Speakers

Jess McCulloch

Teacher Educator, Chinese Teacher Training Centre, Melbourne Uni

Fighting The Doom of Not Knowing and Hunting for Dragon Coins

What would you do if you received a letter in the mail with a single Chinese character printed on the page and on closer inspection you noticed a website and password underneath? You would follow up the lead would you not? And if you did, you would find yourself thrown headlong into a fight to save the community as part of a story world in which you are an active character. In this session two such experiences will be talked about and you may be required to join a secret society...but don’t tell anyone.

Jess McCulloch is a Chinese language educator and has taught all year levels. However, this description is complicated by the fact she is not currently working in a school, but rather being paid by Chinese Teacher Training Centre at Melbourne Uni to develop narrative based learning experiences for kids (which is a very fun job). Her head is currently very full of this idea of using an immersive narrative as a learning tool and she has taken it so far that she is currently also known as Agent 42 and has been recruiting other secret agents in an effort to crack the mystery of the most complicated Chinese character known to mankind... Jess is also currently working with a dragon and will soon be contracting the talents of some immortals with special powers. Knowledge of how an immersive narrative experience can be an engaging and valuable educational experience for children.