{"id":904,"date":"2010-11-04T11:13:30","date_gmt":"2010-11-04T10:13:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.feedingedge.co.uk\/blog\/?p=904"},"modified":"2010-11-04T11:17:19","modified_gmt":"2010-11-04T10:17:19","slug":"unity3d-growing-lets-get-schools-in-on-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.feedingedge.co.uk\/blog\/2010\/11\/04\/unity3d-growing-lets-get-schools-in-on-this\/","title":{"rendered":"Unity3d growing – lets get schools in on this"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Tweet<\/a><\/div>\n

A recent press release from Unity3d<\/a> gave some impressive figures “Unity Technologies Surpasses 250K Developers Milestone and 35M Installs of Free Unity Web Player<\/a>”
\nI am a big fan of Unity3d as you will have seen over the years and it is great to see the company doing so well. I do not think this success is purely technical, Unity3d is a great product but it has been the positive and open attitude of the company which if you ever talk to the CEO David Helgasson you will see why. It is a true startup come good.
\nThe figures are impressive for the web plugin but the figures not shown, that are in fact even bigger is the fact that every iphone and droid can run Unity3d apps. Many of you will have even played or used some and possibly not even noticed.
\n\"Unity3d<\/a>
\nI expect to see Unity3d appear in more and more schools as part of both art and science lessons, that was partly my intention in showcasing it on The Cool Stuff Collective<\/a>. This is a tool and an environment that has both great simplicity and the ability to get as complex as you want. Programming and graphic\/sound integration is the ultimate UGC. We also have lots of ways to deploy and share that content.
\nIt seems that a set of simple course material prefabs would make a great module in both infant and secondary education to help find the story tellers, game developers, artists and programmers of the future by letting kids just get on with it and create. There may be some real gems of ideas bubbling away out there don’t you think?
\nHaving seen the willingness to create with my own kids, watching a 3 year old choose to paint the Kart in Mario Kart on the DS and decorate away, or seeing a 7 year old revel in 3d modelling with the haptic device<\/a> we really should be pushing this future tech (not just Unity3d BTW) into schools, helping teachers understand the creative and learning potential.
\nI know lots of people are, I know there is lots of resistance to change too. However some of this is not massive capital expenditure (most schools seem to have computers). In just the same way as many of us solo entrepreneurs are able to punch above our human resources weight with access to amazingly accessible technology, so should the classroom.
\nIt is then not a lesson about computing or tech but about creativity, expression as well as STEM.
\nFingers crossed we can ride this wave. It is certainly one I want to pursue.
\nAnyone out there have good Unity3d educational related prefabs?<\/p>\n