Sure thing, use it however you\'d like

Hey try adding this Processing code, on the arduino side just look for the 'A' when someone in your friends list types the word 'Arduino', in your serialEvent and have it do something. Pretty sure that would work. Let me know if that help.

========================================================

//Date today = new Date();
Date latestTweetDate = new Date();

long previousMillis = 0; // will store last time we checked Twitter for updates
long interval = 10000; // interval at which to blink (milliseconds)

void draw() {
background(100);
text("color selected: " inString, 10,50);
//borrowed from Blink w/o Delay Arduino sketch
//Search for updates once every minute
if (millis() - previousMillis > interval) {
println("Call Made");
// save the last time you blinked the LED
previousMillis = millis();
try {
// The factory instance is re-useable and thread safe.
List statuses = twitter.getFriendsTimeline();
for( int i=0; i<statuses.size(); i )
{

Status status = (Status)statuses.get(i);
// Check to see if there is a match
String[] m1 = match(status.getText(), "Arduino");
if (m1 != null) {
// Check to see if tweet is new
Date tweetDate = status.getCreatedAt();
boolean isAfter = tweetDate.after(latestTweetDate);
if(isAfter){
println("Found a NEW match in '" " " status.getText() "'");
myPort.write('A');
latestTweetDate = status.getCreatedAt();
}

}
}
}
catch (TwitterException te) {
println("Couldn't connect: " te);
}
}
}

In hindsight, I think the source of my aggravation was partly due to my own role in education. I am a technologist that works with education. The majority of the people at the conference where direct opposites, educators that work with technologies. Although I am familiar with all the topics, there was nothing that I could really latch onto for my own personal role. I still stand by my comments that I would have liked to see more examples, but the issue then becomes, how to prevent each talk from being a complete brag fest filled with "I this" and "I that". Don't really know what the answer is, except maybe a little more diversity.

I am not so sure if i agree with not being able to engage a child that comes from a terrible home. I think just about every kid has the ability to be engaged in any topic. In my opinion, if a kid could be engaged while playing video games, or in a conversation with their friends, then there is nothing stopping them from being engaged in school. Although it may not be easy, I wouldn't say it is impossible. It is actually one of the main reasons why I recently decided to focus my technical talents in education. I want to do my part in insuring that those kids have a shot, and not get written off before they even had a chance to succeed.

It\'s my pleasure. As proactive as you and your team have been post event, I am positive that your next event will be mind blowing. Best of luck, and i will be sure to fill out a survey once i get my hands on it.

I understand where you are coming from, it can't be easy to create a full day event with a broad audience. Although, I didn't get that "ah ha" moment, i wrote in my post, I definitely learned a lot which made the event worth every minute and then some. Keep up the great work, and look forward to the next event. As for my networking suggestions, I don't know if my suggestions are the answer, however, I am sure that there is an innovative way to scaffold conversations. In my opinion, the discourse that happens outside of the auditorium is really where the power of an event like this could make great things happen.

Before I started my career as a programmer, i was a graphic designer, so I am all to aware of the external influences that may override some of your original design decisions. The decision on selecting that specific keypad could have been due to a variety of issues, such as budget constraints, manufacturer agreements (politics), compatibility issues between sensors, or available physical space for the component.

Another possibility is that the MTA contracted out the design to 2 separate designers or companies and there was a lack of communication between both parties. The touch screen interaction may have been contracted out to an interactive agency who specialize on screen based interaction design, and the casing may have been contracted to a company with experience creating physical interactions. Individually both solve their specific problems, but once integrated there is some disconnect.

I agree that hardware was not designed with education in mind, however after understanding hardware affordance and limitations, "software" could be developed with that focus. It really depends on what designers, developers, and educators do with the affordances that the platform offers. Platform and medium is arbitrary to education and learning if it is not be being used to its fullest potential by developers and educators. The design, execution, development, and successful integration in the classroom is what make any technology good or bad for education. We, as designers and educators are given tool, however that doesn't mean that will will use the tool very well.

Yeah i totally agree. The issue that i find, much like what happened when TV was first implemented into schools, is poor execution. There is a very short attention span for new technologies, so instructional designers and software developers need to work together to create something that is both grounded is learning theory, and takes advantage of all the affordances that the user experience offers. If, like the mobile industry, there is a slew of cookie cutter implementation such as the useless location aware data visualization that Yelp, layers, and so many others have been unsuccessfully trying to hammer down our throats, then this technology will be short lived. Hopefully people don\'t jump the gun, and actually think about what types of problems this experience would help solve before blindly developing a solution.

Yeah, it is always good to have someone to throw ideas at. Both her and my sister have worked with kids their entire working careers, so they've been extremely helpful.

Unfortunately those invites didn't last very long :(