Edgamer

  Jamie Brooker joins us this week for EdGamer 94. Jamie is Co-Founder & Lead Designer of Kahoot! Crafted using a design-led approach, Kahoot! is a web-based mobile and tablet friendly platform. With a simple user experience, it creates a social, fun and game-like environment in the classroom. Do you want to try this interactive game in your classroom? Use “edgamer” as the priority code for the beta access. EdGamer is in Kahoots with some serious games, so tune-in and level-up!… Read the rest

  This week on EdGamer episode 93 we run through some new great resources. Zack posted a Minecraft guide for teachers, we discuss a new interactive tool called Kahoot!, and GeekDad has a wonderful two part article (one and two) on finding new board games. EdGamer is jam packed, so tune-in and level-up!     Alternate Title– Spring Break and Winter Storms Please go to the Show Notes for all of our links.… Read the rest

Pete Figtree of Ruthless Diastema is our guest this week on EdGamer 92.  Pete has a great Games and Learning  blog and podcast.  We have a lot in common, but Pete has focused on a specific gaming genre for his high school English and Language Arts classroom….role-playing games.  He loves using non-digital Indie games to assess his students’ learning in literature.  Tabletop games, cards, and dice are commonly seen in Pete’s classroom and his students enjoy.  … Read the rest

Gerry is calling in from Texas for EdGamer 91. He is attending the NAEA (National Art Education Association) 2013 Conference in Austin.  He left the snow of Chicago for the warm weather of the south and he is filling his brain with new ideas about Games and Learning.  Zack gives us an update about his game club, we discuss SXSWedu, and Zack has been asked to join the Playful Learning Advisory Board.  Don’t miss this great discussion!… Read the rest

This week on episode 90 of EdGamer we review two of the best conferences of the year for technology and education. In the last two weeks EdGamer has attended the ICE and SIT conferences and we have a plethora of new things to share with you! Plus, you get to hear all of the wonderful antics as a result of Zack spending a few days at Gerry’s house. This you can’t miss! Tune-in and level-up! Alternate Title- The Best Seat on the ICE Please go to the Show Notes for all of our links and people we met at these two conferences.… Read the rest

EdGamer Edvisor is a compacted but highly focused version of EdGamer that gives the listener a quick list of tools or reviews to aid learning in the classroom. This episode highlights our top 5 (ish) digital creation tools for the classroom. Enjoy!   The right computer lab – Macs, monitors & Wacom tablets Adobe Photoshop/CS Suite & Adobe Lightroom Final Cut Pro / iMovie 3D Studio Max / Maya / Autodesk Suite / ZBrush / Sculptris / Pixologic / Cheetah 3D Unity Game Engine Sound editing software – GarageBand / Avid’s Pro Tools Journaling program – Corel / Pento / Evernote Hosting program – JIBE / web design   Your thoughts?… Read the rest

This week on the 89th installment of EdGamer, we try to figure out why Bill Gates “confuzzles” us (Zack is extremely proud of his new word…). The discussion quickly turns to frustration as we banter about topics such as standardized testing, individuality in students and common standards. We end the show with some lighter gaming news about some great new products. Tune-in and level-up!   Show Host: Zack Gilbert Show Contributor: Gerry James Here’s our Show Notes Contact us with any questions or comments- edgamer@edreach.us   EdGamer artwork by Tricia Fuglestad     … Read the rest

EdGamer Edvisor is a compacted but highly focused version of EdGamer that gives the listener a quick list of tools or reviews to aid learning in the classroom. This episode highlights our top 5 Social Studies games for the classroom. Enjoy!           Top 5 Social Studies Games Civilization IV BBC Interactive History Games Minecraft and MinecraftEdu iCivics – Filament Games – BrainPOP – Learning Games Network Muzzy Lane Software There are many others, but here are the ones I use?  … Read the rest

This short and powerful episode of EdGamer, our 88th installation of the series, brings to light some new games we experienced in game club this week. If our sporadic title isn’t enough to interest you, check out another great preview of the SIT Conference in this podcast. Tune-in and level-up!       Show Host: Zack Gilbert Show Contributor: Gerry James Here’s our Show Notes Contact us with any questions or comments- edgamer@edreach.us   EdGamer artwork by Tricia Fuglestad     … Read the rest

This week on EdGamer Episode 87 we are joined by the president of one of the ‘coolest’ educational gaming companies around…Dave McCool of Muzzy Lane (sorry for the pun Dave). Listen in as Dave gives us a detailed tour of all the amazing stuff Muzzy Lane has going on. From elementary to adult, there is a little something for everyone in this episode. Tune-in and level-up!   Show Host: Zack Gilbert Show Contributor: Gerry James Guest: Dave McCool Here’s our Show Notes Contact us with any questions or comments- edgamer@edreach.us   EdGamer artwork by Tricia Fuglestad     … Read the rest

This week on EdGamer Episode 86 we are joined by our good friend and repeat special guest Jeremiah McCall of the Learning Games Network! Jeremiah is nice enough to walk us through some of the great stuff happening with the Playful Learning initiative. He also tosses in some amazing insight on the latest topics of gaming and education. Don’t miss this episode. Tune-in and level-up!   Show Host: Zack Gilbert Show Contributor: Gerry James Guest: Jeremiah McCall Here’s our Show Notes Contact us with any questions or comments- edgamer@edreach.us   EdGamer artwork by Tricia Fuglestad     … Read the rest

This week on EdGamer Episode 85 we creep ever closer to the century mark! Zack gives us a low down on one of the fastest growing student led conferences in Illinois, the SIT conference. This episode is short but robust and full of great information, especially if you have students interested in showing off their Minecraft skills. Tune-in and level-up!     Show Host: Zack Gilbert Show Contributor: Gerry James Here’s our Show Notes Contact us with any questions or comments- edgamer@edreach.us   EdGamer artwork by Tricia Fuglestad     … Read the rest

This IS the podcast you’re looking for! This week on EdGamer Episode 84 we contemplate the reality of building the Death Star…spoiler alert…our vote is a resounding, YES! We also give you some ‘EdCeptional’ news about games in Special Education settings, follow up on Homeland Security and try to figure out how to pronounce d0x3d, a link from our dear friend Niilo…another don’t miss episode of EdGamer. Tune-in and level-up!   Show Host: Zack Gilbert Show Contributor: Gerry James Here’s our Show Notes Contact us with any questions or comments- edgamer@edreach.us   EdGamer artwork by Tricia Fuglestad     … Read the rest

This week on EdGamer Episode 83 we start off 2013 by looking back at some of the best games from 2012. We try to determine how, or if, they should be used in the classroom. Plus, we run the gamut of new articles about education and gaming including topics on children s  privacy, U.S. History and …Kerbal? Tune-in and level-up!       Show Host: Zack Gilbert Show Contributor: Gerry James Here’s our Show Notes Contact us with any questions or comments- edgamer@edreach.us   EdGamer artwork by Tricia Fuglestad     … Read the rest

For our final scheduled podcast of 2012, Episode 82, we bring in a new friend to the show. Jochen Kranzer is a managing partner at ovos, a small interactive studio in Austria. He walks us through his latest project, an educational physics game called Ludwig. Jochen also joins us for some ongoing talk about violence in media, especially video games and how it impacts our schools and children. Don’t miss the final EdGamer of the year.… Read the rest

Are violent video games the cause of violent crimes, especially in children?  Who is to blame and is there a solution in stopping these tragedies within our schools?  Join us this week as guests Joel Levin (The Minecraft Teacher), Lucas Gillispie (Edurealms), Gerry, and Zack  try to answer these question and many more on this week’s EdGamer.  Tune-in and Level-up. (Video is available on this episode’s page. The audio was pulled from the video recording.)   Show Host: Zack Gilbert Show Contributor: Gerry James Guest: Lucas Gillispie Guest: Joel Levin Here’s our Show Notes Contact us with any questions or comments- edgamer@edreach.us   EdGamer artwork by Tricia Fuglestad … Read the rest

Happy Holidays EdGamer listeners…this week we give you a gift…our very first interview with a Ted Talk speaker…the amazingly insightful John Hunter. Mr. Hunter is the innovative force behind the World Peace Game and he is having a huge impact on the gaming and learning field. Join us for one of our most interesting episodes yet. Don’t miss this EdGamer first…tune-in and level-up!   Show Host: Zack Gilbert Show Contributor: Gerry James Guest: John Hunter Here’s our Show Notes Contact us with any questions or comments- edgamer@edreach.us   EdGamer artwork by Tricia Fuglestad     … Read the rest

On this week’s EdGamer we brought back a former guest, Jeremiah McCall.  He is working with the Learning Games Network on a new project called Playful Learning.  This is an ambitious project that will help educators find games that will work in their classroom.  Playful Learning will also help teachers with the difficult task of implementation.  Tune in and level-up!   Show Host: Zack Gilbert Guest: Jeremiah McCall Here’s our Show Notes Contact us with any questions or comments- edgamer@edreach.us   EdGamer artwork by Tricia Fuglestad     … Read the rest

This Edvisor brief gives a quick assessment to a great electronic games rubric from California State University. We highlight the strengths of this rubric and offer a few suggestions for improvement. Tune-in and level-up! Show Host: Zack Gilbert Show Contributor: Gerry James Contact us with any questions or comments- edgamer@edreach.us   EdGamer artwork by Tricia Fuglestad     … Read the rest

This week on EdGamer Episode 79 we run through all the latest gaming and education news on the net! Our main article finds us discussing a classroom board game where the winner is the one who can create peace on the battlefield. Plus we look at a great video short and a glimpse of a new physics inspired online game. Tune-in and level-up!       Show Host: Zack Gilbert Show Contributor: Gerry James Here’s our Show Notes Contact us with any questions or comments- edgamer@edreach.us   EdGamer artwork by Tricia Fuglestad     … Read the rest