What better subject to zoom in on during the holiday season than play? I've written a lot on the subject, here, through the years but, in a way, this is Part 4 of a series I started in 2009 (here are the 2nd and 3rd parts). So now, at the turn of a new year, it’s not only a perfect time but high time to come back to the power of play. Happy holidays to all who celebrate them, happiness to those … [Read more...] about ‘Playful by Design,’ a landmark report
Scott Nicholson
Why not a gazillion ‘likes’?: Getting wise to gamification in social media (& life)
Likes in Facebook and Instagram, +1's in Google+, (potentially) "HISCORE(s)" in Snapchat are fun to get (though there isn't much evidence having a HISCORE is a big deal for Snapchat users yet). They're a great example of gamification, a word that's increasingly heard in pop culture as much as education. There's nothing wrong with liking likes and other gamification forms (more on this in minute). … [Read more...] about Why not a gazillion ‘likes’?: Getting wise to gamification in social media (& life)
One mom’s cellphone contract for her son
When I first read Janell Hoffman's 18-point contract for her 13-year-old son Greg's cellphone use, I was a little put off. So it really helped to watch Good Morning America's video story about it. Why? Because GMA gave it a light touch, and reporter Akiko Fujita pointed out afterwards that "a lot of this was done in jest." That helped because this was very public parenting, and – if this national … [Read more...] about One mom’s cellphone contract for her son
What Net safety can learn from digital game design
Internet-safety experts should talk with game designers. Last week was for me a three-day-long, powerful confirmation that we need to de-silo the public discussion about young people's well-being online and offline. I attended the GLS (for Games+Learning+Society) conference at the University of Wisconsin and absorbed a lot of wisdom about learning in digital games and worlds. One key lesson … [Read more...] about What Net safety can learn from digital game design