Can't wait to download World of Goo form Wii Ware. It's one of those games that is immediately appealing because of how it looks but once you get passed the initial delight of what you are seeing you can begin to see the challenge and level of engagement it can bring. Have a look and see what you think:

You can download a demo of the game for Mac or PC from 2D Boy.

The game itself is described on the Nintebndo Wii Ware channel as follows:

World of Goo is a multiple award winning physics based puzzle / construction game made entirely by two guys. Drag and drop living, squirming, talking, globs of goo to build structures, bridges, cannonballs, zeppelins, and giant tongues. The millions of Goo Balls that live in the beautiful World of Goo are curious to explore - but they don't know that they are in a game, or that they are extremely delicious.

• Mysterious Levels: Each level is strange and dangerously beautiful, introducing new puzzles, areas, and the creatures that live in them.

• World of Goo Balls: Along the way, undiscovered new species of Goo Ball, each with unique abilities, come together to ooze through reluctant tales of discovery, love, conspiracy, beauty, electric power, and the third dimension.

• The Sign Painter: Someone is watching you.

• World of Goo Corporation: Congratulations! World of Goo Corporation is the Global Leader in Goo and Goo Related Product, including World of Goo Corporation Trademark Brand Soft Drink Beverage and World of Goo Corporation Trademark Brand Facial Exfoliating Lotion. Succulent!

• Massive Online Competition: Human players around the world compete in a living leaderboard to build the tallest towers of goo in World of Goo Corporation's mysterious sandbox

Enjoy, and let me know how you get on with it. Also if you think you can use it in class then give me a shout.

I see that Lost Penny by the BBC is now up and running. I have heard a bit about this alternate reality game and it sounded and now looks really interesting and involving. However, I can't access the clips etc whilst I'm here in Melbourne! I'm out of the BBC's region it seems :-(

If anyone wishes to follow the game and get involved in solving th mysteries and questions that arise in Lost Penny then please let me know how it is going. I'll be way behind by the time I get back to Scotland.

It was with interest that I read Tom Conlon's article about the Dark side of Glow in today's TESS. After reading it I couldn't help but feel as though I was in some way an acolyte of Darth Vader and the Empire due to my and others 'irrational exuberance' for such a technology. Don't get me wrong, I am not on here to have a dig at someone that is looking at what is happening in the education world with such a critical and questioning eye. We always need that and I have taken on board and am still in the process of digesting what Tom Conlon says...however. I do feel that the view that comes across is somewhat negative and the article is significant for me in the sense that there is no mention at all of the positives that the initiative that is Glow can, and, is bringing to teaching and learning in classrooms across the country.

I was recently in a class in Bishopbriggs (blog post to follow on the Consolarium's blog) led by a teacher called Susan Yeoman. Glow had become integral to what was happening in this class and the evidence of learning that I witnessed was, in my opinion, damn good. The class site/s were packed with evidence of rich learning, they were engaging with other children, developing their skills in the field of technology, enthused about learning, sharing their work at home and using technology in a purposeful and relevant way. I have seen this in many other classrooms too. I thought that we had moved past the trough of disillusionment in Gartner's Hype Cycle (particularly in view of a recent key contacts meeting) and were moving towards the plateau of productivity but Tom's article still urges caution, a little too much in the negative for me.

I have some comments to make about what Tom has to say:

• I question Tom's suggestion that a free laptop for every teacher might have been a better option. Where is the evidence to support that?

• I also question Tom's focus on the phrase 'the speeded-up school'. I look forward to a 'speeded up school' that engages with technologies in as informed and evaluative a process as possible. This work will continue to evolve and develop and I believe that we need to be in there actually doing it in class. Why shouldn't we aspire to have schools where learning is speeded up...

• I sympathise with his comments about the digital divide but should this stop us from building the infrastructure that learners might be able to access via a PSP, a DS, a Wii or any other cultural significant technologies that young people use? Such an initiative, aspirational in its conception and desire, could and should play a part in cementing the arguments for the support and provision of access for all.

• The final part of Tom's article that I must say is disappointing is his comment about the cultural trivialisation of amateur chatter within Glow. What exactly does he mean by this? The work that I am seeing with young people engaging with Glow and some of the professional discourse that is happening in some Glow groups is, in my opinion, far from amateur but wholly professional and enlightening and evidential of the superb and thoughtful range of teachers there are in Scottish schools.

I realise that as an employee of LTS that this blogpost may come across as on message and partisan but I hope not, We need people like Tom Conlon to make us step back and out of any blind enthusiasm for new technological initiatives and to always keep a critical eye on what we are doing. We do however, I believe, also need to make the best use of technologies to engage learners and in so doing continue to contribute to the discourse about effective practice in such a domain. Glow has great potential and there are of a great many teachers out there who are making it happen, I wonder how much of this Tom has actually seen? I look forward to reading more of Tom's thoughts when they come out in the Scottish Educational Review.

Now I'm off to construct my own light sabre and find that pesky Yoda!

As part of the success of the work that has been happening in Scottish schools with regards to games based learning we have managed to secure funding for someone to come and work with us in the Consolarium. Although you will support/partner me in much of my work you will head up The Winning Game project that we have been working on with the Winning Scotland Foundation.

If you are interested then have a look at the advert in The Learning and Teaching Scotland vacancies page.

Those of you who know me will know that John Shuttleworth is my absolute hero so it was with great delight that I heard him (thanks to Hamish Budge for the heads up) on Radio 4's Loose Ends programme. In fact, I've just listened to the programme on BBC iplayer on the train home from London. He performed a new song called "One cup of tea is never enough and two is one too many". Yes, I'm sure some kind of reference to Hotmilkydrink is in there...

Have a listen to it and jump to 22 minutes on the clip to hear the master at work. Rolf Harris even freestyles alongside John on the track. What a duo! Another guest on the show then talks about metro sexuals and quizzes John about which skin products he uses. I think John is solely a Brut or Old Spice man and maybe splashes on some Blue Stratos on the odd special occasion.

Finally, John is about to undertake a national tour called The Minor Tour and other Mythological Creatures, beginning in November. I'm going to see him In Edinburgh on December 3rd so get yourself along for an evening of mirth, merriment and the opportunity to punch the air to some his great tunes.