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!

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!

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.

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.

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! 

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 #9: The Discussion Continues

Thursday's #levelupbc Twitter Chat was another great celebration of all the amazing knowledge each of you bring to the table. Thanks for transferring those relevant ideas picked up from reading James Paul Gee's What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy and applying them to your current instructional practice. We know lots of you were not able to join us for the Twitter Chat, so...

Task 9:

WIKI CHALLENGE: "Let's Talk Gee on our Wiki"

Directions: Join the new Level Up Book Club wiki (http://levelupbc.wikispaces.com), visit the Discuss Gee page, and respond to a couple of questions. You can add to our Twitter Chat discussion questions or respond to other questions submitted last week by #levelupbc members care of Task #8. Make sure you leave your name if you want Reward credit.

Reward: Let's level up together! Earn +1 level for joining the wiki plus an additional +1 level for every question you respond to (Remember to leave your name so we can reward you!).

Deadline: Respond to questions via the wiki no later than 11:59pm Monday, August 13th to claim your level ups.

August: I'll Eat This Cricket...

Join us as we read I'll Eat This Cricket for a Cricket Badge by Steele & Chung and you just may find it the perfect resource for all of those colleagues who raise an eyebrow and ask gami-what-ification?

We hope this 80-page novella will not only give you a chance to mentally prepare for the upcoming school year, but also a tool that can be shared with others to help draw them into this new and exciting adventure we're all taking.

As usual, we'll have photo challenges, unlockable achievements, and plenty of opportunities to level up.

Keep the discussion going on Twitter using the #levelupbc hashtag and don't forget to add gamification and game-based learning resources to our Diigo page, dig deeper with our Live Binder, and continue the discussion while supporting others through our Wiki.

Game on!

Task #8: We Will Now Be Taking Questions

Our Twitter Chat for James Paul Gee's What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy will take place on Thursday, August 2nd at 8pm EST. Jennifer and I decided to up and ante by crowdsourcing the  discussion questions.

Task 8:

GOOGLE DOC CHALLENGE: "Take Down the Leader"

Directions: Think of a question we could discuss at our upcoming #levelupbc Twitter Chat for James Paul Gee's book, then complete the form below with the question you'd like us to consider. You may submit as many questions as you'd like. Please complete a new form for each question.

Reward: We will select 4-5 questions for our discussion. We will award +10 levels up for each question accepted, regardless of the author. But look out! Jennifer and I are competing in this one, too... and we each want that top leader spot back!

Deadline: All questions must be submitted no later than 11:59pm Wednesday, August 1st.

Task #7: Powerful Words

Now that most of us have our copies of James Paul Gee's What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy, why don't we open things up for discussion.

Task 7:

TEXT CHALLENGE:  “Agree or Disagree with Gee”

Mr. James Paul Gee himself.

Directions: Share a quote 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: It's the middle of the summer and Jennifer and I find ourselves away from our computers during the same week (Eeek!). Thankfully, two Level Up members jumped on board to help us out in the 11th hour. So we hope you don't mind that we're front-loading our prize for this week's challenge. 

Katy Vance (@katyvance) and Aimee Bartis (@aimeegbartis) have stepped up to keep score on our leaderboard, so we're thanking them with +20 levels up each for taking initiative (and being the first to respond).

As for the rest of you, same rules go. Tweet a quote that spoke to you from Gee's book, earn a level up on our board. The more you share, the more you win. (AND the more we all win!)

Deadline:  11:59pm Friday, July 20th. Find your highlighted, penned, and dog-eared quotes and share away!

Happy reading, sharing, and winning!

Task #6: Virtual You

As we start reading James Paul Gee's What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Literacy and Learning, we'd like to challenge Level Up members to think of themselves outside of their typical role as an educator or professional. Specifically, how do you see yourself in a game?

Does your avatar resemble you or does your avatar take on characteristics you may not otherwise adapt in "real life"? What does it say about your personality and how you approach challenges? As a guild, we've already taken on a number of epic challenges consider how gamification will look in our own workplaces, classrooms, and libraries. Now it's time to see the avatar behind the gamification magic!

Task 6:

GAME CHALLENGE:  “It's All About the Avatar”

Matthew (@MatthewWinner)
via 8-Bit Yourself

Directions: Create an avatar of yourself and share a screen capture through Twitter (#levelupbc) or Tumblr. Use any of the following sites to create an avatar, or share a site of your own. Bonus points included!

• 8-Bit Yourself
• 8-Bit Me
• DoppleMe
• Create My Avatar
• Avatar Face Maker Manga (just like Manga cartoons)
• Mii Search (Nintendo Wii Mii-syle avatar)
• South Park Avatar Creator

There are tons and tons of other avatar creation sites. Share your favorite in the comments below or via Twitter or Tumblr and we'll award bonus level ups!

Reward:  This week's reward may be out epic-est ever! Create and share your avatar and, if selected in our random drawing, we'll print it to a t-shirt for you to rock around town! How cool is that?!

Deadline: 11:59pm Friday, July 13th. Winner will be selected by random drawing. Remember: Earn one level up for sharing your avatar plus additional level ups for every new avatar creation website you share!

Happy reading, sharing, and winning!

And The Task 5 Winner is...

This has been a week of Epic Wins.  Last week we challenged you to locate and share awesome articles, videos and other resources related to gamification and game based learning.  We gave you the option of posting your treasures on Twitter or via the #levelupbc Tumblr and offered a sweet, sweet reward to the person who shared the most.

And boy did you guys deliver! In just one short week, 183 scholarly articles, blog posts, news features, educational videos and other game based gems were shared!  This kind of crowdsourcing takes a group effort, but one #levelupbc member was definitely on fire this week!  Congratulations to Carli Spina whose epic sharing not only rocketed her to the top of the #levelupbc Leader Board but also helped guarantee an epic win for the rest of us as we continue to explore game based learning and what it might mean to our practice as teachers, librarians and other education professionals.  Way to go, Carli!

Just one day after this challenge was posted, Matthew and I knew were onto something big and started scheming a way to curate all the great resources that were being shared.  While you guys were busy researching and revealing, we were busy putting together a collection of the links that were being tweeted and tumbled.  Our efforts resulted in a Level Up Book Club Livebinder - an epic collection of categorized resources for us to refer to now that the challenge is finished.  We hope to continue to add to this resource as time goes on, but are thrilled with its current incarnation - which would not have been possible without all of YOU!

Again, this has been a week of epic wins!  Thanks to everyone who participated in this week's challenge.  Stay tuned for info about next week's task.  Here's a hint:  It's gonna be fun!

Task #5: Game Based Crowdsourcing

This week's challenge was inspired by last week's #levelupbc Twitter Chat in which one of our members asked the Twitterverse for help.  Check it out:

If you've been following the #levelupbc Twitter feed then you already know that, in addition to quotes from our reads and convos about how these books will inform our practice, #levelupbc members also, from time to time, post articles, videos and other resources related to video games and gamification.  Indeed, #levelupbc is becoming a resource for anyone interested in this topic - even if they're not keen on reading the books and officially joining our madcap group (although I can't imagine why they wouldn't be!)

So... this week, while we're all waiting for our copies of James Paul Gee's What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning and Literacy to arrive, we're challenging you to be a part of the #levelupbc crowdsourced gratification revolution!  Here's what to do:

Directions: Find and share awesome articles, videos and other resources related to gamification and game based learning.  Resources can be posted to either the #levelupbc tumblr or to Twitter using the #levelupbc hashtag.  Easy, right!?

Update: Super kudos to #levelupbc member Katy Vance who created a Diigo group for the bookmarks collected by this challenge and beyond!  Feel free to post these resources to Katie's Diigo which we've linked to above!  Woot! +1 Initiative to Katy for being a #levelupbc rock star!

Reward: This week, the more resources you share, the more points you get!  AND the person at the top of the leaderboard by the end of the week will not only have major bragging rights, but will also win a one off video thank you card from one of your #levelupbc hosts.  Sweet!

Deadline: 11:59pm Friday, July 6th. Good luck!

PS:  Even though this isn't the official challenge this week, we'd also like to invite you to share photos of you + our next read on our Tumblr.  It's always fun seeing our members sporting some super summer reading material. 

Task #4: The Epic Win

Directions: Take a #levelupbc victory lap by sharing a photo of one of your very epic wins on our tumblr! Your epic win can be game related, school related, work related, kid related, dog related or none of the above related! Any example of a situation that made you want to pump your fist in the air and shout "score!" will do.

Reward: Sharing your epic win will not only grab you a point for the #levelupbc leader board, but this week we draw one participant at random to become to receive a shiny new Level Up Book Club button.  (Trust me, they're sweet!)

Deadline: 11:59pm Friday, June 29th. Share photos via Twitter and Tumblr as often as you'd like. One chance per participant to win!  Good luck!

Reminder: The very first #levelupbc Twitter Chat will take place THIS Thursday, June 28th starting at 8pm! So grab your book, the beverage of your choice and a set of nimble fingers so you can take part as Level Up Book Club members far and wide gather to discuss Jane McGonigal's Reality is Broken.  Twitter handles for all #levelupbc members can be found on our leader board.  And don't forget -- we'll be announcing our next read at the end of the chat, so... if you haven't voted, now's your chance!  

Good luck on this week's challenge and we'll see you on Thursday!  Happy reading, sharing and winning! 

And The Winner Is...

Last week we challenged you to get your Game On! by showing us pictures of YOU playing one of the games mentioned in Jane McGonigal's Reality is Broken. Lots of you participated and the games of choice varied from Free Rice to Four Square to Super Better and countless others! Once the week was over, I put the names of all our participants into the app PikMe! (which I use for school to select students at random). A few clicks later and we have a winner!

Congratulations to Misti Sykes whose mad World of Warcraft skillz not only bumped her up a notch on the Level Up Book Club Leader Board, but also made her the winner of this week's crazy epic prize! Can I get a Woot! Woot!?

Now the only question is WHO will Misti pick to do record the message for her voice mail??

Thanks to everyone who participated! It was a blast seeing all of you in your gaming glory. Stay tuned for next week's Level Up Book Club Challenge. It's gonna be EPIC! AND don't forget:

a) Our first #levelupbc twitter chat is coming up on Thursday, June 28th (that's this Thursday!) starting at 8pm EST. We'll be using the hashtag #levelupbc to discuss Reality is Broken before moving on to our next read. Speaking of which...
b) YOU get to choose the next Level Up Book Club selection! So, if you haven't already done so, be sure to cast your vote soon! The book with the most votes will be announced during our twitter chat on the 28th!

Happy Reading!

Task #3: Game On!

Are you loving Level Up as much as we're loving Level Up?

Jennifer and I (Matthew) have conversations almost daily over how much we're enjoying this mega book club and all of the opportunities to explore gamification through what we read and how we interact with one another and all of you! And so, naturally, it's time to get our game on!

Task 3:

GAME CHALLENGE:  “Show Us Your Game”

Directions: Select a game mentioned in Reality is Broken and play it. That's it! No hidden tricks. Just potential wins for you and your friends, family, and allies. Will you use Superbetter to overcome an obstacle? Will Chore Wars bring adventure to where only dread once existed? Will you build a world with Minecraft and lose yourself in it? No matter what game you select, these or otherwise, snap a photo or screenshot of you playing and upload to our Level Up tumblr page or share on Twitter using #levelupbc.

Reward:  Sharing your gaming experience will pay off bigger than ever this week. Kicking it Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me style, a winner will be selected at random from this week's participants and will receive a personalized voicemail message from one of us (Jennifer or Matthew).

Deadline: 11:59pm Friday, June 22nd.  Share photos via Twitter and Tumblr as often as you'd like. One chance per participant to win.

Happy reading, sharing, and winning!

And the "That's What She Said" Winner is...

The second Level Up Book Club challenge is a wrap and my word did you all take this one to incredible heights!

We asked for you to consider those powerful words and ideas share by Jane McGonigal in Reality is Broken. Over 80 quotes posted and several Twitter discussions later, we have a most-frequent-quoter. Congratulations to Becca Oxley (@LibrariansFTW), who not only quoted Reality is Broken the most this past week, but also engaged Level Up Book Club members in ways to apply those powerful thoughts to library and classroom instruction. Becca Oxley wins an 8-bit style portrait of herself to do with as she pleases, boosting her gamer cred and her #levelupbc reputation.

Thanks to everyone who contributed quotes and shared thoughts on how we can apply what we're reading to everyday practice. We all achieved an #epicwin thanks to your dedication, interest, and enthusiasm! Also, thanks to Jennifer LaGarde for tracking and recording all of the quotes to our leader board!

Join us on Twitter at #levelupbc on Thursday, June 28th from 8-9pm EST for a tweet up and live chat discussion of Reality is Broken.