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?

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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!