The game designs and plans are coming along nicely.  I’ve got the website started; URL will be revealed soon.

I’m drooling over the Fantasy mapping software as I work to create the map of the island the game will be set on. The Pro Fantasy Software product “Campaign Cartographer 3” looks excellent. I just want to be certain that $44.95 (USD) is worth it.  I don’t want to spend days and days learning a new piece of software just to create a map; but I also recognize that the map is a key component in writing the narrative, and in making the game itself make sense to me, and, perhaps more importantly, to my students.

The beta map creator at Inkarnate is fun to play around with, but I feel like my maps look a little bit infantile once created.  However, it’s free and it’s quick!

Perhaps I’ll see if someone on Fiverr wants to create me a map and I’ll save myself the challenge of becoming a cartographer!

 

Edited to add that in the end I used fiverr to create the map.

I am amassing a few resources now for my gamified French 7 & 8 classes.  Amazon Prime Day was a big help for that.  I even got an awesome set of skeleton keys (you can’t open a lock without finding the key first!) to build into the game.

Here is a sampling of the first Power Cards.

They will be embellished with different sheens and colours to differentiate the very rare ones from the more common ones. I have a few things to figure out yet with the card generator that I’m using.

The kids do not speak French. At all. The language on these is WAY above their capability. But that’s part of my differentiation plan. Those who put more into learning the game will acquire a broader and more robust vocabulary in so doing.

The cards will come into play in class, as part of a bigger game. I’m working on the Narrative right now.

I have attack cards in the works as well that they can use during tests, quizzes etc. to look up an answer to skip a question etc. But those cards will be earned during class time. There’s an element of chance to it all, but there’s also going to be skill built into the games.

Some preliminary ideas for learning games and formative assessment:

I’ll use the drones from my tech classes to conjugate verbs outside using a grid and sidewalk chalk. That way the kids who are better with motor skills, but weaker academically play a valuable part.

We’ll do Jeopardy but they can use the cards for extra time, to cause another player to miss a turn, to double point value etc.

We’ll do pictionary-type4 activities, we will use our devices with apps like Kahoot and Socrative for fast-paced answers.

I have a million ideas. I’m glad I knew about this new teaching assignment before the summer so I’d have a chance to put into play a bunch of the research I did with my M.Ed. I want this to be minimal paper and maximum learning. I’m using the work of Yukai-Chou and his Octalysis model as the backbone, and conferring (via Twitter!) with Scott Hebert who built a grade 8 science class in a gamified structure. His knowledge of resources and gamification has been invaluable.

I’ve secured my web address at which to start building the mini games and battles, and to house the videos.

Using the Hearthstone Card Generator, I am creating the initial character cards for students.  These cards are based on French Canadian History, and the game will facilitate advancements and gains to mimic the cultural change of the past 150 years.

Les habitants will be the base level of player.  All students will begin in the class “Les habitants.