Posts on “ gamestar mechanic ”

Guest Blogger and BrainPOP Educator Steve Isaacs share his methods for incorporating game design into his classroom.  You can find the post in it’s original form on Steve’s blog, games and learning Recently @techucation reached out to ask for some resources and ideas related to teaching Video Game Design and Development.  I responded to his inquiry and realized it would serve as a worthwhile blog post to share with the educational community.  Below is a general description of my 7th and 8th grade courses.  In 7th grade, I teach a six week introduction to video game design and digital storytelling.  In 8th grade I teach a full semester course in video game design and development.  I have also developed and teach the full semester course as an online high school course for The VHS Collaborative (http://thevhscollaborative.org/).  I hope you find the information helpful as I would love to see more courses evolve that teach important 21st century skills through game design. Currently, I am enrolled in the doctoral program in Educational Technology at Boise State University and the focus of my research is the pedagogical benefits of game design and development.  Some of the concepts I find most worthwhile to research… Read the Rest»

Game nights have been bringing people together for generations, and recently BrainPOP collaborated with our friends from YouPD to host our very own!  The evening included game play, of course, and presentations from NewVisions, the MIT Education Arcade and Global Kids, to more than 50 teachers, administrators, non-profits employees. First,  Scot Osterweil, Creative Director at the MIT Education Arcade, shared how play is at the root of human nature and learning, yet it’s not honored within the US educational system.  He continued by describing how play is at the root of many well designed educational games including his own Lure of the Labyrinth which we played collaboratively with the entire group! Grand Theft Calculus it was not Next Barry Joseph, Online Leadership Director at Global Kids,  along with two youth leaders, Ednica and Kendell,  presented on the process of designing games in their after school class, specifically “Playing for Peace” with Gamestar Mechanic.   They are currently challenging young game designers to create games with social impact about the causes and effects of war around the world.  Get your students involved by clicking the link above. Next Hsing Wei from NewVisions showed off Hackasaurus from Mozilla, demonstrating how the thoughtful “x-ray goggles”… Read the Rest»

National STEM Video Game Challenge With BrainPOP and Gamestar Mechanic Wednesday, November 16th 4:30 PM EDT Duration: 1 Hour From the National STEM Video Game Challenge to ed tech conferences around the country, you’ve heard about the impact of games in education. But what does that impact look like? How do you make them a reality in your classroom? Start with this unique webinar hosted by special guest Katya Hott of Gamestar Mechanic. She’ll take you through the process of working with students as they design their own games, harnessing and strengthening their STEM skills in the process.  

Attention New York City area educators! Are you ‘game’ for a free one day game design workshop with BrainPOP and Gamestar Mechanic? Then read on. . . From the National STEM Video Game Challenge to ed tech conferences around the country, you’ve heard the buzz about student-made games. But how do you get started making that a reality in your classroom? On Saturday, November 12, join leading game designers, STEM content experts, and fellow educators for a day of professional development dedicated exclusively to this rapidly growing field of game design. Keynote speaker Michael Angst, Founder and CEO of educational game publisher E-Line Media, kicks things off with a talk that illuminates the key elements of game design. Then, head to hands-on workshops in which you’ll use curricular content from BrainPOP and the easy-to-use game design tool Gamestar Mechanic to develop your very own game. You’ll leave armed with great ideas and ready to tackle that National STEM Video Game Challenge with your students. Breakfast, lunch, and other goodies will be provided. When: Saturday, November 12 (National Gaming Day!) 9:30am – 4:00pm Where: BrainPOP HQ Sorry, registration is now closed, we are full.

Gamestar Mechanic is a gaming community designed to teach young people the basics of game design and systems thinking in a highly engaging environment. Students can play, design and share their creations in a safe online environment. Gamestar Mechanic plays an important role the development of emerging field of game-based learning. The game was developed through a unique public-private partnership that crosses leading foundations, non-profits, academia and the game industry. Gamestar Mechanic is currently supported by a partnership between the Institute of Play and E-Line Media. The game was originally developed by Gamelab in partnership with the Institute of Play and the Academic Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Lab (AADLC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Initial funding for the game and companion learning guides came from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The design of the game is based on research by some of the leading academics in the field including Katie Salen (Executive Director of the Institute of Play and curriculum author for the New York City Public School Quest To Learn) and James Paul Gee (author of What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy). GameStar Mechanic - http://gamestarmechanic.com/