A Hero’s Journey

The opening vignette in Chapter 3 features a family favorite game called Forbidden Island. It’s one of those magical games that is collaborative enough for everyone feel comfortable playing while still ensuring each player has their own unique and important role.

Like learning new content or taking on new responsibilities, game play can make us feel more like heroes and other times makes clear the barriers we still need to overcome. The motivation to learn, like the motivation to play, is what we call the hero’s journey.

In Chapter 3 we talk about the motivation that drives the heroes in our favorite games and how those drives propel each of us, oftentimes after many setbacks.

Gain some serious XP by downloading this sketchnote for Level Up 8 in #GameOnBrainOn and asking your learners to share reflections about the affordances of their gaming experiences, how they move forward if they fail during play, and how they explain their successes in play.

Motivational concepts like locus of control may determine how our kids see themselves as capable owners of their own learning. The lens of play helps break these concepts down by thinking about the mechanics, or how players are able to take action in the game.

The mechanics of play, like the mechanics of learning, help learners operationalize the many smaller but concrete steps in game play that are necessary to succeed in play (and in life).

How will you level up learning through play in your space today? What uses will you find for this sketchnote in asking your learners about the way they seek support, lean on one another, ask clarifying questions?

Better yet, how are you modeling the way your struggles to learn, grow, and overcome while you embark on your own hero’s journey?