In the last month, I've been fortunate to attend two conferences, and from both I've gotten good ideas for digital and game-based learning. In today's blog entry, I'll share my reflections with you!
Play Make Learn 2024
Play Make Learn is an annual conference first started in 2017, and is held at the beautiful University of Wisconsin campus in Madison, Wisconsin. True to its name, it's a drawing together of teachers, librarians, crafters, and digital and analog game publishers for the students of Kindergarten through higher ed. You'll see sessions and displays on everything from makerspaces to video games to looming(!) to tabletop roleplaying games. I went with my colleagues Jen and Amy; it was the first time any of us had gone, and we constantly remarked on the palpable joy in the air from presenters and attendees throughout the two day conference.
Some of the conference highlights included:
- The Madison Public Library system shared findings from the beta testing of The Observation Deck, an intriguing platform that captures multimedia evidence of how library experiences impact patrons. Separate from the platform itself, I appreciated the "Starter Frameworks" that were shared; these could be inspiration for analog observation and classroom walk-through tools for instructional coaches and admin.
- Playful Learning Landscapes discussed their community-focused approach to creating urban spaces that center around the "PLL Model" of the 5 Principles of Learning (Actively Engaging, Joyful, Iterative, Socially Interactive, Meaningful), The 6 C's Learning Goals (Collaboration, Communication, Content, Critical Thinking,Creative Innovation, Confidence), and Community Engagement. I particularly liked their downloadable "Playbook" (available in English and Spanish) with steps on how to implement a Playful Learning Landscape of your own as well as dozens of examples from America and around the world.
- In a "Library Learning Innovations" three person panel presentation, lots of valuable ground was covered. Sam Abramovich talked through a brief history of genAI, along with the challenges and power it can bring to libraries. (He also introduced me to the phrase HOMAGO for the first time.) Rebecca Teasdale shared a preliminary framework for evaluating makerspaces. Lastly, Chris Baker (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's Public Library Consultant, and the lead organizer of the conference) shared evidence on the power of gaming (video, board, tabletop) in a library; among other resources, he highlighted WISELearn.
- The Wisconsin Historical Society recently published Wisconsin Adventures, in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons (which was launched from Lake Geneva, about 80 miles southeast of Madison). Wisconsin Adventures uses the same ruleset as D&D (i.e. it is "5e compatible"), and it leads players through quests inspired by urban legends, famous locations, and historical personages of the state. Even more impressive is how they aligned it to academic Core Content standards. At the end of the WHS session, its historians led us in small groups through a mini-adventure from their module. And that was just the first time I played D&D at PML....
- Jen, Amy and I played a one-shot Dungeons & Dragons adventure designed to help introduce the game to new players. Jen and Amy may have never rolled the polyhedral dice before, but quickly caught on, and Amy even gave the killing blow to the end boss "Death Tyrant"!
Gen Con 2024
While this was the second time I've attended Gen Con, it's the first time I have presented, alongside Shelby County Public School teacher Justin Gadd. The session was part of Trade Day, which occurs on the Wednesday before "The Best Four Days in Gaming" of the convention itself. The title of our presentation was "TTRPGs in Education: Cultivating Creativity and Critical Thinking in the Classroom." For his portion, Justin did wonderfully as he shared his classroom story of how tabletop role-playing games have positively impacted his students.
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| Justin Gadd, middle school teacher extraordinaire. |
After Trade Day, I took off work for Thursday and Friday to enjoy some personal time wandering the halls, playing games, and seeing old friends like Dan Reem and Tom Gross from the podcast Teachers in the Dungeon!
I made several connections that could help a classroom:
- In his session "No Apologies: Arguments and Examples of Analog Gaming as Effective Tools in Secondary Education," Shawn Thorgersen (a grade 7-12 English teacher and Assistant Principal in New York, as well as a PhD student at St. Johns University) discussed evidence-based research on the topic and some examples from his own classroom. Thorgersen's slides had a quote from S.S. Boocock that particularly lifted my heart:
- Dr. Katie King, from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, led a session on "Using a TTRPG as a Professional Development Tool." She shared a project she is piloting, where grad students in a teacher prep program have their teacher "characters" engage in TTRPG scenarios as led by a "Classroom Master." As Dr. King pointed out, such role-playing is closest to the active form of student teaching and therefore more effective and authentic than the more passive learning of classroom observation or article reading. It definitely got my wheels turning on how a TTRPG could be the engagement model of a professional development session or series.
- Limitless Adventures has a new solo adventure gamebook based on D&D 5e rules called Lost in the Dark. The book leads you through character creation, and from there, advances you through the story complete with dice rolls and monster encounters. Great for a classroom or school library for students to check out, or for enrichment time.
- The Story Engine is a company that makes various card decks & expansion sets that can help build a narrative or world, with simple and intuitive rules. While originally made for TTRPG players or GMs, the decks can be excellent for brainstorming fiction, understanding geography, or collaboratively practicing what it's like to co-create a story. Additionally, they have free lesson plan resources! (While most of the lessons are aligned to middle and high school standards, others -- like the "9 Storytelling Activities" handout -- could be for any age group, depending on their literacy level and the supports given.)
- I first met Tim Beach and his Start Here Roleplaying Game back at the GAMA Expo in March. He had a presence at Gen Con too, where (as a Trade Day educator) I was able to get an early release of its box set gifted by Tim. The purpose of the game is to get people playing as quickly as possible, and from what I've seen of the game mechanics, this succeeds! The box set comes with both simple and expanded rules, along with several genre settings, from fantasy to "Wizards & Wranglers" (think Weird West) to "Zombiesaurus Rex" (think Jurassic Park mixed with The Walking Dead). The game should be available for ordering very soon. Until then, check out the Beach House RPG Facebook page for updates.
- I've been a fan of 9th Level Games for a few years now, and I was excited to examine a new TTRPG they are about to publish aimed at elementary aged children: Venture Society. As their Kickstarter puts it, Venture Society is an "all ages, non-violent RPG focusing on building communication, social, & emotional skills" which utilizes 9th Level's "Polymorph" simple game system. It's available for pre-order and coming out this fall.
- I will end with three words: Dice Petting Zoo. Well...perhaps that requires a bit more explanation. Tom Gross and I discovered a handcrafted wooden tray with dice at a booth advertising some D&D "stay and playcation" opportunities (Nat21 Adventures). The idea was so whimsical that I immediately began brainstorming how a Dice Petting Zoo could be a delightful addition to a classroom. It could provide an opportunity for calming and building culture. Imagine naming the various polyhedral "animals." Or having students whisper numbers to them as they try to solve a difficult math problem. Or for those that need to fiddle, taking them for a "walk" (roll!).
