Passion for learning

This must be the best time in the history of the world for people who love to learn. So much knowledge is immediately accessible. Video tutorials allow novices to pick up skills from masters.

I read David Warlick's blog post last week that compares the state of education in Finland with the system in the U.S.. It is here and it's worth the read.

His points are valid, but like so many other opinions on this matter, I think it only touches on the heart of the issue. I am face to face with the real problem every hour that I'm in the classroom, yet I rarely read anything that points it out clearly. From what I see daily, the core of the problem is simply that in the U.S., students do not value learning on an emotional level. For the most part, especially starting at about 6th grade, there is no passion to learn.

Instead, we manage to turn the whole thing into into a system for getting credit. A focus on learning turns to a focus on grades. At the secondary level, grades give way to credit. This credit supposedly will turn into something meaningful way down the road, like getting into a good college or getting a good job. Over the years, students completely forget the joy of learning.

So in this time where learning is more obtainable than ever before, let's remember the only real job is to help our students discover the joy of learning. Let's hunt out and destroy those practices that slowly squelch their natural curiosity and passion to discover. Maybe then the other problems that get attention inside and outside of the schools would take care of themselves.

Free Game Giveaway

As mentioned last week, I put an edition of my card game King for a Day up for sale on The Game Crafter. It was previously only available in a cheap black & white edition or as a print-and-play game. With only a few copies out there, it still got some good comments and a review on its page at the Boardgame Geek. I finally decided this year to make a nice color edition with the help of my daughter.

To draw more attention to the project, I'm giving away a free copy. See the details below to enter to win.

The game would be useful in the middle or high school classroom as it requires good communication skills from start to finish. Strategy, negotiation and careful management of resources are also required to play well. After years of playtesting the game with students, I know it goes over well with teens.

I am also featuring the game here to promote The Game Crafter site because I think it can be used for some excellent classroom projects. With some additional time spent on graphics, students can produce very nice copies of their game through the site.

So how can you win? There are three ways to enter and if you enter in multiple ways you get entered multiple times. On February 12, 2012 I will randomly draw one entry from all submitted.

• If you have a Facebook account, Like the King for a Day Card Game page on Facebook.
• If you have a Boardgame Geek account, be a fan of the game on its page. (Don't just "Like" it there because I won't know who did it. Click the Become a Fan link in the upper right of the page.)
• If you want to be notified about what I'm doing or discovering in classroom technology and games, follow this blog by clicking the Join this site button at the right.

If you have already done any of those things, you're already entered even if you don't know it!

I will contact the winner after I randomly select an entry. Once I get a mailing address, I will

order a copy of the game and have it shipped to the address. (Please understand, however, that am restricting the giveaway to continental U.S. addresses only.) This drawing is not affiliated with any sites mentioned above.

Game Design and Ecosystems

The new semester finds me working with a seventh grade science teacher. We're planning a unit that combines Gamestar Mechanic with the study of ecosystems. We're just starting out, so this post isn't about us. Instead, I wanted to point out the great work Kevin Hodgson did last semester. He put it up on his Video Game Design blog.

His videos, sample worksheets and explanations of what worked and what didn't were inspiring. I strongly recommend going through the materials on each section. His sample game is very well done too. I am always impressed with teachers who do a great project and manage to document it so well for the rest of us.

I should mention too that I came across Mr. Hodgson's site from a link at the amazing Free Technology for Teachers blog.

Game Publishing for the Classroom

Going with my previous post about traditional games in the classroom, here's a resource that I recommend to teachers. It is a print on demand service that specializes in board and card games. Students could use this to turn a class project into a nice edition. Copies could be ordered for family and friends. With just a little more work, they can be made available through the site to the world at large.

The Game Crafter offers options for different sized cards, game boards and several other tokens that work for most games. I have published two of my own projects with them and I'm very happy with the results. The game pictured here consists of three different decks of cards and the accessories shown. It cost me about $20 to order my own copy. It's a little more than what I'd pay for a mass produced game with the same components, but it sure beats having to pay for a minimum run of 1,000 copies. My family worked on the project together and they loved seeing it finally arrive in print. I plan to offer it for sale, but to make a profit I will have to raise that price of $20.

So this won't likely be a direct path to a lot of financial rewards, but the site does have a Hall of Fame. There, designers who have used The Game Crafter as a bridge from idea to a successful mass production tell their stories. Certainly this print on demand service can get a good game into the hands of people who can take it further.

I can't say I've used this in the classroom yet, but I suggest it to teachers and I'm looking forward to the first time we can try it. The service is quite easy to use. The only hard part will be working with the graphics and most of that has nothing to do with The Game Crafter. It will depend on polished the students want their cards and boards to look.

I had a little trouble getting everything sized correctly for their site and the interface was a little frustrating at first. Familiarity with a program like GIMP or Paint Shop Pro will do the job nicely.

Once it's all created according to their specs (templates are available on the site) it's just a matter of uploading. You can order your own copies right away, but there are some additional requirements to enter if you want to put it for sale at the site.

If done right, a successful game project like this could involve all of these learning experiences:

• Game design, with all of the problem solving, testing and creativity that comes with it
• Graphic design
• Setting a reasonable cost through choices in the game design itself, component creation and selection of existing components from the site
• Writing the rules and informational materials
• Promotion of the final product

If it sounds promising, interested students and teachers should start here.

Making a Game - How far will an idea go?

I will probably have a few posts in the next week or so that relate more to traditional games and game creation. With so much focus on computer games everywhere else, this may feel out of place. I still find a lot of value in traditional games in the classroom and students still love making traditional games. My career in education and experience with game design and publication have been inseparable. I always used games in the classroom and my students always helped with the vital process of playtesting.

This weekend I posted a video that highlights my experience with one game that has gone far. It traces its path from initial idea to a game that has been played around the world. I often use this story as a kick-off to my game design projects in the classroom.

To keep this brief I had to leave a lot out. Nothing is said about how I used the game in the classroom or how my interactive whiteboard activities continue to spread the idea. I trust this serves its purpose, though, as possible encourage for others who have an idea and want to watch it grow.