oxfam provided a free digital  "toolbox" which included a shopping list, script, check off list, timeline, reflection questions and so much more! They also mailed us stickers for the participants, flyers and posters for the event to be hung up around campus, as well as print outs of the "introduction cards". The overall process could not have been easier! 

If you wish to host an Oxfam banquet, you can find the information here: https://www.oxfamamerica.org/take-action/events/hunger-banquet/ 

Too often we try to overthink programs when we could just as easily take a look around us and realize the resources are out there and ready to be used. You just need to know where to look.

​Question time: Have you attended a Hunger Banquet before?