Posts on “ filament games ”

Congratulations to GameUp partners Filament Games and Learning Games Network for their nominations in the “Best Gameplay” category at the annual Games for Change awards this June. LGN’s game,  Quandary, is a part of the GameUp game network and was the first title in our English Language Arts section.  In this popular game,  ”players shape the future of a new society while learning how to recognize ethical issues and deal with challenging situations in their own lives.”  By creating complex decision making situations in which players must weigh fact, opinion, trustworthiness and risk this title supports teaching toward many ELA common core state standards. Filament’s Game, Reach for the Sun has players,  ”help a young seedling grow and reproduce before winter approaches.” Though Reach for the Sun is not featured on GameUp, many other Filament games are, including:  You Make Me Sick, Cell Command, Crazy Plant Shop and The Sports Network 2.  Be sure to check out the Games For Change Blog for more information about all the nominated games. And may the best game win!

Heading to the SXSWEduConference and Festival, March 4-7 in Austin? Be sure to check out Got Game? Learning Through Play. Seriously. Taking place on Monday, March 4 at 3:00 PM, it features our very own Arturo Guajardo,Texas District Relations Manager, as well as some of our amazing GameUp partners. Arturo, with Jennifer Groff (Learning Games Network), Dan White (Filament Games), and Michael Angst (E-Line Media), will explore the role of learning games, barriers to their implementation, and related research. Plus, you’ll have the chance to to play games alongside the panelists. Don’t miss this session bringing together the perspectives of true game development and education experts. We’re thrilled that many of our GameUp partners are set to participate in other SXSW sessions as well. Among those you might want to add to your schedule are Educating the Create and Share Generation; Mind the Gap: Games, Impact, Potential, Reality; LRMI: A Peek Under the Hood of Personalized Learning; and How to Play: Models for Game-Based Learning. You’re guaranteed to leave SXSWEdu feeling inspired! Keep up with the action on Twitter with #SXSWEdu and @brainpop.

Filament Games, the developers of GameUp games You Make Me Sick, Cell Command, and Crazy Plant Shop, is hosting a lesson plan contest!  They are looking for educators who are supporters of game-based learning and who have created innovative lesson plans for You Make Me Sick.  The best lesson designer will receive a full classroom set of Cell Command, You Make Me Sick, Crazy Plant Shop, and Prisoner of Echo.  Additionally, two runner-ups will receive a full classroom set of the game of their choice from the collection of the four games. Judged by educational consultant, Andrew Miller, and a group of master educators, the lesson plans will be assessed using the following criteria: The game is used as a sound pedagogical tool to perform an intentional function in the classroom learning experience. The lesson presents the game as an innovative and engaging tool to learn. The lesson is aligned to key content standards and/or 21st century skills. The lesson includes clear, coherent directions and useful materials. Be sure to submit your lesson plans by September 7th!  The winners will be notified on October 1st.  

Wednesday, December 14th 4:30 PM EDT Duration: 1 Hour From BrainPOP Educators to ed tech conferences everywhere, you’ve heard the buzz about games in the classroom. Now, take a look at the roots of those games. What’s the development process like? What key ingredients ensure their success? Would you and your students make good game beta-testers? Allisyn Levy and the team from BrainPOP partner Filament Games host.  

Beth Quinn is Research Director at Filament Games. Prior to joining Filament’s team, Dr. Quinn was a professor of sociology, specializing in the Sociology of Law and qualitative methods. She brings almost two decades of teaching experience and a passionfor innovative approaches to teaching and research to her work at Filament. Dr. Quinn received her Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of California-Irvine.  Today, as BrainPOP announces our STEM game design event,  Dr. Quinn asks for your guidance on future offerings from Filament Games. What topic plagues you year after year? The topic that students consistently have trouble understanding, find excruciatingly boring, or simply can’t relate to. You try different methods, but every year it’s the same old struggle. You can’t drop it because it’s foundational to the field or it’s mandated by state standards. Anyone who has ever taught knows these frustrations. I like to call them “Pedagogical Pain Points.”   I work with a talented team at Filament to create educational video games that help teachers turn Pedagogical Pain Points into Pedagogical Victories. Filament Games is working to develop games that function as core teaching tools for topics that are foundational to your field or are consistently difficult for your… Read the Rest»