Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter

So, Level Up Book Club, how's your super chillaxed, uber stress-free month of December, going?  That's what I thought! You're swamped! Overwhelmed!  Counting the seconds days till winter break!

Guess what?!

So are we!

Which is why this post is just a reminder that this month our gift to you is a no pressure read of Tom Bissell's Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter - just in time for the month when WE ALL wish we had a few extra lives to fall back on. (Or a least a few elves to help us get all that work done!)

No need to stress about challenges or leader boards this month, just pick up your copy of this amazing book and start reading.  Easy Peasy.

Over the next couple of weeks, we'll start posting quotes from the book and sharing our thoughts.  Then, once January hits, when we're all feeling rested and renewed, we'll hit the ground running in preparation for our next #levelupbc Twitter chat.  In the meantime, feel free to make Level Up and Bissell's book your happy place during this hectic and chaotic time.

And... if you're still waiting for your copy to come in at the public library OR you're hoping Santa will tuck one in your stocking, no worries!  Here's an interview with the author to tide you over!

Enjoy!

Edublog Awards!

 

Wait a second... did you do this?

Guild, this is AWESOME! Thank you so much for helping the Level Up Book Club get recognized for not one but three Edublog Awards! Level Up is nominated in the categories Best Group Blog, Best New Blog, and Best Edu Social Network.

And ya know what? We totally deserve it!

This book club is super fun because of the gamers, educators, and innovators that you are! We quest together. We explore together. We achieve together. What's not to love?!

Now it's time to see if the Level Up Book Club can bring home the bacon.

Voting for the Edublog Awards is open until 11:59pm EST on Sunday, December 9th. You can vote daily and from multiple devices. And, most importunely, each vote counts.

Go to the Edublog Awards voting page and let your voice be heard. Tweet the link. Promote Level Up. Coerce your colleagues to vote for us. You could even make a game out of it!

We're gonna wear these badges loud and proud!

Thanks for being part of this truly epic win!

FAUXasis WINNER!

A note from the desk of the 

FAUXasis Gaming Board

To all this may concern:

On behalf of the FAUXasis Gaming Board, I, Matthew Winner, FAUXasis lead designer and programmer, would like to congratulate user LIBRARYFANATIC as the winner of the Level Up Book Club Season 2 Side Quest. Despite competition from thousands of challengers globally, LIBRARYFANATIC has demonstrated the commitment, capacity, and merit to earn the coveted FAUXasis PRIZE. Said PRIZE will be sent via post to the undisclosed home of LIBRARYFANATIC where it will no doubt garner the attention and wordwide acclaim deserved of the competitor him- or herself.

The Board would also like to recognize those players who have endured the 10 FAUXasis modules over the recents weeks. You have each exhibited excellent sportsmanship and endurance through mental and physical challenges. 

The Board hopes you have enjoyed reading Ernest Cline's READY PLAYER ONE as well as your time spent in the company of the Level Up Book Club. All FAUXasis accounts will be terminated shortly and the modules permanently dismantled, but records of all accounts can still be accessed through the Level Up Book Club server.

Thank you again for playing. We hope you have enjoyed the experience.

Sincerely,

Matthew C. Winner

FAUXasis Lead Designer and Programmer

FAUXasis mod 10 (S2: Side Quest)

Directions: Within the following riddle are clues that will help you answer the question below. Using whatever means necessary, decode the clues and provide your answer to the question. If your name does not appear on the Leader Board within 12 hours time, you have answered incorrectly.

FAUXasis_mod_10

"Hard work is painful when life is devoid of purpose. But when you live for something greater than yourself and the gratification of your own ego, then hard work becomes a labour of love." - Steve Pavlina

Add caption

MOD DETAILS:

• Points will be awarded to the players with the highest posted scores at the conclusion of the mod. 
• All players will play Super Mario Bros. Crossover, located here.
• Please play using the following settings:
• Difficulty - NORMAL 
• Gameplay Mode - SURVIVAL
• Console to Simulate - NINTENDO
• Tutorials On - YES
• Visit the Super Mario Bros. Crossover wiki with questions or for tips.
• Post a screenshot of your high score to the Level Up Book Club tumblr no later than 11:59pm on Saturday, December 1st.
• Multiple submissions accepted. 
• Screenshots will be made public for other FAUXasis competitors to view.
• Points Awarded to Highest Score
• 1st Place - 50,000 pts
• 2nd Place - 40,000 pts
• 3rd Place - 30,000 pts
• 4th Place - 20,000 pts
• 5th Place - 10,000 pts
• 6th and Following - 1 pt

FAUXasis Leader Board : Sheet1

Sheet1 > <

Extra Lives: A Chillaxed Challenge from #levelupbc

Hope all our state-side players have recovered from their Turkey or Tofurkey comas and are ready to head back to work tomorrow.  And, if in your world the phrases "back to work" and "back to school" are one in the same, then you're probably already well aware that no matter how you slice it, there's really only about 3 weeks between this long awaited break and the next one. What's more, if you're anything like your Level Up Leaders, then getting this far has been a fun but exhausting ride.

So... here's what we're gonna do.

In order to keep the Level Up momentum moving forward, while also taking a low pressure approach to our next read, we're wrapping up a chillaxed challenge for our next read, Extra Lives by Tom Bissell, as our holiday gift to you.

Given how crazy this time of year is for everyone, but in particular for those who work and play with little (and big!) learners, we're gonna take this one slow.  Currently, we're planning our usual cumulative Twitter chat for this read as the first Level Up activity of 2013 - giving our friends, colleagues and readers (um... that's you!) permission to take a deep breath, concentrate on what's most important right now and tackle this read one delicious page at a time.

In the meantime, OF COURSE, we'll post some challenges along the way, share favorite quotes and make reading this book a meaningful learning experiences for everyone involved.  In fact, to start things off, per usual, let's get the ball rolling by sharing pics of your copy of our latest read either via the Level Up Book Club Tumblr or on Twitter - just be sure to tag your post with the #levelupbc hashtag!  And, of course, in the spirit of leading by example, here's a shot of the loot collected during my latest visit to the public library - with Extra Lives rising to the top of the heap!

So... wrap up the left overs, dust off the dreidels, take out the tinsel and grab a copy of Extra Lives so you can festivus with the rest of us.  Rest assured, Level Up ia not on hiatus, we are not taking a break - we're just making sure that Extra Lives doesn't add any extra stress to this already busy holiday season.!

FAUXasis mod 9 (S2: Side Quest)

Directions: Within the following riddle are clues that will help you answer the question below. Using whatever means necessary, decode the clues and provide your answer to the question. If your name does not appear on the Leader Board within 12 hours time, you have answered incorrectly.

FAUXasis_mod_9

NAME-or-GAME is what we'll play.

NAME or GAME, you must display.

Will there be a price to pay

if one or two is wrong?

Who can say?

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Image 4

Image 5

Image 6

Games4Good + Knowledge Quest = Week of EPIC WINS for #levelupbc

Ok. Somebody cue Kool and the Gang because Level Up has LOTS to celebrate this week.  Thanks to YOU and the donations of over 40 sponsors, #levelupbc's Games4Good campaign raised $1040 for the American Red Cross and other charities aiding victims of hurricane Sandy!!!  We are so proud of this achievement and as a token of our esteem, love and overwhelming gratitude, we created this video thank you card to acknowledge our generous sponsors!! Please pass it on to the folks who sponsored you and know that every thank you is meant from the heart!   Also, if you missed this campaign and would still like to donate, it's not too late!  The Red Cross's website offers several ways for you to give a little bit or a lot.  Every dollar shared makes a difference. 

But wait! That's not all!  Matthew and I are also giddy with gratitude this week because Level Up  was featured in this month's Knowledge Quest which is centered all around powering up your PLN.  We were thrilled to be asked to contribute a piece about this great group of gaming educators who are exploring new and innovative pedagogy through our little club.  What a thrill! If you're a member of AASL, you can view the issue on line, if not (join!) you can probably ask another school librarian if you can borrow theirs!  Again, Level Up would not EXIST or be nearly as much fun without you, so THANK YOU so much for continuing to support our efforts to get our game on!  We love Level Up so much! Which is why... 

We are excited to announce our next Twitter Chat for our latest read:  Karl Kapp's amazing book The Gamification of Learning and Instruction. Join us on MONDAY 11/19 at 8pm EST for a GREAT Twitter convo where we'll explore the concepts in the book AND announce our next read!

And one more time, for the record... THANK YOU for making this a week of EPIC WINS! 

FAUXasis mod 8 (S2: Side Quest)

Directions: Within the following riddle are clues that will help you answer the question below. Using whatever means necessary, decode the clues and provide your answer to the question. If your name does not appear on the Leader Board within 12 hours time, you have answered incorrectly.

FAUXasis_mod_8

That time you first hear an album and you know that it's going to change your life. 
That song you carry with you no matter where you go. 

Identify the album. Visit the location.
Return with photo evidence. 

MOD LIMITATIONS:

1. The FAUXasis only supports travel via Google Earth.

2. A screenshot matching the photo below (sans text) must be provided as proof.

3. All images must be submitted via Level Up Book Club Tumblr. Provide FAUXasis name on submission for credit.

4. Points will be awarded as follows: 

1st to Submit Photo = 50,000 pts

2nd to Submit Photo = 25,000 pts

3rd to Submit Photo = 10,000 pts

4th to Submit Photo = 5,000 pts

5th to Submit Photo = 2,500 pts

6th and following = 50 pts

Image 5 of 5.

Image 4 of 5.

Image 3 of 5.

Image 2 of 5.

Image 1 of 5.

 New photos will be added periodically, thereby providing new opportunities to earn points. FAUXasis users will be alerted to photo updates via Twitter using #FAUXasis.

Games 4 Good Wrap Up!

Did you play some Games4Good this weekend?  If so, we wanna know about it!  Please take a few minutes to let us know about your experience with this game-a-thon experiment!  We can't wait to hear how you used games to change the world!

Note:  we're asking for a list of the names of folks who sponsored you so that we can publicly thank them.  Please do not include contact info or the amounts each person gave, just let us know who they were so that we can give them a well deserved high five!

FAUXasis mod 7 (S2: Side Quest)

Directions: Within the following riddle are clues that will help you answer the question below. Using whatever means necessary, decode the clues and provide your answer to the question. If your name does not appear on the Leader Board within 12 hours time, you have answered incorrectly.

FAUXasis_mod_7 

Seated opposite a man in atramentous garb. 

Two intoxicants within your grasp, but which to select?

The venom will mean certain death.

Will you be saved with reason and the right words? 

You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? You've (quote omitted), which means you're exceptionally strong. So, you could have (quote omitted) in your own goblet, trusting on your strength to save you. So I can clearly not (quote omitted) in front of you. But, you have also (quote omitted) which means you must have studied. And in studying, you must have learned that man is mortal so you would have (quote omitted) as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not (quote omitted) in front of me.

FAUXasis mod 6 (S2: Side Quest)

Directions: Within the following riddle are clues that will help you answer the question below. Using whatever means necessary, decode the clues and provide your answer to the question. If your name does not appear on the Leader Board within 12 hours time, you have answered incorrectly.

FAUXasis_mod_6 

Home.

FAUXasis mod A (S2: Side Quest)

Directions: Within the following riddle are clues that will help you answer the question below. Using whatever means necessary, decode the clues and provide your answer to the question. If your name does not appear on the Leader Board within 12 hours time, you have answered incorrectly.

FAUXasis_mod_A 

There's an alt-FAUXasis where others play,
Where daring librarians live steam-punked days.
A top hat awaits you with little strife,
But to get there you'll need a second life.

ARTIFACT: LevelUpBC Top Hat

ABILITY: unknown

CLUES DROPPED: 
(1) Property SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Winterfell%20Absinthe/153/108/33
(2) Images of Property:

Zoom 1

Zoom 2

Zoom 3

DIRECTIONS: You may need to create an account for this one. 

A secret word is located within this property. The first to respond with said word will be awarded 15,000 points and will win a virtual tour of SL care of The Daring Librarian. Post a screenshot to Tumblr of your avatar wearing the artifact and earn an additional 50,000 points.

Games 4 Good

We all know that games are fun, engaging and can greatly impact student learning when put to use in the classroom.  However, given the magnitude of Hurricane Sandy and its impact on folks up and down the east coast of the US, we've decided it's time that we take a closer look at how games can, as Jane McGonigal says, make the world a better place.

So... buckle your seat belts, #levelupbc, we're about to change the world!

For the next #levelupbc challenge we're gonna play games AND raise money for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.  How, you ask?  Well, that's simple... we're having a Game-A-Thon!

Here's how it works:

Step 1:  Commit to playing a game (or many games) over a period of however many hours you would like, between 12:00am Saturday, November 11th and 11:59pm Sunday, November 12th.  If you think you can play for 5 hours, go for it!  If you think you can play for 2 hours, great!  If you think you can play for 48 hours, you're crazy, but we love it!  Bottom line, it doesn't matter how you play (console, phone, tablet, PC) or how long you can play, you just need to commit to being a gamer for part of that weekend.

Step 2:  Get your friends, neighbors, coworkers, compadres, brothers, sisters, cousins, distant relatives and sworn enemies to sponsor you! Tell them you're raising money for the victims of Hurricane Sandy and need their help!  If you've committed to gaming for 5 hours AND you can get 5 people to sponsor you at a rate of $2.00 an hour, by the end of the weekend, you'll have raised $40.00.  Get it?  You can even print out this handy, dandy sponsorship form to help you keep track of all the cash you're gonna collect! 

Step 3: Play some games, yo!  What games, you ask?  Well... any games!  However, now might be an AWESOME time to explore some of the games that have been specifically designed to foster social good.  Some of the ones we've been playing include:

• Free Rice (http://freerice.com) - "For each answer you get right, we donate 10 grains of rice through World Food Programme to help end hunger."
• Games for Change (http://www.gamesforchange.org) - "Catalyzing social impact through digital games." Over 100 games created by independent game designers to inspire and challenge users.
• Lure of the Labyrinth (http://labyrinth.thinkport.org/www/) - A puzzling world with puzzling puzzles for you to discover, uncover, and, hopefully, solve. The focus here is clearly on math, but it's just so enticing we couldn't bare to leave it off our list.

Of course, you can play any game you want. In fact, use this challenge as an excuse to spend a little time this weekend just playing.  We've all got mountains of work to do and sometimes it feels frivolous to spend time engrossed in a game - but this weekend, you're not playing... you're SAVING THE WORLD!  (The dishes can wait!) 

Step 4:  Donate your earnings to charity.  Again, how you choose to donate is up to you, but one of the easiest way is by sending a text to the Red Cross.  Once you've collected your sponsorships you can just text that amount in and voila! Your sponsors can give directly to the Red Cross Disaster Relief, too, if you'd prefer not to handle any money exchange. TeacherCast has made it possible for your school or district to help those in New Jersey affected by the hurricane. Regardless of how you choose to help, you and your posse have made the world just a little bit better.

Step 5:  Document your experience!  If you're participating in this challenge, there are a few ways that you can share your journey and cheer on your fellow philanthropists.  

• Fill out this Google Form to let us know that you're participating.
• Send us some photos (either via Tumblr or Twitter) of you getting your game on!
• Spread the word!  One of the things that is sooooo motivating about games is that they are SOCIAL.  What fun is playing Guitar Hero if you've got no one to giggle with?  Mario Kart stinks without someone to trash talk!  And Monopoly wouldn't be the same without someone else to land on your Park Place hotels!  Plus, the more people we can get to play, the more we can help others!
• Tweet about it using the hashtags #levelupbc and #games4good
• Finally, keep track of your donations.  Once the games have begun, we'll give you a way to share how much you raised.   

And, of course, there will be kudos and prizes for folks who raise the most money, get the most people to play and other fun stuff. 

So... spend this week committing to play, soliciting sponsorships and challenging your friends to play too.  In the end, all of your efforts will go to help some folks who really need it. 

FAUXasis mod 5 (S2: Side Quest)

Directions: Within the following riddle are clues that will help you answer the question below. Using whatever means necessary, decode the clues and provide your answer to the question. If your name does not appear on the Leader Board within 12 hours time, you have answered incorrectly.

FAUXasis_mod_5 

You enter an old arcade. The air is clouded with the smell of pizza and unbathed teens. You approach a favorite cabinet, copyright TobiKomi Co. 1982. You feel through the contents of your pocket, a stick of gum, a Scrabble tile, a ball of lint, until your fingers close around a quarter. Time to set a new high score.

DIRECTIONS: Post a screenshot of your in game high score to our Tumblr to prove your worthiness. Include your FAUXasis account name in the text box.

Rock Star Treatment.

Shelving Wars.

The Quest4Hope.

BUSter.

The Overdue Avengers.

These are just a handful of the games #LevelUpBC members created in our "Design a Game" Challenge. Level Up readers were asked to apply what we're reading in Kapp's The Gamification of Learning and Instruction in order to create a game out of commonplace work we usually consider mundane.

Descriptions of the games were submitted to our Level Up wiki and others are welcome to add ideas at any time. But for the time being it's time to select a new winner of a Week of the Rock Star Treatment on Twitter. We had a blast offering up fanfare for @SSedro all last week.

And the winner is...

Share praise, fanfare, and otherwise ridiculous acts of affection for @LibraryFanatic all this week. She deserves it! And thanks to everyone who contributed! We can't wait to put these games into action at our schools!

FAUXasis mod 4 (S2: Side Quest)

Directions: Within the following riddle are clues that will help you answer the question below. Using whatever means necessary, decode the clues and provide your answer to the question. If your name does not appear on the Leader Board within 12 hours time, you have answered incorrectly.

FAUXasis_mod_4 

Fourscore and... seven minutes ago... we, your forefathers, were brought forth upon a most excellent adventure conceived by our new friends, Bill... and [name omitted from FAUXasis module]. These two great gentlemen are dedicated to a proposition which was true in my time, just as it's true today. Be excellent to each other. And... PARTY ON, DUDES!

FAUXasis mod 3 (S2: Side Quest)

Directions: Within the following riddle are clues that will help you answer the question below. Using whatever means necessary, decode the clues and provide your answer to the question. If your name does not appear on the Leader Board within 12 hours time, you have answered incorrectly.

FAUXasis_mod_3

You stand behind the register and straighten a box of cat food as a man wearing a black leather jacket approaches the counter.

FAUXasis mod 2 (S2: Side Quest)

Directions: Within the following riddle are clues that will help you answer the question below. Using whatever means necessary, decode the clues and provide your answer to the question. If your name does not appear on the Leader Board within 12 hours time, you have answered incorrectly.

FAUXasis_mod_2

Beyond the Goblin City

Sarah spoke, "You have no power over me."
Is this word too obscure for thee?

George Lucas, there's a first time for everything.

Two Paths.

Two paths lie before you. Which will you choose?

The first continues on familiar ground, completing The Gamification of Learning and Instruction by Karl M. Kapp and participating in the task listed below (extended from last week).

The second leads into unfamiliar territory, enticing you deeper into 80's nostalgia and perplexing trivia on a side quest inspired by Ernest Cline's Ready Player One. Follow the clues and perhaps you'll win the PRIZE.

Of course, you could always do both. In Level Up you are certainly permitted to have your cake and eat it, too.

But the choice is yours. Feel free to continue posting Kapp quotes to Twitter and taking part in our discussion therein.

We will determine a date and time for our Twitter Chat about The Gamification of Learning and Instruction shortly. Until then, happy gaming!

Task 3:

WIKI CHALLENGE: "Design a Game"

Directions: As with any profession, working in education comes with its own arsenal of mundane and avoid-if-at-all-possible tasks. Review Kapp's response to the questions What is a game? (pg. 6), What is gamification? (pg. 9), and What gamification is not (pg. 12), then choose from one of the common school to-do's below and attempt to make a game of it.

a. Grading a stack of papers
b. One morning on bus duty
c. Increasing collaboration with classroom teachers
d. Decreasing overdue book statistics
e. FREE CHOICE - identify an otherwise mundane task in your workplace and create a game to accomplish the task in a more engaging, motivating way

Post the description of your game to our Level Up wiki for others to read and consider.

Reward: We're going to carry over the reward from last week because it is awesome and because it may be the kind of feel-good wonderfulness that you need amid this already stressful school year.

Since Twitter is our primary discussion space for #levelupbc, and since we'll be drawing an awful lot of attention to Kapp's excellent resource, the reward for this challenge will be One Week of Rock Star Treatment. That's right! For one whole week Jennifer and Matthew will tweet boastful, flattering, enthusiastic, mostly-true tweets about YOU which will inevitably cause the Twitterverse to swell with jealousy, your followers to shoot through the roof, and your social media cred to reach limitless heights. ...Or, at the very least, it could just make you feel really really good about yourself.

Deadline: 11:59pm Sunday, October 28th. Post a description of your game to our Level Up wikispace no later than Sunday by midnight.

FAUXasis mod 1 (S2: Side Quest).

Directions: Within the following riddle are clues that will help you answer the question below. Using whatever means necessary, decode the clues and provide your answer to the question. If your name does not appear on the Leader Board within 12 hours time, you have answered incorrectly.

FAUXasis_mod_1

Foreign AI with exterior sheen

Opting to stutter instead of to sing.

Selecting a preference is too challenging

When offered in vessels found balancing.

Am I dreaming? No. Where am I? In bed? Well, what am I doing? Oh. Talking to myself.

Welcome to the FAUXasis. (S2: Side Quest)

Welcome, PLAYER.

We have been alerted to your recent purchase, loan, or selection of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline and a copy of your records has been uploaded to the FAUXasis.

Your eligibility for the grand prize now hangs in the balance. Should you choose to pursue the PRIZE, you will encounter untold barriers, puzzles, and challenges, each testing your mind, skill, and ability to its fullest potential. If you select to ignore our invitation to the FAUXasis, your account will be frozen until such time as you choose to engage once more or until the PRIZE has been located.

PLAYERS who correctly solve each obstacle will appear on the FAUXasis Leader Board, located below. But only one PLAYER will win the PRIZE.

The first module will be posted shortly.

READY PLAYER ONE?

Am I dreaming? No. Where am I? In bed? Well, what am I doing? Oh. Talking to myself.

S2: Task 3: Design a Game.

Still reading. Still being inspired. Still thinking about how all of this will inform your future instruction.

We're slowing down the pace a little this week, giving #LevelUpBC members a chance to finish reading The Gamification of Learning and Instruction and some much needed time to wrap our brains around it all. Continue posting Kapp quotes to Twitter and taking part in our discussion therein.

But while you finish up our first read of Season 2 we've got another challenge for you!

Admit it... you've been there.

Task 3:

WIKI CHALLENGE: "Design a Game"

Directions: As with any profession, working in education comes with its own arsenal of mundane and avoid-if-at-all-possible tasks. Review Kapp's response to the questions What is a game? (pg. 6), What is gamification? (pg. 9), and What gamification is not (pg. 12), then choose from one of the common school to-do's below and attempt to make a game of it.

a. Grading a stack of papers
b. One morning on bus duty
c. Increasing collaboration with classroom teachers
d. Decreasing overdue book statistics
e. FREE CHOICE - identify an otherwise mundane task in your workplace and create a game to accomplish the task in a more engaging, motivating way

Post the description of your game to our Level Up wiki for others to read and consider.

Reward: We're going to carry over the reward from last week because it is awesome and because it may be the kind of feel-good wonderfulness that you need amid this already stressful school year.

Since Twitter is our primary discussion space for #levelupbc, and since we'll be drawing an awful lot of attention to Kapp's excellent resource, the reward for this challenge will be One Week of Rock Star Treatment. That's right! For one whole week Jennifer and Matthew will tweet boastful, flattering, enthusiastic, mostly-true tweets about YOU which will inevitably cause the Twitterverse to swell with jealousy, your followers to shoot through the roof, and your social media cred to reach limitless heights. ...Or, at the very least, it could just make you feel really really good about yourself.

Deadline: 11:59pm Sunday, October 21st. We have big plans for these games (in future challenges, that is), so make sure set time aside to post before midnight on Sunday.

S2: Side Quest

The journey will be difficult, but you don't have to travel alone.

The path is unwarranted, treacherous, and a diversion from the one you walk now. It is not necessary to reaching your goal, but not all those who wander are lost.

Untold treasures await those brave enough to venture on this quest. Are you ready?

Excellent. Step 1: Watch this video.


Essentials Understandings Before Questing:
1. This book does not replace or postpone our reading of The Gamification of Learning and Instruction by Karl M. Kapp.
2. Reading this book is not mandatory for Level Up readers, nor do you have to read the remaining Season 2 titles to be able to participate in this side quest.
3. This book is a work of fiction and will not directly benefit your professional growth or understanding of gamification, all though reading it may make you cooler.

Materials Needed for Sidequest: Delorean, Huey Lewis and the News cassette tape, Atari 2600, and a copy of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

Restrictions:
1. You may bring a companion to improve your chances of returning safely from this side quest, but all participating members must read (or have read) the book.
2. The side quest must be completed in its entirety before the conclusion of Season 2 (estimated November 30th) in order for you to earn credit.
3. You may not under any circumstances listen to "I Ran" by Flock of Seagulls at any point during your side quest. Failure to do so will result in immediate termination of accumulated credit.

Specifics regarding the side quest will be revealed on Saturday, October 20th at levelupbc.blogspot.com. Until then, find a copy of Ready Player One and buckle up.

And the S2: Task 1 Amazon Gift Card winner is...

We've got a stack of photos on our Level Up tumblr of new and returning members to the Level Up Book Club, but only one is walking away with a $15 Amazon.com gift card to use toward the next Level Up read or for some fancy socks, bulk erasers, or whatever it is you fancy to meet your online shopping needs.

And that winner is...

Becca Oxley! (@LibrariansFTW)

Congratulations!

While the gift card may be claimed, it's not too late to post your picture to our Tumblr page. Feel free to post so we can all "see" who's reading with us.

Speaking of reading, we hope you're really enjoying Kapp's The Gamification of Learning and Instruction. Post those quotes for some quick +1 levels. You may just take the top leader board position!

S2: Task 2: Kapp Quotes

You've introduced yourself to your fellow #LevelUpBC members. You've had a chance to pick up a copy of Karl M. Kapp's The Gamification of Learning and Instruction. You've probably even had a chance to crack the cover (or the eSpine?). Let's dig into the text.

Task 2:

TEXT CHALLENGE:  “Kapp Quotes”

Matthew's future gamer rock star.

Directions: Share quotes that interested, intrigued, or otherwise spoke to you via this post's comment thread or on Twitter using #levelupbc. The more you share, the more we connect. The more we connect, the more we WIN.                                                                                                              

Reward:  Since Twitter is our primary discussion space for #levelupbc, and since we'll be drawing an awful lot of attention to Kapp's excellent resource, the reward for this challenge will be One Week of Rock Star Treatment. That's right! For one whole week Jennifer and Matthew will tweet boastful, flattering, enthusiastic, mostly-true tweets about YOU which will inevitably cause the Twitterverse to swell with jealousy, your followers to shoot through the roof, and your social media cred to reach limitless heights. ...Or, at the very least, it could just make you feel really really good about yourself. 

Deadline: 11:59pm Friday, October 12th. Your name will be added to a drawing for each quote you share via the comment thread and/or Twitter. PLUS, we'll award one level up for each quote you share! Lots of chances to win, but you'll have to be an active member of the game and, therefore the discussion. As always, there will be plenty of other opportunities to share later and tons more challenges and opportunities to level up, so if you miss this deadline, don't despair! Find your highlighted, penned, and dog-eared quotes and share away!

Happy reading, sharing, and winning!

S2: Task 1: Meet Your Bookclub

Welcome (and welcome back) to the Level Up Book Club, the book club gamified! Last season was full of crazy challenges, interesting reads, and dozens of opportunities to network and let loose. This season we're upping the ante and challenging our readers in ways once thought diabolical. But for now, we'll start with something easy.

Task 1:

PHOTO CHALLENGE:  “Meet Your Bookclub”

Directions: Grab a copy of The Gamification of Learning and Instruction by Karl M. Kapp, our Level Up Book Club September selection, and share a picture of you with book/device in hand. Go to our Tumblr and click "submit" or post your pic to #LevelUpBC via Twitter. Be sure to tell us a little about yourself.

Reward:  Not only do you get the chance to meet everyone else who is going on this epic quest with you BUT one lucky #levelupbc member will win one of these smashing Level Up Book Club Badges AND an Amazon gift card to help with the purchase of our September read.

Deadline:  11:59pm Sunday, September 29th.  Don't worry, there will be tons more challenges and opportunities to level up, so if you miss this deadline, don't despair!  Snap a photo anyway and submit it to our  Tumblr  so we can bask in the glory of your awesomeness! 

I know!  Sweet! 

So... what are you waiting for??  Grab your book and your camera and get ready to level up! 

Season 2.

Welcome (back) to the Level Up Book Club, a home turf for open discussions on the gamification of schools and school-based instruction.

The Level Up Book Club is an open-invitation community of gaming and non-gaming educators alike who take part in weekly challenges, explore best instructional best practices through gaming, and level up through some friendly competition.

Jennifer and I will be your hosts, your cheering squad, and your competition for the next three months and we look forward to providing authentic learning experiences that are both fun and rewarding. Our reading list will include:

September/October - The Gamification of Learning and Instruction by Karl M. Kapp

October - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

November - Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter by Tom Bissel

To become a member of the Level Up Book Club, simply reply to this post with your name and Twitter handle, or tweet to #LevelUpBC with a message saying "I'm game for Season 2!"

Then pick up a copy of The Gamification of Learning and Instruction and prepare for some awesome challenges and inspiring reading.

And to all of our Level Up Book Club members from Season 1... Thanks for leveling up with us! We hope you'll return for another memorable season of gaming and learning together. If you're moving on to new things, then allow us to please say thanks for all of the great things you brought to the table over the past 3 months. You helped Level Up off to a very strong start!

Gamefully yours,

- Matthew & Jennifer

And The Oscar Goes To...

Last week we challenged you to watch the videos created during the first ever #levelupbc Twitter Chat Film Festival!  The film maker whose on the fly production received the most votes was promised a most epic prize:  a 53' Inflatable Oscar!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Obviously, the competition was fierce, but the votes have been tallied and the Oscar goes to...

I demand a recount! :)

What can I say?  Thanks to everyone who voted for my video!  It was fun to make and I hope everyone enjoyed having the opportunity to think about how they would convince their "brotherhood" that game based learning equals effective pedagogy!

So... what happens next?  Stay tuned!  The next step in the Level Up Book Club journey is going to be AMAZING!  So grab your books and get ready to take your teaching to the next level! 

Task 12: You Like Me. You REALLY Like ME!

Holy super cinematic masterpieces, Batman!  If you missed last night's #levelupbc twitter chat, YOU MISSED OUT!  Instead of discussing our latest read in the traditional way, we spent the hour creating online movies in which we faced our own personal "brotherhood."

Yeah.  It was epic.

But that was only the beginning.

This week, as you get your hands on our next read, we're asking that you take a minute to watch what your colleagues created and cast your ballot for best picture.

It's simple.  Pop some popcorn, grab the beverage of your choice and then head over to our tumblr. OR you can view all of the videos below by scrolling past the survey. Once you've done your best impression of Roger Ebert, just cast your ballot in the form below.

But wait!  There's more!

The winner of this week's challenge - the director of the film that gets the most votes - gets....... THIS!

NO!! YOUR EYES ARE NOT DECEIVING YOU!

Someone is going home with a 53" inflatable Oscar y'all!

So... grab a copy of  Karl Kapp's book and settle in for the best independent film making this side of Sundance.   Voting ends Friday at 11:59pm EST.  We'll announce the winner on Saturday.

Good luck!

 

@michaelrosario :

@matthewwinner :

@premediawine :

@jenniferlagarde :

@SEMSlibrarylady :


@CarliSpina :
My #LevelUpBC Entry by carli.spina on GoAnimate

Video Maker - Powered by GoAnimate. http://animoto.com/play/aRXPnCszsSYMri6g2PfuOw

@harbeckc :
http://animoto.com/play/aRXPnCszsSYMri6g2PfuOw