Talks, Articles, Podcasts, and More

Games for Change Online Book Launch Talk with James Paul Gee

​Twenty years after James Gee laid the groundwork for games in learning and literacy, Tracy and Matthew have built upon these concepts with their new theory of player response, which explores what we feel and experience during play, beyond just what we achieve. For the launch of The Well Read Game, James, Tracy and Matthew discuss the foundations of the theory and where it will take us for the future of interpreting play.

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Well Played Journal Special Issue on Well-Read Games

This special issue of the Well Played Journal, edited by Tracy and Matthew, collects discussions and examples of games that are "well read” as described in our book. Containing good introductory readings that exemplify the theory as well as readings that complicate theory through their methods, situations, or varying contexts, this journal is excellent complimentary reading alongside The Well Read Game itself.

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Guest Blog for Connected Learning Alliance

Matthew discusses our theory of player response, the framework proposed in The Well-Read Game, in a guest blog for the Connected Learning Alliance. This short article describes both our core theory of player response as well as approaches for cultivating well-read players and makes a great short introduction to the book in practice.

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20 Sided Gamified Podcast Episode #106

Tracy and Matt discuss the ideas behind The Well-Read Game with 20 Sided Gamified host Jared Fishman, an educator and gamer who is passionate about the crossover between games and education with an emphasis on how all games can become valuable tools for learning and growth.

Listen to the podcast

Guest Blog for Joan Ganz Cooney Center

Tracy discusses how our theory of player response enhances the possibilities of co-play between children and parents as well as players of all ages. This short article discusses the way in which playing together creates safe communities in which to share our personal responses to games and can open conversations that allow co-interpretation of playful experiences.

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Webinar for Common Sense Media

In this edWebinar, Tracy and Matt introduce concepts from The Well-Read Game to describe how games, like books, can be “read well” to foster deep literacy and critical thinking skills in students. The webinar includes example readings, actionable strategies for teachers, as well as practical example from Walden, a game EDU, a free game experience that invites students to step into Thoreau’s world.

Watch the recording