Power Up Your Classroom: Reimagine Learning Through Gameplay

by Lindsey Blass, Cate Tolnai

Learn to design learning experiences that leverage gameplay to increase motivation and engagement, while building classroom community.

By the time Lindsey Blass and Cate Tolnai’s paths crossed, both had taken a path from teacher to coach to central/county office roles focused on innovative learning design, all while noticing three trends that extended beyond their students who weren’t able to own and connect to their learning experience became disengaged; students and teachers alike had a general fear of failure; and teachers were perplexed at how to design learning experiences that fostered student choice and celebrated failure as an opportunity for iteration.

Together, they began to ask … what if? What if we designed learning experiences that leveraged the power of gameplay to create more motivated learners? What if we modeled this type of learning with educators so they could experience the impact firsthand and spread the excitement and innovation in their classrooms? What if learning was fun for both students and teachers?

This
With a uniquely fun and inviting format, Power Up Your Classroom helps educators implement gamification and game-based learning in their classes to drive student engagement and learning.

K-12 educators, tech coaches

Genres: Nonfiction

136 pages, Paperback

Published June 14, 2019

Reviews

[Brandon Schut · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to using gameplay in your learning environment. These two authors know their stuff. I give it five out of five golden nuggets. I also enjoyed Game Master Gregg's addition on pg 70 (although, I do work with him, so take that into consideration.)

[Patty Rehfus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction and rationale for GBL.

[Heather Stringham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun way to learn about game-based learning and gamification in your classroom. It guides you through the process from the beginning stages to ideas to help you plan what you want to have happen in your classroom.

[Thomas McAuliff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great ideas, resources, and challenges the thinking of how gameplay should exist in the classroom. Super practical!

[Sebastian G. Abril · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading about materials and ways to improve classes when you are a teacher, must be understood as a must. However, there are some books which do not give you everything you were eager to find on them. Although it was a gift given away to me, I had high expectations about it. I need to say that of course it provides teachers with some digital materials that you can implement in your classroom to improve the way how you should work on gamification. Nonetheless, I feel some how disappointed because the resources are not given as strategies that you could apply.

To sum up, I need to say that it is a good book that you can enjoy to learn or read about some teachers' experiences but you don't get like the recipe and procedures to create great lesson plans based on technology and gamification.

It has been so difficult to me to end the whole book since I do not find it useful as I supposed it was going to be.

[Gemalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, with some fresh insights on what gamification and GBL are. Nonetheless, it does demand background knowledge from the reader on these topics. If you're planning on finding concrete examples or suggestions for designing GBL material or gamified plans, I regret to inform other readers this is not the book you're looking for.

[Dana Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome, super-quick read. Really well formatted and a good mix of clear strategies, resources, and anecdotes. Can't wait to start incorporating some of these strategies into my classes :)

[Sara Woodyard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book on theory. Some broken links on the provided resources. Would have loved more concrete examples.